Vodafone's UK headquarter buildings in Newbury uses a combination of thermal mass, chilled beams and mixed-mode ventilation to meet the relatively high internal heat gains. The finished buildings comprise 51,600m2 (43,000m2 of office space) and are intended to accommodate around 3,000 employees. There are seven independent buildings, each with two rectangular sections joined along their full length by central atriums. The decision to opt for a low-energy solution was influenced by the client's own desire to build an environmentally friendly building, and by local planning considerations. The potential to use thermal mass for cooling was identified by the architect before the structural or building-services engineers were appointed. The geometry of the building and its layout were determined by the architect based on the site topology and access provisions, but also with some awareness of the features necessary to maximise the cooling potential from the thermal mass.
Courtesy of The Concrete Centre and the British Cement Association