We are delighted that South West College Erne Campus in Enniskillen has won the RICS Awards UK Project of the Year. Bennett Freehill undertook the role of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Sustainable Consultant and Passivhaus Observer role on this remarkable project.
At the prestigious awards ceremony in London on Friday 21 October, which celebrated the UK’s most inspirational built projects that are having a significant positive impact on the communities they serve, this exceptional project was also announced as winner of the Public Sector Project award and the overall UK Project of the year.
The £34m Erne Campus, was chosen by the judges as the overall winner based on its impressive sustainability credentials which will see it yielding an anticipated 90% reduction in energy costs for the college.
The judges said:
“Despite the many obstacles that it needed to overcome; this project is exemplar. Not only has it generated a centre for excellence for local students of the built environment as a core curriculum subject, but it has also raised the profile and the pride in all its inhabitants and neighbours in an area that has suffered much in recent times.”
Bennett Freehill provided Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Passivehaus Advisory design services on this exceptional project which is the world’s first educational, and currently the largest, Passive House Premium (PHP) rated building and the first building in the UK to achieve both PHP and BREEAM Outstanding accreditations.
Managing Partner Cormac Freehill said:
“This national RICS award is a fantastic accolade for the project team and reward for South West College’s remarkable foresight and ambition. The building was competing against some hugely inspiring projects throughout the UK and we are overwhelmed that the RICS recognises the environmental and energy efficiency benefits our designs are having on communities and society, providing low energy habitable comfortable buildings.
Bennett Freehill is committed to delivering ‘net zero carbon’ projects and pride ourselves on leading the drive towards Passivhaus and NZEB within the UK. The project is a remarkable legacy to our founder Gary Bennett and his role in delivering the project cannot be understated.”
The new 8,000sqm campus, completed in September 2021, is an international exemplar in the achievement of nearly Zero Energy Building for the public sector and is setting market standards worldwide. It boasts a large PV array providing renewable energy generation of more than 120 Kwh/m2/year, along with ultra-modern facilities for 2,800 students.
The new building design focuses on providing environmental and energy efficiency benefits, maximising daylight/solar gains through the curved design. It arcs around a landscaped public space to the north. A 15 metre deep atrium is central to the design, providing functionality whilst acting as a winter garden and encouraging daylight and ventilation.
The ventilation strategy employs various systems. The primary systems are centralised and local mechanical ventilation is supplemented by natural ventilation. The heating system is a combination of a bio-oil micro CHP unit producing 80% of the energy demand as well as 100% of the DHW demand and finally an air-to-water heat pump providing the remaining 20%.
Congratulations to the whole project team.
