Project - Commercial pharmacist premises

 

Client – Caring Chemist

 

Contract Value - £700k

 

Description

 

JPA were initially appointed to look at the feasibility of building a chemists on a large tract of disused industrial land at Fairmuir Road in Dundee. The site was once home to the Baltic Work factory, owned by Thomas Miln. Ltd. With the decline of manufacturing in Dundee towards the latter half of the 20th century the factory had lain vacant for a number of years before being demolished.

 

As we explored feasibility options with the client it became clear that given the industrial nature of the site and surrounding area, the site would lend itself to a larger type commercial pharmacy dispensary. The site had a relatively large size for the area, and a reasonably prominent corner position on Old Glamis Road. The client decided that with a large number of care home facilities in the surrounding area, there would be scope for such a unit to operate directly with these homes.Although the area was largely industrial, there were also large residential areas adjacent.

 

We took the decision to set the proposed unit back from the Glamis Road and with a floor level some 1.5 metres below the road level. This allowed the proposals to sit down within the site and hard and soft landscaping was used to further lessen the visual impact of the unit. Viewed from the road, the facility look much smaller than the footprint’s true size. We also used smaller proportioned glazing with additional transoms to assist in attributing a more domestic aesthetic.We planned the building around the specialist equipment to be installed and worked hand in hand with the client to look at the most efficient methods for deliveries, dispensing and operation. The building itself used a simple steel portal framed construction with high quality aluminium cladding panels for flexibility and speed of construction.