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APRIL 07 - PASSIVENT ASSISTS REDROW AND BARRATT IN MAJOR RESTORATION PROJECT

A Grade II*, 16th century timber frame hall is being restored and upgraded to 21st century standards, discreetly, with help from Passivent.

Redrow Homes and Barratt Homes are jointly restoring Worden Old Hall, through sub-contractor Maysand Developments, on the outskirts of Chorley in Lancashire, at a cost of £1million, as part of their joint redevelopment of the 395 acre former Royal Ordnance factory site. Completed, the hall- on land granted to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem in 1509- will combine modern living in a five bedroomed, four bathroomed home with all the character and history of the original, four hundred years-old building.

A key element of the upgrade has been to ensure the home is properly ventilated, but without impact on the building fabric. The solution, by Donald Insall Architects, has been the incorporation of Passivent Assisted Ventilation.

Project architect Simon Malam explained, “Due to the sensitive nature of the listed building no penetrations were allowed through the external walls, and roof vents had to be positoned discreetly on concealed roof slopes and kept to a minimum. The Hall is very long, and the bathrooms are located strategically across the upstairs floor area. Use of the flexible Passivent system allowed outlets from several rooms to be combined into one discreet roof outlet and also provide a continuous flow of ventilation to the benefit of the occupants and the building. The Hall has been sympathetically upgraded to meet the requirements of today’s Building Regulation with minimal visual impact and without loss of historic fabric.”

Passivent extract ventilators have been fitted in the kitchen, downstairs cloakroom, the utility room and all four bathrooms, with ducting discreetly routed to and through the roof, terminating through colour-matched In-Line Tile Ventilators. The humidity sensitive extracts respond automatically to changes in relative humidity and boost extraction as required to ensure a fresh, dry, draught-free environment is maintained, to minimise condensation and damp. Because of the size of the building, necessitating long ducting runs, two continuously running, low energy fans- the only element of the system to require a power supply- are concealed in the roof space to provide extraction but eliminate the noise of fans running within the living areas. Extraction is gentle and generally continuous, operating automatically between a relative humidity of 40%-70%.

Passivent is the only natural ventilation supplier to offer an optional design and product 12 years guarantee, insurance backed, with the added comfort of independent BBA certification, proven in use for over 20 years. It supplies a comprehensive range of through window and through wall trickle ventilators, plus natural and assisted ventilation solutions, with or without acoustic options. Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group, which specialises in developing innovative yet practical ventilation and roofing products in line with changing market requirements.

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