
Arca, Birmingham
Exposed services has been adopted for the office floor provided new LED linear lighting, ducted fan coil units and power distributed within the office floors.

Comprising six levels of office space topped by two storeys of residential demise, 106-110 Kentish Town Road was in need of a transformation. The communal layout was very dated and a security risk with three entrances at different corners of the building.
Refurbishing the office space over the lower ground and ground floors would give the opportunity to rejuvenate the building’s access and security while allowing the design team to pay homage to its historical past as Dunn’s Hat Factory.
The refurbishment provides office space, along with the ground floor being granted A1 retail use. High-level exposed services were designed to give an industrial warehouse feel. The offices are heated and cooled by independent variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air source heat pump systems and illuminated by suspended linear LED fittings.
Dedicated office reception and lower ground break-out space have all been finished to high specification with feature LED lighting throughout. Services are exposed with electrical conduit finished in yellow to provide a splash of colour against the industrial style finishes. New shower and toilet facilities have been provided and the existing duplex lift installations have been refurbished.

Exposed services has been adopted for the office floor provided new LED linear lighting, ducted fan coil units and power distributed within the office floors.

Watkins Payne reviewed a number of mechanical and electrical options with the team, focusing on retention of key central plant, overhaul and replacement of plant where required, and LED lighting to reduce energy and improve the office environment.

Sustainability initiatives include LED lighting with occupancy detection and daylight dimming controls, solar thermal hot water heating, air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels, resulting in an EPC rating of A and a Very Good rating under BREEAM New Construction (Industrial) 2014.

1000 Hillswood Park is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’, EPC target of ‘A’ and a NABERS UK Design Reviewed Target Rating of 5.0 Stars.

Unit 8, in Tangmere Business Park near Chichester, has been provided with a complete refurbishment giving both the warehouse and associated office space attached a much needed re-fresh and new feel.

Building 600 located at Aztec West Business park in Bristol has been refurbished to offer 12,500ft² of high quality office accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering, vertical transportation engineering, BREEAM duties and energy consultancy to achieve an BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC B rating.