Inside and out – SGP’s base build and interior fit-out for new Pets at Home distribution centre starts on site

SGP is delighted with the start on site of the new 670,366 sqft (62,278 sqm) warehouse for pet supplies retailing giant, Pets at Home, at the Stafford North Business Park. SGP has completed designs for both the base build of the bespoke national storage and distribution centre as well as interior fit-out plans for the 45,000 sqft three-storey office element.

Explains James Nicholls, Managing Partner at SGP: “We worked closely with developer Stoford Developments and Pets at Home to create a bespoke solution to the operator’s needs. The base build design was handled by our team in Leicester and our specialist interiors team in Leeds created the required layouts and finishes for Pets at Home. Using BIM and Revit modelling, the two aspects worked seamlessly together.”

SGP’s interior design included staff welfare areas and restaurant, administration and meeting rooms and a training facility with rooms that could hold from 12 to over 100 people. The final design also included a separate kitchen where staff could prepare meals for their pets. Here the flooring had to be robust and easy to clean yet not so smooth it might cause a pet to slip.

Concludes James: “The close co-ordination and collaboration between the base build and interior fit-out teams from the very start of the project had great advantages. Changes to the layout of the internal spaces, such as moving a staircase, doors and windows, were straightforward and minimised potential waste in time and materials resulting in an efficient, collaborative and coordinated design process. As a project, this is one of a string of excellent examples whereby an integrated design package will deliver a higher specification build that meets the needs of the operator.”

Situated on a 45 acre (18.2 hectare) plot on the Stafford North Business Park, between the M6 and A34, the hub includes various support facilities such as vehicle wash, fuel and weighing stations, recycling recovery unit, parking, substantial landscaping and a security gatehouse.

The warehouse facilities, with fit-out, are to be constructed in a single phase, with McLaren Construction appointed as contractor, and are expected to open in 2022.