Sheffield Urban Traffic Centre Relocation

Thinking Space Systems have completed the recycling and relocation of control room furniture to a new location within a Grade 1 listed building, including a total fit out of the new Urban Traffic Centre (UTC) for Sheffield City Council. As well as relocating two large three person consoles across the town, a brand new Evolution media wall creating a space-saving and energy efficient video wall solution was also designed built and fitted.

Sheffield is the UK’s 5th largest city by population and the home of the steel industry. In 2008, Thinking Space Systems were awarded the contract to design and build the Urban Traffic Management Suite for Sheffield City Council. Thinking Space undertook the complete refurbishment of an office floor in the client’s premises in Carbrook to accommodate the control room.rnrnSeven years later, the site at Carbrook was earmarked for redevelopment by Sheffield City Council, with the requirement to relocate the UTC across the city to the Town Hall premises, within a specific time frame. Sheffield City Council implemented a competitive tendering process to ensure best value as well as best design to relocate the furniture and provide a full fit out of the new control room at the Town Hall.rnrnA particular requirement from the client was the need to recycle (above) the existing control room furniture in the new premises. As well as a monitoring centre, the UTC undertakes engineering operations within the control room, so the existing technical furniture more than met its needs for this purpose.

There were many challenges to face in the execution and delivery of the project. Firstly, Thinking Space worked with the Council’s technical staff to decommission the existing control room. The technical furniture, consisting of two large three person consoles, needed to be moved from the building in Carbrook, across the city to the Town Hall, a grade 1 listed building. The new control room was to be relocated to an empty office, which needed a total refit to bring it up to control room standards. Thinking Space also undertook the project management and fit out of the new control room, offices and meeting rooms.

The Town Hall remained in constant use for the duration of the project, with work needing to be halted whilst weddings in particular were being held. This added to the challenge of completing the project within the timeframe, there were no room for delays due to the redevelopment programme of the Carbrook site. Thinking Space worked closely with the Council’s Conservation Officer, who offered advice and solutions for any alteration works required to the Town Hall, a grade 1 listed building. Specialist craftsmen were employed by Thinking Space to ensure any building work was carried out correctly, particularly when carrying out adaptions to feature windows and antique timberwork. A Project Manager was employed on site for the duration of the project to co-ordinate the team and liaise with the client. The consoles themselves were originally manufactured using the TSS aluminium build system in 2008. The only work that was required when relocating the consoles was to replace the protective rubber nosing, which was showing slight signs of wear. The consoles were easily disassembled, transported across the city and then re-built in the new control room. This demonstrated the huge benefit of the build system which is central to the Thinking Space technical furniture solution. The new control room received a complete refurbishment, including a raised dais with a ramp and rail. Adjoining offices and meeting rooms were also refurbished, the colour scheme duplicating that of the old control room, turquoise and purples, colours which present a calm and modern feel. A brand new Evolution media wall was designed and installed by Thinking Space, in partnership with Eyevis, to create video wall system with new generation screens, delivering space saving benefits. In addition, these screens offer lower heat emissions so cooling is not required within the room, resulting in a more energy efficient solution. The new control room is now co-located with the CCTV and bus management control rooms, giving a more efficient collaborative working environment for the Councils’ operations.