Spotlight on…………David Pratt.

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Kate

David Pratt1. How long have you been at Woods Hardwick and what does your position entail?

I joined in September 2010 as an Associate Director.  The role has a wide range of responsibilities, including:
a) Undertaking the role of assisting the Director in the design and management of projects so that we are economic and efficient
b) Promoting and marketing our wide range of expertise in residential projects
c) Inspiring and motivating so that we achieve the highest design and construction standards
d) Keeping updated on business, design and technical matters.
 
2. What or who inspired you to become an architect? What were your influences in early life?
My school art teacher, Brian Page initially. He taught me how to analyse clearly in order to create. He also taught architectural history through design principles, rather than through dates and facts.

After that, my tutors at Manchester School of Architecture, most of whom were practising architects. I was interested in new approaches to residential design in the early work of Architects such as Ralph Erskine, Darbourne and Darke and Phippins Randell and Park (now PRP).
 
Brooklands - quality new housing 3)  What or who are your influences now?
I worked previously at PRP as an Architect for 10 years. They lead the way in new and innovative approaches, and have been a huge influence.

Now I am now more influenced by particular architectural solutions rather than architects, but I admire the the attention to design and detailing of architects such as Proctor Matthews and Fielden Clegge. Quality in new housing is also an ongoing influence, such as the Brooklands development in Milton Keynes.

4. What are the favourite aspects of your job?
a) Designing, to create inspiring spaces and places, within the limitation of the briefs and budgets
b) Working with like-minded people
c) Seeing good housing produced and lived in.
 
5.  Which project has given you the most fulfilment to date? What did it involve?
A scheme for 220 houses, flats and retail units at Broughton Atterbury in Milton Keynes, partnering  with Places for People, Willmott Dixon and English Partnerships. It was the first design-coded scheme in Milton Keynes and the first to achieve an Eco-Excellent rating. Following completion, the design team won a LABC ‘Best Partnering’ Award.
 
6.  If you could design anything, anywhere in the world, what would it be?
Designing and developing a low cost housing system that could be transported and erected in any country, Including the UK!  There seems to be so many areas of deprivation that the building industry needs to be more active in. We can mass-produce cars, planes and boats but, still not houses.
 
Guggenheim Museum  7. What is your favourite building? Why?
The Guggenheim Museum in New York, audaciously designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943.

It broke all the rules for planning art galleries, based upon a spiral ramp and continuous curved walls.  On visiting it I was struck by the natural, organic feeling of the building and spaces.

It was also ahead of its time in starting the movement towards more exciting public buildings.
 
8. If you hadn’t become an architect, what would you have been?
A Teacher.  I enjoyed a period of lecturing on Design Technologies at the University of Luton Architecture School and working with students on a range of design and technology projects.
 
9. What would you say to a young person thinking of forging a career as an architect?
To use the well-worn  cliché you will ‘reap what you sow.’ A successful  and rewarding career in architecture will largely depend upon your ability, passion, dedication and a single-mindedness  to reach your goals.
 
10. Look into your crystal ball -what’s the next big thing in architecture?
Solving a growing housing crisis, the worst since after the Second World War, ranging from affordable housing for young single people and couples, to an aging population with differing degrees of special needs.  Solving the problem will require visionaries, who can work together with local authorities, financial institutions and consortiums
to deliver a new programme of housing quickly and economically
 
11.  Classic design is……………

A product that establishes the highest standard in its class and has an enduring and lasting significance, e.g.  the Porsche car, Dyson vacuum cleaner, Rolex  watch. They all have a simple, refined elegance.
 
Residential development plans on Colchester Football Club's old ground 12.  Which Woods Hardwick project have you found the most interesting/challenging/fulfilling?

We have recently obtained planning consent for a new residential development on the former site of Colchester Football Club. There is a range of high quality houses surrounding a central green, which will contain a memorial garden and statue commemorating past footballers who played for the club.
 

Plans for mixed-use local centre at Kings Reach13.  Are you working on a particularly interesting project at the moment?
Yes, a new mixed-use local centre project at Kings Reach, Biggleswade for Taylor Wimpey and Martin Grant.

This comprises apartments and town houses, community centre, shops and a Care Home that forms a public landscaped public square.

