The project consists of a new ‘Barn’ addition to the existing Microsoft Rare campus in Twycross. The barn is a timber frame over Ground & First floors. The barn is linked into the existing buildings to allow internal circulation. The Microsoft Rare group focus on the expanding the console market as they are a gaming studio so the energy demand for the building is significantly higher than a standard office project.
Some of the key MEP sustainable attributes associated with the project are listed below:
• Achieved LEED Platinum at design Stage.
• A+ rated EPC at design stage.
• Optimised orientation and solar shading – Incorporated to optimise daylight quantity and quality, whilst protecting against extreme solar gains.
• Operable windows – To supplement the cooling strategy when external conditions allow.
• Condensate Harvesting System – Utilising condensate from fan coil units to fill the toilet cisterns.
• All-electric servicing strategy – Using air source heat pumps to generate space heating and cooling.
• Demand controlled ventilation with heat recovery – Responding to CO2 levels within each space and reducing energy consumed by fans during periods of low occupancy.
• Low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants (R32) used in the air source heat pumps.
• Lighting control and observation grids. Using the lighting controls as a mapping facility of the floor plate to understand how the floor plate is use, how much energy is being used by a specific luminaire, what the colour temperature of the luminaire is, how long it has been on for, predicted life span.
• Desk task lighting approach. Single user desk mounted luminaires have used on the project so each user has full control of the lighting at their workstation. This has eliminated the need for over head general lights at each desk as the requirements for each user will be individual to them. The lights are fully dimmable and colour temperature changeable too.
• PV Farm – As the site has the space, we have been able to locate a PV array containing over 430 solar panels, this great as we are limited to the total energy source on site and this will allow for the PV installation to feed back into the site or back into the electrical grid if the demand allows.
