The CIBSE award-winning retrofit of 22 Gordon Street has saved University College London £110,000 in annual bills. Andy Pearson looks at how BuroHappold Engineering used thermal mass in the original structure to minimise energy use and how researchers helped identify comfort issues
Category: Case Studies
CIBSE’s Building Performance Champion – The Engine Shed
The Engine Shed in Scotland was named Building Performance Champion because sustainability was embedded at every stage of the project, from the briefing workshop to building aftercare. Andy Pearson speaks to Max Fordham about the design process behind the exemplar scheme
Making the switch from gas-fired CHP to heat pump
Lower carbon factors for Grid electricity proposed for Part L are already in place in London. Andy Pearson looks at one scheme in North London where the design is switching from gas CHP to heat pump
A journal of discovery – The FT returns home to the refurbished Bracken House
The Financial Times returned to Bracken House after an extensive refurbishment. Andy Pearson finds out how Arup overcame the challenges of retrofitting a listed London building by creating a digital twin to reveal the services’ secrets
Class control: optimising HVAC controls in schools
Poor HVAC controls can cost schools thousands of pounds in wasted energy. School teacher Chris Baker explains how he engaged with his students at Parrs Wood school to cut energy bills by £9,000 a year after extensive monitoring
Showcasing net-zero: Event Complex Aberdeen’s energy strategy
The Event Complex Aberdeen has a sophisticated energy strategy combining anaerobic digestion, hydrogen fuel cells and CHP plant. Andy Pearson talks to HDR | Hurley Palmer Flatt about the system design, which also produces hydrogen for a fleet of local buses
Conquering outer space: best practice in exterior lighting
A more nuanced approach is changing the face of exterior lighting, as Jill Entwistle discovered with a recent StudioFractal project in the City of London
Fit for a king: Using data to improve performance at 2 Kingdom Street
A forensic study of the data from 2 Kingdom Street in London enabled Cavendish Engineers to pinpoint energy efficiency opportunities, which led to big savings in gas and electricity. Andy Pearson reports on an exemplary project that scooped a 2019 CIBSE Award
Growing interest: using wastewater to heat Britain’s giant greenhouses
To minimise carbon emissions, developers behind two huge greenhouses in East Anglia are using heat from nearby wastewater treatment plants to provide perfect growing conditions. Phil Lattimore reports on the innovative engineering behind the facilities
Tap Inns and touchdowns: Inside Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium
The razzamatazz of the American NFL visited north London last month, when Oakland Raiders beat the Chicago Bears 24-21 in a thriller at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium. Andy Pearson looks at the remarkable engineering behind the 3,000-tonne retractable grass pitch that enables the stadium to be used for a multitude of events