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Medivet provides a wide range of veterinary services for pets, including surgeries, microchipping, and diagnostics. They have over four hundred vet practices and 27 emergency centres across the UK. Ross Pinching from Apex Design and Refurbishment Ltd, experts in veterinary practice design and refurbishment were appointed to renovate all the rooms at the Medivet practice in Thurmaston, Leicester. This was part of a bigger plan to refurbish several practices across the country this year.
The primary objective of revamping the interior was to improve workflow in the building and improve comfort for those visitors and staff using the spaces. So, an important part of this was installing a modern air conditioning system to provide heating and cooling.
Throughout the decision-making process, energy efficiency was prioritised, as well as flexibility and for these reasons air conditioning was chosen. While there is general acceptance that air conditioning is a very efficient method of cooling and heating a building and very popular as a result – not everyone knows that it is due to the ‘coefficient of performance’ of air conditioning. Put simply, this means that for every 1 kW of energy consumed you will receive up to 4 Kw of heating or cooling output and means that air conditioning is an extremely energy efficient method of providing indoor temperature control.
In addition, air conditioning is ideal in any healthcare setting as it improves the ‘quality’ of indoor air. Air conditioning does exactly that – it is designed to remove pollutants such as; moisture, dust particles, allergens, pathogens and other bacteria as well as heat from indoor air and improve its overall quality.
The areas to have air conditioning installed covered clinical areas, the dispensary, kennels, theatre and reception.
Yee Group installed 9 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries single split air conditioning units throughout the vet’s practice. Wall units were chosen for clinical areas in order to maximise the available floor space, while a ceiling cassette was chosen for reception with a modern honeycomb design grille.
All the units will provide heating and cooling without the need for a heater or any trailing cables on the floor. This is a major benefit in a busy veterinary practice where the need for hygiene is paramount and so is safety, especially with animals around.
The outdoor units were mounted on exterior walls to save space and make it easier to refurbish nearby floors later on. Yee Group also mounted outdoor units on the first-floor walls to avoid contact with the flat roof. Since there wasn’t any air conditioning in the building before, the Yee Group team installed all the pipes and refrigerant lines from scratch.
The key challenge for the appointed air conditioning installer Yee Group was working in a relatively small space alongside a number of other contractors. Since the building was previously a private residential house before being converted to a Medivet practice, the rooms were comparatively small.
Jak Parnell, Yee Group Project Manager stated, “We are well practiced in working quickly and alongside other contractors – in fact we sometimes have to install air conditioning equipment in vets’ practices during opening hours – so in fact this was very straight forward. Supplying materials and equipment to site was closely managed due to the restrictions on space and the quick turnaround required of 12 days”. Working with an experienced contractor like Yee Group brings many benefits not least the fact that the air conditioning system carries a 7-year guarantee.
The refurbishment is generating positive feedback from both staff and clients. Mr Pinching says; “The place feels light, bright, and really comfortable now. We have created functional and visually appealing spaces, which has enhanced the overall experience for both animals and their owners, ultimately improving the quality of care provided.”
