JGC assisted with the site's decarbonisation strategy and was centrally involved in the construction and implementation of the centralised 350 kW heating and cooling heat pump network, which supplies the site. The heat pump design and installation were challenging because the plant room was in a constrained urban environment. Bespoke dry air coolers were provided to fit behind the façade of the ground-floor energy centre, with separate compressor units installed within the plant room. The air intake and discharge, required to supply low-grade heat to the system, were carefully designed to minimise the risk of recirculation and cold plume formation. Factory acceptance testing was used to reassure stakeholders and installers of the proposal’s validity and proof of concept before deployment and installation.

Central to the scheme’s design philosophy is a requirement to be ‘electric only’ with the complete removal of natural gas from the site. Direct electric boilers and cylinder immersion coils provide permanent backup to the air source heat pump system. A central building management system controls the electric backup heat source to ensure that setpoint heating and hot water temperatures are met at all times, even under peak winter conditions. The scheme also utilises on-site generation through roof-mounted PVs.

In response to the changing climate and future temperature trends, student bedrooms are cooled via ‘chilled ceilings’ with cooling pipework embedded within ceiling build-ups. High-performance building fabric has been adopted throughout the development to reduce heating and cooling demand, ensuring a comfortable and thermally stable environment year-round. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is used to enhance thermal comfort and provide high air quality levels within the building.

The construction and handover programme was phased, with the south and west blocks handed over to the college in Autumn 2024. Completion of the remaining areas was achieved in December 2024.