Client: Jatco UK Ltd
Architect: Fujita Architects
Value: £65,000 + VAT
Type of works: supply and fitting out of mezzanine floors, in addition to the provision of ancillary services.
Jatco Leamington Spa Ltd are a Japanese firm specialising in the design and testing of transmission systems for high-quality cars. Jatco needed to increase their office space to accommodate extra staff, plus create additional video training and conferencing facilities for client visits.
The existing one hour, brick built, two-storey office module needed to be extended but planning permission problems and cost constraints meant that this couldn't be achieved externally. Instead, the installation of a free-standing mezzanine floor structure, to align with the existing office concrete floor within the adjacent fire compartment, was constructed.
The mezzanine floor was designed to be of the highest performance standard with an exceptional deflection limit to the deck support steelwork. This ensured that the feel when walking from the existing concrete floor onto the timber-decked mezzanine would be as similar and comfortable as possible - with minimal bounce and excellent rigidity.
The existing one-hour fire compartment conditions had to be recreated at the new mezzanine perimeter, where the original compartment had been broken through to access the new accommodation areas. Therefore, RDA had to install full roof-height jumbo stud partitions to achieve this requirement. Internal partitions and suspended ceilings created the Director's suite, training and video Rooms, where a clean modern appearance with soundproofing was critical.
The mezzanine was erected over the top of an existing breezeblock construction site office, which entailed the use of some extremely long beam sections, carefully lifted into place with special crane equipment for safe overhead working.
RDA also designed and provided all ancillary services to the new partitioned accommodation, including forced-air ventilation, air conditioning to video rooms, Category II lighting, electrics, plumbing and heating.