contracts and projects


‘Cathedral effect’ helps save energy


J


& B Hopkins has used its headquarters in Concorde Way to demonstrate details of a highly energy efficient way of controlling the temperature within buildings


using low temperature heating and high temperature cooling. The company is a Business Solutions Partner with Mitsubishi Electric and offers its services across the UK. The combination of underfloor pipe and over-ceiling systems radiates heat from both the floor and the ceiling during the heating season, or in the summer cooling season, creating an artificial thermal mass that is typically kept at between 16-19˚C. This enables the building to benefit from what Managing Director, Paul Hopkins calls the ‘Cathedral Effect’ where heat from the occupants and electrical equipment is absorbed by the cooler ceiling and floor. The floor systems typically need longer periods to create a constant thermal temperature as opposed to the ceilings where there is generally an instant reaction from the temperatures introduced through the pipework in both heating and cooling. The company is able to use a flow temperature of only 30ºC in heating mode and in cooling, the traditional need for temperatures of 10ºC or less is a thing of the past. For further information, telephone 01489 584706 or email Paul.Hopkins@jbhopkins.co.uk


Help for hospital patients S


t Kentigern’s Hospice in North Wales is the latest care facility to benefit from C-TEC’s new Quantec QT432 infrared/radio neck


pendants. Each patient wears their own elegantly designed neck pendant, which allows them to trigger calls remotely via a Quantec infrared call point, ceiling receiver and/or radio receiver. The pendants, which are supplied in a robust plastic enclosure with a 1.2m anti-ligature lanyard, work in harmony with the existing C-TEC Quantec addressable call system at the eight-bedroom residential unit. Outstanding patient care is absolutely vital in facilities responsible for people with life-threatening illnesses and, according to St Kentigern’s Manager, Joyce Bellingham, Quantec is critical to providing such care. Officially opened in 1995 by the late Sir Anthony Meyer, St Kentigern’s is a palliative day care and eight bed residential unit providing medical and nursing care for patients together with social, emotional and spiritual support. The vast majority of its income is derived from fund-raising and donations. For further information, telephone 01942 322744 or visit www.c-tec.co.uk.


Elliptical design demands protection


against thermal


bridging The recently completed Kameha Grand in Bonn is already recognised as one of the world’s exceptional new luxury hotels. It nestles on the banks of the Rhine to the south east of Bonn and features 253 rooms, of which 63 are suites. Winner of the 2010 MIPM award for Hotels and Tourism, which is presented for outstanding real estate projects worldwide, the Kameha Grand was designed by architect Karl-Heinz Schommer Bonner who explains: “The most noticeable architectural feature of the hotel is its transparency. The view from the entrance looks through the lobby, the atrium and Kameha Dome space right to the riverbank. Guestrooms are arranged on only three sides of the atrium, the fourth being glazed with views to the river“. The unique elliptical section design did however make serious demands on


the requirement for protection against thermal bridging. The architect discussed the issue with Schöck, the European specialists in thermal bridging solutions and it was agreed that a combination of three product variants would meet the requirement. The outer concrete arches on the


roof and facade of the building cantilever 1.30m on each side and this, combined with the subtle design of the façade, meant that it was not possible to use a standard thermal break solution. To minimise any thermal bridging problems along the two outer arcs an inventive solution had to be found by the Schöck design team. This was achieved by dividing the projecting element of the framework into a number of sections and using the appropriate Isokorb® for the required forces. At the ground floor type Q is used, with type D being installed higher up the structure, followed by type K on the top floor. Because of the arch profile, the type D Isokorb was cut and installed at 90 degrees and run under the curved edge of the roof emergency exits, providing F90 fire protection. The three isokorb®


variants are designed


for concrete-to–concrete cantilever connections and offer outstanding


thermal insulation properties, dramatically reducing thermal energy loss in connective areas by guaranteeing the homogeneity of the thermal envelope between cantilever structures and the internal slab. They also transfer load and maintain


full structural integrity, while at the same time enabling inner surface area temperatures to remain well in excess of those likely to cause mould formation and condensation. For further information, telephone 0845 241 3390, email design@schoeck.co.uk or visit www.schoeck.co.uk


Architects Choice 11


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