HBOS Argyle Street
The HBOS branch in Argyle Street Glasgow, one of the largest branches in the HBOS UK banking network was opened on schedule to the public on the 5th of February 2007, after a successful fit-out by Havelock Europa.
Havelock Europa was the main framework contractor selected to be principal contractor on this prestigious flagship branch. Argyle Street has more than ninety 90 full-time HBOS staff, distributed over four floors providing a range of services from retail consumer banking, to business banking, personal financial advise and other financial services across dedicated areas with separate branding to enforce individual HBOS brand elements.
This was a challenging project for the Havelock Europa team over the twenty-seven week programme. Havelock took possession of the four story building in July 2006 and completed the programme within the agreed time scale, accommodating the wettest November on record and a typhoon in the Sea of China which delayed the arrival of the exterior granite cladding.
The internal fit-out works covered four levels of an existing building previously the ‘GAP’ clothing store. Contracting works included a large external works package consisting of scaffolding, granite cladding, roofing works, signage, canopy and mechanical and electrical works. Over and above meeting the challenge of an ambitious works programme the team had the day to day issues of co-ordination and logistics of building works in one of the busiest parts of Glasgow city centre. In addition to the standard HBOS retail and administration areas, a new business banking concept was introduced into this project which included a cashier system, office partitions and bespoke furniture and colour schemes to differentiate the business banking brand from the consumer banking brand.
HBOS were delighted with the end product and provided very positive feedback at the last site meeting prior to hand-over, commending the effort the Havelock Europa site team went to, to ensure that all programmed targets were achieved.
