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Improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort

Situated in the heart of the city of Cambridge in Essex, the ARUP building is a three storey, 1960’s concrete built structure providing multi-use spaces including commercial offices, large lecture theatres and a museum. Following a full energy report the building was in need of desperate refurbishment and upgrading to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort for the building users.

Designed by Nicholas Hare Architects the refurbishment made use of the thermal mass benefit of concrete. Problematic for the top floor level where, due to the loading constraints that would have been placed on the structure, they could not install a precast concrete roof deck. Following thermal calculations by consultants Buro Happold, the ThermaCool Panel provided the lightweight thermal mass solution needed for the 900m² floor area.

The refurbishment of a fine example of 1960s architectural brutalism will demonstrate the highest levels of environmental sustainability and be an exemplar of how to enrich and conserve biodiversity in an urban setting

Cambridge Conservation Initiative
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Addressing overheating at the London children’s hospital

Installed within the Grade 2 listed part of the children’s hospital in London, the brief from the hospitals facility management consultants MITIE and the requirement of the ThermaCool ceiling tiles was to address the serious overheating issues that were being reported in the consultation rooms. With no mechanical cooling systems in place due to heritage planning restrictions and with very minimal window ventilation due to ground level security risks, consultants were experiencing peak internal temperature gains of between 30 – 35°C despite lower external temperatures.

Using a custom high performance version of the ThermaCool metal ceiling tile with an antimicrobial finish along with trickle ventilation in the window, a significant temperature reduction was achieved and improved the thermal comfort temperature to a more acceptable 25 – 26°C.

A significant temperature reduction was achieved and improved the thermal comfort temperature to a more acceptable 25 – 26°C

Great Ormond Street Hospital
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Making the Ofcom Head Office more energy efficient

Located on the south bank of the River Thames, London is Ofcom’s Head Office which is a modern lightweight steel with glass façade building with mechanical cooling and ventilation through 4-pipe fan coils. Installed initially in 2010 as an exemplar project for facility management company MITIE, the ThermaCool ceiling tile was installed into a high occupancy meeting room in which MITIE independently monitored against an identical adjacent meeting room using temperature sensors, data loggers on the fan coil unit as well as the number of occupants using the space on a daily basis.

Over an initial 45 day monitoring period without ThermaCool, the fan coil unit in the room, which had a standard manufactured metal ceiling tile arrangement, operated for over 257 hours to manage the room temperature compared with only 7 hours in the room with ThermaCool. A temperature differential of 4.33°C was achieved during peak daytime temperatures. Since, Ofcom has incorporated ThermaCool into further areas of the building.

Over 45 days the fan coil unit ran for for over 257 hours with the standard metal ceiling tile, compared with only 7 hours in the room with ThermaCool

Ofcom Head Office, London