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Woods Hardwick latest school designs have the community at heart

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Kate

A school and a community sports centre all rolled into one may sound like wishful thinking. It’s a great concept – to integrate the local community with the local pupils and encourage family fitness – but how would it work?

That’s exactly what Bedford-based architects, Woods Hardwick were tasked with by  Peterborough City Council for the newly-formed Hampton School. As a result of the rising local population, the Council had identified the need for a new school and community provision in the Hampton area that, ideally, could all be linked.

 Hampton SchoolWoods Hardwick’s subsequent detailed designs illustrate how the idea can become reality, and how these two different entities can be merged successfully. The new 420-place community school is effectively split in half, with a school on one side and a sports centre on the other, both with their own separate entrances. The sports centre offers a sports hall capable of subdivision to provide large and small halls, dance studio, fitness centre, associated changing facilities and club room. Members of the public will also have use of the external pitches at the weekend when they’re not been utilised by the school.

John Cunliffe, Director at Woods Hardwick said, ‘Hampton School has been an interesting and rewarding project to work on – the merging of the school with the sports centre gives the project such a community spirit without compromising the education of the pupils, which is obviously paramount. The set-up also makes it more accessible for parents to combine exercise with dropping the children off at school, and for families to keep fit together’.

Hampton School sports fields This project is the latest in a successful tack record within the education sector for Woods Hardwick. The framework contractor, in liaison with Peterborough City Council approached them as a result of the soon-to-be-completed Welland School project in Peterborough, where adherence to tight deadlines has been key.

The Council had assessed the existing Welland School buildings and concluded they were unsuitable for refurbishment, making way for a new school. Woods Hardwick were given the remit of construction and external works on the project; this stated that the existing buildings were to be kept in operation whilst the new school and it’s associated car parking areas, entrance pathways and servicing areas were constructed.

The first phase of the development is due for completion in July 2012 and the second in October half term, which is when the old buildings will be demolished.

To help the pupils understand the process, the Headmaster of Welland School was keen for Woods Hardwick and the contractor to engage with them and allow the pupils to ask questions. Director at Woods Hardwick, Mark Appleyard therefore did a presentation to the school, with a big focus on the sustainability methods employed during the project. This hands-on approach illustrates the dedication and passion from the team at Woods Hardwick, and will hopefully contribute to them gaining a BREAAM rating of Very Good for the project.

It’s clear to see that these two projects are very different, which is typical of designing within the education sector. John Cunliffe adds, ‘designing for education is an intensely concentrated activity as the process involves close collaboration between the client departments, the teaching profession, parental and community groups and contractors. The key is to understand the client’s needs and aspirations, and work with them to provide a design in-line with their expectations.’

‘Design quality’ has been defined as a combination of functionality, sustainability, buildability, efficiency, aesthetics and durability. These aims and targets are uppermost in Woods Hardwick’s approach to the design of educational projects as they are key factors to achieving better value for money and engendering an awareness of environmental responsibility.

For more information on any of these projects, or to view some of our other education projects, such as the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ Priory Rise School in Milton Keynes, go to our Education page.

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Woods Hardwick designs go East

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Kate

Design layout for entrance approachWoods Hardwick have now completed their second commission in China – a 43ha master-planning project based in Yantai, in the north-east of the country.

We were invited to work on the project with architectural design company Jian Ke in China. Loi Phan, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick was appointed the Architect Masterplanner. The project brief was to provide a mixed-use development at Beitou, including a mix of commercial and retail units, hotel, nursery, school, clubhouse and 3,000 residential units, all to be planned with the most efficient footprints. It was also requested that the architecture move away from traditional Chinese development and adopt a more European style, with a strong preference towards the European classical heritage.

The site was allocated as a resettlement area with local constraints such as Huang Hai Sea to the north, and a major highway and mountain range to the south.

In response, the masterplan creates a central area of low rise, framed by the high rise or mountains forming distinct building groups. The road layout is planned around a two-ring system, with full basement parking for the development. There are three access points between the ribbon of low rise commercial units to the north, leading to focal point buildings and spaces. The orientation of the buildings is north-south and located to avoid overshadowing and exploit views.

masterplan for designs in ChinaWoods Hardwick’s previous commission in China was a masterplan and architectural ideas for the new Jilin Province Library and Exhibition Hall in Changchun City, which reached the final of an international competition in China.

