OR Consulting worked with Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture on the design of a new low carbon, short stay hostel and day centre for the HARP charity. The team welcomed the challenge of creating a low carbon exemplar design for the charity on a tight budget.

Key features of the low carbon building services design strategy were:

• The adoption of natural ventilation and passive cooling techniques.
• The optimisation of the building fabric’s passive performance.
• The adoption of low carbon building services solutions.
• The installation of water efficient sanitary fittings.
• The provision of high capacity, efficient heating and hot water systems with low running costs.
• Energy efficient lighting and controls.
• Providing exemplar security, CCTV and access control solutions to provide security for both staff and residents.
• The creation of a food technology teaching classroom and cooking facilities in every room.