BUILDING CONTROLS & TECHNOLOGY
Natural ventilation transforms the National Gemstone Centre
Set against the scenic Carsington Reservoir, the new National Gemstone Centre in Derbyshire, pairs sustainable architecture with a natural ventilation strategy designed to bring the surrounding countryside air indoors
A Photo Credit: ©Paul Kozlowski for VMZinc
benchmark in environmentally-friendly design, the building is the brainchild of pioneering-jewellers, C.W. Sellors (Sellors),
which commissioned the project with a very specific brief. At its core, the centre needed to serve as a model for sustainable specification, wellbeing- centric design and community integration. Whilst the core objective was to unite its design and manufacturing operations and showcase its most luxurious pieces in a brand-new showroom, and important secondary aim was to maintain harmony between the building’s purpose and its idyllic setting. As a proudly Derbyshire-based business, it was keen to ensure it remained a source of pride for the local community and not detract from its scenic beauty. This meant the project architects, the award- winning Evans Vettori, needed to select the very latest, lowest-impact and energy efficient materials, fittings and finishes. It was felt this would go some way to achieving the brief’s three criteria, and provide staff and visitors alike with maximum comfort throughout the interiors. Yet success could only be guaranteed if this ethos extended beyond structural and decorative elements, to the very services and facilities specified, ensuring every detail aligned with the building’s intended embodiment of nature and community. So, the brief also extended to the services and utilities, particularly the site’s ventilation systems. Keen to evoke the centre’s unspoiled, rural setting, Sellors wanted to ensure a steady flow of fresh, clean countryside air within
Photo Credit: ©Paul Kozlowski for VMZinc
the building, bringing the benefits of the surrounding nature indoors. After considering a range of different options, the project team agreed to introduce a natural ventilation system, which could be programmed and automated to allow plenty of fresh air to circulate throughout the centre efficiently. This led them to WindowMaster, one of the world’s leading natural and mixed-mode ventilation specialists, who joined the project during September 2023, to supply and install a new cutting-edge, low energy natural ventilation control system. With a proven track record on commercial
projects including: Space House, London, a modernised, sustainable, Grade II-listed office building and St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, Derby, the UK’s first Net-Zero carbon biophilic school, Evans Vittori was impressed by WindowMaster’s ability to create healthy, happy, and productive indoor environments. When WindowMaster understood the blended
requirements of the space, particularly an incorporated manufacturing facility it realised pureplay NV would not be adequate on its own. Alternatively, it recommended a strategy that combined high-quality components to amplify the naturally cool air of the Derby countryside. This was achieved through six of its market- leading WMX 826-1, 400mm window actuators. Devices that respond to monitoring factors such as CO2, temperature and humidity. By opening and closing windows to within millimetre-perfect precision, it meant the building could facilitate the flow of fresh air in, whilst taking stale air out. Working in conjunction with WindowMaster’s Motorlink automated technology, users
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could achieve accurate window precision, without running the risk of over-ventilating or compromising their indoor comfort. This was especially important given the presence of on-site acid and ammonia-based chemicals used by jewellers, making the rapid removal of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) essential for safety.
Backed by WindowMaster’s trademark NV Embedded, a cloud-based decentralised control system, Sellors were empowered to monitor and control of indoor environments in real time. Synched seamlessly with the National Gemstone Centre’s building management systems (BMS), it delivers optimum indoor air quality (IAQ), room temperature and energy efficiency, all year round. Commenting on the fitout of the natural ventilation system, David Brown, WindowMaster’s sales director, said: “With such beautiful surroundings, it was important for this building to capture a sense of nature by involving the surrounding open countryside. Thanks to WindowMaster’s NV Embedded control system, the building occupants will have controlled clean fresh air, helping them stay alert and comfortable. John Evans, Evans Vettori, the project’s
architectural lead says: “To enable control of the high-level clerestory glazing in the central atrium space, the project required fully-automatic actuators to be discretely integrated into the frames. The WindowMaster system fulfilled the brief and the motorlink technology enabled a connection to the BMS for synchronised operation and feedback.”
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12/09/2025 13:28 14/10/25 10:30 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2025 7
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