Introduction
Avent Interiors were approached by Rough Trade to perform a warehouse fit out at their newly acquired property on a trading estate in Bristol. Rough Trade, which was established in 1976, are a renowned independent music retailer and record label. With locations across the world, including New York and London, Rough Trade were keen to expand into the music scene in Bristol. The client had recently signed the lease to new warehouse and needed Avent Interiors help. The main goal of the project was to take the warehouse shell and transform the space into a fully operational warehouse with office space.
Client Background and Challenges
Beyond retail, Rough Trade is a pivotal player in the music industry. They support emerging artists and host live events, which keep the live music scene buzzing across all the cities they are active in. The main issue Rough Trade faced with the warehouse area was the lack of office areas and overall space for the mix they needed between said office space and warehousing uses. Rough Trade came to Avent Interiors due to their track record of reworking warehouse properties to house office and distribution facilities.
Project Goals and Requirements
The goals set out by the client included the segmentation of the unit into two distinct areas. These included an office area and a storage, sorting, and packing area, which would be utilised to send the online orders and store the stock. The office area needed to include a private office space but also a meeting room to the side of it. The storage area was further broken down into three: a shelving area, a pallet racking/long span shelving area, and a dispatch area including goods in benches and dispatch benches.
Solution and Implementation
Avent Interiors came to the project with one solution in mind, a mezzanine floor. This mezzanine would be installed to cover just under half of the footprint of the building. On this mezzanine floor, a meeting room/office area were to be constructed. On the ground floor the space plan broke the area into three. Toward the back of the unit was placed the shelving area, with the racking/long span shelving taking up the middle third and the front third being occupied with the goods in and out areas. This space plan worked perfectly for the client as it provided the best workflow with the space available. The ‘L’ shape of the mezzanine floor installed allowed for an overflow area to store the pallets from the racking area. To accommodate this, a loading gate was installed opposite the pallet racking to make for optimised transporting time between areas.
Results and Client Feedback
Once the project was completed, Rough Trade set up their warehouse and began trading from it. The space plan that Avent Interiors had provided and implemented worked with any issues. The sectioning of the areas allowed for a productive workflow, and the positioning of the mezzanine minimised any safety issues that may have been thrown up when transporting pallets further than needed. The separation of the office area and storage area also aided the productivity of the workplace to no end.
Conclusion
To conclude, Rough Trade came to Avent Interiors needing a warehouse fit out that would facilitate their specific workflow. The end result was a two-floor solution that was expertly space planned to allow for maximum productivity. The use of a mezzanine floor to utilise the available vertical space worked wonders in increasing floor space for the client. If your business has recently taken up residence in a warehouse unit and you need an office fit out don’t hesitate to get in touch.
"When we had outgrown our Bristol warehouse location, we decided to expand upward rather than outward or move premises to minimise disruption to the business. This expansion required a mezzanine floor which would house a new first-floor office then also some pallet racking, shelving and storage in the unit next door. The survey and quote process was quick and competitive and the works commenced quickly after to a tight schedule to minimise disruption. The installation of the mezzanine floor was professional and the construction of the new office area was spot-on. The final result provided us with exactly what we needed to expand operation further and grow the business well into the future. We full recommend Avent Interiors to anyone needing an office fit out or refurbishment."
