Working alongside Tonkin Liu, we supported the delivery of York Minster’s Centre of Excellence
Our role was to provide building services and environmental design expertise across two distinct buildings: the Heritage Quad and the Technology Hub.
Both buildings operate as all-electric, supporting the Minster’s long-term sustainability goals while remaining respectful of their historic context.
A key element of this project was the work of the stonemasons, craftspeople accustomed to working outdoors. To echo that environment within the workshops in the Heritage Quad, we introduced operable high-level windows to bring in fresh air via natural ventilation, supported by a local dust extraction system.
Thermal comfort was approached with the same care. Underfloor heating provides gentle, even warmth underfoot, while natural ventilation delivers fresh air overhead, a simple, considered balance that supports both comfort and wellbeing.
Two air source heat pumps supply efficient, low-carbon heating and hot water, serving the workshops, apprentice accommodation and office spaces. These systems help maintain stable internal conditions year-round.
The Technology Hub offered a different opportunity. Its distinctive arched roof structure allowed for the integration of flexible photovoltaic panels, enabling renewable energy generation without compromising the building’s architectural expression. A 55.9 kWp array was installed on the Technology Hub, alongside a 14.08 kWp monocrystalline PV array at the Heritage Quad. Together, these systems generate approximately 29,700 kWh of renewable electricity each year.
Throughout the project, our approach to building services design was guided by one principle: integration. In the Heritage Quad offices and apprentice accommodation, corridor wall depths were carefully increased to create concealed service distribution zones. This allowed the services to disappear quietly into the architecture, preserving uninterrupted views of the striking timber roof structure and avoiding visual clutter from bulkheads, suspended ceilings or exposed systems.
