Case Studies

Successful in competitive tender, we were awarded the contract to install air conditioning and ventilation services to the 1st floor of the city-centre commercial building at 19 Spring Gardens, Manchester.
This installation would be completed as a naked-style project where all pipework, cabling, trunking etc. would be left visible once the floor was finished. This style would be inline the previously completed refurbishment of another space in the same building.

	Existing – style template Works on the 1st floor refurbishment would require stripping the space back to a shell prior to installation; and Without a suspended ceiling to cover-up the electrical and mechanical services above, careful consideration was given the the visibility of all installed equipment. The transformation of appearance can be appreciated in the before and after images of the previously refurbished space.
	A significant challenge This job presented us with a real challenge when it came to getting new air conditioning units onto the roof of a 7-storey office building in a busy city centre; closing roads to use a mobile crane would involve significant cost and disruption at any time of day or night. Access via stair-wells was possible, though quickly discounted on the grounds of safety should there be an emergency event. Lift access was possible, though outdoor unit size and weight exceeded safe capacity. We also faced the added restriction of a small plantroom access hatch from the top floor.
	The solution Using our expertise as a Mitsubishi Accredited installer, we stripped the outdoor units down in our workshops; reducing the units into pieces of manageable size and weight that could be quickly moved to the roof (via the lift) and reassembled in their planned location was the safest and most cost-effective option for our client.
	Blank canvas Working to fit out the shell of the 1st floor had two key priorities: Efficient comfort levels to meet air quality standards Visual finish of exposed installation As this was a ‘live building’ during the period of works, we also acted to minimise the impact of our activities on others working in the building.
	Handover We were pleased to handover a job finished to a high standard meeting client specification. This style of finish represents a growing trend towards lowering costs, applying environmental consideration to minimise the use of materials and unnecessary finishes on a project whilst still achieving an aesthetically pleasing outcome.