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Office Design Case Study - CH2M Hill

CH2M Hill is a global leader in full-service engineering, consulting, construction and operations.

Originally based in serviced offices, CH2M Hill Basingstoke was set up to service contracts in the South of England.

The new division first contacted Saracen after negotiating a new lease for the 10th floor of Network House, Basingstoke, comprising some 7600 sqft.

Their initial requirement was for the supply of 20 workstations complete with chairs and screens. Within two weeks Saracen had supplied and installed the furniture, set up a temporary IT network and moved programme manager Chris Drew and his team from their existing office and set them up in their new offices.

CH2M Hill had always envisaged the requirement for a smart reception and secure meeting and conference facilities. A project briefing meeting was arranged and Saracen was asked to provide layout designs and a tender for the fit-out works.

Much of the work undertaken by CH2M Hill involves projects for the Ministry of Defence, so all the meeting and conference facilities had to be extremely well sound proofed. The company also required a secret room for the preparation of sensitive documentation. High level security and access control to the offices were imperatives.

The initial consideration for Saracen at this stage was logistics as the offices were now occupied and in full operation. The disruption to services such as power and IT networks would have to be managed with extreme care.

With this in mind Saracen produced a layout design to meet the company’s requirements but which could be completed in three specific phases. The basic rectangular open plan office space was split into four distinct areas. The reception and conference area, the kitchen, interview and secret room, the main workspace and the print room and separate offices.

A phased installation meant that the main working office area could be separated from the areas being fitted out allowing CH2M Hill to continue with their business with as little disruption as possible.

In order to achieve the high level of sound insulation for the meeting rooms, main conference room and the secret room, standard 75mm thick stud partition offering 35db of soundproofing would not be adequate. Also the fact that the majority of audible sound is actually transferred through the ceiling void meant that a better solution was required.

A 100mm thick insulated doubled skin partition installed through the ceiling void and up to the structural ceiling, offering in excess of 45db of soundproofing, provided CH2M Hill with the solution they required.

A revised lighting layout was designed and installed by Saracen to meet the current LG3 requirements; the latest LED emergency lighting was also incorporated together with fire proof cabling in accordance with all the current requirements. A full security audit was completed and Saracen made recommendations as to the secure access and intruder alarm systems to be installed. An advanced multifunctional access control system ensuring complete control over staff and visitor access, which could be remotely monitored, was installed and integrated into the buildings general fire alarm system ensuring a fail safe position in the event of an emergency. A system which had to meet the strict requirements set out by the Ministry of Defence and CH2M’s insurers.

Although the existing carpet tile floor finish to the main office area was acceptable CH2M required new more innovative and impressive solutions to the floor finishes in the reception, meeting and
conference facility and kitchen/breakout areas. In the reception, Saracen provided a hard wearing
wood effect floor covering specifically designed for heavy traffic. A diagonal design incorporating two
complementing colour options provided a smart, impressive and corporate hard wearing solution. A superior quality carpet tile finished off with a border provided a feel of quality and distinction from the other areas of the office in the meeting and conference rooms, whilst an anti-slip hard wearing sheet vinyl solution provided style and practicality in the kitchen/breakout area.

First impressions last, so it was important therefore to ensure that clients and visitors to the
CH2M Hill offices in Basingstoke were confronted with a clean, crisp and professional image. Saracen
suggested a bespoke reception unit and conference tables. It was important that the new reception unit not only conveyed the correct image but conformed to the requirements of Approved Document M for disabled access. Careful design and manufacture by Saracen ensured the final designs were a complete success.

Reference

Holly Chalton, CH2M Hill: “Not once did Saracen huff or puff when we changed our minds about something, which we did on a regular basis because it was so important to us to get the project exactly right. I think they were able to cope with the frustrations because we share a belief that corners aren’t there to be cut.

If there is one other point I would mention about Saracen it’s their integrity. For a particular meeting room, they pointed out that re-covering the chairs would be equally effective as purchasing new furniture. Then there was the time that the roof leaked, and some carpet tiles in the PA’s area were ruined. Saracen said they probably had enough left over from the original fitting and replaced them straight away. They didn’t charge for labour either. And when we needed to refurbish some washrooms, we gave a number of companies a budget ceiling of £15,000. Saracen provided a complete itemised-out breakdown of cost, together with options which could reduce or increase the price.”

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Saracen Office Interiors Ltd
Unit H, Manawey Business Park, Holder Road, Aldershot, GU12 4RH, UK
Tel: 0870 743 0930 | Fax: 0870 743 0922 | E-mail: sales@saracenoffice.com