London Ambulance Service Estate

Adapting existing buildings for an emergency service

Each project had to adapt an existing building to meet the particular operational requirements of an emergency service. In Islington and Brixton, existing industrial buildings needed to be refurbished, altered and upgraded to function as modern ambulance stations. The accommodation requirements extended beyond offices to include training spaces, staff mess facilities, storage, changing and shower facilities, ambulance wash-down areas and vehicle recharging points.

The Islington scheme also needed to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating as a condition of planning permission. At Brixton, the building required upgrading to meet the applicable Part L Building Regulations. At the Ambulance Command Centre, additional office capacity and better welfare provision had to be created within a former warehouse arranged around a central atrium. The building remained occupied during the works, placing additional demands on planning, management and coordination.

Careful design and whole-life costing

For the new Islington Ambulance Station, Fulkers refurbished and upgraded an existing industrial building, using careful design and whole-life costing to balance operational requirements, environmental performance and value for money. The completed accommodation incorporated offices, training and staff facilities alongside the internal storage, wash-down and recharging infrastructure required to support ambulance operations. This approach enabled the project to achieve its required BREEAM Very Good rating.

At Brixton, the work included introducing a new mezzanine floor at first-floor level and upgrading the industrial building to meet the relevant building regulations. At the Ambulance Command Centre, Fulkers designed new infill floors across the building’s central atrium, converting previously open space into additional operational accommodation. The wider works included improved toilets and tea points, better circulation, disabled facilities and comfort cooling. Close management and coordination allowed the occupied-building works to progress within the limited time available.

More capacity from the existing estate

The programme created improved operational environments across three London Ambulance Service locations while extracting additional value and capacity from existing buildings. Islington gained a purpose-adapted ambulance station with integrated operational, training, storage and welfare facilities. It also achieved the planning-required BREEAM Very Good rating through an approach informed by innovative design and whole-life costing.

The Brixton project increased the usable accommodation through the addition of a mezzanine and upgraded the existing industrial building. At the Ambulance Command Centre, infilling the central atrium created sufficient additional floor area to accommodate 30 more office staff. Welfare facilities, circulation, accessibility and internal environmental conditions were improved at the same time.

Together, the projects demonstrate how targeted interventions within an existing estate can increase capacity and improve working conditions without relying solely on new-build development.