Having originally been used as a psychiatric hospital before falling into disrepair, St John’s Hospital in Lincoln is a Grade II listed building undergoing a huge redevelopment project.
The final result will see it converted into over 180 houses and apartments, alongside a number of new build properties.
As with any modern building project, energy efficiency was high on the list of priorities for property developers Mabec Nottingham Ltd, not least due to the EPC and SAP Ratings the company had to aim for.
Added to this, the historic nature of the original structure meant that ceiling heights of over four metres, non-standard room spaces, and even the country’s largest case of dry rot all had to be taken into account.
Given the project’s scale and diversity, specifying the heating systems needed was no mean feat. Mabec Nottingham Ltd worked with Nigel Gill, part of Worcester’s Heating Design Services team, to determine the correct specification for each type of property. The successful installation has resulted in the use of a combination of Greenstar CDi Compact and Greenstar i System boilers, and unvented Greenstore Cylinders.
Dave Branley, Project Manager at Mabec Nottingham Ltd. commented: “Getting the heating system right was vital to the success of this development. Insulating and finishing off the properties is of course important, but all that hard work and expense can easily be undone if the boiler system is wrong.
"By installing energy efficient systems, which include features like weather compensators, we’ve been able to deliver benefits for both the customer and the environment.
“I’d worked with Worcester on projects before in the hospitality sector and knew that, as well as the high quality products, the aftercare provided is second to none. For a project like this, knowing we’d have the support we’d need if necessary, was key.”
Nigel Gill commented: “Walking the site with Dave it soon became clear that deciding the specification for St. John’s would be a challenge. Properties included three, four and five bedroom new build houses together with two bedroom apartments housed in the existing building. Because of the building’s size, some of the converted two-bedroom properties needed a bigger boiler than the five-bedroom new builds.
“With careful planning and organisation we’ve been able to design a solution to fit everybody. This was a really unusual project to be a part of and I enjoy revisiting it to see how it’s progressing.”
