The £90 million phased refurbishment of the Norwich Union (Aviva) headquarters comprised seven buildings including the Grade 1 listed Surrey House, which was originally built in the 1900s. The redevelopment created 37161m² of modern air conditioned office space.

Multiservice chilled beams were proposed by the developer Land Securities who had just completed a similar sized office area in West London using TROX multiservice chilled beams (MSCBs).

The client and their team were able to see the benefits of MSCBs by visiting the site and viewing the installation process and finished areas.

TROX supplied and installed active MSCBs, with the beam incorporating speakers, PIR detectors and lights that use the "digital addressable lighting interface" protocol to boost flexibility and increase energy savings.

All elements in the beams were factory fitted by TROX. These had to be programmed for specific areas in the building, which demanded precise co-ordination.

MSCBs were installed by TROX working for Bovis Lend Lease. The client was Land Securities Trillium, which manages and maintains the buildings on behalf of Norwich Union. The building services engineer was Faber Maunsell, management contractor Bovis Lend Lease, and the architect Aukett Fitzroy Robinson.

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