Restructuring the Abbey House into a State-of-the-Art Facility - Case Study Example

A Report on: Overseas Marketing Headquarters NAME: UNIVERSITY: COURSE: INSTRUCTOR: DATE: © 2012 INTRODUCTION This project aims at redeveloping Abbey House, an existing five storey dwelling house built in 1870, into a modern facility to house the Curtin University’s overseas marketing headquarters. While the front and rear elevations will be retained, the building will be completely knocked down and redeveloped afresh. It will include a basement area to house a new plant room and vaults; ground floor; and four upper floors for modern offices. Additionally, two passenger lifts and three shafts for service risers are proposed to be included. Each floor will have toilet facilities for both male and female, while the ground floor will have a cleaners’ store and a kitchen area. The first floor is proposed to house a theatre for presentations while the second and third floors will each contain a general workstation office environment; a tea preparation section; small meeting rooms; and two supervisor’s offices. Lastly, the fourth floor will house a boardroom consisting of one conference table of eighteen seats capacity in addition to eight executive offices. The building will also have a new fire escape stairway with the ground floor having a floor to floor height of 3800 and the rest 3600. METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND INSTALLING THE FIT-OUT While fit-out for capital assets such as roads, buildings and dams have a longer life span of upwards of 30 years prior to refurbishment, office workplace fit-out life span is shorter, approximately 15 years (Yates, 2006). It is therefore significant to ensure that the original fit-out investment is not only suitable financially and functionally, but is also constructed and designed for functional change and adaptability in the most cost-effective manner. A number of fit-out components are necessary to restructure the Abbey House into a state-of-the art facility. a) Fixtures Several fixtures will be included in the office fit-out, including wall partitions, flooring, doors, kitchen fixtures, ceiling tiles and toilet facilities. i) Wall partitions For this construction, a system using two wall partitions and one associated material with sustainable characteristics in design and manufacture will be used as the preferred the fit-out as in indicated in the table below. Table 1: Wall partition materials as indicated by Ness et al (2005) Supplier Model Specification details Acousta Wall stud A lightweight, acoustic and fire-rated non-load bearing, dry-wall system, using recycled content rubber dampeners and fewer materials than equivalent systems Ortech Durra Compressed straw self-supporting wall panel system with integral paint-ready finish Enviropanel Acoustic insulation Recycled paper-based acoustic insulation These materials are selected because they do not emit large volumes of wastes as well as associated concerns in this industry. ii) Flooring According to the client’s requirements for modernising Abbey House, all the floors for the new overseas marketing headquarters must meet the standard specifications for office work spaces. After investigating the office flooring, the necessary renovations will be undertaken and the desired floor coverings with sustainable features as per the tenant demands will be installed. Accordingly, two carpet types with sustainable characteristics in both design and manufacture have been identified as preferred types for the fit-out as illustrated in the table below, in line with recommendations by Ness et al (2005). Table 2: Carpet type identified by the construction manager Supplier Model Specification details Ontera Reconstituted (post-consumer) fusion-bonded modular carpet system Interface Climate Between the two identified carpet types, Interface, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer with excellent sustainable certifications, is preferred, since it offers environmentally sound carpet tiles for rent, according to the product stewardship process (Yates, 2006). The carpet tiles quoted above are commonly referred to as ‘cradle to cradle’ products. This is because they are continually remanufactured and they do not enter landfill. They have 100% nylon ‘overlay’ and are PVC backed, two qualities which make them absolutely recyclable. For example, Interface tiles do not need to be disposed off, but instead they are returned to the manufacturer for recycling and/or remanufacture. The possibility of recycling and reuse is enhanced by the fact that the tiles can be easily removed and delivered, rather than being permanently fixed. Furthermore, the disposal of these tiles is the responsibility of the company and not the consumer as argued by Ness and colleagues (2005). Thus, this report recommends and proposes to use Interface ‘cradle to cradle’ carpet tiles. iii) Kitchen fixtures The client requires the kitchen area to be located in the ground floor where it is accessible to the new building’s occupants. Generally, kitchen facilities should be located where water services are as close as possible so that the servicing of other office facilities –such as toilets and laundry- is concurrent (see the floor plans and elevations). This minimises materials wastage, the need for more infrastructure requirements, or additional building works. This kitchen arrangement will also minimise the need for additional pipe work (Urquhart, 