| Sustainability
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| Rick Mather Architects have been doing Sustainable,
'Green Engineered', buildings since 1982. Award winning, and practical,
low energy construction is basic to our whole design approach. We
include appropriate 'green' technology but first we 'design out' the
need for high energy input in our buildings. Our projects at the University of East Anglia, Keble College, Oxford, and the Times Newspaper Headquarters building are all acknowledged by the technical and architectural world as pioneering and appropriate solutions. All are multi -award winning. Work in low energy, sustainable building has been refined and developed over three decades, and is not merely a reflection of recent trends. Our Environmental Policy has been developed from a consideration of a number of related issues: Life Cycle Costing, Damage to Eco-systems, Scarcity of resources, Emissions, Energy use, Waste, Re-use, Lifespan and Maintenance. |
Pioneering heat Recovery System
Rick Mather Architects’ interest in sustainability goes back 30 years
to an award winning house in Edmonton Alberta Canada to an external design
temperature of -40C degrees developed in conjunction with the University
of Saskatchewan. A highly insulated envelope with a heat recovery system
mitigates the need for central heating and achieves a stable internal
environment with a minimum recorded temperature of +13C. This has informed
the energy strategies for the universities of East Anglia and Oxford.
Keble College - Geothermal
Systems
The Sloane Robinson building at Keble College is the first building in
the UK to incorporate a geothermal system which, via a basement heat exchanger,
links the glycol-filled plastic pipes buried in the piles with similar
pipes cast into the concrete slabs. Utilising the entire surface area
of the 20 metre deep piles, the pipes work to extract ground heat in winter
for distribution through concrete slabs via the heat exchanger. In summer,
the effect is reversed to allow cooling. This means that the building's
concrete soffits - apart from those in student bedrooms - act as radiators
for warming in winter, while in summer they become chilled ceilings. And
there is another major advantage: the electricity requirement of the system
is around a third less than that used by conventional air-based systems.
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Catering for no less than 800 students, the new low energy accommodation and communal facilities were constructed on two of these sites, consisting of three storey houses for students, and a top floor of two-person flats. Energy conservation was a priority from the start and a deep plan was adopted to minimise the area of external walls and roof. A computer model was used to determine the optimum level of insulation in the building. Low E double glazing and draught proofing minimises heat loss through windows. Careful control in construction eliminates almost all infiltration through the fabric of the buildings. Stale air is mechanically extracted from kitchens and shower rooms and fresh air piped into bedrooms and living rooms. The stale air extract passed through a heat exchanger that captures 70% of its latent heat and transfer it to the incoming fresh air. No air is recirculated and low fan speeds and a displacement ventilation system mean it is virtually silent and draught free. These features combine to reduce the heating load on the building to the point that the need for central heating is is eliminated.
An established landmark close to Tower Bridge, this prestigious office building attained the highest BREEAM rating for any building in London upon completion. Careful low energy design together with the incorporation of a central landscaped court enabled the development on this deep site to be naturally lit and ventilated. There is little need for artificial lighting inside the bright offices and the underfloor air conditioning systems allows specific areas to be warmed or cooled even with the windows open.
We have recently been involved in a site wide renewable energy study of the 40 hectare area in Central Milton Keynes that is to be the new residential quarter in the heart of the city. This has involved exploring rainwater harvesting and combined heat and power solutions for the new development. Currently development grants from the EU body “Concerto” and the Energy Trust are being pursued, along with the formation of an ESCo (Energy Supply Company) to provide electricity and hot water provision to the early phases.
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| Constable Terrace University of East Anglia |
Related Sustainability articles
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University warms to low-e proposals | AJ Nov 1990 | |
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Energy-efficient home is inexpensive, comfortable | 1982 | |