This new build project undertaken by Cardiff and Vale College provides state of the art further education learning facilities within the heart of Cardiff’s city centre.

The key aim of the College was to maximise student numbers through the provision of a centralised curriculum.

We were appointed as Client Representatives and Technical Advisors setting the initial MEP engineering, energy and sustainability strategies.

Working closely with the client the resulting Employers Requirements emphasised the delivery of a project that pushed boundaries in terms of its overall efficiencies and carbon impact.

This included a 40% improvement on regulated carbon dioxide emissions, as defined by ADPL2, was to be targeted.

A BREEAM accreditation of ‘Excellent’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’ where also defined.

In order to ensure the viability of the above, we undertook detailed Low Zero Carbon (LZC) analysis.

This analysis looked at both the practicality of implementing the defined targets and its economic impact.

From this we found that the targets proposed were viable and this subsequently led to the provision of a 1,850m² PV array, one of the largest building mounted schemes in the UK.

The array is capable of producing 300kW which exceeds the base line electrical demand. The resulting excess is fed back into the national grid for FITS payments.

Throughout every stage of the project extensive consultation was carried out with staff, students and members of the public. This was particularly important to the College as embracing the wider community was a key part of their plan.

Successfully completed in late summer 2015, Cardiff and Vale College was recognised at the 2016 Royal Society of Architecture Wales Awards.