Office Accommodation – New Hutchison Unity Building

The Port of Felixstowe is a live, secure, 24/7 operational environment where programme certainty, minimal disruption and technical robustness are critical to successful delivery. Traditional construction methods rely on prolonged site activity, sequential working and late-stage coordination, all of which introduce avoidable operational and commercial risk within an active port setting.

Wernick Buildings proposes a permanent modular solution specifically designed for delivery within live port environments. Offsite manufacture is undertaken in parallel with early enabling and foundation works, significantly compressing the overall programme when compared with traditional construction methods, while reducing onsite duration, interfaces, and operational disruption.

The building is formed from standardised 12.0m x 3.2m steel‑framed modules, manufactured under ISO‑accredited factory conditions. Lightweight construction enables optimised foundations, reducing groundworks cost, settlement risk and programme exposure associated with challenging ground conditions.

Building services are designed specifically for modular delivery using a decentralised VRV and MVHR strategy. This avoids heavy rooftop plant, gantries and extensive risers, simplifying coordination, reducing structural loads and limiting long‑term maintenance disruption within a secure operational environment.

Commercially, early design freeze, standardisation and factory manufacture deliver transparent and predictable cost outcomes, reducing variation exposure and supporting robust capital planning.

In summary, the Wernick Buildings proposal removes risk at source through design, manufacture and logistics aligned to the realities of a live port environment, delivering a faster, safer and more predictable outcome for the Port of Felixstowe.

Our port promise

Wernick Buildings commits to:

Programme certainty through parallel factory manufacture and site works.
Minimal operational disruption, with fewer onsite operatives, deliveries and interfaces.
Security‑led delivery, reducing third‑party access through factory‑finished modules.
Technically validated solutions, aligned to modular constraints and port operations.
Commercial predictability, with clear cost build‑up and reduced variation risk.

Risk	Mitigation
Programme delay	Parallel offsite manufacture and onsite works remove sequential build risk.
Prolonged site activity	High PMV% factory build shortens onsite duration and labour presence.
Restricted access & logistics	Fewer, planned module deliveries replace prolonged material movements.
Security & site interfaces	Factory finished modules reduce operatives and subcontractor numbers.
Ground conditions & settlement	Lightweight superstructure enables optimised foundation solutions.
Roof loading & complexity	VRV + MVHR strategy avoids heavy plant, gantries and secondary steel.
MEP coordination risk	Services designed for modular manufacture with early coordination.
Future maintenance disruption	Decentralised systems provide simpler, internalised access.
Future operational change	Modular grid allows vertical or horizontal expansion with minimal disruption.
Cost uncertainty	Early design freeze and standardisation deliver predictable £/m² outcomes.

Designed for Programme Certainty, Buildability and Whole-Life Value

Dan Ashley

Sales Director

Design for Manufacture First

The building is conceived around repeatable, transportable modules, eliminating redesign, improvisation and trade clashes typical of traditional construction.

Parallel Programme, Not Sequential Build

Offsite manufacture runs alongside early groundworks, compressing delivery from ~52 weeks to 26–32 weeks without compromising quality.

Lightweight by Design

Structure, MEP and envelope are engineered to minimise loads, enabling efficient foundations and avoiding over-engineered traditional solutions.

Services That Suit the Building, Occupants and the Port

Decentralised VRV and MVHR systems are purpose designed for modular construction, not retrospectively adapted. This approach reduces system weight and riser complexity, accelerates programme delivery, and simplifies long term access and maintenance, delivering both capital and whole life cost efficiencies while minimising service voids and maximising space.

Factory-Finished Quality

A high PMV% ensures finishes, services and testing are completed under controlled factory conditions, improving consistency and reducing onsite risk.

Minimal Disruption, Maximum Control

Fewer operatives, fewer deliveries and fewer crane movements make modular inherently safer and better suited to live port environments.

Flexibility Built In

The modular grid allows vertical or horizontal expansion, reconfiguration or repurposing throughout the building’s life.

Predictable Cost, Predictable Outcome

Early design freeze, standardisation and factory control deliver cost certainty, programme certainty and reduced commercial risk.

Our roadmap to net zero

Sustainability is embedded across the Wernick Group, with a clear commitment to achieving net zero by 2040. Guided by a detailed carbon management plan, we are taking practical steps to reduce emissions across our operations, manufacturing and product solutions.

Our roadmap focuses on continuous improvement, investing in low-carbon technologies, improving energy efficiency and working closely with our customers and partners to deliver more sustainable outcomes.

Our modular solution is not a traditional building built differently; it is a building designed from the outset to be manufactured, delivered and operated efficiently for the Port of Felixstowe.

image of AVDanzer factory welder making an anti-vandal modular building

24/7 Live Operations Cannot Stop

The port operates continuously, with limited tolerance for disruption, road closures or prolonged high labour site activity. Modular construction significantly reduces onsite duration, workforce numbers and interface risk compared to traditional build methods.

Programme Certainty Is More Critical Than Speed Alone

Traditional construction sequences extend programme risk through weather exposure, trade stacking and site dependency. Modular manufacture runs in parallel with early works, delivering a predictable 26–32 week programme versus c.52 weeks traditional, de risking operational planning for the port.

Restricted Access and Tight Working Windows

Live port environments limit deliveries, crane usage and plant movements. Modular construction reduces deliveries to module installation phases only, avoiding prolonged congestion and clashes with port logistics and security operations.

Security and Controlled Environments

Ports require strict access control and reduced third party movement. Factory built modules arrive substantially complete, minimising the number of operatives, subcontractors and inspections required onsite.

Ground Conditions Demand a Lightweight Solution

The site benefits from optimised foundations, enabled by a lighter modular superstructure. This avoids costly over engineered piling of traditional builds and reduces settlement risk and groundworks programme.

Roof Plant and Maintenance Risk

Traditional solutions introduce heavy rooftop plant, gantries and walkways, increasing structural load, maintenance access risk and long term disruption. The modular aligned VRV + MVHR strategy keeps the roof plant free and maintenance internal, which is critical on a secure operational site and for health and safety.

Future Expansion Without Operational Penalty

Port infrastructure must respond to changing operational demand. The modular grid allows future vertical or horizontal expansion without wholesale demolition or prolonged disruption, something traditional construction struggles to deliver efficiently.

Commercial Predictability in a Cost Sensitive Environment

Ports require early cost certainty to align with capital planning. Modular standardisation, early design freeze and factory control reduce variation exposure and deliver a more reliable £/m² outcome than traditional construction.

For a live, secure, 24/7 port environment, modular construction is not an alternative approach, it is the only approach that properly manages operational, programme and commercial risk.

Dan Ashley

Sales Director