This time six years ago marks a significant point in time for our Building Service Engineering survey team. We were all settling into the new norm of home working as the world weathered the financial impact of the pandemic.
While we saw large construction projects come to a pause, or in some cases to a complete stop, due to collapsing contractors, miraculously the property sector managed to pick itself up off the furlough floor and shift its focus to refurbishing existing stock portfolios, particularly with regards to properties associated within the logistics and warehouse sector with a surge of online shopping also occurring during COVID, and continuing to be the new way we shop, the need for new or refurbished spaces was at a premium.
MEP Concepts has, since 2021 continued to be involved in the largest portal frame conversions and refurbishments within the South East of the UK. Our Mechanical and Electrical Design Engineers and Energy and Sustainability Consultants have advised and designed vast amounts of property across the UK over the last six years.
This work also aligned with the changes in government targets, building compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and transition to Net Zero taxonomy.
Citadel Logistics Centre, Wolverhampton
Delivering the works for Oxenwood Real Estate and working with main contractor Bowden Moss, MEP Concepts delivered a renewed look to this 324,366 square foot logistics unit, formerly occupied by Wiggle Cycles.
As part of our MEP services, we assisted with finalised MEP witnessing and inspections, along with finalising the Energy Performance Certification (EPC). Meeting the client’s dedication to ESG shines through, with a targeted EPC rating upgrade from B to A. The works included solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, and LED lighting throughout. Additional works involve roof repairs, extensive slab replacement, and a full CAT A refurbishment of the ancillary accommodation. Complexities involved the overall change over from a gas fired general HEVAC strategy to an all-electric solution.
Costco Crick, Northamptonshire
Appointed by Costco Wholesale UK as the Specialist Refrigeration Engineer for its new Distribution Centre at Crick, MEP Concepts designed the facility to provide chill storage to an area of 9,818 square metres, with the chill store being held at a constant 4C. The design also includes a 767 square metre low-temperature freezer operating at -24C. The system was designed to be extended for a future Phase Two extension to chill and freezer areas. MEP Concepts designed a pumped NH3 (Ammonia) refrigeration system to ensure effective refrigeration using a natural refrigerant, thereby minimising energy consumption for the year-round operation of the distribution centre.
In order to keep the amount of internal refrigerant pipework to a minimum and the distribution floor clear of plant whilst accommodating the DC’s operation with cross dock loading and shipping, MEP’s design for the chilled area utilised evaporators mounted centrally at high level with roof-mounted distribution pipework and valve stations. MEP also incorporated hot gas defrost and a glycol heater mat to the freezer, minimising energy consumption by utilising waste heat energy produced in the refrigeration process to prevent the buildup of ice in the low temperature store.
Valor Park, Purfleet
MEP worked alongside NOW Construction to deliver the full refurbishment and repositioning of one of the largest industrial units in the South East (500,000 square feet) in Purfleet for Valor Real Estate Partners.
Initial works involved reviewing and investigating the incoming mains power where this had been vandalised and stripped out while the building was vacant prior to the refurbishment works. MEP Concepts confirmed the scale of damage, cost for reinstatement and liaised with the power supply companies to ensure this could be resolved quickly.
M&E upgrades to the office heating and cooling were designed to suit the new configuration, and comprehensive external improvements. HVAC services included VRF systems for heating and cooling, renewed MVHR for the office spaces and localised electric hot water generators.
A completely new low-energy lighting design was included throughout the offi ce and newly refurbished warehouse area, as well as new fire alarm and power supplies. Our MEP design services included development of a tender packages to allow the client to source a local and reliable M&E contractor to carry out the works under our watching brief. Project showed a marked energy performance improvement upon its original standing and reached an A(23) EPC rating.
Thames House, Thames Road, Kent
The main contractor, Pexhurst Limited delivered a full refurbishment of this site and MEP Concepts surveyed the scheme to evaluate Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards compliance and meet the client’s ESG goals of an A rated EPC building.
The scheme involved removing all supplies of gas heating to the warehouse and office, reducing heating and cooling only to the office space via a VRF system. A Photovolatic (PV) array was mounted on the roof to generate on-site electricity for the new tenant.
Thames House was fully refurbished with sustainability and efficiency at its core. Having retained as much of the steel portal frame and original construction, the scheme upgraded to high-efficient rooflights, and upgraded roof panels to help reduce energy use across the building. The site also supports low-carbon travel with dedicated cycle parking and EV charging bays.
Contact MEP Concepts on 01908 062819,
email enquiries@mepconcepts.co.uk or visit the MEP Concepts website.