2007). In fulfillment of the client’s specifications, a resilient flooring material will be installed. To this effect, several types of floor coverings which are not only resilient, but also feature sustainable characteristics in design and manufacture, are preferred as the fit-out for the kitchen area (Hyslop, 2004). One flooring product, ‘Neoflex’ is chosen as the most appropriate product for the kitchen area. This product, manufactured by ‘RepHouse’, has been selected because it is made of rubber material and it is homogenous and easily recyclable (Ness et al, 2005). iv) Ceiling tiles It is common knowledge that ceiling tiles make a large contribution to the waste from construction-related structures. For this reason, the fibrous plaster ceiling tiles, acceptable to many tiles’ standards organisations will be used in this project. According to Ness and associates (2005), the ‘Ultima’ tiles from ‘Armstrong’ have an extendable lifespan because of its reusable nature and hence reduced waste. For this reason, these tiles are preferred as the ceiling tile product for this project. Furthermore, these tiles are durable and recyclable, have high reflectivity and are acoustic in nature and hence they offer the best sustainable qualities (Ness et al, 2005). v) Toilet facilities This proposal recommends that totally refurbished toilets for both male and female will be constructed and installed in all floors in line with client’s requirements. The toilet facilities will belong to the building to be used by university staff and students, rather than by the tenants. The water efficiency of toilet fixtures, for instance, will be integrated with that of the kitchen area and the laundry as indicated in earlier section of this report. It is proposed that the project contractor will select highly efficient fixtures that will have to be maintained throughout the lifespan of the building to maximise efficiency on an ongoing basis (Urquhart, 2007). vi) Doors The fit-out for doors will be wooden doors constructed from western red cedar and finished in natural Tung oil with either clear or frosted glass panel inserts as recommended by Smith and partners (2005). From sustainability perspective, Ness and friends (2005) claim that wood is superior to aluminium as it lasts longer, has greater likelihood of reuse, embodies lower energy and associated pollution, and works easier. Many doors will be fitted with glass inserts in order to increase daylight availability and preserve aesthetic appeal. All door frames will be aluminium because it is less expensive than wood, even though many wood products are far more sustainable. In this situation, an economically motivated decision seems to override a sustainability-based motivation. Envision this: “all aluminium components are specifically mill finished, avoiding the additional energy, resource requirements and pollution associated with applying various coatings to this already highly resilient material, which represents a slightly more sustainable practice than standard” (Ness et al, 2005). b) Fire escape stairway Since the client requested for installation of a new fire escape stairway, it is important to include it in line with construction requirements. For this reason, the fire escape stairway will be fitted with stair identification signs as stipulated by Stewart (2005). According to construction laws, stairs serving three or more floors must have signage indicating which route to take in case of an emergency fire outbreak (Stewart, 2005). In addition to the signage, all new construction and remodeling projects shall include the installation of automatic sprinkler systems throughout the entire project area. Quick response sprinklers of ordinary temperature rating shall be provided throughout all occupancies unless otherwise required to be standard response. The materials required for this fit-out component include fire walls constructed of any approved noncombustible materials (Stewart, 2005). c) Veneers and paneling Although the use of veneers and/or paneling products has for a long time been kept to minimum in many traditional buildings, this proposal recommends their use in this project so long as they are sustainable in both design and manufacture. This is the requirement of the client. The table below lists according to Ness et al (2005) the preferred products as fit-out for veneers and paneling. Table 3: Veneers and paneling materials identified Supplier Model Specification details SMARTimbers Sugar gum Veneer comes from guaranteed agro-forestry plantation timbers, native to South Australia Alpi Plantation Poplar timber veneers Manufactured (reconstituted) timber veneers made from plantation poplar Distinction wall & ceiling linings Powerscape 97% recycled plasterboard replacement product, suitable for use in wet areas and generally where high durability and moisture resistance is desired d) Furniture Different types of office furniture are known to be used at a diverse array of offices throughout the world. This report discusses workstations, storage devices, chairs, recycling receptacles, partitions, and pin-boards. One obvious aspect in relation to the furniture fit-out is that the furniture should be able to be reused and/or disassembled. This report, therefore, prefers the use of mobile units and modular systems to fixed joinery so that subsequent reuse and removal is easily facilitated and to avoid the necessity of destruction in case rearrangement of an office is