ABSTRACT
The large energy-concious University Engineering facility of 10,000 m2 floor area, at £850/m2, was completed in 1993/94 with features of high thermal mass, passive solar gain, natural ventilation and deep interior daylighting. To save electricity and noise, and to gain space, there is passive ventilation throughout, eg auditoria, laboratories and offices, as designed by physical and computational modelling. Consequently, mechanical and electrical plant was 24% of total cost, rather than the usual 35%. It is the largest modem UK building with only passive ventilation as provided by ten 26 m thermosyphon stacks from class spaces, roof vents and many manually opened windows. Daylighting design by exterior, interior and roof glazing was computer simulated for further electricity saving. A 38 kW(electricity), 70 kW(heat), gas combined heat and power plant operates in the building, backed by a condensing and other boilers. A Building Management System controls individual lighting, heating, ventilation louvres and alarms, by temperature, occupation, CO2 concentration and external insolation and wind. The energy and occupancy design constraints have stimulated the architects, Short and Ford Associates, to creates a striking interior and exterior form with low embodied resource requirement that has already gained international attention.