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Woods Hardwick expand their Engineering team with two new appointments

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Kate

Woods Hardwick Infrastructure LLP is pleased to announce the appointment of two Chartered Engineers to strengthen and broaden their highly successful Engineering division.

new appointments in engineeringAgnieszka Seamans joined the team in June 2011 at Associate level, and has over 9 years’ experience in highway and infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on sustainable developments. In recent years this has extended to undertaking flood risk assessments for residential and commercial developments.

two new appointments in engineeringJohn Freeman is the most recent recruit, who joins the team as an Associate Director. With over 10 years’ experience of working in the public and private sectors, John’s expertise lies in the residential sector. He has an enviable track record of  managing multi-disciplinary teams and has successfully delivered schemes from 10 to 1200 homes.

Ian Bishop, Director of Civil Engineering at Woods Hardwick said, “I am delighted to have both Agnieszka and John on-board, who each bring different expertise to the team. After a busy 2011, we look forward to incorporating their skills and knowledge into the engineering division and are confident they will be an asset to the company as we embark on another exciting year ahead.”

The infrastructure workload for 2012 continues to look very positive, with exciting commissions in Cambridge (2650 dwellings, three schools and a retail development), Sleaford (1450 dwellings and a mix-use), and Berryfields MDA in Aylesbury (3500 dwellings plus other uses).

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Woods Hardwick have their latest food building designs unveiled for Adams Food Ingredients

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Kate

Lars Huntley, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick. Second from right.On Friday 21 October 2011, Lars Huntley, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick attended the grand opening of the impressive new Adams Food Ingredients (AFI) factory in Leek, Staffordshire with a sense of pride and achievement. As appointed architects on the project, the team at Woods Hardwick worked with the client, AFI, to ensure the brief was met with meticulous detail and the building itself executed with style.

The grand opening drew a large crowd of attendees including South Morlands District Council’s representatives Sybil Ralphs (Council Leader) and Dai Larner (Executive Director), local UK Conservative MP Karen Bradley, The Mayor and Mayoress of Leek, Barrie Cowie and Jean Cowie, and members of the design team and contractor.

Having invested heavily in the building, speeches were made by the Chairman and CEO of the Irish Dairy Board (IDB), Vincent Buckley and Kevin Lane respectively, in which they stressed the importance of the ties between England and Ireland and the economic importance of the UK market to the IDB. It was then left for Shane McEntee, the Irish Agriculture Minster to say a few words before cutting the all-important ‘Green Ribbon’, to officially open the building.

Once open, there were a number of tours of the new state-of-the-art headquarters, which already has one of its lines in production, for the guests to see.

Located on the site adjacent to the Kerrygold factory (also recently completed by Woods Hardwick), the new 7,000sqm facility is a result of AFI outgrowing its previous outdated building. The project was commissioned to bring AFI up to the standard of other IDB manufacturing facilities in the UK and Europe, but also in response to increased global demand and the need to meet ever stringent requirements.

Currently, AFI produces a range of dairy ingredients such as cheese flavours, whey protein and lactose, and technical ingredients, such as texturisers, emulsifiers and stabilisers, for various food and drink categories. However, after investing in a detailed review and analysis procedure, AFI have been able to explore a wider range of products and new technologies which allows them to venture into new areas.

With such optimistic plans for growth, the new facility provides sufficient space to allow for this. As part of the overall concept, the future expansion has been designed into the new facility with a phased development approach, enabling AFI to easily adapt to growth within the business in the short and long-term.

Lars Huntley, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick said, “it’s great to finally see the factory open and in operation. So many factors had to be taken into consideration when planning the design of the building, such as internal traffic and people flows, the requirement to meet strict hygiene protocols, the number of staff employed and the time needed for them to get to various locations within the building. It’s taken a lot of hard work and meticulous detailing, but the end result is fantastic. AFI now have an exemplar plant offering leading-edge provision. We’re delighted with the end product and so are they!”.

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Woods Hardwick add ‘Best New Commercial Construction’ award to their growing collection

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Kate

Middle Level Commissioners' buildingLocal architects’ firm Woods Hardwick is celebrating yet another award this year, after scooping the Best New Commercial Construction award at the Fenland Building Design Awards – a fitting end to an innovative project for The Middle Level Commissioners.

