Vent-Axia is delighted to announce that the Floating Home project has been shortlisted in the Building Awards 2018. The project, which utilised the revolutionary Lo-Carbon Sentinel Kinetic BH Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), is a finalist in the ‘Small Project of Year (up to £5m)’ category of these prestigious awards.
The Building Awards are the industry’s longest running and most prestigious recognition of excellence, and celebrates the achievements across all aspects of building. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 6th November at the 5* Grosvenor House Hotel in London where over 1,300 guests will attend for a night of networking, recognition and celebration at this important gathering for the UK construction sector.
Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Kinetic BH MVHR unit is providing energy efficient and effective ventilation to the innovative and exciting ‘Floating Home’ project which is situated on a residential mooring near Chichester Marina in West Sussex. Inspired by canal living and designed by Baca Architects, the ‘Chichester’ prototype model was built by Floating Homes Limited and is not a houseboat but a house that floats. Given the close proximity to water there was potential for more humidity than a land-based home, as well as the potential for reflections of the sun to enhance solar gain. Both these factors were considerations when specifying the Sentinel Kinetic BH MVHR unit, which tackles both these issues thanks to an integral humidity sensor and summer bypass.
“We are thrilled that our project, which is also my home, has been recognised at these important industry awards” said Mark Junak, Director of Floating Homes Ltd. “There were additional challenges in designing a floating home such as the higher humidity levels created from living on the water, we are therefore delighted with Vent-Axia’s MVHR unit which tackles this issue providing us with great indoor air quality. The project is a beautiful, sustainable and low impact home in a wonderful location.”
“The Floating Home truly stands out - there is nothing else like it. We are delighted that the project has been shortlisted in The Building Awards” said Ian Mitchell, Product Marketing Manager - New Build Residential at Vent-Axia. “Mechanical ventilation was an essential part of the build due to the very low permeability of the home’s envelope. The Sentinel Kinetic MVHR fits the home’s eco credentials perfectly and provides good comfort levels throughout the year.”
The pioneering Sentinel Kinetic BH MVHR Unit is designed specifically for new build and low-permeability properties. A whole-house, multi-room ducted solution, this MVHR system combines supply and extract ventilation in one unit. Warm, moist air is extracted from ‘wet’ rooms through ducting and passed through the heat exchanger before being exhausted to the outside. Fresh incoming air is filtered and then preheated via the integral heat exchanger which recovers an average of 90% of the heat energy that would otherwise be wasted. With comfort key for occupants the system also features a ‘summer bypass’, for passive cooling when conditions allow and an integral humidity sensor for intelligent air quality control, both which were vital in the Floating Home.