Mar 3 2004
With the aim of creating a landmark building with low running costs, Cambridgeshire County Council’s new Hereward Hall in the town of March has become one of the latest buildings designed around the TermoDeck low energy building system.
Designed by the council’s in-house architectural team and built by MJ Gleeson, the building represents a significant capital investment and a major commitment to support staff who provide key services in the northern part of Cambridgeshire. In addition to the sustainability benefits that TermoDeck brings, a key factor in the decision to use the passive heating and cooling system was the desire to provide staff and visitors with a comfortable internal environment.
Detailed monitoring of the building during its first two years of operation will ensure the environmental performance of the building is maximised. By utilising the thermal mass of the building and the heat produced through occupancy, TermoDeck buildings consume up to 50 per cent less energy than those which incorporate traditional wet central heating or air conditioning approaches.
TermoDeck works by circulating air through the hollow cores of standard precast concrete planks that make up the floors of the building. The hollowcore planks act as ‘thermal batteries’ storing ambient and internal heat that is released slowly during the day. Free cooling is provided by night ambient air.
Unlike most air conditioning systems, the TermoDeck system provides full fresh air ventilation during occupied periods, giving air change rates well in excess of the minimum recommended by CIBSE (Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers).
Source: TermoDeck