Project Brief
Client
Waltham Pet Care
Sector
Pet care research
Project Type
Laboratory refurbishment and fit-out
Key Areas
Laboratories
Dark rooms
Cleanroom
Media preparation area
Autoclave and sterilisation area
Waltham Pet Care Laboratory Refurbishment and Fit-OuT, Leicestershire
Waltham Pet Care commissioned InterFocus to design and deliver a laboratory refurbishment and fit-out within an existing building. The laboratory design responded to the constraints and opportunities of the original room layouts, creating a modern, functional scientific environment.
InterFocus transformed the building into a versatile, multidisciplinary laboratory complex, giving Waltham Pet Care research spaces that support both current operations and future growth.
Project Brief
Waltham Pet Care required a diverse range of specialist laboratory environments within the building while making the best possible use of the available footprint. The facility needed to support multiple scientific disciplines in a coordinated way, enabling efficient day-to-day operations while providing the flexibility to accommodate future research activities.
A key objective was to create a laboratory facility capable of supporting varied scientific work without the need for extensive structural alterations, ensuring the project remained both practical and cost-effective.
Scope of Works
- Core laboratories: Positioned the tissue culture, molecular biology, chemistry and microbiology laboratories, the largest spaces in the project, to keep workflows running smoothly.
- Specialist and support spaces: Accommodated five dark rooms for microscopy, imaging and analytical applications, a small cleanroom, a biochemistry laboratory, a media preparation area and an autoclave and sterilisation area within smaller rooms around the perimeter of the main laboratory suite.
- Infrastructure: Installed new electrical services, power distribution and integrated data networks to support contemporary laboratory equipment and digital connectivity.
- Finishes: Completed new flooring, painting and decoration across the facility to meet the standards expected of a professional research environment.
- Worktops: At Waltham Pet Care’s request, upgraded the originally proposed Trespa work surfaces to 25 mm Velstone solid surfaces. The seamless finish removed visible joints, improved the laboratories’ appearance and simplified cleaning and maintenance, helping to meet hygiene standards.
Project Outcome
Waltham Pet Care now has a modern, integrated laboratory facility tailored to its research needs. By designing around the building’s layout, InterFocus created a suite of specialist laboratories without major structural work, helping to control project costs and minimise disruption.
The principal laboratories sit at the centre of the facility, with the smaller rooms arranged around them. This improved accessibility and supported collaboration between research teams. The new electrical and data installations allow the laboratories to keep pace as technology requirements evolve.
The project demonstrates InterFocus’s capability to deliver complex laboratory fit-outs within existing structures, combining considered space planning, technical expertise and high-quality finishes to meet demanding scientific requirements