Bedford College

The Kingshill Farm Expansion project, undertaken at the Shuttleworth Campus of Bedford College, entailed the provision of new workshop space and a high-spec teaching block which The Qube successfully won the tender for. The teaching block is to supplement the training undertaken within the new workshop

The teaching block was designed and built to achieve Net-Carbon-Zero-in-Operation. The Qube took a fabric-first approach utilising SIP panel construction, with a particular focus on U-Values, air tightness and co-ordination of renewable technology within the M&E systems.

Inside the new teaching block, you will find:

– Three classrooms
– Common room
– Staff room
– W/C’s and accessible W/C’s
– Changing spaces facility
– Plant cupboard and cleaner’s store

Mechanical & Electrical Specification

Power Supplies
Power supplies have been installed to the dirty extract system within the toilets, changing and cleaner’s cupboard, internal and external power supplies have been installed to the internal and external air conditioning units as well as to the general internal ventilation systems. Supplies have also been installed to local water heaters, hand dryers and panel heaters in areas not served by the general air conditioning heating and cooling systems. All mechanical services are controlled by Genius Controls systems as per the Colleges requirements, a Genius Hub is installed within the Plant cupboard.

PV System
A 15.99kWp photovoltaic system has been installed to the roof of the building to a 16kW inverter, the system is optimised which provides a higher level of safety as once isolated or in a fault condition the DC voltage is reduced to safe levels of 1V per optimiser being 1 optimiser per pair of panels. The system consists of 39 410W PV panels, 20 optimisers and 1 inverter.

Lighting
Lighting is controlled via presence detection within common, toilet and staff areas, classrooms have absence detection with override dim up/down switches located at the entrance and staff position.

Air Change Systems
The classrooms, common room staff room and main entrance have been provided by an air conditioning unit to provide heating and cooling, these are controlled locally to each room with Genius controls having the overriding control of the system. Each unit is served by the same external condenser sited to the far side of the building via a branch selector box located within the corridor ceiling void.

With increasing climate crisis impacting schools around the UK, Bedford College now offers their students a highly energy-efficient learning space with no running costs over the building’s life cycle.