The Salvation Army’s shop in Perth will see Thistle strip out the current premises back to the walls, altering the internal layout to suit their required needs which incorporated a new storage facility, relocate a partition to increase the existing storage facilities and create a new door opening.

Internally, Thistle upgraded the existing electrical works, installed slat wall throughout, installed new counter and merchandising facilities, laid Amtico style floor and carried out the decoration to the remaining areas.

Thistle also upgraded the external shopfront and installed new signage in line with the corporate guidelines of the Salvation Army.
Thistle’s Project Manager, Paul Hayes, explained “Charitable organisations work to extremely tight budgets and it is therefore vital that they get the very best prices for any capital works they undertake.”

He continued, “With our fit out service we can provide clients with a solution that both meets their brief and their budget by offering alternatives with accurate costings for the entire project based on our experience of carrying out similar works.”

Thistle has an enviable track record for successfully completing refits of prestigious office developments across Scotland however our experience in the retail sector is growing as more companies look at complete design and fit out services.

For more information on our range of interior services contact our interior fit out team or call 01236 453888

Working closely with the Facilities Manager, who was looking for a solution that made the area more acceptable and durable whilst reducing the energy consumption as well as the ongoing costs of maintenance, Thistle Systems’ project team transformed the toilet facility to create a modern yet functional look with a combination of clever design solutions and innovative products.

Thistle replaced the existing 16 sinks and vanity units which required their own water heater and installed a large trough-styled stainless steel sink unit. This was fed by a single water heater and featured self-closing push down taps which were set to provide a constant temperature. The combination of each of these dramatically reduced the energy consumption of the hot water system with the added benefit of reducing overall water usage.

The standard hot air hand driers were replaced with Dyson Airblades which use the friction of the air flow to provide a degree of heat as opposed to using an actual heating element. With savings on running costs expected to be as high as 90% and a reduction in drying time, the initial investment will be quickly recouped.

Thistle also looked at improving the cleaning methods of the toilet area and installed floor drains and new heavy duty vinyl flooring to make the facility quicker and easier to maintain on a day to day basis.

Vandalism and abuse of the toilets had also been a real challenge for the client over the years and Thistle included a number of features to address this issue.

Anti-graffiti paint to the cubicle walls and doors. The height of the sink unit was raised substantially to discourage workers from sitting on it and breaking the unit. All pipework was boxed in to prevent breakages and UV lights were installed in the cubicles to minimise occupation times.

Thistle Systems’ Interiors Project Manager explained, “We have always placed a strong focus on delivering energy efficient solutions as part of our interior fit out service however with the forthcoming legislation which is forcing every company to reduce their carbon emission we are now receiving a number of projects where this is the main objective.”

He continued, “With our extensive experience in delivering energy efficient solutions across a broad range of sectors from corporate to industrial and from clean rooms to toilet areas, we can advise clients on how simple changes to design can make a significant impact on their energy bills.”

Thistle Systems has secured a major contract for a mezzanine floor for one of the UK’s leading suppliers of renewable energy thanks in no small part to the company’s expertise and experience in interior fit outs.

The contract will see Thistle Systems design, manufacture and install the mezzanine floor with a storage area to the ground level and office space to accommodate up to 16 personnel on the first floor.

As well as advising on the optimum design of mezzanine for the required usage, Thistle also space planned the office area with bench desks, side opening tambours and a storage wall to maximise the storage capacity with the minimum foot print.

As part of the office fit out, Thistle Systems will install air conditioning, create a kitchen area and supply all of the office furniture.

The project also requires pinpoint accuracy as the mezzanine floor will adjoin an existing structure and the client is looking to create an open plan area with a continuous floor level.

Thistle Systems Project Manager, Stephen McCormick, explained “Our ability to deliver the entire contract from design through to installation, provide expert advice on each area of the project and manage the building warrant side of things was a key factor in the client’s buying decision.”

He continued, “This provides them with the peace of mind that we are in total control of the timescales, the cost and the delivery, so that there are no surprises and there are no issues when it comes to quality.”

For more information on industrial mezzanines, office storage or interior fit outs contact Thistle Systems now on 01236 453888.

Thistle’s interiors team worked closely with the client’s team to advise upon key issues that would help to achieve their brief of a bright, modern office which provided sufficient space to grow into whilst taking into consideration that it was a listed building.

With this in mind, Thistle’s team delivered a solution which maximised the available space of the premises with a feature mezzanine floor to capitalise on the height of the building, bench desks to comfortably accommodate the company’s team of highly skilled employees and glazed partitioning to form offices and private meeting areas.

Thistle’s Interiors Project Manager, Paul Hayes, explained “Every company is looking to get everything they can out of the available space, however it is vital that you achieve the right balance of space utilisation, comfort and productivity.”

He continued, “The mezzanine provides the comfort with valuable additional floor space. The modern looking bench desks provide a flexible amount of work space and the glass partitioning system creates private areas without encroaching on the available light.”

And whilst many companies find these types of projects a little challenging, Thistle’s approach and philosophy is a perfect fit.

Paul explained, “We particularly enjoy getting to grips with these types of contracts which many contractors may consider to be a little small and find difficult to commit resources. Our combination of experienced project managers and a highly skilled workforce enables us to deliver superb solutions that maximises clients’ budgets, on time and to very tight budgets.”