Middle Level Commissioners’ Chief Executive, Iain Smith and Chief Engineer, David Thomas, attended the ceremony and accepted the award. An overjoyed Iain Smith said, “We are delighted to accept the award on behalf of the construction team and client. Everyone involved worked incredibly hard, and the end result is a fantastic solution to our initial brief to Woods Hardwick, who have created a innovative yet practical building for us. This award will be prominently displayed in the reception area of the new offices for all to see!”.

Having outgrown their two town centre locations, The Middle Level Commissioners  employed Woods Hardwick to design one new site, housing both their office and maintenance functions.

Completed in June 2010, the new ‘green field’ site rests on the bank of the River Nene in March, and boasts fantastic views across the river, fens and farm land. As the site resides on peat, the ground is expected to shrink, so the linking slab to the depot was designed with this in mind. It has been kept deliberately low with a feature clerestory, maximising the use of natural daylight.

The judging panel were very impressed with the design, stating, “The setting and design of the Middle Level building was exceptional and it blended in remarkably well into the Fen landscape”.

With the old facilities reaching the end of their useful life and the issues of working across two sites, the client is now extremely happy with the new site; the purpose-built offices and separate depot building meets the their requirements, and provides enclosed and covered maintenance facilities for year-round support to the Commissioners’ maintenance and operations on the river system.

Lars Huntley, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick who worked on the project said, ‘This award is fantastic. It’s a great achievement for Woods Hardwick locally, and continues our success in being recognised for imaginative design. It’s especially pleasurable as it comes from the community from which the building is servicing.”

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RIBA Stirling Prize 2011 Shortlist announced

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Kate

Olympic Velodrome by Hopkins Architects Now in its 16th year, the annual RIBA Stirling Prize is the highlight of the architectural award calendar, and is the prize most architects would like to scoop. Aside from the £20,000 prize money, the main jostle is for the instant recognition and kudos of being awarded ‘the best European building that has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the past year’.

The final shortlist of six is chosen from the 97 winners of RIBA awards, which, as well as the usual suspects of museums, academies and schools, this year, contained a nice offering of innovative and fun designs, imaginative use of materials, texture and colour and real ingenuity; all shaping up for an exciting shortlist……

…….or not, as the case may be.

Instead, we have a very safe shortlist consisting of the ‘big guns’ such as Chipperfield and Hadid who, yes, offer competent, well-mannered schemes (the Folkwang Museum, Germany and the Evelyn Grace Academy in London respectively), but arguably, not their best. And what’s more, they’ve all been shortlisted before, some of them numerous times.

The bookmakers’ favourite (2/1) is, unsurprisingly, the Olympic Velodrome, already nicknamed the ‘Pringle’, by Hopkins Architects. Although it does seem politically correct for this to be the favourite, it has to be said, it does not disappoint. It is graceful, elegant and pleasing to the eye, and has the potential, over time, to become a national icon, so we can’t be too harsh here.

But what about the others? Heralding a shift in architecture, The Angel Building by AHMM or the Royal Shakespeare Theatre by Bennetts Associates would both be worthy and topical winners as they have been retrofitted in a bid to save money and energy.

The Angel building in Islington, London is imaginative and provides good use of the existing concrete central fame. After being stripped back to its frame, it was re-clad as a speculative office block which shaved nearly 15% off the cost of a new building and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about a third, earning the building an Excellent BREEAM rating. A real modern success story, that has already won a couple of awards, and cannot be discounted. The dark horse perhaps?

Bennett Associates’ brief for the 1932 Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford was to slot a new thrust stage into the main auditorium, redesign the public areas and erect a viewing tower, which is what they duly did, as well as saving money and reducing omissions to boot. Although the Theatre now has a very impressive auditorium, the outside isn’t quite up to the same standard, which is a real shame.

One of our favourites is actually the bookies’ rank outsider (8/1), O’Donnell and Tuomey’s An Gaeláras Irish-language arts and culture centre in Derry, Northern Ireland, with their imaginative use of a very restricted site. It adds to the Derry street scape, using a basically triangular theme on plan, sectioned delightfully with the incorporation of bridges, stairs and platforms around the central light well. An absolute joy to look at.

