Nu-Way turns up the heat on computer building programme

Citation

(2000), "Nu-Way turns up the heat on computer building programme", Facilities, Vol. 18 No. 13/14. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2000.06918mab.015

Nu-Way turns up the heat on computer building programme

Keywords Computers, Heating systems

Burners from combustion specialists, Nu-way, are a key element of the heating system at the University of Sunderland, where a new £18 million building is changing the way computer science is taught.

The School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at St Peter's campus, includes a vast 1,400sq.m teaching area designed to provide students with the kind of open plan working environment they are likely to find in a modern office. Previously, computer science students would have been restricted to learning in smaller, more traditional, classrooms and lecture theatres. Furthermore, the exterior design of the building has also attracted attention, by being named as one of the recipients of 19 national Civic Trust Awards for "making an outstanding contribution to the quality of its environment".

At the SCIS, more than 500 computer terminals are installed in the low rise, three-storey building, which also includes seminar and lecture rooms, offices and computing laboratories.

Taking into account the different rooms and variable occupancy rates, the space-heating system is divided into four zones. Perimeter radiators are served by Hoval gas boilers with a capacity of 1500kW and fired by Nu-way burners.

Low temperature hot water is supplied to the heater batteries in the air handling unit and variable low temperature hot water is piped to the radiator circuits.

The SCIS is the second phase of a £35 million University of Sunderland development built on a redundant shipyard in the city. Funded by local and European Development money, the university caters for 15,800 students.

Consultant for the 18-month building project was Building Design Partnership of London. The building contractor was Shepherd Construction and the M&E contractor was Crown House Engineering, both based in Darlington.

Droitwich-based Nu-way, which is part of the £4.6 billion Wolseley Group, manufactures a wide range of gas, oil and dual-fuel burners and combustion equipment, with rated outputs from 12-40,000kW for applications in the heating and process industries.

For further information contact Roger Austin, Marketing and Technical Services Director, PO Box 1 Vines Lane, Droitwich WR9 8NA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1905 794331.