The previous building designed by
Edward Cullinan Architects for the university experienced summer overheating in south-facing rooms, and as a result the architects were particularly careful to control solar gains through passive means at the Digital Lab. The building is set along an east-west axis, with an open-plan layout and spaces on each side of an atrium spanning the length of the building. The southern elevation is largely glazed to let in useful winter gains and incorporates external overhangs for summer overheating protection. Offices expected to be of higher occupancy density are located along the northern elevation, in order to minimise the risk of overheating.
Energy saving measures After these measures to carefully control solar gains, a holistic approach was applied to reduce energy use and carbon emissions through a range of low energy features. The building includes a mix of office, exhibition, laboratory and teaching spaces. The relatively low density of internal gains from occupants and equipment allowed the
www.cibsejournal.com
designers to meet the university’s desire for a naturally ventilated building, with displacement ventilation in areas of higher density (eg, meeting rooms, lecture theatre). Exposed thermal mass seeks to maximise
the benefits of the natural ventilation strategy. Night-time ventilation is used to purge heat absorbed during the day and assist in pre-cooling the structure. North-facing rooflights along the
atrium let light into the central space, complementing the glazed elevations. A sophisticated lighting control strategy seeks to maximise the benefits of natural light with substantial use of zoning and daylight sensors, coupled with occupancy sensors in circulation and occupied spaces. The building has no on-site heating plant
and has only localised cooling units in the server rooms, thanks to a connection to the campus district heating and cooling scheme supplied by a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and absorption chillers. An innovative environmental feature of
the building is the earth labyrinth located underneath the building (see Figure 1). The principle is that, as outside air is
The Digital Lab at Warwick University was created to foster joint working between research and industry
The discussion generated between the parties involved in procuring, managing and designing the building is an example of the careful evaluation and management measures that will be required for the higher education sector to achieve its ambitious carbon reduction targets
April 2012 CIBSE Journal 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68