We can’t forget last year’s winner, of course, Zaha Hadid with her Evelyn Grace Academy, although, there’s not too much to say. The Academy is typically her, but nothing of outstanding beauty. Rather than Hadid, for instance, it would’ve been encouraging to see the efforts of clients in supporting designs which inspire and add to their environment reflected in the shortlist. This year has seen an interesting development in the patronage of charitable organisations, with the Woodland Trust HQ, Maggie’s Centre and two RSPB sites winning RIBA awards. The designs for all of these being human and responding to their environment and site, whilst all being wholly individual and avoiding the possibility of just becoming stereotypical. It’s a real shame these were all overlooked.

So, given the mediocre selection, although O’Donnell and Tuomey’s An Gaeláras is a beauty, the safe money has to be on Hopkins’ Olympic Velodrome. Although it is the politically correct winner, you cannot deny it would also be a worthy winner. Lars Huntley, Associate Director at Woods Hardwick summed it up when he said, “I actually have a sneaking admiration for the Olympic Velodrome, which will I hope please for years to come, and not fall into neglect as so many sports facilities have done such as Crystal Palace. All buildings, old and new require long term maintenance, love and care!”

The winner will of the RIBA Stirling Prize will be announced on Saturday 1 October 2011 at the Magna Science and Adventure Centre in Rotherham (winner of the 2001 RIBA Stirling Prize). The ceremony will be broadcast on a special edition of BBC Two’s The Culture Show, presented by Kevin McCloud the following day.

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Woods Hardwick Planning retained as Project Co-ordinator and Planning Consultant for 74ha mixed use development in Arlesey

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Kate

Woods Hardwick Planning has already successfully promoted a 74 ha site known as land east and west of High Street, Arlesey, for allocation in the Central Beds (North) Site Allocations DPD. As testament to this success, WHP has now been retained as Project Co-ordinator and Planning Consultant for the next stages; these stages being the preparation of the Masterplan SPD to guide future development and an outline planning application for the whole site, all of which could take approximately two years.

The client, Arlesey Consortium, comprises Central Bedfordshire Council’s Property Assets Department, Arlesey Investments Ltd, Bloor Homes, Swan Hill Homes (part of the Raven Group) and Greene King. The allocation is for a mixed-use development of 1,000+ dwellings, 10 ha of employment land, new retail provision (including a supermarket) and community facilities.

Arlesey is a long linear settlement, which suffers from local congestion on the main route through the town due to parked cars and the width of the high street, and a relatively poor level of service provision. The town has grown steadily over the past twenty years through piecemeal rather than co-ordinated development, which has brought little in the way of benefits or improvements in the service offer.

This site has therefore been allocated to encourage significant new growth at Arlesey and create a more compact settlement form, with an identifiable focal point to the town. A number of ‘local needs’ have been identified as necessary provisions within the new development including health facilities, a new pharmacy and dentist, a new (additional) lower school, a high-quality business park, improvements to bus services and walking and cycling routes, and provision of Green Infrastructure.

It is also anticipated that the scale of development could support the delivery of a relief road for the high street to provide an alternative route for people in the south of the town to get to the main A-road.

Russell Gray, Director at WHP said, “having been a part of this process since its inception in 2006, we are particularly pleased to have been retained on such a large, exciting project.”

Russell continued, “we wasted no time in getting to work on the next stages, and are already co-ordinating the commissioning of technical work on matters such as ecology, archaeology, arboriculture, transportation and drainage, which will form the preparation of the Masterplan SPD and ultimately a planning application for the site. “

“We have also been liaising with the Local Planning Authority on the public consultation strategy and requirements for the SPD and application.  This will involve public exhibitions on site constraints and opportunities and options for the Masterplan.”

Also in the immediate plans is to establish a Stakeholder Group, which WHP will be a member of, along with Central Beds Officers, Arlesey Town Council and other local interest groups.

Since submitting the original expression of interest for this land in 2006 following Mid Bedfordshire District Council’s ‘call for sites’, WHP has been heavily involved in seeking to shape  the development strategy and policies for the area and has adopted a very hands-on approach. In addition to representing the Consortium at numerous meetings/Examinations in Public, WHP has also been engaging with Arlesey Town Council, informing them of progress for the initial Concept Plan and providing presentation materials so the Town Council could hold a local exhibition on the proposals.  This is, perhaps, an example of what the Government has in mind in terms of the Localism Agenda…….local people/organisations conferring and working together to reach a positive and real outcome for the locality. It’s certainly worked in this instance but we won’t delve deeper into that debate right now…..

