With energy efficiency at the top of the agenda at the new Saintfield Community Centre, MJ Plumbing Contracts adopted a collaborative approach to meet these demands. The leading mechanical contractor works across the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to deliver solutions for both the commercial and private sectors. At Saintfield Community Centre, this industry experience paid dividends, as MJ Plumbing Contracts ticked all the right boxes for this important project for the town.
In a project driven forward by Saintfield Development Association and funded by Newry, Mourne and Down Council, Rural Development Programme and Peace IV, two vacant warehouses have now been converted from industrial use into effective leisure and recreational facilities for use by the local community.
The two former warehouses have been transformed, with the building designed and constructed to create a new indoor sports facility and community centre on existing council-owned premises at Belfast Road, Saintfield.
This includes a new 3G sports pitch which can be used for a range of sports along with associated shower and changing rooms. The second warehouse now has been converted to include new facilities such as meeting rooms, a studio, a small kitchen and a welcoming entrance area. In line with the modern requirements of the building, new IT infrastructure has also been installed.
The introduction of the long- awaited facilities has been further enhanced by the fact that the new centre incorporates leading energy efficiency features that will make it cheaper to run in the long-term. Two air-source heat pumps are at the heart of the low-energy heating and hot water system. These units have been combined with a unique underfloor heating system, heat recovery units and a solar PV array to ensure running costs for the facilities are kept to an absolute minimum.
“In terms of the funding for this project and also looking ahead to the future, ensuring that the building was as energy efficient as possible was essential,” explained Martin Johnston, Director, MJ Plumbing Contracts.
“We worked closely with the client, the consultant and the main contractor to find the best possible solutions that would work for them, and we’re delighted at the final result.”
The unique underfloor heating system at Saintfield Community Centre highlights how MJ Plumbing Contracts embraces new innovations. The system combines the benefits of Giacomini’s Spider UFH solution with energystore Ltd’s TLA (Thermal Lightweight Aggregate) to allow for a lower screed depth and optimum performance levels and it has impressed Martin.
He added, “It’s also much simpler and easier to install, which cuts down on the time factors involved. It’s a superb new system and we’re so impressed with these effective solutions that we’re now offering it to our customers as a complete underfloor heating system, either as a standalone service or as part of an overall mechanical package.”
MJ Plumbing Contracts, 15 Kinghill Road, Cabra, Newry, BT34 5RB
T: 07808 099239
E: mjpcontracts@gmail.com
As distributors for several leading ventilation manufacturers, Fairhaven H&V Services was well placed to meet all of the ventilation requirements on the Saintfield Community Centre project, in partnership with MJ Plumbing. Fairhaven has enjoyed a long and successful history as local distributors for Soler & Palau (S&P), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fans and air movement products.
For the Saintfield project, the company supplied a range of products from the S&P portfolio, working closely with the mechanical team to ensure the systems delivered high levels of performance coupled with low running costs.
Manufactured by Soler & Palau, the centrepiece of the ventilation solution for the changing areas is a heat recovery ventilation unit (HRU) from their CADB/T range. The unit supplied is the largest model in the range, delivering up to 6000 m3/h on supply and extract. It features a high efficiency counterflow heat exchanger, delivering up to 93% thermal efficiency (EUROVENT certified).
High efficiency backward curved centrifugal fans with EC motors offer easy controllability and low Specific Fan Power (SFP), coupled with very low noise levels, making it ideal for commercial premises, offices and schools. For the Saintfield project, a recirculation duct on the fresh air inlet to recovers heat rejected from the football pitch area.
The twin fan extract unit, serving the toilets area of the project, is a CAB-TWIN ECOWATT model, also by S&P. Delivering airflow up to 250 m3/h, this unit has factory fitted controls featuring an auto-changeover function with trickle and boost fan speed control. S&P’s EC powered backward curved fans generate very low noise levels making the unit ideal for void mounting above suspended ceilings. Rounding out the portfolio of Soler & Palau equipment, the general ventilation wall units supplied by Fairhaven for the sports pitch area are based around 800 diameter axial fans mounted in an bespoke housing and paired with HVC combi louvre/damper units to prevent draughts when the fans are off.
The fans, from S&P’s HXTR range, feature a sickle blade impeller for low noise, and are inverter controlled for efficient operation at reduced speed. In addition to the fans and HRU, Fairhaven supplied ventilation grilles and louvres (by HVC) and a fire-smoke damper system with control panel (by BSB).
They also commissioned the ventilation systems for MJ Plumbing. The sales team at Fairhaven were delighted to be involved in the project. “I’d like to congratulate Martin and his team on another first-class installation”, said Graham Beckett, Managing Director, Fairhaven H&V Services ltd.
“We thank them for the opportunity to work on this project and look forward to working with them again in the future”
T: +44 (0)28 92 611648
E: sales@fairhavenltd.co.uk
W: www.fairhavenservices.co.uk
P Kane Plumbing & Heating was responsible for providing the general heating and plumbing services on the Saintfield Community Centre.
The experienced company installed underfloor heating and fitted air source heat pumps and plant rooms to both buildings. Further services included fitting sanitary ware at the project from toilets and wash hand basins to disabled suites.
A highly competent team at P Kane Plumbing & Heating ensured the job ran smoothly while a collaborative approach allowed all teams to complete their section of work efficiently and to deadline.
T: +44 (0)77 641 86566
E: paddy.kane@live.co.uk
EB Gas Services Ltd supplied and installed four Winterwarm 40KW warm air heaters with a control package at the new £1.3 million Saintfield Community Centre. All the associated pipework, from Calor storage vessels to equipment was supplied and installed by the Newry company.
EB Gas Services Ltd also worked closely with the main contractor to ensure the job was completed and signed off ahead of schedule.
The major development on Saintfield’s Belfast Road has seen the delivery of an indoor synthetic pitch, changing facilities and toilets in one building and a main hall, studio area, meeting room, toilets and large entrance hall in another. The remaining space will be developed at a later date.
T: 0044 (0)28 302 62980
W: www.ebgasservices.com
SC Vent Ltd installed a complete ventilation solution for the heat recovery system at the new Saintfield Community Centre. The team worked closely with mechanical contractor, MJ Plumbing, and other contractors on site to schedule in the work and ensure as few clashes as possible on the job.
“We take pride in the partnership approach that we take and feel that this is vitally important to the success of a project,” explained Sean Crawford, Director.
“It is what we have built the company’s success on and it worked perfectly on this project as everyone was pulling in the same direction.”
Sean has extensive experience in the ventilation sector and established SC Vent in 2013. Since then, the company has grown at a steady rate and recently started to offer supply and fit services in addition to labour- only solutions.
SC Vent has completed work on a range of major projects including the CEM Building at Queen’s University, the Waterfront Hall extension, Olympia Leisure Centre and Down Leisure Centre.
The company is currently working on a student accommodation project for Stothers M&E Ltd on GRAHAM’s site at Little Patrick Street in Belfast. With experience in sizeable commercial projects in the healthcare, retail, office, leisure and education sectors, SC Vent has the expertise to meet any ventilation challenge.
T: 077368 77367
E: scvent@mail.com
