Shed of the Month – Evolutionary
In the highly competitive world of warehouse development, it’s about moving forward, continually innovating and providing the space that the logistics sector wants before they know they want it from guaranteed power supply to office fit out and Tritax Big Box is learning and adapting with the best of them.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
Unit 5, Symmetry Park Rugby, Rugby CV23 9JR
Developer: Tritax Big Box
Architect: SGP
Contractor: Winvic
Letting Agents: Colliers and ILP Partners
Unit Size: 391,077 ft2
Power: 6MvA for whole scheme immediately available
Sustainability: BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+
Quoting: from £9.95 per ft2
The last place you’d expect to see evolution is in big box warehouse design and specification but that is exactly where some of the biggest innovations especially in green building design have been found over the past decade. There are more logistics facilities securing BREEAM Outstanding rating proportionately than offices in the UK with 25% of all industrial buildings assessed by the Building Research Establishment achieving BREEAM Excellent or above.
The differences between the top developers and their warehouse facility offering seem inestimably tiny – surely there is nowhere else to go? But that is where you are wrong.
It’s an almost unbearably hot day (30 degrees), especially travelling in a car with dodgy aircon and two panting Labradors, not the best idea for a site visit I have ever had, but my host Joe Skinner of Tritax Big Box is unfazed, and the walk the dogs and I took in the nearby Cawston Spinney afterwards meant that I was forgiven, by the dogs at least – to Joe abject apologies…*note to self take the dogs for a walk first!
Appalling behaviour from visiting journalists and their dogs aside – this latest industrial iteration from Tritax is a cumulation of hard won data research, development experience, collaboration with local authorities, architects, building contractors and occupiers alike. The fact that it looks remarkably like any other industrial facility on the market in the Midlands would do it an injustice – it is the thought and detail that has gone into it that makes it far more than meets the eye.
Reading the warehouse specification and noting the 10% roof light provision, I was expecting the warehouse element to be rather dark. Recent site visits have been to properties where roof light provision is at 15% – that extra 5% is really noticeable. But I was wrong, the warehouse is remarkably bright with light flooding in from the six towering glazed panels to the side elevations. These combined with the 10% roof light maximise natural daylight while minimising heat gain – it seems to be working as it is blissfully cool.
The thought going into the care and comfort of the potential occupier’s workforce at all levels is most notable and no doubt driven in part by the findings of Tritax’s Future Space report, a yearly survey, carried out in conjunction with Savills and supply chain market analysts Analytiqa, that asks for views on the Industrial and Logistics property sector for the next 12-24 months from occupiers, developers and investors like.
Results from this showed that staff wellbeing is a key factor for occupiers in the logistics and warehouse sector, with a strong emphasis on attracting and retaining talent in a competitive market. The report highlights that amenities such as canteens, changing facilities, and natural daylighting are crucial, with 40% of occupiers ranking them as top priorities.
Tritax Big Box development director Joe Skinner is all on board with that: “These are not just boxes for storage, these are more often than not HQ buildings and the offices we build have to reflect that too. The companies that will use these buildings are sophisticated and the jobs being carried out here will go far beyond just picking, packing, and storing.”
“We are always looking to make these buildings better to reflect that shift – we must be on at least the 16thversion of specifications.”
He cites that when the first phase of the 111-acre Symmetry Park scheme was built the offices had half glazing, within 18 months this had been upgraded and the offices now have full floor to ceiling brise soliel glazing more in keeping with modern head quarter-type offices found in city centres.
The entrance to the offices incorporates a double height glazed reception with revolving door, there are stairs or lifts to the first and second floor offices turn right at the head of the stairs and there is a room with full glazing on two sides plus an internal window to look down inside the warehouse itself – a perfect boardroom walk back across the open landing with its glass panel balustrade opening to the double height reception area and enter the spacious offices with well appointed kitchenette incorporating integrated fridge, dishwasher, and instantaneous boiling water tap – small but beautifully formed.
The attention to detail is everywhere, including the American oak skirting boards and matching veneered doors and in case you have trouble imagining yourself occupying such space, the reception, board room and offices are part furnished for marketing purposes to give you an idea how it could look right down to the computers and flower arrangements.
Round the back of the building proudly resides Tritax’s first Multi Use Games Area something the developer is intending to roll out across future developments. The facility, also links to a Trim Trail that wends its way round the buildings of this second phase of the development, which is heavily landscaped and planted.
As to be expected the development has been built to exacting standards. Unit 5 boasts 368,845 ft2 warehousing space with an FM2 floor with 50kn/m2 loading. It has 17m eaves, as well as 36 dock (including four Euro dock) and four level access doors served by a 50m yard with parking for 64 HGVs. It also has a two-storey 3,987 ft2 hub office as well as separate gatehouse. It is of steel portal frame with perimeter columns spaced at regular 8m intervals and with a hit-and-miss internal column configuration considered the most efficient layout for maximum racking use. The warehouse has four 36m-wide spans, each supporting a curved barrel-vault roof.
The building has 17,952 ft2 of Grade A office space with air conditioning, the aforementioned fitted kitchenettes, and double height reception area. It has LED lighting throughout with PIR movement control.
The car park has 283 spaces and is 100% EV ready.
There is plenty of power immediately available with the scheme able to access up to 6MvA immediately. Unit 5 has roof top solar already fitted up to 641 kWp at first occupation but there is planning consent for future provision of PV panels covering 100% of the useable roof area up to 10,547 panels of 1.6m2.
It was built net zero in construction. The whole 111-acre site forms part of the wider South West Rugby Urban Extension which will also add 5,000 new homes.
