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Case Studies

W & H Peacock Auction Centre

Rolton Group were appointed by Woods Hardwick to provide mechanical and electrical engineering services. The project involved the creation of a new build auction facility for W&H Peacock Auctioneers and Valuers in Bedford, as their existing town centre facility was restricted in size and for parking, therefore requiring a larger premises.

The new auction facility includes five sale rooms and a reception area on the ground floor. The first floor houses a gallery display area as well as a fully serviced restaurant space and office accommodation. In addition to the auction facility the design team also created a 220 vehicle car park within a landscaped environment.

The client was very detailed on how they wanted to use and operate the facilities, and different rooms needed to be designed in order to meet the specific requirements. This was imperative to the project’s success as the facility will sell anything from a JCB digger to an antique grandfather clock; the rooms and their systems therefore needed to be able to adapt display a wide range of assets. The gallery area on the first floor is to be used to display items for sale, undertake auctions and talks. The lighting to this space therefore had to be flexible to provide general as well as targeted spot lighting for displaying items of fine art.

The majority of the facility’s heating and cooling was carried out by using high efficiency air source heat pumps, provided through ducted fan coil units mounted at high level within the high bay large exhibits areas and ceiling cassettes to suspended ceiling areas. Heat pumps typically provide 2.5 – 4.3 times more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes and require relatively low maintenance.

The ventilation in the fine arts auction room, office accommodation and the restaurant was provided through high efficiency heat recovery ventilation units mounted within the ceiling void. Heating and cooling was provided via ceiling mounted ceiling cassettes. This created an energy efficient system which allowed for a comfortable environment for both visitors and staff.

The main challenge the team overcame was keeping the project within budget, as it could not be exceeded. The team worked closely with the quantity surveyors, architect and the client to value engineer proposals as and when required whilst still meeting their key requirements.

The design team in collaboration with the client reviewed the contractors’ proposals and drawings to ensure they met the clients’ operational needs. An example being some auction rooms required facilities for the selling of TVs and other needed retractable cable reels for the testing of electrical products.

Rolton Group along with the architects, Woods Hardwick and the developers, Parkway Construction MK Ltd succeeded in providing a state of the art Auction facility for W&H Peacock.


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