Lion Yard

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Lion Yard is located in the centre of Cambridge and is the oldest of Cambridge’s three shopping centres. It sits within a conservation area just off Market Square. TFT was appointed as Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, Sustainability and Energy Consultant, Principal Designer, Party Wall Surveyor and Rights of Light / Daylight Sunlight Surveyor for these major refurbishment works being undertaken within a live shopping environment.

The works will be undertaken in several phases. Firstly, the sub-station in the basement will be moved and upgraded to make way for a new nightclub, currently located on the 3rd floor. Once the nightclub is relocated, floors 1, 2 & 3 above the shopping centre will be converted from offices to a 130-bed hotel. At the same time, a new Food and Beverage Quarter with public realm will be constructed.

The project is not without challenges. TFT identified the drainage provision for the hotel as a potential risk from the start of the project. With most retail units below occupied, options were limited and the drainage routes to the basement were limited. The restricted floor-to-ceiling heights reduced the options available to run new drainage in raised floor voids. TFT knew that hotel operators would not accept pumped or vacuum drainage systems and the decision was taken to accelerate the drainage design early in the design process. As a result of this, routes for new drainage drops were identified and concentrated in areas which didn’t affect existing retailers.

Photovoltaics will be installed on the roof of the hotel. The scheme is targeting a minimum of BREEAM “Very Good” to meet both the client and proposed hotel operator’s corporate social responsibility objectives.