Case study: Comberton Village College heat network

The installation of a new heat network at Comberton Village College is set to significantly reduce the heating bill and save 248 tonnes of CO2. Andy Pearson speaks to Bouygues Energies & Services about how two 500kW ground source heat pumps replaced oil-fired boilers scattered across 16 plantrooms

LSBU’s cool new hub

More than half of all UK building services engineers studied at London South Bank University, so BDP’s services retrofit of the main building on the campus had to demonstrate best practice in every function. BDP’s Laura Smith reports on the steps taken to transform a tired teaching facility into the collegiate LSBU Hub

CIBSE Building Performance Champion: getting real with retrofits

To meet its net zero targets, the UK has to get to grips with carbon emissions in its ageing houses, and fast. The Welsh School of Architecture’s retrofit programme is doing just that and its pioneering work was recognised last month when it was named CIBSE’s 2023 Building Performance Champion. Andy Pearson reports

Case study: targeting UK’s highest Nabers rating in Pimlico

The Belgrave Road office development in London is the first to receive a Nabers UK 5.5 target rating for its carefully considered design. Andy Pearson finds out how the rating scheme’s independent design review process drove down operational energy use on the hybrid ambient loop/variable refrigerant flow scheme

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

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