The Coniston PM decarbonising Grade I-listed buildings

There is also a nice full-circle story to it, because the Royal Institution (Ri) has such an important place in the history of science, including the discovery of greenhouse gases and the invention of the electric motor and generator, and there we were helping the building reduce its own carbon footprint. The building will now be run entirely on electricity.

The decarbonisation work was funded by a £4.35m grant from the Mayor of London and surpassed its target – achieving a 42% reduction in carbon emissions. It has moved from a commercial building EPC D rating to a B rating.

What were the big challenges on the Royal Institution project?

One was keeping the building operational pretty much throughout, with science talks in their theatre or holiday workshops for young people going on all around us. That added another dimension, especially around the Christmas Lectures in December, which is probably their busiest period, both during the lectures filming and in the build-up. So, the sequencing and logistics had to be carefully managed.

The project included installation of air source heat pumps on the roof. The crane used was a Liebherr LTM1130-5.1 with a 43.1m boom, and the lifts required careful planning due to the location of the plant, which was positioned at the furthest point of the roof. 

The confined nature of the roof and plant room also presented logistical challenges. In addition to craning the heat pumps onto the roof, we had to create temporary openings in the roof structure to lower large buffer vessels into the plantroom below. These works required precise sequencing and careful management of temporary weather protection, structural integrity and safety.

The roof structure also varied, so there wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. In some areas we were working off a concrete slab, where we could use a modular support system to spread the load more evenly. In other areas, the roof was metal sheeting, so we had to introduce a steel frame solution that transferred the loads back to the existing steelwork below and picked up the right structural points.

The plant room was also very tight, so everything had to be designed very carefully around the space available. We even had to form pockets in the slab to lower plant into position.

Other decarbonisation features installed include a new intelligent building management system that will learn how the building works over the course of a year, improved thermal insulation, upgraded LED lighting in the Lecture Theatre, and an innovative new solar-reflective coating to the building’s Georgian windows.

What are the key heritage skills and experience you need for a project like this?

With a heritage building like the Ri, the main skill is knowing how to work carefully and adapt as you go. You can do as much investigation as possible, but once you start opening up a Grade I listed building, you will always find things that are not quite as the drawings suggest.

For us, a lot of that came down to service routes. At the Ri, we were introducing new pipework, but we had to do it with minimal impact on the historic fabric. In some areas, the drawings showed a simple route through, but when we opened it up there was a concrete floor, parquet flooring above, or joists that meant we couldn’t lift the floor.

In terms of regulations, listed building consent is obviously key, but you are also working to modern building regulations, health and safety, fire safety and the requirements of a live public building.

We undertake regular asbestos awareness because of the nature of the buildings we work on. Depending on the project, there can be other hazardous materials to be aware of as well, so that training is important.

I have recently been through an internal management and leadership course with Coniston, and for me personally, mentoring is a big part of development. I am currently mentoring one of our graduates, and I think you often learn a lot about yourself through helping others.

How have you found it getting to grips with a big industry issue like sustainability in a heritage context?

On heritage projects, you have to be careful with the existing building and understand what can be retained, reused or recycled rather than just stripped out and replaced.

The main thing on site is treating everything with care. In a listed building, if you take a bit more time and remove things carefully, you might be able to reuse materials or avoid damaging something that would be difficult and expensive to replace. So, there is a sustainability benefit, but also a programme and cost benefit if it is managed properly. That approach also helps preserve the integrity of historic buildings like the Ri.

Tell us about an innovation you’ve seen or used recently that really excites you.

One that stood out for me through this project was Undaunted, a climate innovation hub and community, which is a partnership between Imperial College London and the Ri. It acts as an incubator for early-stage startups working on practical solutions to climate change.

We were involved from the construction side, though not developing innovations ourselves, but it showed how innovation can play a role in sustainability; Undaunted brings forward new ideas to tackle real issues around climate change and carbon reduction that can be supported and brought into the built environment.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

With heritage, the best advice is not to assume you know everything from the information you are given at the start. Ask questions early, speak to the people who live with the building every day, and use that knowledge to plan the works properly.

The most valuable people are often the maintenance teams, or the people who have been there for 40 or 50 years. They can be overlooked, but they usually know the building inside out. They know where things are, what’s been changed over the years, and how the building really works.

What made you want to be a CIOB member and how has it helped you?

For me it was about wanting to keep developing myself. I came out of university still in that mindset of learning, writing and pushing myself, so it felt like the right time to do it.

It also gave me a clear development path and helped me keep that discipline of learning alongside the day-to-day job.