Dragonfly Contracts Ltd has announced its delight at being appointed principal contractor for the £8million refurbishment of Manchester’s landmark development, ‘neo’.
Formerly known as Bank House, the 12-storey building, located in Charlotte Street in the City, will undergo a total transformation in a bid to become developer Bruntwood’s most evolved workspace to date.
Once complete, the Manchester building will reveal new curtain walling and the complete refurbishment of reception and common areas. It will also undergo CAT A refurbishment to all 12 floors, with the first three floors accommodating a fully curated digital art space, innovatively-designed co-working space, lounge, roof terrace, kitchen and studio offices.
North West-based Dragonfly Contracts Ltd offers leading interiors solutions including interior fit-out; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E) and office furniture supply and installation across several B2B sectors including hospitality and leisure, property and construction, interior design and commercial contracting.
Recent projects include the Pullman Hotel in Liverpool and Manchester’s Central Library and Town Hall redevelopment which recently scooped a RIBA North West Award. The company, which was launched in 2005, has applied its core values of service, loyalty and trust as the focus to drive the business forward which has resulted in it holding the Investors in People Gold Award since 2010.
Dragonfly Director, Joe McKenna, said: “We have been working with Bruntwood for six years and striving hard towards a project of this size. Being awarded the neo contract truly is a game-changer for Dragonfly as it is recognition of the investment we’ve made and what we have been trying to achieve as a business.”
Bruntwood owns multiple buildings in Manchester City Centre and competition for the developer’s latest prestigious development was fierce with Dragonfly batting off competition from three other contractors.
“We fully understand what is needed to deliver the project on time and to budget and, critically, what the project means to the client.” added Joe’s Co-Director, Simon Daffy.
“To be trusted and associated with such a respected developer and an iconic building in Manchester makes this a very proud moment for us all.”
Bruntwood says neo will become home to forward-thinking businesses that have their minds set on growth and want more out of their workplace. With purposeful design-thinking at its core, neo will create spaces for collaboration, helping businesses to grow as part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs.
Lee Treanor, Head of Development at Bruntwood, said: “Our vision for neo was simple, we wanted to create a place that met the ever-changing needs of the modern workforce and Bank House offered the perfect foundation for this.
“People are searching for more than just an office, with the demand for collaborative, community-minded workspace rising, so we were delighted to find that Dragonfly had the passion and drive to bring our vision to life.”
The project brief required the design of safe systems of work for the exterior packages and the ability to design the required mechanical and electrical solutions with both Bruntwood and chosen subcontractors. The sequencing of the interior packages also had to be devised in order to achieve planned phased handovers.
The win coincides with the appointment to Contracts Director for Dragonfly’s Andy Penza who, over the last few years, has taken on and developed the company’s fit-out division. “Andy epitomises everything Dragonfly stands for.” explains Joe. “He embraced the mantle of Contracts Director long before his appointment. He motivates his team, speaks common sense and, importantly, is a good, honest guy, which makes people like him. People like Andy are the future of Dragonfly and he thoroughly deserves this recognition.”
neo is due to be completed in January 2017.
