Area

Deliverables

Client: Area.
Location: Serco offices, Solihull.
Project Lead Time: 11 Weeks.

We installed a new Cat6 UTP/FTP data network that offered multiple separate networks to certain desk spaces depending on the engineer’s status within the business. We worked closely with the client’s internal IT department to deliver a CAT6 FTP network to distribute all of the business’ media to each wall-mounted monitor/TV, creating instant access to the latest information for individuals and teams. All media sources were centralised from the new secure data room and broadcast through high definition HDMI over Cat6 extenders – in some cases, over 100 metres.

We upgraded the lighting to LED to form part of the recent landlord refurbished CatA fit-out: our task was to provide plots and lighting levels to show where the existing lighting needed to be supplemented. The two main meeting rooms included a folding wall, which allows the client to transform them from two rooms to one large training room. We installed new Flex7 lighting controls along with a microswitch to the folding wall. The microswitch enabled the lighting controls to be operated across two individual meeting rooms, or as one large room with two-way lighting controls.

The biggest challenge we faced on this project was the installation of the secure communications room housing four 47U secure data cabinets. Each cabinet accommodated separate parts of the data network from multiple individual networks, CCTV, door control, AV and the wireless access network. Each cabinet contained general power and essential generator-backed power that also ran through a battery-backed UPS. The essential power came from a new metered TP&N distribution board that was fed from the basement essential services MDP with a 25.0mm 5-core LSF SWA cable and a separate clean earth. The communications room had to be ready four weeks prior to practical completion, to allow the client’s internal IT department to install hardware and patching, but we successfully rose to the challenge.