The overall brief for this project was the refurbishment of an existing laboratory at Hexagon Tower in Manchester for a business specialising in chemical research & development (R&D). The project included dividing the space into two separate laboratories, incorporating a 9 high walk-in fume cupboards up to 3.6m high, and installing a large air handling unit (AHU). Unsurprisingly, the nature of working on a laboratory was extremely complex with several issues to navigate:
This was a highly technical project and required precise detail and liaising with multiple partners to ensure we got everything right. We started with comprehensively surveying all aspects of the structure, including drone surveys for the roof, and we created a cloud based Common Data Environment to manage information.
To meet all the demands of the project, we delivered the following:
Due to the attention to detail and management of the multiple facets of this project, as well as creative solutions to the inherent issues, we helped to deliver a slick, modern laboratory that meets all of its stringent requirements.
Accreditations: BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, ACIAT
Skills: Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk CAD, BIM / Autodesk Revit, Computer Generated Images (CGI), SketchUp, Twinmotion
About Nathan
Joining us in 2023. Nathan is one of the freshest faces at Farrar Bamforth but he’s already making an impact. Nathan pursued a career in architecture due to a desire to create spaces that have a positive impact on both people and the environment and his favourite project so far was a residential development in Calderdale which made use of BIM to design a mix of dwellings on a multi-level site. He is also a regulation and policy enthusiast, and devoted to all the small details that help to keep us compliant. It was this attention to detail that helped secure him a promotion from Junior Architectural Technologist to Architectural Technologist in January 2024. See more here.
And finally…
Nathan’s favourite toast topping is… butter. In Nathan’s words “let’s make the world a butter place”. When not at work, Nathan enjoys baking cakes (more butter!) and then wondering where they’ve gone. We’re sure you feel ‘butter’ for knowing that 🙄
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A feasibility study allows you to comprehensively evaluate the viability of an architectural project before committing significant investments to it. Viability is assessed from architectural, financial, and environmental perspectives. As well as the functional aspects of the build, it also includes some preliminary designs, allowing you to start visualising the outcome. The process could include a pre-application submission to the planning department for their opinion prior to a formal application. Conducting a detailed feasibility study protects you against the, often costly, ‘surprises’ that can come from not anticipating and taking steps to avoid the pitfalls that come from not being suitably prepared.
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There is a much-used phrase that applies to all design but was specifically coined for architecture: ‘form follows function’ and it’s something that we live by. Primarily, buildings and interios have to work so we listen to our clients when they tell us what the structure needs to do for them. For our commercial and industrial clients, this is often 95% of the brief. For residential projects, whether a housing development or a bespoke high-end dwelling, functionality and aesthetic appeal need to be finely balanced. We are equally skilled in both approaches and always client-led.
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Building regulations are simultaneously the rules that keep us safe and the requirements that give architects and builders headaches as they strive for compliance with ever-evolving specifications. Not a problem for us though, as several members of the team live for the minutiae and details of regulations, and standards so we’re all over them. That not only means that your development complies with (and often, exceeds) building regs but that we also know the strategies for working with regulations in ways that don’t compromise creativity, function, or budgets.
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Project management is all about taking care of the whole shebang. It’s more than contract administration, it’s holding your hand through the whole process: managing all parties, making sure that things happen when they should and to the standards demanded. We also ‘sort stuff out’, because not everything goes to plan all the time and fixing s**t is all part of the service! Project management of a build removes the stress from you and gives you peace of mind that stuff is just getting done.
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All projects that involve more than one contractor must have an appointed Principal Designer. It’s their job to advise and assist you on all aspects of health and safety on the project, starting at pre-construction phase. We can act as Principal Designer, ensuring that all parties comply with their responsibilities and that the build is safe for all working on it, all who may be affected by the works, and all who will use it once completed.
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Photo-realistic Computer Generated Images (CGIs) bring a project to life like nothing else, creating a vision of the finished development or interior before a hard hat and hi-vis jacket has even been donned! Our CGI artists transform technical specs into hyper-real representations of what we can deliver.
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Drone technology allows us to survey the buildings and entire site from the air, providing us with vital insights that would previously have been very difficult to access. It also allows us to easily check on the progress of works from a bird’s eye perspective. We can also offer you pretty pictures of your finished development for the company brochure, if you want them! We have our own drone and Associate Joe Hobson is a Civil Aviation Authority insured and licensed drone operator.
×This is just one example of a complex industrial design that had to be focused on process and stringent compliance. See our other case studies on Cummins Turbo Technology, Elis, and Medequip. If you would like more information about this or any other project, please don’t hesitate to email Nathan Pearce at nathan@farrarbamforth.co.uk or call 01484 424008 where any member of the team would be happy to help you.
