Stay or go? Delivering refurbishment while the building keeps working
10th September 2026
BW Managing Director Kevin P’ng recently joined Standard Chartered, Oxygen Asset Management, Cushman & Wakefield, Quantem and Overbury as part of the BCO’s London Stay vs Go Debate Series, hosted in the Cavendish Venues space at One Basinghall Avenue.
Using the transformation of One Basinghall Avenue as the case study, the conversation explored Standard Chartered’s decision to stay and refurbish rather than relocate, and, just as importantly, what it takes to deliver a major refurbishment while a building stays occupied. That second question is the one we find most interesting.
An occupied refurbishment is fundamentally different
Delivering a fit-out in an empty building is one thing. Delivering major works while hundreds of people keep arriving for work every morning is another.
Programme, logistics, access, noisy works and sequencing all have to respond to the people actually using the building. At Basinghall Avenue, that was amplified by multiple contractors working across the building and in neighbouring buildings, while Standard Chartered kept its day-to-day operations running and carried out its own fit-out at the same time. With that many interfaces to manage, planning mattered. Communication mattered even more
The people in the building are part of the project
Collaboration came up again and again in the discussion. On an occupied project, that can’t just mean the client, consultant and contractor team. It has to reach the people actually experiencing the works.
Construction creates disruption, that’s a given. Deliveries happen, access routes change, noisy works need to take place. The goal isn’t to pretend that disruption away. It’s to make sure people understand what’s happening, why, and what’s coming next.
That means plain language instead of construction terminology, advance notice of disruptive works, and a clear route for people to ask questions or raise concerns.
It’s why we increasingly treat tenant liaison as a discipline in its own right on occupied projects, not just another line in the communications plan.
Plan around people, not just the programme
An occupied refurbishment isn’t a success just because the works finish on time. The building still has to function the whole way through.
That means contractors, landlords, occupiers and project teams all need to understand how their decisions land on the people around them, and plan for it properly, right down to details like a high-quality temporary reception that keeps the building’s day-to-day experience running smoothly throughout.
We’ve written more about the practical lessons we’ve picked up delivering works in occupied buildings in The Importance of Tenant Liaison During an Occupied Fit Out.
We know because we built it
It’s a fitting backdrop for the conversation. BW delivered both One Basinghall Avenue and the Cavendish Venues space the panel was hosted in. Occupied refurbishment done properly doesn’t just keep a building running. It can leave it better than before.
