Blackburn Cathedral Quarter Office Development. This prestigious office development in the Blackburn Cathedral Quarter showcases our expertise in creating efficient, sustainable spaces. Working alongside architects BDP, we delivered a Grade A office specification with a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. Our innovative approach to fire engineering and energy-efficient systems maximised lettable space while minimising environmental impact.
CLIENT: Blackburn Council
VALUE: £9.1m
LOCATION: Blackburn, Lancashire
SERVICES: Mechanical and Electrical Design
CLIENT OBJECTIVES
The client sought a high-quality 3000m² office development that would meet Grade A specifications and achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. They required a comprehensive range of building services, including efficient lighting, electrical distribution, air conditioning, and ventilation systems. Additionally, the brief called for integrated fire safety measures and security systems, all designed to maximise space efficiency and energy performance.
OUR SOLUTION
We collaborated closely with the architects to create an integrated, highly efficient design. Our team implemented a VRF air-conditioning system with air source heat pumps and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. We designed high-efficiency LED lighting to LG7 standards and installed a robust electrical distribution system with standby generation. A key achievement was our fire-engineered solution, which incorporated a smoke-ventilated fire escape core, allowing for a single fire escape stair and freeing up valuable lettable space.
Our design services included:
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
- Air source heat pump
- LED lighting
- Electrical distribution system
- Fire safety systems
- Smoke-ventilated fire escape core
- Solar photovoltaic
THE OUTCOME
The project successfully achieved its BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating, demonstrating exceptional environmental performance. Our innovative fire engineering approach saved significant lettable space, enhancing the building’s commercial value. The roof-mounted photovoltaic installation, combined with the air source heat pump VRF system, effectively reduced imported energy and lowered CO2 emissions, contributing valuable BREEAM credits to the overall scheme.
