Landmark project for Toshiba VRF

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10 February 2020
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Toshiba outdoor condensing units on the roof at Landmark Manchester Toshiba outdoor condensing units on the roof at Landmark Manchester

One of the largest installations of Toshiba VRF air conditioning in the UK is nearing completion at Landmark Manchester, a new 180,000-square-foot multi-storey Grade A office development in the heart of the city.

Led by mechanical and electrical contractor Castle Building Services with main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, the installation includes 450 high-performance Toshiba in-ceiling fan coil units (FCUs). The FCUs are connected to 54 Super Heat Recovery Multi Enhanced (SHRM-e) VRF outdoor condensers with intuitive control provided by TCUK TouchScreens and Black Pear Building Management System (BMS) interfaces.

The scale of the project at Landmark Manchester

“It is a magnificent building and a superb example of a Toshiba heat recovery VRF installation,” said Andrew Bradison, specification manager for Toshiba distributor Cool Designs. “With its best-in-class energy performance, the system operates with significantly reduced running costs, with savings continuing to accrue over the life-time of equipment. Flexible zoning enables the complex requirements of tenants to be accommodated, ensuring very high comfort and satisfaction levels.”

The client required the highest efficiency combined cooling and heating system possible for the premium quality building, incorporating heat recovery, in order to achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard of “Excellent”. The design is based on Toshiba’s 3-pipe heat recovery SHRM-e VRF air conditioning, which in addition to class-leading energy efficiency delivers an outstanding kW / kg refrigerant ratio, as defined in POL 01 of BREEAM.

Concealed indoor units from Toshiba

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The design, which follows the British Council for Offices standard BCO 2014, required each storey to be divided into separate dual systems to accommodate two potential tenants per floor. The system’s detailed zoning capabilities enable it to be adapted to the diverse requirements of occupants.

External plant for all floors – including the ground floor – is located on the roof, utilising the Toshiba system’s maximum drop of up to 90 meters from condensing units to fan coils on the floors below.

“This is a major VRF project and required close collaboration between all parties,” said David McSherry, Toshiba sales manager. “Due to the Toshiba SHRMe’s high specifications, it meets all the client’s requirements on energy, comfort, control, noise and on-site space utilisation. Most importantly, it delivers a comfortable, productive and efficient indoor environment for occupants.”

The Landmark Manchester development

Due to the tight installation timetable and city centre location, Toshiba distributor Cool Designs carefully managed delivery slots throughout the project. This involved timing equipment arrival to coincide with a 30-minute window, which required taking into account transportation through Manchester’s busy shopping and business district. All delivery slots were achieved.

For more details on the SHRM-e system, visit the Toshiba website.