BACKGROUND

Our client is a manufacturer of supplements for pets, who founded their company driven by a passion for pet wellness. Starting as a small team, the company has rapidly expanded and has won many awards reflecting the integrity of their products. Their products are trusted by pet owners around the world and distributed in veterinary practices across the country.

• Location: Bedfordshire, UK

• Company Size: 150 staff

• Project Scope: 10,000 sqft

• Industry: Pet Supplements

• Duration: 10 weeks

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

The client was operating from several converted farmers’ barns. With operations split across separate barns, the company was experiencing fragmented workflows, logistical inefficiencies and communication barriers. This setup was preventing scalability and could not facilitate the rate at which they were expanding, and so the decision was made to find a suitable new location.

The client instructed Fisher German, to identify a 5,000 sq ft building, and Cityspace was appointed to deliver the design and fit-out of the offices, racking and delivery facilities.

The brief was to consolidate all teams and operations into one building, remove all workflow barriers and accommodate rapid growth. The client required a high-spec manufacturing area, assembly line and fulfilment area, as well as a designated office space for non-technical teams.

CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS

The configuration of the new building presented unique challenges for our team. The building had been designed as a typical distribution unit to support simple storage and dispatch, with a large warehouse and small office space. The client’s needs, however, called for space that would accommodate their unique high-touch fulfilment and distribution processes, with a large customer service team to support client orders.

As the company headcount was rapidly expanding, the existing floor space would need to be reworked and expanded to support higher staff density.

Another challenge was presented in the client’s ambitious sustainability targets for the fit out. Audited by external sustainability consultants, our team had to deliver the client’s goals within a fixed budget that could not be exceeded. This would involve carefully evaluating and specifying the most cost and energy efficient combination of materials, energy use and waste avoidance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Reconfiguring Floorspace

Addressing the limited floor area, our team conducted a thorough test fit to evaluate the best use of space. We extended the floor space to 10,000 square feet by installing a three-storey mezzanine and breaking through the retaining wall to connect the new and existing structures together. The result is one continuous space that now features a large office area for the growing administrative teams.

As the distribution area was a high priority, we worked directly with the client’s fulfilment manager to ensure the space truly met the needs of the team occupying the space. We created the infrastructure for packing and processing lines, featuring specialist power for charging forklifts, power wrapping machines and air compressors. Through thoughtful, people-focused design, this space supports operational efficiency throughout workflows that were previously hindered.

People-Focused Design

Despite the industrial working environment, our client wanted the workspace to be people-centred with a strong employee-first culture. We installed a large breakout space that also doubles up as a town hall area to encourage informal and large-scale interaction, while furniture pods facilitate internal collaboration. These features provide a laidback residential feel, which is usually uncommon for technical workplaces. Reflecting the company values, the client required the space to be equally dog friendly. Our design team created a designated play area and kennel facilities on the upper level, featuring hygienic and durable materials like vinyl flooring, enabling easy cleaning.

Sustainability

Perhaps the biggest challenge that Cityspace faced was meeting the client’s ambitious sustainability targets within a budget that could not be exceeded. As an ISO 14001-accredited company, we selected compliant suppliers to specify low-impact materials and energy systems. Our team installed energy-efficient RF inverter AC units and heat recovery systems. We upgraded the lighting to LED L1 systems that automatically adjust to suit changes in natural light levels, avoiding unnecessary energy waste, and installed enhanced insulation in the newly built extension. From construction through to final fit-out, sustainability was considered at every step. Sustainable furniture and materials were used in the design, while waste was carefully recycled or repurposed to avoid landfill – including the specialist disposal of excess paint that saw the liquid solidified and then recycled. Solar panels were installed on the building roof, that have significantly lowered the client’s carbon footprint while saving energy costs. With careful planning, our solutions met the approval of the client’s sustainability consultants while staying within budget.

As a result of careful specification and sourcing, we have achieved a rare A15 EPC rating, which is an excellent standard of building efficiency and reduces long-term operational energy costs.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

The completed workspace sets perhaps the highest standard in sustainable, people-focused design within a technically complex environment. By working closely with the client, Cityspace delivered a unified facility that supports previously fragmented operations and directly supports scalability.

The project demonstrates that even in operationally demanding workplaces, designing around people strengthens culture, supports productivity and enables long-term business performance.