The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has been designed as one of the country’s first carbon neutral buildings. Situated on a brownfield site, which has been reclaimed from an old coal and opencast mine, this fully sustainable ‘factory of the future’ will test new technologies for the aerospace industry.
Building the installation at such a location presented a number of challenges. Complex criteria in relation to future settlement of the opencast fill covering the site had to be addressed. The Orgreave opencast facility, which undertakes large scale dewatering, is also close by. Consequently, the AMRC had to be future-proofed against future settlement once dewatering operations eventually cease. To address the strict settlement requirements imposed, a piled foundation solution for the building and wind turbines was developed.
Along with the two wind turbines, which will feed any excess electricity into the national grid, ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are at the heart of the AMRC’s energy strategy. The GSHPs are linked to a closed loop network and boreholes to provide all heating and cooling for the building. Rainwater harvesting will also be employed to provide toilet-flushing water.
Good structural and building design also helps to further the energy efficiency of the structure. Natural ventilation and daylighting make a significant contribution to minimising electrical demand, as well as contributing to the comfortable environment of the building’s interior. More than 97% of the internal accommodation receives natural light.
The AMRC also exemplifies efficient design by minimising its exposure to solar heat gains.Due to the sensitive operating criteria of the machines housed in the centre, there is a need for precise control of internal temperatures. The building is orientated with the longest sides facing north and south, with the south facing windows being shaded in order to help minimise heat absorption.
Close proximity to Sheffield airport meant that the project required a highly detailed collision risk analysis.
Date: 2006 - 2008
