Bespoke Solution Keeps People Comfortable during a Full Renovation Project at a M&S Store

Project Overview

Marks and Spencer, better known as M&S, is a leading British retailer that has over 1050 UK owned and franchise stores. As the company grows, so does its need to ensure stores are in keeping with customer demand and the modern day.

Contractor, Wates, was awarded a 5 month project to completely renovate and refit the M&S Cribbs Causeway store in Bristol. Throughout this project, M&S wanted the store to remain open and trading its normal hours.

Challenge

During the works, a temporary 10-week relocation was required of the chilled food area. The new location provided no suitable extraction for the heat produced by the chillers, which would create a stuffy, uncomfortable environment.

With the client wanting the store to remain open and trading normally, Wates identified during planning that a temporary hire solution was needed that met two key objectives; extracting the heat created from the chillers and also suitable cooling across the food hall as a precaution. If this was met, it would create a comfortable environment for both customers and staff.

Solution

Wates approached RVT Group for support on this project. We reviewed the plan and carried out a hazard control assessment. We then recommended an effective temporary control hire solution that would ensure the contractor met its goal of keeping customers and staff comfortable.

For the extraction, our installation consisted of two VENTEX^® Centrifugal 600S Fans situated outside of the store. The fans had bespoke ducting attached that ran through the suspended ceiling of the store into the chilled food area. The ducting extracted all of the hot air being produced from the chillers outside, keeping the area in store cool.

As a precautionary measure, RVT Group also installed equipment to provide supplementary chilling. We provided a 125kW chiller with 150kW handling unit that was attached to ducting and went through the suspended ceiling, providing around 20,000m³ per hour of cool air across the food hall area.

RVT Group commissioned the full set up for this project. Our bespoke temporary solution met the requirements set out, allowing Wates to focus on the renovation and refit.