Work gets underway on Jersey’s latest International Finance Centre building

Published 1st November 2022

The five-storey, 68,000 sq ft scheme sees Waterman once again work in close collaboration with Jersey Development Company (JDC) and MJP Architects. The new building will offer best-in-class office accommodation and incorporate a restaurant on the ground floor. Situated to the west of the award-winning IFC5 building, the project will offer private underground parking for 51 cars and an extension to the popular public landscaped area, Trenton Square, named in homage to the State Capital of New Jersey, Trenton. The shared space provides a communal area from which tenants and visitors can enjoy views across St Aubin’s Bay and St Helier Marina.

This high-quality Grade A office building, alongside IFC 1 and IFC 5, will support the growth of locally based international and multi-jurisdictional businesses, and aims to attract new business to the island. The IFC development extends St Helier’s existing central business district and is establishing a clear identity for the island’s premier industry, whilst strengthening the connection between the historic town centre and the waterfront.

Waterman has been involved with the IFC development for over a decade, and we are proud to have continued our association through IFC6, for which we provided structural, building services and environmental designs, in addition to delivering sustainability, acoustics and transport advice. IFC6 is designed to meet the highest standards of BCO specification with flexible floor plates which can meet the needs of a variety of occupier types, accommodating two tenancies per floor. Our structural design utilises a steel frame to accelerate the construction programme whilst optimising floor plate flexibility, and features long spans to reduce columns to a minimum, creating a clear and open work space. Our engineering team also coordinated the details of the building services and structures to provide a fully integrated services and structures zone which reduced the floor to floor heights, keeping the building below the sensitive planning height limits.

Continuing the environmentally centred ethos of IFC5 and IFC1, the latest building is targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, which will make it one of the most sustainable office buildings in the Channel Islands. Utilising air source heat pumps and heat recovery ventilation, our MEP strategy will reduce carbon emissions by 30% beyond regulatory requirements, whilst the office spaces will also use low energy LED lighting with daylight dimming controls to further reduce energy consumption. Our energy specialists worked closely with MJP Architects to develop the façade strategy that maximises useful daylight, enhancing occupier wellness whilst employing high performance glass that cuts out over two thirds of the solar heat gain. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, IFC6 has been designed with enhanced ventilation rates throughout, and features ionisation treatment of terminal units to make it more resilient to pathogen spread whilst improving air quality.

Waterman’s Managing Director for Structures, Richard Whitehead, said: “I’m delighted to see work get underway at IFC6 as we continue our excellent relationship with JDC and MJP Architects. This latest addition to the IFC development will reinforce Jersey’s position in the global financial industry, whilst setting the standard for sustainable commercial buildings in the Channel Islands. I look forward to seeing the work progress towards completion.”

With completion of IFC6 anticipated in November 2023, international financial services organisation, Aztec Financial Services (Jersey) Limited, recently agreed to lease almost 75 per cent of the available office space.

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