Building firm starts work on prestigious £16m project
West Country building firm Beard Construction has started work on a prestigious £16m project.
Commissioned by Dick Lovett, the official Porsche dealer for South Wales, the high-tech facility will be the company’s flagship Porsche centre and the largest building to date in its portfolio.
The impressive 7000m2 curve-fronted space has been designed by Pier Architecture and will feature a two-storey, glass-clad and porcelain-floored car showroom as well as a comprehensive and state-of-the-art workshop.
The Newport showroom will have space for 48 cars and the workshop 23 cars. A car lift is being installed to move cars quickly and easily to the first floor of the showroom.
Solar panels on the composite roof will aid powering the building. EV chargers will also be fitted – both for customers visiting the workshop and as part of Porsche’s wider EV charging network.
Lighting is an important part of the feel and function of the building. Track lighting and spot lights will provide atmosphere and emphasis in the showroom, while the exterior cladding will incorporate red strip lighting, which will have a striking and unique “night-time mode”.
Beard is currently clearing and levelling the greenfield site on the Celtic Springs business park ready for stone piling and the erection of the building’s steel frame at the end of May. The project is due to be completed by the end of February 2024.
As part of the work, Beard will also construct a road junction for access to the site.
Beard is a family-owned firm with offices in Bristol, Oxford and Guildford. Its head office is in Swindon.
Beard’s Bristol director Matt Cooper said: “Both Beard and Dick Lovett are family-run businesses with a proud history of being part of the communities they serve. Having just completed a BMW dealership for Dick Lovett in Melksham, it’s great to be working with the company again on this impressive new building in Newport.
“Beard’s aim is to build with ambition and this project certainly delivers on that ethos. This will be a flagship facility, a stand-out building offering the latest in showroom and workshop facilities.”
Rebecca Maloney from Dick Lovett said: “We aspire to be the best in the industry and meeting that ambition means combining our passion for cars and motorbikes with a deep understanding of the needs of the modern motorist.
“This latest Porsche dealership demonstrates our continued investment in the provision of the very best when it comes to sales and service technology – a genuine destination facility. We look forward to inviting our customers to experience it.”
