Case Study: Expandable PC Housing for Trading Workstations
Our client is a global asset management firm with offices across key financial centres worldwide. When they established a new London office, they required a trading floor that could adapt as their business evolved. The workstations needed to accommodate changing technology and teams without requiring costly furniture replacements. To meet this challenge, Technology Desking designed and manufactured expandable PC cabinets that allow each desk to accommodate either one or two workstation PCs.
Challenges
The client required PC cabinets under each desk to house the powerful computers traders rely on. These also needed to be adaptable for when the company’s tech or staffing needs evolved.
The PC housing had to be ventilated to prevent the computers from overheating.
It was essential that the under desk PC housing didn’t create an obstruction. Traders work long hours and need to stay comfortable and focused. There still needed to be plenty of legroom below the desks.
The office was in a busy central London location, so installing 179 desks required coordination around access and deliveries.
Solutions
We designed expandable PC cabinets for the client. These can be expanded or scaled down to hold one or two PCs. This allows the workstation to easily be adapted as business needs evolve. With this type of PC housing, the client can easily convert an admin desk into a trading desk or vice versa. It provides long term flexibility without the need to replace the furniture.
Air vents on the doors and underside of the cabinets allow cool air into the enclosure. Air warmed by the PCs rises through a flue on the top of the housing. We carried out extensive testing to ensure the cabinets provided effective ventilation for the enclosed hardware.
The expandable PC housing kept the central area beneath the desk clear with plenty of legroom. It could do this while still having the capacity for one or two large processors. There was enough space beneath the cabinet for users to stretch out their legs comfortably.
Our project management team coordinated all aspects of the installation, including access arrangements, deliveries, and liaison with building management. Detailed logistics planning ensured we could complete the fit-out smoothly and efficiently within a busy central London environment.
The Result
The completed installation delivered a flexible trading floor environment that met the client’s needs without compromising the strength and stability of the desks. The bespoke caster mounted desks were easy for the client to reposition while maintaining robust support for all the equipment and tech traders use. The collaborative design and prototyping process ensured the client felt confident before manufacture, resulting in a solution that precisely met their needs.
Planning a trading desk installation or office refurbishment? Contact us to learn how we can deliver bespoke desk solutions tailored to your operational needs.
