Antech Diagnostics are an international Veterinary Diagnostics company primarily situated in the United States. Having previously occupied smaller lab facilities attached to veterinary practices in the UK, Antech’s objective was to construct a large-scale, state-of-the-art, 24-hour diagnostics lab in a prominent central location in England that could service a wider network of practices.
To support this vision, a large warehouse building within an industrial area of Warwickshire was selected to provide maximum flexibility for the design, whilst also accommodating Antech’s operational requirements, including large deliveries and the ability to operate on a 24-hour basis without causing disturbance to the surrounding area.
Working closely with the end users, we developed a full working design for the facility, upgraded the incoming services, and secured planning consent for the proposed use of the building. To inform the design process, ACD were supplied with example layouts from other Antech sites, illustrating the desired laboratory areas and the equipment required within each space.
Due to the sensitive nature of the equipment and testing undertaken by Antech Diagnostics, strict environmental control measures were required, particularly in relation to humidity and air temperature. Although primarily laboratory-based, Antech Diagnostics are also a customer-facing company, and therefore the facility was designed to incorporate a sleek, modern reception area alongside open and welcoming office spaces for non-laboratory staff.
Antech also appointed ACD to provide project management services throughout the construction process. In this role, the design team and project manager continued to support the client through regular meetings and site visits, ensuring the project developed in line with the agreed designs and enabling potential construction-related issues or changes to be identified and resolved before impacting the wider project.
Drawing upon these considerations, alongside our existing knowledge of clinical environments, we successfully adapted the 1,880m² warehouse building into a fully functioning, purpose-designed diagnostics laboratory facility.