Turning a Grade II-listed Victorian police station and magistrates’ court into a luxury London hotel required innovative services design, as Andy Pearson explains
Category: Case Studies
How the Orkney Islands transitioned to heat pumps
Orkney Islands Council has been installing heat pumps in schools and public buildings for more than 15 years in a bid to decarbonise heating and end reliance on oil. Andy Pearson looks at the lessons learnt and how a smart electric grid could soon take advantage of the relentless winds that batter the Islands
Striking the right note
Engineers at London’s Grade I-listed Royal Albert Hall had the challenge of designing a near-silent cooling system in one of the UK’s most important Victorian buildings. Andy Pearson listens in
From boardoom to boutique: converting 80s offices into a stylish hotel
In transforming a 1980s London office into a stylish hotel, ChapmanBDSP has helped minimise embodied carbon while providing safe, sustainable accommodation for London’s returning visitors, as Andy Pearson explains
Saving energy through retrofits of heritage properties in Myanmar
The affordable retrofit of 25 historic buildings in Myanmar could form the template for making millions of existing buildings across Asia climate resilient, says Doh Eain’s Beverley Salmon
Lesson in continuity: Streatham and Clapham High School extension
Collaboration was key for the design and construction teams involved in the low-energy extension of Streatham and Clapham High School, in London, which had to remain fully operational throughout. Andy Pearson reports
A new era for heat: Queens Quay heat pump
A large-scale ammonia water source heat pump at the Queens Quay heat network in Glasgow promises to decarbonise heat for new and existing buildings. Vital Energi’s Lee Moran describes the scheme
Case study: the challenge of reusing central plant at the £60m retrofit of 1 Finsbury Avenue
Arup reused as much MEP plant as possible when transforming a 1980s City office into a stripped-back space aimed at London’s dynamic tech sector. Andy Pearson looks at how embodied energy use at 1 Finsbury Avenue was minimised in a major £60m retrofit
Heating Cambridge’s all-electric Entopia Building
The heating demands of a 1930s Cambridge University building will be reduced to a minimum in a deep energy retrofit that will enable a small, all-air primary heating system to be installed, as
Liza Young reports
Case study: The House at Cornell Tech
The House at Cornell Tech is CIBSE’s 2021 Public Use Project of the Year. Andy Pearson spoke to Buro Happold to find out how an integrated approach to building services and façade design proved that highly insulated, airtight buildings can be delivered at scale