The small scale but complex redevelopment was carried out by Sohrab Rustomjee, the principal of Bath-based SR Architects, who not only designed, but project managed the work, subcontracting various trade packages and drawing on his past experience of complex residential refurbishments. The property itself is located in the heart of the historic city of Bath, a short walk from the Roman Baths where natural warm water rises to create one of Britain’s most famous attractions.
Mr. Rustomjee commented: “This was a very challenging conversion, because of the building’s layout and its Grade 1 Listing status, which prevented us from improving the level of energy loss through the existing stone walls or the single glazed Georgian windows. However, working closely with the Listed Buildings Conservation Officer, we were able to create two maisonettes by splitting the plan form vertically, incorporating bespoke glass spiral staircases between the floors. The main building work completed in late 2018.
We had used OMNIE underfloor heating systems on a number of our residential and commercial projects in the past, having always been impressed by the level of support the company offers from the early stages. Calculations proved that we could counter the heat loss through the poorly insulated fabric by installing the FoilBoard panels across the entire basement/garden level floor and this has resulted in us achieving incredible levels of comfort within a building such as this.
Our Airbnb guests often comment on the wonderful, consistent warmth and comfort underfoot, as well as the minimalist and crisp detailing which is achieved in part also by the lack of large radiators within the basement rooms’’
FoilBoard Floating forms part of OMNIE’s UltraLow concept, offering low build height for both retrofit and new-build applications. The 1200 x 600mm panels are available in thicknesses from 18 up to 75mm, with their integral XPS insulation layer providing solid support to floor finishes while the aluminium heat diffuser ensures excellent transmission of warmth.
Working to detailed layout drawings supplied by OMNIE as part of its package, the client’s heating installer Dale Freeman of Beefree Construction Ltd., installed both the 25mm and 50mm thick versions of FoilBoard Floating over the existing and reinstated substrates to address level changes: connecting the pipe runs back to the individual high efficiency gas boilers via six port Precision-Flo manifolds.
OMNIE is also well known for its provision of advanced control systems, including ones that can integrate the performance of different technologies such as heat pumps and MVHR systems. Sohrab Rustomjee added: “I remain very impressed with OMNIE’s FoilBoard system. Even on the coldest of winter nights, the apartments are incredibly comfortable. Despite the slim insulation levels, the system is actually very efficient, providing heat to the apartments quickly and the control interface using the programmable thermostats (NeoStats) enables us to manage the heating remotely, which both assists our guests and provides further efficiencies for us when the apartments are not booked.
