Ventilators make the grade at historic hall
Natural ventilation solutions manufacturer Passivent has helped breathe new life into the Grade II listed Matfen Hall in Northumberland
The gothic hall dates back to 1832 and is used as a hotel and wedding venue. Passivent worked closely with specialist building environment and services engineers Skelly & Couch to develop a natural ventilation strategy for the hall’s newly-covered external courtyards. Passivent’s Aircool wall ventilators have been used beneath the rooflight to maintain a fresh air supply to the newly-created enclosed area.
General Manager at Matfen Hall, Nathan White, said the refurbishment not only enhances the natural beauty of the hotel but provides much more flexibility for events taking place all year round.
“The covered courtyard has become a real focal point and both the rooflight and the natural ventilation system that are now in place will ensure this stunning outdoor space can be enjoyed to the full for many more years to come,” he said.
In total, 10 wall ventilators were installed by Passivent’s client, J P Westhall, in the lower courtyard, with seven in the upper courtyard. Passivent also supplied a two-zone iC8000 intelligent controller which monitors the internal and external temperature and carbon dioxide level to allow the facilities team to control the natural ventilation system.
Skelly & Couch worked with Passivent very early in the design stage to access the relevant technical product information and calculate the
required free area. This information was then passed back to Passivent so the Aircool wall ventilator’s aperture could be sized accordingly.
Skelly & Couch Associate Rosie Jones said: “On such a complex restoration project as this, it was essential that we not only identified the right product but found the right supply chain partner. The Passivent team was extremely efficient and provided us with all the product information we needed in a range of formats so we could advance the technical design of the ventilation strategy effectively.”
