The work at Sobraon Barracks Workshops was for the Reservists and Army Cadets Association in East Midlands and its aim was to replace the existing old workshops building with a new energy efficient facility that also included office space, a gym and two classrooms.
The project was designed to Ministry of Defence standards and required the upgrading of gas, water and electrical power connections. The initial phases of the work involved liaising with the architects (Allan Joyce Architects) and the structural engineers (Price Myers) to complete a RIBA Stage 2 design for approval by the client. Also at this stage we worked with the energy consultants (Focus) to set the design on a course to achieve a DREAM rating of Excellent (DREAM is the Ministry of Defence equivalent to BREEAM).
Once funding for the next stage had been approved we again worked with the rest of the design team to bring the design up to RIBA Stage 5. This involved detailed design calculations of items such as:
a. Heating system pump and pipe sizing
b. Cooling loads for the air conditioning system
c. Domestic water loads for the showers and kitchenettes
d. Cable and distribution board sizing for the electrical power
The energy efficiency focus continued with assessments completed into the requirements for solar panels and wastewater heat recovery systems. These were costed and considered for inclusion to meet the DREAM Excellent requirements and the output from our energy assessments and overheating calculations.
Other Ministry of Defence specific items such as secure communications and internet connections were included into the design before it went out to tender. At the end of the tender period we assisted with the tender review with prices coming in around the £2m mark.
The project went into construction and has only seen minor changes to our design. We attended site meetings to provide technical advice to the client whilst also monitoring the quality of the installation. The project is now complete and in use with the Army Reserves unit.
If you require a detailed technical design for your project, please do get in touch with us directly by email info@bem-services.co.uk or call 0115 7788 227.