The contract to install natural cooling and ventilation control systems in a new skills academy currently under construction in Bristol has been awarded to WindowMaster.

The £30 million South Bristol Skills Academy is part of phase one of the Hengrove Park regeneration project which also includes a leisure centre and a new hospital.

Designed by Bristol architects Atkins Walters Webster the building is being constructed by Cowlin on land formerly used as an aerodrome and is due for completion in June 2010.

WindowMaster was selected because it was able to provide a well thought out and cost effective natural ventilation solution. A feature of the building is full height glazing to the entrance supported by vertical tubular steel trusses, allowing natural light to flood the atrium. The original design used high level windows and louvres with heaters to pre-temper the air prior to it entering the space. The final design included removing the louvre element to save costs while still allowing the building to perform as the M&E consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff, required.

WindowMaster carried out a substantial analysis to prove that the building would still work using openable windows. The extensive environmental modelling ensures that a natural ventilation strategy will achieve comfortable teaching conditions within the building and meet the strict design criteria set by the college. As a result of the analysis the final installation will include 182 actuators controlling windows in 26 zones.

Carl Sutterby of WindowMaster said: “The final scheme will offer a more environmentally sound project because using windows at high level means that the incoming cooler air will mix with the warm air at high level, removing the need to pre heat it and making the scheme more cost effective to install, maintain and run.”

Located at the gateway to Hengrove Park the 11,200m² campus will provide facilities for over 3,000 students across four levels including teaching facilities for catering, hair and beauty therapy, motor vehicle and motorcycle maintenance, and construction skills in classroom and workshop environments.

The external roof structure was created in steelwork while concrete will be used internally forming a curved frontage. Its thermal mass properties will assist in controlling heat fluctuations caused by external weather conditions in summer and winter to reduce heating and cooling loads, which in turn will reduce the energy consumption of the building and aid natural ventilation.

Maximising the use of natural ventilation in the perimeter rooms through openeable windows, cross ventilation and the stack system will also aid in reducing the energy consumption of the building and reduce CO2 emissions.

Press release in pdf