The extreme heat, noise and vibration generated by turbine testing at the new Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge presented Max Fordham with a formidable challenge: supplying enough power and cooling for a wind tunnel and test rigs while protecting researchers in adjacent workshops and offices. Andy Pearson reports
Category: Case Studies
Museum retrofits: don’t get stuck in the past
The retrofit priorities at the V&A Museum in London vary widely among different stakeholders, according to research by UCL’s India Golding. Tim Dwyer looks at what this means for building services engineers
Hidden beneath the wave: Sydney Fish Market
Business meets pleasure at the Sydney Fish Market, with restaurants and a cooking school alongside the city’s busy commercial fish market. Andy Pearson looks at the challenge and opportunity of designing centralised services that cater for the needs of both diners and seafood wholesalers
Passing the net zero school test in Wisconsin, USA
A focus on commissioning, controls and performance outcomes is essential to making schools net zero ready, says Tim Dwyer
Direct route to decarbonisation: Addenbrooke’s DC systems
Three innovative HVAC projects at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are demonstrating the benefits of integrating heat pump chillers, renewables and advanced controls using embedded DC microgrid principles. Andy Pearson talks to Arriba Technologies about how DC power can reduce energy waste and ease the burden on the Grid
Deep impact: decarbonising homes with mine-water
A pilot scheme connecting 16 homes to Gateshead’s mine-water heat network, using external heat interface units, proved that homes can be taken off gas with minimal disruption and without compromising comfort. FairHeat’s Nina Dungworth explains
Heritage first: net zero audit of Hamilton House
The office retrofit of Hamilton House shows how thoughtful refurbishment, strong operational performance and targeted optimisation can position historic buildings for ‘net zero carbon aligned’ status, says Greengage Environmental’s Apeksha Gupta
New Hall Locomotion museum: On track for carbon savings
The award-winning Locomotion New Hall proves that protecting the world’s most significant railway heritage doesn’t require high-energy HVAC. Andy Pearson reports
A new chapter at Dulwich College
Designed by alma-nac, with engineering by Max Fordham, a striking three-storey junior library combines aesthetic elegance with a proven net zero carbon strategy. Alex Smith speaks to project engineer Hareth Pochee about the design principles and lessons learned after 12 months’ operation
The ATAL Tower: making smart retrofit work
Focusing on operation rather than technology alone, Tim Dwyer reports on the smart retrofit of a former industrial building in Hong Kong’s New Territories, drawing on a paper presented at the HKIE Building Services Division Joint Symposium.