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Green industrial equipment labeled "nelie," "EXEON," and "www.exeon.co.uk" is positioned diagonally in a workshop with metal structures and windows in the background.

Our Projects

Hamilton Kerr Institute

Hamilton Kerr Institute (HKI) is one of the world’s leading centres for teaching, research and conservation, restoring some of the world’s greatest easel paintings. A department within the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, the institute moved into new premises, requiring extensive technical modifications to enable their team to continue to preserve their artworks integrity whilst maintaining its historical value.

  Design  |  Build  |  Furnish

  10,000 Sq Ft

  Cambridge

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Technical labs and education facilities a priority

As with any academic institution combining practical conservation work with research and teaching, Hamilton Kerr‘s facilities needed to include restoration studios, scientific laboratories and spaces for panel treatment and canvas relining. The design process therefore required extensive liaison with the client and subcontractors, as well as our quantity surveyors to ensure accuracy in delivering such detailed technical requirements.

Green machine with the text "nodour™ EXEON®," featuring a gauge and small control box with power buttons, situated in an indoor environment with blurred windows and curtains in the background.
Spacious workshop with wooden tables features green ventilation units labeled "nodour" and extendable hoses, set in a bright room with white ceiling panels and large windows.
A green and black industrial exhaust hose extends over wooden frames in a workshop setting, likely used for ventilation or dust extraction.
A metal ventilation hood attached to the ceiling, surrounded by hanging cables, sits next to a green "Nederman Exeon" extractor in a room with large windows and trees outside.
Wooden door stands closed with a long vertical window, adjacent to an office space with blue-gray booth seating and lockers, under a white ceiling with recessed lighting.
Partially assembled shelving unit in a room under construction, with wood panels leaning against the wall and a yellow step ladder in the background.
Glass cabinet holds various labeled chemical bottles; a "DANGER Toxic hazard" sign is displayed. A metal ladder leans against an adjacent wall; a wire grid is visible nearby.
Green machine with the text "nodour™ EXEON®," featuring a gauge and small control box with power buttons, situated in an indoor environment with blurred windows and curtains in the background. Spacious workshop with wooden tables features green ventilation units labeled "nodour" and extendable hoses, set in a bright room with white ceiling panels and large windows. A green and black industrial exhaust hose extends over wooden frames in a workshop setting, likely used for ventilation or dust extraction. A metal ventilation hood attached to the ceiling, surrounded by hanging cables, sits next to a green "Nederman Exeon" extractor in a room with large windows and trees outside. Wooden door stands closed with a long vertical window, adjacent to an office space with blue-gray booth seating and lockers, under a white ceiling with recessed lighting. Partially assembled shelving unit in a room under construction, with wood panels leaning against the wall and a yellow step ladder in the background. Glass cabinet holds various labeled chemical bottles; a "DANGER Toxic hazard" sign is displayed. A metal ladder leans against an adjacent wall; a wire grid is visible nearby.

Safety first, repurposing office space into labs

As the space the team at HKI was moving into was a demise within a university-owned space, it was not set up to be used independently, let alone act as a ground-breaking technical lab. Our interior designers and technical leads ensured the new fit out would be fire compliant with building regulations and with the university’s own fire system, by integrating a fire curtain, adding to the perimeter of the tenancy space.

Keeping the noise to a minimum

As with many offices across the UK, the building where this fit out project took place was highly populated. Our teams therefore worked extensively with the landlord and subcontractors to minimise any disruptions. Noisy work took place out of hours and we communicated with the building maintenance manager as to any expected works which were unavoidable from 9-5 so that tenants could be notified of ongoing work.

Shelves filled with various labeled jars and bottles of chemicals, including "Dyes," "Oils," and "Varnish," stored in a cabinet within a laboratory environment.

Restoring and conserving our history 

Art restoration, particularly for paintings, is a technical and specialist role that requires a combination of artistic skill, scientific knowledge, and meticulous attention to detail. Our design team were inspired by the cultural heritage of this skill set, and therefore, the design of the unique workspace purely focussed on technical design to accommodate the client’s only need: to restore. So, whilst the setting looked much the same as it would have fifty years ago, the technology behind the scenes was at work, with X-ray Imaging through to spectroscopy house in modern lab design. 

A gray meeting booth with a wooden table in an office space; large windows and visible green robotic arms suggest a modern, open-plan environment.
A green and black industrial exhaust hose extends over wooden frames in a workshop setting, likely used for ventilation or dust extraction.
Partially assembled shelving unit in a room under construction, with wood panels leaning against the wall and a yellow step ladder in the background.
Smoke detector and red alarm device are installed on a white ceiling.
A gray meeting booth with a wooden table in an office space; large windows and visible green robotic arms suggest a modern, open-plan environment. A green and black industrial exhaust hose extends over wooden frames in a workshop setting, likely used for ventilation or dust extraction. Partially assembled shelving unit in a room under construction, with wood panels leaning against the wall and a yellow step ladder in the background. Smoke detector and red alarm device are installed on a white ceiling.

The project team

Meet the team that made this workspace fit for purpose

A man sits with hands clasped on a table, wearing a light blue button-up shirt. A person sits at a table, wearing a black Nike sports shirt with "DOWNHAM TOWN FC EST 1881" logo, hands clasped, against a plain white background.

Craig Dickson

Build  |  Mechanical Project Manager
An older man sits at a white table, resting his hands together, wearing a black polo shirt with "COEL" embroidered on it, against a plain white background. A person wearing a black shirt with "COEL" written on the sleeve tends to a lush green plant in a large concrete pot, set against a plain white background.

Gary Bell

Build  |  Fitter

A man in a white shirt sits with hands folded on a table, smiling against a plain white background. Chef holding spatula and rolling pin, smiling at camera in a white uniform with "Daniel Brown Head Chef" text, sitting at a table with tongs on a plain background.

Daniel Brown

Commercial  |  Head of Commercial

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