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Ventilation and thermal comfort for residents
Ampthill Estate residents are faced with changes due to noise mitigation measures proposed by HS2 contractors
25 March 2019
The problem
Upcoming High Speed 2 (HS2) rail works will have impacts for Londoners, with major construction works potentially negatively affecting noise and air pollution levels in residential areas. Due to the risk of high ambient noise, HS2 contractors have proposed noise mitigation measures for Ampthill Estate, behind Euston Station, to protect residents from these impacts.
The primary measure proposed to achieve this, replacing existing windows with triple-glazed ones, will require windows throughout the building to remain closed. HS2's contractors have proposed 'trickle ventilation' as a way to ensure adequate cooling can be achieved. However, this has raised concerns amongst residents that it will be more difficult to maintain thermal comfort, particularly in the face of recent heat waves which are likely to continue to occur in the coming years.
Our solution
A number of Ampthill Estate residents whose homes are affected by planning proposals approached the Engineering Exchange to discuss the issue and gain support in determining whether contractors have adequately addressed the risk of overheating.
Dr Esfandiar Burman of the UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE) has been working with residents of the tower blocks, supporting their negotiation with HS2 contractors and providing technical advice on what needs to be done to address the potential risks. Over the summer, residents undertook temperature measurements using a citizen science approach to build up a picture of temperature patterns during heat waves.