WindowMaster is to supply and install an automated window control system for the new £57 million South Cheshire College.

Currently under construction and due for completion in September 2010, the new college was designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects. The 26,500 square metre building is based on a village street concept with departments functioning almost as shop fronts which are covered by a glass and copper ‘skin' to create light and space. The curve of the building runs around a beautiful oak copse, one of the most significant features of the site's landscape, and still a centrepiece.

Consultant engineers on the project were AECOM. Commenting on the design Matthew Cotton, associate director of building engineering at AECOM, said: "Natural ventilation was chosen as the college is keen to promote environmental design including reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions. Natural ventilation offers a zero carbon form of ventilation with the added benefit of night cooling to mitigate the use of mechanical cooling systems.

"The brief was to aim for a BREEAM Excellent rating, although the final certificate and rating has yet to be produced.

"WindowMaster was able to meet the challenges faced during the design including the optimisation of the window design to provide adequate ventilation rates against BB101 standards and adequate night time cooling to mitigate the use of mechanical cooling. It was also able to reduce the cost impact of window actuators providing the justification for their inclusion in the design."

WindowMaster’s NV Advance™ window automation system included the supply of 732 motors controlling windows in 150 zones around the building, sensors in each of the zones and a computerised control system. The natural ventilation system included high-level exhaust through roof lights behind the central atrium and automated louvres at low level.

WindowMaster regional sales manager Gino DeLaroche said: "The key challenge in this project is to ensure that the natural ventilation system interfaces with the heat recovery and air handling units around the building to ensure that they operate only when absolutely necessary. The system also needed to interface with fans that were installed in certain areas.

"Data is collected from sensors in each of the zones and sent via the computer control system back to all the heat recovery and air handling units and fans to carefully control them."