About
Architect: Bill Dunster Architects
Contractor: Kier
Sector: Public – Public Education Facility
Overview
BedZED was initiated by Bioregional and developed by the Peabody Trust in partnership with Bioregional and ZEDfactory architects. The site Completed in 2002, and is the UK’s first large-scale, mixed-use sustainable community comprises over 100 homes, office space, a college and community facilities.
The Brief
The development was designed to be completely self-sufficient from solar power generation, recycling of all waste water, biomass heating with complete natural ventilation air conditioning.
Our Solution
Vision invented a completely new ventilation system for this project that comprised of 79 roof mounted rotating wind cowls that track into the prevailing wind to provide Intake and extract air into the rooms below. The design of our wind cowls allow air to pass through the cowl via dedicated air paths and through a passive heat exchanger matrix that tempers the cold air using the thermal heat of the warm air evacuating the rooms below.
Spiral ducts transport the air into each of the rooms allowing the occupier to manually control the air change rates through high- and low-level manual grilles. BedZED was the first of these systems and subsequently followed by The Earth Centre at Doncaster, the military base at Pirbright and East Tiverton Community College.
