Project Success: King’s College London IoPPN Case Study

Artic Building Services is excited to announce the latest completion of our project with King’s College London (KCL) for the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN Denmark Hill).  Artic has a longstanding relationship with KCL having been their main contractor for all heating, ventilation and air conditioning needs for over ten years and was invited to tender for the project. We are proud to showcase another successful project because of our endless endeavour to go above and beyond for our clients.

About King’s College London

King’s College London is a research-led University that is ranked among the top twenty-five universities in the world. With over 29,600 students and 8,000 employees from over 150 countries, King’s provides world-class teaching and cutting-edge research.

Scope of Contract

King’s College London approached Artic to address the challenges they were having due to the ageing infrastructure of their building and wanted to source a solution that would overall reduce energy consumption as part of their goal to be more energy efficient. To oversee this project a dedicated Artic project manager was appointed to oversee the entirety of the project, ensuring full support throughout.

The project consisted of the refurbishment of two pivotal plant rooms within the building, stripping out the steam equipment, central heating boilers and hot water systems. One room housed pumps, while the other accommodated boilers. This plant had reached the end of its functional and economical life cycle and needed to be replaced with modern, more efficient equipment. The use of electric, air or water source heat pumps wasn’t possible due to the lack of a suitable power supply.

Comprehensive Redesign:

Artic visited the site at King’s College London for a condition survey prior to the commencements of works and decided the best course of action would be to upgrade the outdated boilers to ensure efficient operation. This consisted of a complete re-design to install two new control panels, one tailored for the boilers and another dedicated to managing the pump room. Through our expertise we were able to advise on an upgrade to the latest model, therefore improving King’s College London’s sustainability and introducing long-term cost savings.

Project Execution:

The project’s execution involved the careful removal and responsible disposal of the existing boilers, pumps, and expansion vessels whilst complying with Health and Safety regulations. The team ensured the plantroom was adequately and mechanically ventilated during any works that produced dust or smoke. This was actioned by building a temporary system that extracted the dust and smoke outside of the plantroom through a flexible duct. Artic completed the project within the specified timeframe of five months and ensured a smooth transition, minimising disruption to the institute’s daily operations.

Technological Upgrade and Commitment to Sustainability:

A key aspect of the upgrade was the incorporation of twenty-four BMS controlled inverter-driven Grundfos pumps and the installation of two stacks of three Hamworthy Modumax 254 boiler modules. The new boilers are 20% more efficient and can run on proposed future hydrogen/gas blends. The adoption of BMS controlled inverter-driven pumps means only the required amount of water is moved around the systems, resulting in significant energy savings. The new modular condensing boilers, engineered for optimal efficiency and reliability, promise enhanced performance and a substantial reduction of the college’s carbon footprint, showcasing Artic’s commitment to sustainability.

Conclusion

Artic Building Services delivered a successful boiler and pump replacement at King’s College London, demonstrating our expertise in installations with sustainability and efficiency in mind. The client has been delighted with the works carried out. Our partnership and dedication to Kings College London showcases Artic’s pursuit to exceed expectations in all projects we deliver.