Sustainable engineering solutions

We have a wealth of experience testing and installing different building technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. We have made extensive use of heat pumps, open and closed loop bore holes and energy piles. We have designed and integrated combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) solutions into our schemes. 

One of our buildings in Victoria uses large-scale solar water heating to provide most of its domestic hot water needs, and we are looking at the viability of photovoltaic cells on a number of our new developments.

We often lead the market in introducing new climate control solutions into our buildings for example we have built millions of square feet of real estate served by passive cooling systems; using chilled ceiling and chilled beams rather than the more popular traditional fan coil units and variable air volume systems VAV much loved by the agent community.

In densely developed areas like Central London, we are leading research into localised energy centres, which use low carbon technologies and benefit from scale and diversity. 90% of the buildings in Copenhagen are connected to central systems linked to power stations, waste energy plants or boilers, ensuring security of supply at maximum efficiency. This may be the only way to comply with the London Climate Change Action Plan to locally deliver 25% of the capital’s energy by 2025.

Knowledge from award winning schemes like New Street Square together with innovations from our work with boreholes on our Paddington projects has been embedded into One New Change, EC4. Located next to St Paul’s Cathedral, this office and retail development is an intelligent building with innovative features adopted from previous schemes. Jean Nouvel Architects were briefed to design superb offices and retail units that would revitalise Cheapside. Given its nature and scale, ensuring a good energy performance was quite a challenge. Views of St Paul’s are protected so building is prohibited above a certain height. Conversely, excavations must not damage the cathedral’s foundations. Using the ground as a source of energy, we combined open loop boreholes with over 260 energy piles (slightly enlarged structural piles with an embedded pipework lattice) using both the underground water layer some 150m below ground level and the earth surrounding the building foundations as a source and sink for energy flows to and from the building. To upgrade that energy we use heat pump technology, distribution systems and a water loop that enables us to balance occupiers’ requirements and link with more conventional plant to serve the whole building. The integrated design will mean that retailers will have to connect the heating and cooling systems in their stores into the common water loop rather than use stand alone equipment. This has the added benefit of freeing up the roof of the building from the usual clutter of plant which has enabled us to provide a roof terrace area open to the public with fantastic views across the city.