SPECIALIST refurbishment main contractor Pexhurst has completed a one-of-a-kind project for Tritax Private Markets in Oxfordshire.
The circa £5 million warehouse refurbishment has been delivered for a leading luxury car manufacturer that is becoming the property’s new occupier.
More than 166,000 sq ft has been refurbished to meet a high-quality specification, dividing the warehouse from a storage facility into storage and a restoration workshop and customer experience destination.
Mary Regan, commercial and contracts manager at Pexhurst, said: “What started as a straightforward Cat B fit-out became a much more complex and rewarding refurbishment project to deliver. When the incoming tenant has a vision, our role is to bring that to life while retaining as much material as possible – to reduce waste and make the project more sustainable.
“The technical installations and overall number of refurbishment measures mean that we have helped create a facility that is unrecognisable in comparison to what stood before.”
A panel-based white wall system has been built within the warehouse – stretching 15 metres high and 90 metres wide – to double up as a high-grade fire-resistance feature and a physical division between different areas of the building. To create the necessary storage system for the incoming tenant, Pexhurst also managed the installation of a brand-new racking and mezzanine structure with the attachment of a goods lift on behalf of the tenant.
Areas initially planned for demolition were retained, while enhanced facilities for future building users were added into the scheme, including a canteen and new showers. Alongside typical refurbishment measures, Pexhurst installed several environmental measures such as PV panels and EV chargers, along with building fabric improvements such as new roof lights, windows, doors and roller shutters.
Contributing to the project’s sustainability target to achieve BREEAM Very Good rating, Pexhurst continued supporting successful partnerships with reuse scheme The Pallet Loop and social enterprise Men’s Sheds. By working closely with subcontractors on site to increase circularity, Pexhurst was able to recover more than 500 pallets throughout the project, and 500m2 of carpet tiles stripped out during the refurbishment have since been used in social housing construction projects. Vinyl offcuts were also donated to Recofloor, contributing to closed loop recycling efforts, and several bug hotels were installed during Pexhurst’s time on site to enhance local biodiversity.
When visited by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, the project received a near perfect score of 41 out of a possible 45. Meanwhile, social value activity included donations to Didcot Baptist Church Foodbank and Oxford Hub.
Tom Newton, director development at Tritax Management LLP, said: “We’re pleased to have given this asset a new lease of life and agreed a new letting with a valued new customer all with the support of Pexhurst. Their professionalism, flexibility and ability to respond positively to changing requirements ensured the project was delivered successfully and made them an excellent partner to work with throughout.”
To learn more about Pexhurst, visit www.pexhurst.co.uk.
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