Pembroke Library
Case study · Heritage
Pembroke Library
The 17th-century Old Library at Pembroke College, Cambridge, gained modern ventilation, heating and cooling with no visible impact on its historic interior.
- Sector
- Heritage
- Location
- Pembroke College, Cambridge
- Use
- Functions, lectures and dinners
- Outlets
- Linear floor outlets
- Heat recovery
- Up to 96% efficient
The challenge
The refurbishment included repairs to the ornate late 17th-century ceiling, redecoration, secondary glazing and new lighting. The building would end up far more tightly sealed, raising the risk of humidity and condensation damaging the decor, and of discomfort when as many as 200 people gather.
The solution
A bespoke design combines a heat recovery unit, boiler and condenser. Insulated, sound-attenuating mini-ducts with a 105 mm external diameter carry conditioned air from the basement through the shallow void beneath the library floor, with dampers to balance the airflow. Discreet linear outlets run around the perimeter of the floor.
The result
Ventilation and indoor air quality are dramatically improved, and heat recovery efficiency reaches as high as 96%, cutting energy costs. There are no grilles, wall units or radiators to compete with the architecture.
Installed in collaboration with Invisible.AC. Photography courtesy of Invisible.AC.
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