The project has also been a great illustration of how the multi-disciplined nature of the Woods Hardwick companies, works to provide, in effect, a ‘one-stop shop’ for all services required in such a project. In addition to WHP acting as Planning Consultant, Woods Hardwick has prepared concept plans to support the promotion of the site, Woods Hardwick Surveying (WHS) conducted a topographical survey of the whole site and Woods Hardwick Infrastructure (WHI) has provided advice on infrastructure matters, including highways and drainage. In fact, just last week, WHI was awarded new instructions in respect of furthering the drainage and transportation investigations. A true team effort.

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Designing a sustainable school

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Kate

A concept that offers flexibility is key in the design of a sustainable school, says Woods Hardwick. Rather than provide a ‘best fit’, the design should always offer a solution which will work for the school and their students; a solution that creates a place for inspiring and cultivating learning, a place that students are proud of, and are happy to be.

Designing a Sustainable SchoolWoods Hardwick is a leading architecture firm based in Bedford. Their portfolio of sustainable and successful designs for schools and universities is impressive, and with two further educational projects currently being undertaken, they are now true experts in this field.

Their initial approach evolves from three main factors, all geared towards the same end goal – to design a modern learning environment with the capacity to act as a catalyst for educational transformation, a learning opportunity and a tool for sustainability awareness.

These three factors being to establish ways to reduce disruption during construction, to establish ways to reduce maintenance and running costs once in use and to consider environmentally sensitive and responsible solutions.

Depending on the current condition of the building and the local climate, these main aspects could take quite some time to discuss. However, once a basis for a strategy has been formed, there are subsequently, a number of factors to explore to aid the design process. Factors such as maximising economic regeneration in the area, expanding the sustainable construction industry within the local proximity of the school and ensuring ongoing maintenance of the school is minimised.

It’s also of great importance to provide facilities within the school building that help to incorporate sustainability within the curriculum. Having these tools and technologies first-hand enables sustainability to be included in the teaching and learning of science, thus making the learning experience much more exciting and exhilarating for the students.

Within all of these thoughts and processes, it’s imperative, of course, to ensure that the school can continue to apply the sustainability principles when it is maintained and refurbished in the future.

When all of these factors have been explored and end goals put in place, the next crucial step is identifying how they will be achieved through building design, construction, operation and management; not forgetting the incorporation of sustainability issues within the curriculum. These will obviously differ depending on the school/university, but there are a number of design ideas that form the basis for such a project, such as:

  1. Maximising the use of natural heat gains (such as passive solar, the occupants and equipment in the school) to minimise the need for a heating plant.
  2. Undertaking a detailed analysis of thermal mass location to aid the heating in winter and cooling in summer, in different areas.
  3. Maximising the levels of insulation using recycled materials.
  4. Designing the building to ensure the maximum use of solar gain, day lighting and natural ventilation.
  5. Incorporating a water management system that minimises wastage and run-off.
  6. Ensuring the energy and water use are as transparent as possible to users and that there are accessible audit and monitoring systems in place.
  7. Ensuring the design incorporates many different renewable energy technologies, to generate a significant heat and electricity contribution and enhance the teaching and learning of climate change and sustainability.
  8. Including working examples of renewable energy technologies even where these do not make a significant contribution to the energy budget of the building. The aim being to teach students about renewable energy.
  9. Ensuring the learning and curriculum areas are flexible and adaptable, thus  minimising the need for future development.
  10. Ensuring that non-teaching areas in the building will support user health, safety and security.

To illustrate how well this process works, we can use the case study of Priory Rise School in Milton Keynes. Woods Hardwick completed works to the school in September 2008, and on completion, it achieved a BREEAM rating of Very Good.

Some of their solutions in response to factors outlined above included the use of Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP). These take heat from the ground and convert into energy that can be used to heat buildings in the form of hot water and heating during the winter.

