Under the 27-month project, worth an estimated £34m, the Grade II listed Sanctuary Buildings in Victoria will get a phased CAT B fit-out of 12,850sq m.

The interior’s firm will create a more modern, sustainable and streamlined office environment that reflects the Department’s adoption of hybrid working practices.

Existing plant facilities will be upgraded as part of DfE’s decarbonisation agenda, while the infrastructure will be put in place to support the future use of photovoltaic solar panelling.

Work will be carried out in a live environment, with staff decanted to alternative floors during separate phases of the project. The project is expected to be completed by autumn 2024.

Previously the company created a modern new workspace for the Department of Health and Social Care at 39 Victoria Street before then carrying out the large-scale refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building, which is the new London headquarters of the Department for International Trade.

Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said, the project played to Interiors’ strengths for creating collaborative and open plan workspaces, hot desking facilities and staff breakout areas, as well as new meeting rooms with state-of-the-art conferencing technology.

The contract was awarded via the Southern Construction Framework.

The project team includes Arcadis, which is delivering principal design, project management and cost consultancy services.