desired. i) Desks The preference for the fit-out for desks is one-desk system with two associated materials which should offer sustainable characteristics in both design and/or manufacture. The table below shows the desk systems that this report proposes as the best fit-out for desks. Table 4: Selected desk systems Supplier Model Specification details Schiavello ‘QED’ Desk-based systems furniture including accessories with reticulated power and communications with characteristics as described above Innerspace Regal Clover Desk-based systems furniture including accessories with reticulated power and communications Steel case Emerge Desk-based systems furniture including accessories with reticulated power and communications The report chooses ‘Schiavello QED’ workstation as the fit-out for desks for the following reasons; it is low cost, it uses material very economically, it offers an option of using materials that are of low-emission, it can be disassembled easily, and it uses a limited number of components (Urquhart, 2007). Furthermore, the QED workstations are readily available, usually contain small components and require little storage, and come in flat packs reducing transport costs to minimum. Their design also facilitates simple disassembly so that they are far more recyclable than others. ii) Chairs The table below also taken from Ness et al (2005) shows the preferred fit-out for chairs for this project because they conform to the requirement of sustainability in design and/or manufacture for office fit-outs. Table 5: Identified chairs for the project Supplier Model Specification details Formway-Knoll ‘Life’ Lightweight, ergonomic commercial office chair designed for refurbishment, reuse and, at the end of life, disassembly with approximately 90% component recyclability Steelcase ‘Think’ Audited and certified with the ‘Eco-audit Seal’, a European standard for environmental management Folio Task chair The seat and back are moulded from Recopol resin (a resilient ABS recycled, recyclable plastic sourced from post-consumer and post-industrial engineering grade resins, constituting 55% of total chair weight) This report proposes that all chairs for the project will be upholstered using ‘Instyle Atlas’ upholstery, a fabric consisting of 2% dye, 98% wool, and a 0.025% agent resistant to insects (Hyslop, 2004). The constituent wool is readily available and is usually organically grown and certified as ‘eco wool’. The choice for this type of wool is based on the fact that it has low residue of pesticides- such as pyrethroids, organochlorines, and organophosphates - which are absorbable through the human skin or can be off-gassed and easily inhaled. The fabric’s manufacturer calls it ‘Low Impact for the Environment’ (LIFE), and says that its features include: non-hazardous and easily renewable fibers; its manufacturers are initially surveyed and certified before producing LIFE textiles; potentially reusable; biodegradable; no anti-static treatment or flame retardant used; constituent dyes are low-impact; very efficient use of water and energy has been employed throughout processing and/or manufacturing phases; eco packaging; biodegradable production additives (i.e. detergents and lubricants); off-gassing is remarkably reduced; and chemical toxicity is kept to minimum. It is desired that the choice for reupholster for all office chairs utilizing ‘Instyle Atlas’ fabric should appreciably reduce waste, energy and material consumption. Due to the foregoing reasons, and the fact that these attributes are highly successful and meet all desired certifications for chairs’ fit-out, the table below selectively lists the range of fabrics that are recommended for this project (cited in Yates, 2006). Table 6: Fabrics identified in the project Supplier Model Specification details Designtex McDonough Collection Fabrics made from post-consumer and post-industrial yarns or 100% recyclable fibres that can be composted at end of life Manufacture also includes sustainability initiatives Knoll Alignment Textiles made from 100% recycled polyester Lane Various fabrics Unspecified iii) Cupboard, drawer units and shelves All cupboard, drawer units and shelves used for the fit-out will come from the manufacturer ‘Alpine E-Zero (E0) MDF’. Two material coating colour variations will be allowed for the fit-out so as to save on materials and finance (Smith et al, 2005). Such savings require minimisation of the amount of material that should be produced and/or purchased by the manufacturer and correspondingly minimisation of the amount of leftover material that will be retained, and the minimisation of the material that will subsequently be disposed off (Ness et al, 2005). Wherever possible, all cupboard, drawer units and shelves will be designed with physical dimensions in multiples of 300 mm to maximise on the efficiency of the material use (Ness et al, 2005). iv) Recycling equipment and receptacles For the purposes of this report, recycling equipment and receptacles are treated as elements of furniture, based on the roles and/or functions of these components in an office workspace. The proposed components in this category include worm farms, various recycling wheelie bins and other recycling receptacles. Certain recycling receptacles, such as boxes for recycling fluorescent tubes, need to be stored in secure locations which are readily accessible to the relevant electrical services contractor or staff in order to minimise ‘OHS&W’ issues