Built for developer Highbridge Properties, but designed specifically for end-user, next Plc, this facility has a ground-floor footprint of 690,000 sq ft.
It was procured under a two-stage, competitive tender process. We took full responsibility for the design and construction of the project working closely with the tenant, their novated design team, M&E and material handling equipment specialists throughout.
The majority of the scheme was dedicated to high bay housing – height to haunch of 21 metres – for next’s home furniture division. The warehouse was sub-divided into a number of chambers, each separated by four-hour-rated fire compartment walls.
Some of the chambers contained high-level, lightweight mezzanine floors to accommodate the automated product distribution and remote picking systems required by Next. In addition to the internal handling systems and in a first for the UK, vehicle handling cranes were installed to unload, store and reload the next vehicle fleet without the need for traditional dock leveller techniques.
We also constructed high quality offices and amenity areas to house a new call centre for next’s online operations and a dual level conveyor link bridge across the public highway to join the new facility with existing warehouses on an adjoining site.
We worked closely with the entire team throughout the project to manage the numerous design changes which were requested and this resulted in a first class facility for our client and their tenant.
