The Range, Brunel Park, Reading

Project overview

Four shop units, one new Range store

This retail conversion cost management case study shows how Syndicate Property Development (SPD) provided cost management on the conversion of four adjoining retail units in Reading, Berkshire, into a new The Range store of around 3,500 m².

The units were previously occupied by B&M, Laura Ashley, Gran Tano and Shoe Zone. The project combined an existing building with limited visibility of its structure and services, an intensive 18-week programme, multiple technical interfaces and a live, trading retail park all around the site.

Cost management

A live view of the money, every week

We kept a live view of the project’s financial position throughout. Each week we reviewed committed spend against the approved budget, assessed instructed and potential variations, and updated the forecast final cost.

• Landlord and fit-out costs kept separate, so every cost sat with the right workstream and responsibilities were clear.
• Hidden conditions costed as they appeared. As strip-out revealed new issues, we obtained and reviewed quotations, challenged costs where appropriate and looked at alternative solutions.
• Variations tracked to agreement, so the forecast reflected the developing scope, not just the original contract value.
• Cost reporting linked to the programme. Where a change affected both cost and time, we looked at the two together so the team could make decisions quickly.

The challenge

An unknown building inside a busy retail park

Neighbouring stores stayed open throughout, with shoppers passing directly in front of the site. Inside, much of the structure and services were hidden behind flooring, partitions, racking, storage cages and redundant equipment.

Technical solutions

A structural goal-post that kept the store layout intact

The biggest variation was a structural goal-post arrangement needed to stabilise the existing building. Working with the structural engineers, we developed a solution that gave the required stability without the new steel stanchions clashing with the racking layout or the clear aisle routes.

New isolated foundation pads were formed through the existing slab, and the steelwork was erected onto them and tied into the existing structure. The work was sequenced carefully with the roof replacement, strip-out and fit-out so it didn’t hold up the wider programme. We assessed it as a variation, reviewed the costs and built it into the forecast.

Other challenges included:

• Slab remediation where existing reinforcement was inadequate or missing.
• Sprinkler upgrades, including new external sprinkler tanks, on a site built on reclaimed land.
• Roof replacement, coordinated with the structural, strip-out and fit-out works so each could progress.

The outcome

Delivered in 18 weeks, within the original budget ceiling

The works were delivered through the 18-week programme to the required white-box handover for the new Range store. Despite a live retail park and a building full of unforeseen conditions, the overall build cost stayed within the original budget ceiling.

Identifying risks early, investigating the building properly and bringing the right specialists together avoided the costs of poor coordination, abortive work and unplanned activity. Where a client needs cost, time and quality managed together, our project management team works alongside our quantity surveyors. See more of our commercial projects or browse our other case studies.