Overview

Description: In 2016 APS were commissioned to design a new warehouse extension to Labelflexes existing production and storage facilities.

Challenge: In consultation with the Managing Director, our challenge was to double their existing production and storage facilities, on a very tight site in the middle of Graniteside. In addition to this, we identified an opportunity to rationalize and optimize their existing administration and management facilities, with the addition of a board room, larger offices, and kitchenette facilities.

Solution: This was not a hugely challenging project from a technical point of view - It was however a spatial puzzle that pushed our architectural design and problem solving abilities to the maximum - by moving office, storage and production facilities around in the most effective way we were able to balance time cost and quality of build at all times. We extended the storage space to the North of the site, freeing up a significant portion of the existing building for additional office, label printing and production zones. Within the cantilevering roof eaves of the new shed, we relocated the bulky and noisy generator, which in turn allowed for a landscaped area for blue collar staff to enjoy tea and lunch breaks. Staff parking was relocated outside of the site, and the existing shade-ports were in turn relocated to the new car park, and re-purposed to provide shade for the staff lunch area. Previous stores, were repurposed as offices, and new industrial window frames were replaced in the original structural openings, providing light, bright and airy management offices. The existing offices and ablutions were refurbished and extended, providing for the addition of a board room, new kitchenette facilities and a laboratory research room. The public facing reception was revamped with a new layout and furniture, and the whole administrative refurb, received a vibrant paint job in line with the companies existing brand DNA.