Natural ventilation was made more economical with the introduction of a Moondraught Wind Catcher. This ensures that, during the day, when windows are open, fresh air enters through the windward side of the building. When in the room, the fresh air becomes warm air and  naturally rises up and exits at high level. During the night, the Moondraught Wind Catcher continues to operate and fresh air is sucked in on one side of the wind capture and warm air removed from the other side.

Designing a Sustainable SchoolAlso implemented was Brise Soliel across one side of the building, providing permanent sun shading and reducing solar heat gain, preventing glare and reducing discomfort.

The CO2 savings resulting from such measures are impressive – CO2 emissions from the school don’t just comply with the Building Regulation Part L2A, but are much lower, of which 11% comes from the Ground Source Heat Pumps. These pumps also provide a significant 32% improvement on the heating load emissions.

For more information about this project, or to talk to Woods Hardwick about a project you may have, please call us on (01234) 268862.

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Woods Hardwick’s top picks of the Environment and Energy Awards 2011 winners

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Kate
Woods Hardwick's top picks of the Environment and Energy Awards 2011 winnersAs avid followers of the latest sustainable products and technologies available on the market, Woods Hardwick were genuinely interested in the unveiling of the winners of this year’s Environment and Energy Awards.

Providing sustainable yet aesthetically pleasing designs are key factors in the  success and longevity of any architects and development consultants in this modern day, especially given the coalition’s Zero Carbon 2016 targets. Staying up-to-date with the latest innovations within the industry is paramount, and now more than ever, a necessity in order to stay at the top of your game.

So, with that in mind, who and what were announced on the evening of Tuesday 24th May 2011 at this year’s awards ceremony that could be incorporated into the architecture world? With the organisers proudly announcing the ‘record number of entries to the 2011 awards, an increase of 46% on 2010’, the bar had been set for some impressive energy-saving products and technologies. We’re pleased to say, they didn’t disappoint.

Our top pick is the Innovation Award for Environmental Technology, awarded to Daikin UK for their Daikin Altherma Flex Type air- to-water heat pump. In addition to  being the world’s first heat pump for multiple occupancy buildings, it’s also the first system to allow independent control and billing of heating and hot water systems within each individual dwelling. The whole building system is powered from community-based outdoor units, each of which can serve up to ten individual dwellings, making it a perfect solution for schools, apartment blocks, offices and such like.

Having used heat pumps in some of our designs, most recently in the award-wining Partis Office Building in Milton Keynes, Woods Hardwick are particularly interested in this new technology. The client of the BREEAM Excellent Partis Building has reported significant reduced running costs and energy savings, so is the Dalkin Altherma Flex Type heat pump really that much better? Well, the statistics Dalkin report are certainly impressive – a 27% reduction in primary energy use, 59% fewer CO2 emissions and 33% lower operating costs compared with an installation of standard efficiency individual gas boilers. Certainly a product to investigate further and compare with the efficiency of our tried and tested heat pumps.

Next up is the Energy Product/Service Award, given to Pudsey Diamond Engineering for their stand-alone innovation, Solaboll, a solar powered, retroreflective, self-righting bollard; such a simple idea but one with huge energy and cost saving potential.

Indeed, Pudsey Diamond Engineering state that if all the 400,000 existing lit bollards in the UK were exchanged for the Solaboll™ solar powered bollard, a saving of £9 million could be achieved across the board. You can’t argue with that!

What’s really exciting about this product is the scope it presents for significantly reducing energy requirement and costs for other forms of lighting. Clearly, traffic cones are not something architects normally need to incorporate into their designs, but product aside, what about the process used? How was the end product achieved? Is does beg the question, is this the catalyst for solar powered external light fittings and building lighting?

It’s also worth mentioning Queen’s University, Belfast, winner of the Innovation Award for Remediation Technology, for their particularly innovative and inspirational technology. Based upon a thorough understanding of the biogeochemical principles of Arsenic fate and transport in groundwater, it takes into consideration the technical and financial constraints of the areas of the world where Arsenic groundwater contamination is a significant human health risk. Extremely credible technology that could make a big difference, but still in its infancy, so we’ll have to ‘watch this space’.

These winners are only a selection of the full list (to view the list in its entirety, go to www.sustainabilitylive.com), but definitely stand out as having great potential in the architectural world, and most importantly, in significantly reducing energy requirements and costs. We will certainly be watching their progress and maybe incorporating into our designs soon.
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