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AUGUST 07 - P-RESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT



A historic spot of Welsh coastline is being preserved, using techniques heralded as exemplary of sustainable building.

Bridgend County Borough Council needed to extend and improve facilities at the ancient site of Kenfig Nature Reserve, to meet the needs of growing visitor numbers and its own on-site conservation team. The additional space, providing teaching/conference rooms, improved public toilets, offices and extra storage for maintenance plant and equipment, has been designed by the Council’s in-house architects department and includes Passivent natural ventilation.

Explains contract administrator Phil Watts, “Kenfig is an ancient natural site: a fossil footprint believed to be Stone Age has just been found there! The Council wants to work with that natural environment, so it is logical that we use sustainable materials and techniques as much as possible, hence why we chose natural ventilation. It forms a key element of the environmentally-friendly solutions we have utilized at the Centre, which include rainwater harvesting, underground heating and solar panels.”

The external façade off the extended Visitor Centre incorporates 13 Passivent Aircool ventilator units at high level, drawing both fresh air into the internal space and exhausting used, warm air. Using just 1watt of electricity to attenuate the ventilation louvres to maintain the required airflow, the Aircool units are linked to a Passivent control system with a weather station to enable minute adjustment of airflow requirements taking into account the weather outside- the speed and direction of wind, rain, temperature, and the location of the units within the building façade, to ensure a gentle flow of fresh air into the building without draughts.

Thermally broken and insulated, the units are as thermally efficient when closed as a standard double gazed window, thanks to a controllable damper that combines a unique profile with highly reflective strip inserts. The strips reduce the emissivity of the air space within the louvre reducing its U value and ensuring internal heat is reflected back into the building rather than letting it escape through the ventilator to the outside.

Independent research states that natural ventilation is proven to reduce capital costs by 15%, operating costs by 40%, and almost eliminates maintenance costs, over conventional mechanical ventilation. Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group and is the UK’s leading designer and supplier of natural ventilation systems for both domestic and commercial applications. The company is a founder member of the NatVent EC-EU-funded project co-ordinated by the Building Research establishment to develop practical natural ventilation solutions for the commercial sector, and has also contributed to the BISRIA Guide BG2/2005 Wind Driven Natural Ventilation Systems, as well as being a member of the DfES steering committee on natural ventilation guidance for schools, Building Bulletin 101.

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