For more information on the interiors and fit out solutions offered by Thistle Systems visit www.thistlesystems.co.uk or call 01236 453888.

The company has established a growing portfolio of clients who recognise the importance of their toilet areas in improving the overall experience for employees and clients. Thistle was able to deliver the project to their superior standards and within the tight deadlines demanded by the client.

With just 2 weeks to complete the project which included rip out the existing facilities and install the stunning new features, Thistle’s project team worked round the clock to deliver the project on budget and on schedule.

Thistle Systems’ Project Manager, Paul Hayes, explained “Toilet facilities are a crucial area of any property and with thousands of people visiting the shopping centre every day, we needed to make sure that they not only looked great but weren’t out of operation for too long.”

Thistle added its trademark style and class to the project which features environmentally-friendly Dyson air blade hand-dryers, corian work tops, basins and vastly improved lighting and ventilation.

Paul continued, “What many people fail to realise is that well designed toilet areas can also deliver huge energy savings. For example, many people see the Dyson hand dryers as a bit of an extravagance but they are actually highly efficient systems which provide long term savings through reduced running costs.”

Thistle Systems has delivered numerous toilet projects across the country for many blue chip organisations both as individual projects and as part of complete fit outs as part of its interior fit out service.

To find out more contact us now or call our interiors team on 01236 453888.

Thistle Systems’ Interiors team reduced the ceiling height in the manufacturing plant from 8 metres to 2.8 metres and installed a metal partition to section off an area to manufacture new products. The project also saw Thistle installing low energy lighting units over work stations and the air conditioning system to facilitate the temperature control.

To ensure that the production of the company was never impacted by the works, Thistle’s Project team devised a schedule which saw the fit out being completed over four weekends.

Thistle Systems’ Project Manager, Paul Hayes, explained “Daiwa is one of the leading brands in the fishing equipment market and we are delighted to have helped the UK facility in Wishaw which is already recognised as being the most advanced rod production facility outside the far east.”

He continued, “We have extensive experience in all aspects of industrial fit outs from metal partitions and mezzanines through to full office and interior fit outs. When supported by our storage team, we can help companies with their entire facility right through to workshops and warehouses.”

To find out more about the industrial fit out services and the full range of solutions from Thistle Systems, contact us now or call 01236 453888.

As a company that aims to deliver ‘awesome customer service,’ Thistle focused all our efforts in ensuring that defects were kept to an absolute minimum. But that wasn’t enough. We believed that we should be able to hand over a job with zero defects.

This has required a complete change in thinking throughout the organisation and a retraining of our entire team from director level to the tradesmen on site.

We are now proud to be the first contractor in the UK to offer a zero defect guarantee on all our interior fit out projects.

But what does this guarantee mean to the end client?

We guarantee that when you accept hand over of the project, there will be absolutely no defects of any description.

We only use the very best of tradesmen and sub-contractors to ensure a superior finish on all our contracts, however all tradesmen (both our own and sub-contractors) receive intensive training to reinforce the zero defect guarantee.

Any tradesmen or specialist contractors that fail to achieve the standards are re-trained or re-deployed.

We believe that it is not the job of the end client or their appointed representative to identify defects in the unlikely event they happen.  Our project managers are trained to carry out the most ruthless and uncompromising pre-handover inspections to identify and rectify every possible defect prior to the client taking ownership of the finished contract.

Of course we understand that more and more projects are taking a more collaborative approach and we always welcome ongoing feedback on the quality and progress of ongoing works.

We also understand that on occasions a defect can appear after the handover takes place or a client identifies an area that does not meet their standards. When this happens we mobilise all available resources to rectify the problem immediately.

Now that is awesome service.

As a result, our interiors team experienced a surge of enquiries from clients who recognised our expertise at maximising workspace whether is space planning for a new office or looking at ways in which existing offices could be reconfigured to make better use of the space.

Many were surprised at how little work was involved and how quickly they could capitalise on their underutilised space.

In one such project, our Interiors Project Manager, Paul Hayes, was asked by one of his former clients,  a business management consultancy practice with offices in Glasgow and London to explore the options for transforming three of their meeting rooms into an independent suite of offices.

With full details of the existing plans already on the system, Paul was able to quickly determine that the work involved to divide the space was fairly minimal and could be achieved by partitioning the open plan office space to create a new reception area.

The Thistle team also advised that a small change in floor heights from reception area to the existing offices meant that a plinth would need to be created to meet the DDA regulations and Building Regulations.

However the overall cost of the project could be offset by a few months rent and could also be achieved in such a manner that the area could be returned to its open plan design with minimal disruption.

When companies are looking at these kinds of projects, it can appear to be very straight forward however it pays to look at all the options available and ensure that you meet all of the legislative requirements in terms of DDA and Building Regulations. Our design and build experience means that we can provide you with the right advice to ensure your project always meets current guidelines.

A key issue consideration in any office development is the level of office storage required by the team and when it comes to consolidating office areas, this can prove to be a real challenge. However Thistle’s office fit outs team has a superb solution to ensure no compromises need to be made.

One of the methods we have used to great effect in many projects is the installation of a fully fitted storage wall to form the partition. The modern and flexible storage walls that are now available on the market can make a huge difference in maximising office areas without sacrificing valuable storage space.