Ramboll improves energy rating of One Valpy office

Ramboll has been appointed by Landid/Brockton to revamp the energy efficiency of the One Valpy building, such that it comes to meet 21st standards. The engineering consultancy will use its expertise to bring the building to a B on the EPC scale, and its BREEAM* rating to ‘Very Good’. One of the reasons for the refurbishment is that any building in the F or G range on the EPC scale cannot be let beyond early 2018.

Ramboll is an engineering, design and consultancy company that was founded in Denmark in 1945. The company works for a range of public and private clients in the industries of construction, transport, environment and health, water, energy, oil & gas, and management consulting. The firm's service portfolio encompasses the engineering design of buildings and infrastructure to the management of resources such as water and energy.

One Valpy, a 6000 m2 office building located in Reading, was built in the 1980 and uses natural ventilation as well as a gas fired radiator heating system. The building lacks mechanical cooling and currently rates an F on the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) scale.

Better efficiency
As part of its efficiency drive, the UK Government has implemented rules which prohibit buildings that fall within the F or G EPC range to be let from April 2018. As a result, building owners are increasingly opting to improve the standing of their real estate, with One Valpy a recent example.

To bring the building towards 21st century standards, owner Landid/Brockton has appointed Ramboll to give the internal workings of the building an overhaul. The building will be improved across a number of functional areas through wide spread refurbishment – in concert with architects from dn-a and the rest of the design team. Improvements will include, among others, improved building fabric, double glazed opening windows, low energy LED lighting system and a new power distribution system fed.

Upon completion, the building is expected to be rated a B on the EPC scale and have a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.

* BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) has been developed to create a standardised framework through which to assess rating, and certify the sustainability of buildings. The BREEAM certification encourages building designers and their clients to consider a wide range of environmental impacts, including low carbon and low impact design, minimising the energy demands created by a building before considering energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.