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New green agricultural centre for Harrogate |
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14 Jul 2009, 6:08 PM
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Located on a former Brownfield site, the new Regional Agricultural Centre on the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, has been designed with the needs of the local community in mind.
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The development includes a 2 storey office which houses the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) and space for rurally related not-for-profit organisations, as well as ‘Fodder’, a farm shop and café selling local produce. The aim of co-locating organisations in this way is to promote collaborative working and help the YAS with its aims to publicise and support agriculture in the region.
Engineering consultancy Buro Happold provided the mechanical and electrical services for the low environmental impact construction. The structure of the building is made of timber and the sedum roof utilises a Herdwick wool carpet and insulation. Funding from Yorkshire Forward enabled additional sustainable features to be incorporated into the design at an early stage in the project.
The consultancy worked with the YAS to maximise the occupant comfort in the development whilst minimising its energy consumption. The popular but not very green, electrically driven Ground Source Heat Pump serves the underfloor heating and cooling systems. Thermal modelling has been used to develop an effective natural ventilation strategy, leading to enhanced treatment of rooms on the south side façade to ensure they equal the conditions in rooms on the north side.
Solar thermal panels on the roof heat the hot water, partially offsetting the high demand from the café and in turn reducing the building’s energy consumption. A rainwater recycling system has been employed to reduce the building’s water consumption.
Christine Lowry, Associate at Buro Happold, commented “It is a testament to the determination of the client and design team that the building has retained so many of its integrated sustainable features throughout its development to yield a building worthy of exemplar sustainable status within the region.”
A well thought out design and collaborative working between the design team has ensured the delivery of a truly sustainable development that will support the community.
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