Lakelovers

The alterations and refurbishment of the redundant retail unit and offices into prestige headquarters offices were sensitively worked to deliver the new home for Lakelovers.

The meticulous restoration has been carried out alongside local Planning Consultant, Chartered Structural Engineer and Contract Administrator Kim Tullett of Hough Tullet.

The build and final finishes offered up many challenges along the journey to final completion. A few examples include:

• Basement waterproofing and tanking
• Dry rot timber and stone eradication and removal
• Chimney Stack removal and re-build
• Stripping roof, strengthening and re-roofing
• Complete replica of hand-made and replacement of the hardwood shop fronts
• Replacement of failed timbers to the Dormer sides and replacement with lead-cheeks
• Replacement of rotten windows and decorative barge boards that were rotten and beyond repair
• Bespoke manufacture of curved glacial white Corian furniture

Green initiatives were introduced to ensure the agency’s footprint makes as little impact on the environment as possible have also been included such as:

• LED lighting that is controlled with people occupancy sensors that efficiently switch on and off when people move in and out of rooms.
• The rest room taps have been installed to supply set water flow and then switch off systems prevent wastage.
• Triple AAA rating for all the appliances within the kitchen
• Special consideration was also taken into account for the thermal insulation characteristics. Walls were stripped of all old plaster work, Insulation was introduced into all ceilings and floors and new floor slabs. Insulation was introduced into the roof and between rafters, further insulation sheets were then installed once again improving thermal properties and efficiencies.
• Each room has separate thermostatic heat controllers for choice and optimal heat per room as is needed
• Separate time clocks are introduced to turn off lighting systems at approved times
• New efficient boilers and radiators are part and parcel of the building through-out
• All doors have fire and draught seals
• Conservation roof lights to the 2nd floor rooms flood the working space with light, whilst sensors are set to lux levels and to offer the efficient lighting nature of the building

Lakelovers steered the choices for final finishes. Quality LED displays elegantly promote the companies properties. Bespoke requests for a 3D Oak ribbon internal artwork with internal led lighting is a handsome addition.

Along with the beautiful aesthetic result was the backbone of hardware and functionality. The data cabling and networking was included to a “future proof” standard and the new installation of new high speed broadband fibre optic will assist with the business functionality. Safety has also been taken to a serious level with the purposely-built server room containing a fire suppression system. The property conforms to the usual fire protection and intruder alarm requirements that you would expect from a head office.

The head office building at 2 Victoria St has been installed with internal Burlington stone walling within the sales areas to the rear walls and the pillars, bringing the ‘outside in’.

Certain structural timbers have been retained and re-used a good example of this are the in two fire places. The windows have been retained and restored were possible. Where this was not possible Lakelovers replicated the old windows with new to match. Local slate was used for the re-roofing.

Local stone for the internal stone features (including a circular stone pillar) were sourced from local Cumbrian quarries in Broughton. The stone sets external in the car parking were purchased from locally company locally quarried by Burlington Stone.

Some warm features include in additional of hardwood oak casing, and oak glazed doors. Doors and casing were bespoke designed and manufactured to new site specific dimensions. New bespoke designed staircases were manufactured from oak hardwood from ground floor to first and from ground floor to basement integrating feature glass balustrading.

Gems that have been the reuse of the ex-basement slate floor slabs that have been installed on the new external walls to the car-park and the capping’s for the water feature reservoir.

The internal finishes are to the highest standard. Howe Projects were involved from the very start of the process in producing setting out plans and 3D visuals to tailor ideas towards the final choices. Furniture requirements and power and lighting layouts incorporated confirmed staffing requirements and customer needs. 3D’s were produce for all room and external to qualify the final layout and finish. The ground floor sales area furniture are bespoke designed and manufactured glacial white curved corian desking systems. These are complemented with the oak faced storage units that incorporate white corian surfaces too. An oak book-shelf feature alongside a customer meeting point and specialist designed seating area are a fresh and crisp addition that juxtaposes the class and vintage of the historic building.

A late addition was the sourcing and installation of the water feature known as the Monolith. This gigantic stone was personally picked by Lakelovers management from Burlington stone’s local quarry.

The monolith is testament to the level of detail that Lakelovers have achieved with the overall build and restoration. The vintage perspective of the stone slab with the contemporary finish of the lighting is a creative blend. This is a similar achievement with the entire build, matching the historical prestige with the quality and technical achievements of modern technologies to provide one of the most dramatically aesthetic image whilst retaining the qualities of the past.

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