and prevent the boxes from being inadvertently discarded into the general waste boxes. e) Required structural alterations into existing building The client intends to retain only the front and rear elevations of the existing Abbey House but completely knock down and redevelop afresh the building into ultra modern overseas marketing headquarters. Therefore, very little structural alterations to the existing building will be incorporated into the new building. Provisional sums for the fit-out and supply of loose furniture Table 7: Cost of fit-out components and loose furniture Item Cost per Item (£) Total (£) Wall partition materials £845 *5 £4225 Floor Covering £1,500 *5 £7500 Ceiling Tiles £180 *5 £900 Toilet facilities £560 *5 £2800 Doors £185 *5*30 £27,750 Loose Furniture £94.50 *20*5 £9450 5% Contingency £2631.25 £2631.25 Total £55,256.25 £55,256.25 Discussion of possible problematic issues Flooring materials including vinyl and tiles could be used as wall covering and should therefore be included into provisional sum for flooring calculator. Joinery should also be carefully considered and custom made since it includes such important fit-out components as toilet partitions, doors, vanities, bumper rails, cupboards; shower partitions e.g. shower screens, bench seats, lockers, kitchens laundry cupboards, shelving units, built-in wardrobes, decorative trim, and internal stairs (Urquhart, 2007). All the fit-out insulation will be thermally bonded using polyester batts (Smith et al, 2005) primarily selected based on the acoustic performance for each product. In addition, the criterion of safety looked at from toxicity perspective, will be considered. However, this material will be restricted to ceiling space. This product is easily recycled and can be reused. In the category of paints and coatings, “Wattyl ‘ID’” paint is selected since it is sustainable and is certified as having reduced “VOC content” according to Ness et al (2005) and is locally manufactured. This paint is the preferred choice for this project for the fit-out. Cabling and conduits will be free from ‘PVC’ to minimise toxic out-gassing and considering lifecycle issues as far as disposal and production are concerned. Better still, wireless data transfer will be considered. For plaster, fasteners and adhesives, gypsum and aerated concrete plaster will be used in the fit-out (Hyslop, 2004). However, the use of plaster will be kept to minimum for the fit-out, in that two areas where plaster will be used include plasterboard wall at the elevator lobby area and straw bale wall located at the reception area. As for adhesive, “Maxbond Fastgrip by HB Fuller” should be used because it is sustainable and emits ultra-low VOC; water-based, acrylic, and is a general purpose adhesive for construction purposes especially for interior use (Yates, 2006). CONCLUSION This report has clearly demonstrated the fact that the redevelopment of Abbey House into a modern facility to house the university’s overseas marketing headquarters takes the route of destroying an existing building before developing it afresh. It has also given a comprehensive list of provisional sums for all the fit-out components and the loose furniture. The major part of this report enumerated the fit-out components and exhaustively explained the method of constructing and installing the fit-out, before explaining the fact that very little structural alterations into existing building are required since only front and rear elevations of the former house are to be retained while the rest of the building will be completely pulled down. Throughout the report, sustainability, ease of reuse and degree of recycling for a fit-out material as well as accreditation of the material’s manufacturer; have been used as the key factors for the criteria of selecting a material for a fit out component. Furthermore, it is significant to ensure that the original fit-out investment is not only suitable financially and functionally, but is also constructed and designed for functional change and adaptability in the most cost-effective manner. Only one design, construction or materials’ issue arose that could cause problems for the project. The parts of the project that utilise wood have a potential problem in that wood is frequently subject to shrinking (). This may cause distress in some constructions and therefore be a major cause of nightmares for the contractors. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hyslop, E. Research Report: The Performance of replacement sandstone in the New Town of Edinburgh. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2004. Ness, D., Clement, S., Field, M., Filar, J and Pullen, S. Approaches towards Sustainability in the built environment through dematerialization: Proceedings of the World Sustainable Buildings Conference, SBO5. Tokyo, Japan. 2005. Smith, S., Wood, J and Mackenzie, R. Report: Improving sound insulation in dwellings. Building Performance Centre, Napier University for Scottish Executive, Communities Scotland and Historic Scotland, 2005. Stewart, K. Technical Advice Note 28, Fire Safety Management in Historic Buildings. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2005. Urquhart, D. Conversion of Traditional Buildings Part 1: Principles and Practice. A Guide for Practitioners. Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, 2007. Yates, Tim. Refurbishment of Victorian Housing, assessment method and case studies, BRE Trust, 2006. Read More