Client: Pets at Home Vet Group Ltd
Architect: NWDA
Vets4Pets and Companion Care are the largest small animal veterinary group in the UK, operating over 400 practices.
To support the business needs of the practices, a team over 145 colleagues have relocated to Isambard House - a former Wheel Machine Shop built in the mid 1800’s by the Great Western Railway Company to repair steam locomotives.
The former railway building converted to offices in 2000, was the occupied by The National Trust until their relocation to the new purpose-built Helix Centre.
Solution:Positive was appointed by Vets4Pets under Full Design Duties to design the Mechanical & Electrical Building Services Installations, with an additional monitoring and quality performance role.
Key challenge: The building owned by English Heritage is Grade II Listed and the Conservation Officer had a requirement to retain the “industrial” ambiance of the building.
By working closely with the Architect and the Conservation Officer, Solution:Positive developed a solution to provide a fully air-conditioned, energy efficient, high quality, open plan office environment, whilst retaining the heavy-industrial character of the building.
The services installations blended sympathetically and aesthetically with the existing structure and fully met the requirements of Vets4Pets and English Heritage.