In 2019, ownership of the Take A Bow Centre transferred from East Ayrshire Council to the newly established Take a Bow Development Trust.

The building was constructed in the early 1970s and after 50 years of use, was in need of substantial improvements to keep it operational and provide the community with a key asset.

Take A Bow Development Trust was committed to extending and refurbishing the existing building to bring it up to modern standards and also to align the building with Net Zero Carbon performance criteria.

Alongside a talented design team, Carbon Futures was appointed to assess improvement strategies and develop a design that could deliver what the community required.

Our team created a detailed Operational Energy Performance model to assess improvement options, including fabric enhancements, zero direct emission heating systems, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) and renewable technologies.

The data from our analysis allowed the team to target viable options and develop them into an energy strategy that was incorporated within the design proposals.

In-use performance of the facility was simulated using Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM). This analysis was conducted based on the CIBSE TM54 methodology to accurately predict the operational energy performance of the building allowing the following measures to be applied:

• Enhanced wall, floor and roof insulation
• Air source heat pump
• Replacement radiators
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR)
• Breathable exterior render and lime mortar
• Lobby area to reduce draughts

The project achieved an EPC A Rating and is also predicted to deliver better operational energy performance than the benchmarks outlined within the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.

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