Melland High School

The project involved a new build two-storey extension at Melland High School to deliver updated and new learning spaces for SEN pupils. Melland High School forms part of Gorton Education Village and is linked to the existing Cedar Mount Academy via two ground floor corridors.

Our team was appointed to deliver the MEP design and consultancy for the extension, along with the operational energy modelling, passive design analysis, and a feasibility study for low or zero carbon solutions. Our Net Zero UK team assessed the opportunities and constraints for implementing low and zero technologies as part of this feasibility study. The building was modelled using IES VE software, and thermal comfort modelling was conducted for all spaces within the design to ensure compliance with TM52 requirements. We collaborated closely with the design team to ensure that adequate ventilation and heating systems were integrated into the classrooms.

The design follows a fabric-first approach, resulting in a highly insulated building with lightweight walls. The ventilation strategy utilises low-energy hybrid systems that incorporate heat exchangers to provide natural ventilation, hybrid mixing ventilation, and low-energy mechanical heat recovery ventilation in a single compact unit. These units represent the first hybrid heat recovery system of their kind with zero embodied carbon, achieved through careful material selection and carbon offsetting. Additionally, the materials used are fully recyclable at the end of their life, promoting a circular economy for building systems.

The design also incorporates high efficiency, low-noise air source heat pumps for heating, and supplies heat through low surface temperature radiators and low temperature hot water coils in the hybrid ventilation units. The low energy design was a major contributor to the new extension achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, with a significant reduction in emissions in accordance with Part L.