The contract to provide a range of services for the new Booths supermarket in the Lake District town of Kendal came with a stringent checklist: energy efficiency; inconspicuous mechanical services and a tight pre-Christmas deadline.
The steel-framed partially stone clad building, which features large areas of glazing to the front and sides, required mechanical ventilation to the main open plan food hall and offices, via a single air handling system.
To meet the demands of heating a large space with a high roof, we designed underfloor heating, providing low level heat with no visual impact. And we introduced a new ventilation principle which enabled the recovery of heat from exhaust air.
Transport links to the site were limited, so we arranged for the air handling units to be delivered in sections, on smaller vehicles which could negotiate narrow roads.
The project achieved predicted energy usage 18% better than energy benchmarks.And we finished in time for the pre-Christmas shoppers, by organising frequent planning meetings, to deal with issues before they caused delays.
