The Boiler House

This included removing oil tanks, incoming gas supplies, active gas boilers, and chimney flues to facilitate the conversion of this existing boiler house into a new educational space. The brief was to create a hub for school pupils, university students, and visiting groups. The elegant 1970s structure needed a new lease of life. We reimagined the tall-ceilinged machine room as an entrance hall. One main move was removing the wall between the boiler room and garages to create a large flexible space, exposing the new steel and existing timber structure. Phase two includes the reuse of the chimney as an educational periscope looking out to sea. We implemented simple measures to enhance the building's thermal performance and energy efficiency. High-performance insulation in the walls and roof reduced heating needs. An underfloor heating system, powered by an air source heat pump, provided clean energy. The single-glazed gable was replaced with double glazing and added solar shading to reduce overheating. Natural ventilation was achieved with opening windows on opposite sides. These elements attribute to a largely passively run building, with very low operational carbon. The sustainability strategy was adaptive reuse. Wherever possible materials and spaces have been revitalised. By re-using the building’s shell, this project massively reduced its environmental impact in construction. The ethos of reuse and sustainability is carried through the heart of the Boiler House. Bricks recovered from minor demolition works have been reused to infill holes left by redundant services, create new feature panels, or crushed and reused throughout the wider landscaping strategy. Cork render, made from renewable oak bark, enlivened the façade, while locally sourced OSB was used internally to breathe new life into this space while minimising embodied carbon.