Residents at Goodman’s Fields, one of London’s most vibrant new urban quarters, are benefitting from outstanding indoor comfort thanks to high performance air conditioning based on whisper-quiet Carrier fan coil units (FCUs).
The transformation of an old postal sorting office by developer Berkeley Group has created a ‘haven of luxury living and unrivalled amenities’ set in seven acres of landscaped spaces in the heart of the capital. The mixed-use development includes 1000 new premium apartments, a 250-bedroom hotel, 615 student rooms plus independent coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Residents also benefit from a 24-hour concierge, a private screening room, pool, gym and spa.
A combination of high performance Carrier Idrofan 42EM and 42NH FCUs, specified on the last two phases of the project by Stephen Jansen, Head of M&E, Berkeley Homes (North East London), provide discrete heating and cooling in apartments, maintaining ideal comfort conditions whatever the season or weather conditions. All units were specified in horizontal ducted configuration, to deliver the top-quality concealed finish required for the high-end apartments.
The compact, modular units are ideal for use in ceiling voids, providing highly reliable, energy-efficient performance with extremely low sound levels. The 42NH series FCUs are equipped with a high-pressure centrifugal fan that is optimised for air return and supply ducted applications, with external static pressures up to 125Pa. Two proven Carrier AquaSnap 30RBP air-cooled scroll chillers provide chilled water for air conditioning.
“Low noise levels were critical to the success of the project,” said Matthew Maleki, Carrier UK’s fan coil manager. “For obvious reasons, residential apartments, and particularly bedrooms, require much higher levels of acoustic attenuation than commercial offices. We worked closely with building services consultant Whitecode Design Associates and the Carrier factory to ensure all units met the client’s challenging requirements.”
Large projects such as Goodman’s Fields require long-term planning and close attention to detail throughout to ensure a successful outcome. To support this, Carrier appointed a dedicated project manager to coordinate logistics and ensure the correct units were delivered to site at the right time. This was supported by regular meetings with the client, consultant and installers.
“During the design stage, we worked closely with the consultant on a room-by-room basis, to ensure model selection was precisely targeted to meet heating and cooling loads for each occupied space,” said Matthew Maleki. “As always, space requirements for equipment within ceiling voids required careful planning. There are always competing claims, and it is vital to ensure there is not only sufficient space to accommodate plant, but the precise configuration works alongside other items of equipment, such as ducting, pipework and so on.”
Although the project was completed in phases over time, the development benefits from maintaining the same suite of building services across the estate. This means maintenance requirements throughout its lifetime can be streamlined, with a common servicing regime and spares requirement. This assists efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as technical staff are familiar with equipment and service work can be carried out more efficiently.
