Thursday 17 May 2012

Passivoffice at Devonshire Gate: Gale & Snowden visit Portugal as part of TSB research

Jason and David visited Portugal in April as part of our Technology Strategy Board (TSB) work, designing for future climates. We visited a passively-cooled building in Lisbon known as the Solar XXI building. It is a naturally ventilated low energy building that uses the ground to cool the building down in the heat of the summer months. It has a PV system integrated into the facade of the building that, as well as producing energy, also functions as part of the ventilation and cooling facade system.

We are looking at this fascinating building in a warm climate because we are currently designing a new low energy office building in Devon, at Devonshire Gate, that has won funding from the TSB to design low energy strategies to cope with predicated future weather without introducing such things as air conditioning systems. This work follows on from our St Loyes Extra Care project climate change adaption work- see below.



A view of the XXI building from the south elevation. The Architect, Pedro Cabrito pedrocabrito@netcabo.pt, has done a great job in designing a template for future low energy office buildings for warmer climates. Contact him if you need any buildings designing in Portugal - he is a really interesting and talented person.


Jason is pictured with our new Portuguese friends who were the project team; Professor Helder Goncalves, Laura Aelenei and Pedro Cabrito the buildings Architect. We would like to thank them for their hospitality, enthusiasm and warm welcome.


3D drawing of the Devonshire Gate Passivoffice Project that has been designed by us with future climates in mind, to meet Passivhaus standards as well as minimising environmental impacts.

Further information on the Solar XXI project can be downloaded at http://www.lneg.pt/download/1818

Notes from Gale & Snowden's study tour can be read below:






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