Conversion of Offices to Veterinary Referral Centre, 2024
In late 2022, ACD’s Alex and Nicola were invited to view 70 Chancellor’s Road in Hammersmith, a 1,087m² office building selected by Linnaeus Group for the relocation and expansion of London Veterinary Specialists. Originally occupied by the British Safety Council, it was clear why the building had been earmarked for London’s largest referral centre. It had good high ceilings, optimal for a veterinary facility of this size, was in a prime location and easily accessible to the public.
ACD joined the project team taking on the lead design, project management and quantity surveyor roles. Our first task was assessing the flow of the building and coming up with an initial general arrangement. It was within this early design phase that it was agreed the clinical areas of the facility would be located on the ground floor – the first floor reserved for reception, cat and dog waiting areas, associated consulting rooms, and staff and wellbeing spaces – accessed by stairs and lift.
From orthopaedics to neurology, London Veterinary Specialists are experts in multiple disciplines. Thoughtful planning was therefore required to optimise the layout of the centre, and through various stakeholder meetings, ACD’s Emma Mainey designed a seamless model enabling easy access for each specialism to the imaging suite, theatres and wards.
As well as careful consideration towards the vets’ areas of expertise, ACD were tasked with the implementation of Linnaeus’ core principles within the design, ensuring that the Referral Centre would be a flagship model and example of quality and efficiency within the industry. An example of this is the extensive use of biophilic design throughout the facility, including the use of “living green” walls in visitor and staff spaces. These references to the natural world are proven to have extensive mental health benefits, encapsulating a shared will for a better team environment and putting staff wellbeing at the forefront of workplace design philosophy.
Once on site, it was ACD’s Chris Unsworth in charge of Project Managing the construction phase, working closely alongside Simpson, the main contractor, to bring the project to fruition. During the construction, Chis oversaw the successful delivery of Philips BlueSeal MRI, the first in London’s veterinary scene to use sustainable helium-free operations.
One of ACD’s biggest takeaways from working on London Veterinary Specialists is the close professional relationship built with the veterinary team. Overall, the project was a great success, and each party involved enjoyed navigating the journey to handover together, ultimately giving London access to one of the best referral centres in Europe.
