by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Stable yard at Morden Hall Park, Merton, reopened after £2.5m facelift
LivingGreen is involved with a number of refurbishments of older buildings and heritage buildings across the EU including an old Mansion block in the Netherlands and a former military barracks in Germany.
When it, however, comes to refurbishing old military sites the people of Christiania in Denmark mus be seen as the ones leading the way. Christiania was, after all, an old barracks area of the Danish army and taken over by what was then called Hippies and turned into a great little place. But I digressed.
The refurbished stable yard in the heart of Morden Hall Park will use half the amount of energy needed for a standard building of its size, largely because of innovative use of environmentally friendly insulation like hemp and recycled carpets.
The center will also generate its own electricity and heat from solar panels, ground source and air source heat pumps and a wood burning stove. And that wood burning stove, for its size, throws out an amazing amount of heat which, in fact, on the opening day, made the building probably too hot even.
An Archimedes screw to be installed on the nearby River Wandle will generate hydro-electric power and ultimately it is reckoned that the complex will generate more electricity than it uses and the National Trust could earn around £10,000 per year for energy fed into the National Grid. But that figure will only work as long as the feed in tariff (FIT) is not going to be cut any further.
Rainwater collected from the roof gutters will be used for flushing toilets. There are also sinks over the cistern to ensure water is not wasted and the gents' urinals only use half a pint of water a day.
Smashed glass from old jam jars used for cream teas have been used for table tops and chairs are made from recycled plastic bottles.
The LivingGreen Visitor Center will demonstrate how you too can save money on electricity through interactive displays and exhibitions.
It will also offer work shops for households that want to improve their own energy efficiency and train people in green skills.
The National Trust’s new 'LivingGreen Visitor Center' in Morden Hall Park is probably, according to claims by the National Trust, the most energy efficient historic building in the country and from what I saw many another historic building could learn something from it. Well those that manage them anyway.
So what is it that makes the LivingGreen Center at Morden Hall Park one of the most energy efficient buildings in the world?
Here is the list of the things that do it:
-
Double and triple glazed windows using super thin glass so it can be done without damaging frames
- PV and thermal (PVT) Solar panels
- 'Solar slates’, disguised solar pv panels designed to go on heritage roofs
- Ground source heat pump
- Air source heat pump
- Archimedes screw to generate hydro-electricity from the river
- Wood burning stove fuelled by waste wood from the park
- Wall insulation made from recycled carpets, cork and hemp
- ‘Space therm’ insulation, used on space rockets, that is manufactured using CO2 and therefore takes carbon out of the atmosphere.
- Under floor heating insulated with recycled bricks rather than plastic to retain heat
- Green roof on the bike shed
- 19 different ‘zones’ so it is possible to turn off heating or electricity in areas that are not being used.
- Recycled glass for vanity tops and tables
- Rainwater harvesting
- Hand pump operated by children and visitors to pump water for bathroom to save on electric pump
- Sinks above the cisterns of toilets so water not wasted
- No flush urinals
- Recycled plastic for chairs
- Sheep’s wool carpet from UK flocks
One particular thing, aside from all the others, that personally impressed me was the heat in the place and the photovoltaic slates that just looked like new slates on an old slate roof. Proof that PVs can be put on old building.
Then again there should be no restrictions as far as renewable energy is concerned and wind turbines and PVs on roofs should be the nor and even on old listed buildings.
Morden Hall Park's LivingGreen Center is definitely a job well done and should be an inspiration to others.
© 2011
