Tuke Manton architects were commissioned by Richard Harper, the founder of the Arc Veterinary Centre to help realise the new business. The Arc Veterinary Centre is a start up business providing health care for domestic animals in a modern veterinary centre for the local community.
The site is located at the Viaduct, St.James Lane in Muswell Hill. The existing building consists of ground floor and first floor accommodation with pitched and felted roof with side lead lined gutters. The building is set under a railway viaduct with space between the roof and the brick arch above.
There were some internal alterations and enlargement of the main entrance door and some additional roof mounted light tubes to bring light into the building.
Budget constraints dictated the cost effective use of the existing walls with the new internal spaces formed as necessary keeping demolition to a minimum with new decorations and finishes throughout. The refurbishment remains naturally ventilated using the existing windows with some mechanical ventilation to internal spaces. The heating system has been altered as necessary including a new condensing boiler.
The design has given the opportunity to enhance the overall appearance and maintenance of a building that has not been used to its full potential in the past. In the development of the scheme we have worked closely with the owner, to create a building and environment that can be used for animal patient care well into the future.
