Current thinking: connecting a large all-electric housing estate in West London

To connect the all-electric Convent Way Passivhaus scheme to the constrained local grid in West London, the project team has reduced the load estimate by 53% compared with the conventional Rule of Thumb calculation method. Andy Pearson speaks to QODA Consulting’s Henry Metcalfe about how this was achieved

Striving for net zero at Foster+Partners’ Battersea HQ

After metering its Battersea HQ, Foster + Partners found that IT, lighting and small power made up a significant proportion of the energy used in the building. As part of the consultant’s road to net zero, Stuart Humber looked at four options for cutting the energy use intensity of office power

Case study: Edge Suedkreuz offices in Berlin

The striking Edge Suedkreuz office development in Berlin required a space-defying chilled beam system design that met the building’s exacting ventilation, cooling and heating demands. Andy Pearson reports

Case study: Battersea Power Station

Battersea’s iconic power station has reopened as a mixed-use development incorporating an innovative services strategy that removed the need for heating and cooling in the gargantuan retail mall. Andy Pearson takes us on a tour

Case study: Houlton School retrofit

Turning a radio transmitter station into a sustainable new school for Rugby involved vastly improving the historic fabric of the building while designing new teaching blocks to a high thermal performance to ensure top marks for low energy use. Andy Pearson reports

Riding high: Dubai’s indoor rollercoaster

An effective air condition system was essential to making the Storm indoor rollercoaster viable in Dubai’s desert environment. Andy Pearson explains how Cundall minimised cooling loads by creating a temperature gradient using a tower of air handling units

Are EPCs fit for existing hotel building stock?

Legislation is forcing landlords to improve the performance of buildings based on energy performance certificates. REsustain’s Annie Marston compares the actual performance of hotels with their EPCs to understand the most effective improvements

Burrell Collection retrofit: a glazing success

The Grade A-listed Burrell Collection houses important works of art, but poor fabric performance has made the museum unsustainable. Andy Pearson explains how the building’s glazed façade was restored to make the gallery fit for a low carbon future

Bloom Clerkenwell: the peak of health

To tempt workers back to the office, developers have to deliver healthy workplaces that score highly on sustainability and smart technology. Andy Pearson looks at post-pandemic office design at Bloom Clerkenwell