The Pines Calyx Community and Conference Centre
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as PDF A community and conference centre located in landscaped gardens, set in the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the white cliffs of Dover. Designed to combine outstanding energy efficiency with a healthy indoor environment. Use of local materials was of paramount importance, not just because of difficult site access, but to minimise pollution and transportation and promote local suppliers.
The Pines Calyx Community and Conference Centre : Project images
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Energy and fuel use
Measured data from renewable generation is not yet available.
Fuel use
| Pre-development | Forecast | Measured | |
| Electricity use | - | 6400 kWh/yr | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas use | - | 4800 kWh/yr | - |
| Oil use | - | - | - |
| LPG use | - | - | - |
| Wood use | - | - | - |
| Other Fuel | - | - | - |
| Pre-development | Forecast | Measured | |
| Primary energy requirement | - | 73 kWh/m².yr | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ emissions | - | 16 kg CO₂/m².yr | - |
| Annual space heat demand | - | 12 kWh/m².yr | - |
Renewable energy
| Electricity generation | Forecast | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Renewables Technology | - | - |
| Other Renewables Tech | - | - |
| Electricity consumed by generation | - | - |
| Primary energy requirement offset by renewable generation | 73 kWh/m².yr | - |
| Annual CO₂ emissions offset by renewable generation | 16 kg CO₂/m².yr | - |
Calculation and targets
| Whole house energy calculation method | |
|---|---|
| Other whole house calculation method | - |
| Energy target | AECB Gold |
| Other energy targets | - |
| Forecast heating load | - |
Airtightness
| Date | Result | |
| Pre-development air permeability test | - | - |
|---|---|---|
| Final air permeability test | - | - |
Project description
| Stage | Occupied |
|---|---|
| Start date | 01 April 2005 |
| Occupation date | 14 September 2007 |
| Location | St Margarets Bay, Dover Kent England |
| Build type | New build |
| Building sector | Public |
| Property type | Detached |
| Construction type | Other |
| Other construction type | Externally insulated rammed chalk |
| Party wall construction | |
| Floor area | 295 m² |
| Floor area calculation method | Treated Floor Area (PHPP) |
| Building certification |
Project Team
| Organisation | Conker Conservation Ltd |
|---|---|
| Project lead person | Paul Mallion |
| Landlord or Client | The St Margarets Bay Trust |
| Architect | Issy Benjamin/Helionix Design/Conker Conservation Ltd |
| Mechanical & electrical consultant | David Olivier, Energy Advisory Associates |
| Energy consultant | Conservation Engineering Ltd |
| Structural engineer | Cameron Taylor |
| Quantity surveyor | |
| Consultant | Lighting Design House |
| Contractor | Eco-Librium Solutions Ltd |
Design strategies
| Planned occupancy | |
|---|---|
| Space heating strategy | |
| Water heating strategy | |
| Fuel strategy | |
| Renewable energy strategy | |
| Passive Solar strategy | |
| Space cooling strategy | Earth cooling tube consisting of 30m long buried 600mm diameter concrete pipe running around perimeter of building and terminating in plant room. |
| Daylighting strategy | Windows distributed around perimeters on south sides, glazed oculus to each of main spaces and large lenticular rooflight over stairs and entrance foyer. Daylight factor of ........ |
| Ventilation strategy | |
| Airtightness strategy | |
| Strategy for minimising thermal bridges | |
| Modelling strategy | |
| Insulation strategy | |
| Other relevant retrofit strategies | |
| Contextual information |
Building services
| Occupancy | Upper Roundel 100 seated Lower Roundel 95 seated Seminar room 30 seated. |
|---|---|
| Space heating | Perimeter circuit of underfloor heating, consisting of only 4 pipes, running below windows and doors. Low temperature hot water is fed into the circuit via a heat main. The heating demand is so low that the hot water is temporarily supplied by tapping into a radiator in a nearby cottage. This will be replaced by a small woodchip boiler serving the heat main, fed by chips created on site from woodland and landscape management. |
| Hot water | Solar cylinder heated from heat main. Secondary hot water return with pump powered by motion sensor. |
| Ventilation | Primary system is displacement ventilation, fresh air is fed into wainscot ducting in each of the main rooms at low speed. Stale air is extracted from the high point of the roof domes, which is returned to the plant room and passed through a glass tube heat exchanger. This unit was purpose made for the malting industry, dismantled and reassembled here by the services engineers. Low power 24v fans are used. Fresh air is introduced via an earth cooling tube described below. Stale air is also extracted from WC's and kitchen and seminar room, fresh air is supplied to seminar room and WC lobby. Openable windows and (yet to be completed) openable rooflights will allow natural ventilation during warmer weather or high occupancy. |
| Controls | Purpose made electronic control system operating the ventilation fans, electrically operated windows and rooflights, with temperature and humidity sensors and timers. Sophisticated computer controlled lighting system with multiple scenes available from light switch. |
| Cooking | Electric cooker |
| Lighting | Main rooms have a 3 colour fluorescent lamps, red, green and blue. The computer control system can vary the power output of each lamp, changing colour and mood as well as intensity. |
| Appliances | |
| Renewable energy generation system | Photovoltaic thermal system by Invicta Clean Energy. |
| Strategy for minimising thermal bridges | Passivhaus principles followed for detailing with assistance from David Olivier. Windows supported on 25mm thick ply linings suspended in the insulation layer. Careful use of Compriband sealing tapes and compressible foam strips. |
Building construction
| Storeys | 2 |
|---|---|
| Volume | 1212m³ |
| Thermal fabric area | 1030 m² |
| Roof description | Timbrel or 'Catalan' vault, 120mm thick constructed from 3 layers of Gault clay tiles, first ever built in UK. 240mm of polyurethane foam insulation, Erisco Bauder built up roofing system protected by thick fleece. Minimum of 300mm soil laid on roof using cellular grid embankment reinforcement system. Planted with local species. |
| Roof U-value | 0.10 W/m² K |
| Walls description | Rammed chalk excavated on site, self finish internally. Externally applied tanking membrane. Externally insulated with 200mm of polystyrene, finished with lime render. Where below ground level a drainage/protection layer applied linked to a land drain. |
| Walls U-value | 0.12 W/m² K |
| Party walls description | n/a |
| Party walls U-value | - |
| Floor description | 300mm concrete raft foundation sitting on 150mm Foamglas, totally isolating floor from a concrete blinding applied over the chalk sub-base. 25mm thick insulation installed below underfloor heating pipes. 125mm thick floor screed with Wrigley fibre reinforcement. |
| Floor U-value | 0.33 W/m² K |
| Glazed doors description | Doors are Vrogum double glazed timber units as weight of TG units was too great for disabled access. |
| Glazed doors U-value | 1.40 W/m² K uninstalled |
| Opaque doors description | Vrogum insulated panel |
| Opaque doors U-value | 1.10 W/m² K uninstalled |
| Windows description | Passivhaus certified windows obtained via Ecomerchant Ltd Faversham Kent, manufactured by Winter, wood/cork laminates triple glazed. Units alternate between fixed, manual opening, electric opening. |
| Windows U-value | 0.74 W/m² K uninstalled |
| Windows energy transmittance (G-value) | 0.53 % |
| Windows light transmittance | - |
| Rooflights description | Quad glazed acrylic/polycarbonate domes on insulated GRP upstands, purpose made by Whitesales Ltd. |
| Rooflights light transmittance | 0.42% |
| Rooflights U-value | 1.20 W/m² K |