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
Category: Case Studies
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
Case study: ASHRAE aims for net zero at HQ retrofit
Turning a leaky old office building into an exemplar net-zero headquarters for a high-profile organisation is always challenging – but even more so when that organisation is ASHRAE. Andy Pearson explains the approach Integral took to deliver for its knowledgeable client
From BBC to BIO: turning offices into laboratories
The growing life sciences sector is leading to more office space being repurposed as research laboratories for cutting-edge firms, including a former BBC building in West London. Andy Pearson reports