FUSE: Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP)

Long term adaptability

Heating and cooling

The heating and cooling strategy for the FUSE project is based on a flexible, fossil‑fuel‑free approach that supports both low initial servicing requirements and clear future upgrade paths as tenant demands increase. The system is intentionally designed to allow tenants to “plug into” an appropriate level of service, avoiding abortive works while maintaining long‑term adaptability.

At base‑build stage, the building is served by a hybrid VRF system, with BC (Branch Controller) boxes provided at each floor. This arrangement enables heating and cooling to be delivered primarily to perimeter zones where demand is highest, while central areas are conditioned via tempered ventilation air. The hybrid configuration reduces refrigerant volumes distributed within the building by using water as the transfer medium between BC boxes and indoor units, supporting lower embodied carbon and simplifying future alterations.

For early occupation, perimeter spaces can operate with limited or no active cooling, relying instead on opening windows, hybrid ventilation, and passive measures. Where required, perimeter fan coil units can be connected to the hybrid VRF system to provide comfort cooling and heating, sized appropriately for office and write‑up spaces.

Peak lopping capability is available via the hybrid VRF system, allowing short‑term cooling loads to be met efficiently without oversizing plant.

As tenant requirements intensify, the system can be incrementally upgraded to support higher internal heat gains associated with dry labs, wet labs, and advanced science uses. Internal fan coil units can be connected to the hybrid VRF system to serve central zones, and additional cooling capacity can be introduced without modification to the base distribution strategy. Riser space and plant space have been safeguarded to allow future tenant‑installed process cooling plant, ensuring specialist cooling demands can be met independently of the base building systems.

Ventilation

The ventilation strategy for the FUSE project is designed to provide a simple, low‑energy base solution with clearly defined and deliverable upgrade paths to accommodate a wide range of future tenant uses. The approach combines natural, hybrid, and mechanical ventilation principles to balance energy efficiency, flexibility, and occupant comfort.

At base‑build level, perimeter spaces are ventilated using a hybrid ventilation strategy, combining opening windows with hybrid ventilation units. This provides robust background ventilation suitable for office and write‑up environments while minimising plant size, energy demand, and maintenance requirements. Internal areas are served by central air handling units operating at low air change rates, providing approximately 1.5 air changes per hour, appropriate for initial low‑intensity occupation. WC areas are ventilated independently in line with statutory requirements.

The building has been designed with sufficient riser space, plant space, and façade louvre provision to enable progressive enhancement of the ventilation systems as tenant needs develop. The strategy allows for up to 100% of the floorplate to be upgraded to 10 l/s/person for office‑based occupancy,

or for significant proportions of the building to operate at higher air change rates of 3–6 air changes per hour to support dry labs, simple wet labs, and advanced science spaces.

Specialist ventilation requirements, including fume cupboard extract, pressure regime control, and localised plant rooms, are intentionally provided by tenants. The landlord systems incorporate the necessary spatial allowances and connection points to allow these specialist systems to be integrated without disruption. Overall, the ventilation strategy ensures the building can operate efficiently on day one, while remaining fully capable of supporting more demanding future uses as occupier profiles evolve.

Domestic hot and cold water

The domestic hot and cold-water strategy for the FUSE project follows the overarching principle of providing a simple, efficient base‑build system with clear upgrade pathways to support future tenant requirements.

A landlord cold water storage tank is located at ground floor level to provide a secure and resilient potable water supply to the building. This serves the landlord cores and provides take‑off points for tenant systems, ensuring adequate capacity and pressure are available for a range of future uses without modification to the primary infrastructure. Booster sets are provided where required to maintain performance across the building.

Hot water generation for landlord areas is provided via instantaneous electric water heaters serving WC cores. This removes the need for hot water storage and secondary circulation, significantly reducing standing losses and minimising legionella risk. The strategy aligns with the low‑occupancy nature of base‑build spaces and supports a fossil‑fuel‑free all‑electric solution.

Tenant areas are intentionally lightly serviced at base build, with tenants responsible for providing local hot water heaters and any specialist water systems within their demise. Connections to a Cat 5 water system are allowed for, enabling future tenants to introduce higher‑grade water treatment where required for laboratory or technical uses. Space and connection points are safeguarded to accommodate purified water systems without disruption to the landlord systems.

Overall, the domestic water strategy provides a robust and hygienic base solution while allowing tenants to tailor and upgrade water systems in line with their operational needs, supporting the building’s long‑term adaptability and value.

Services Design Criteria

The performance criteria for the FUSE MEP strategy have been deliberately structured to support a wide range of occupancies, while avoiding over‑specification at base‑build stage. The criteria define a clear hierarchy of performance levels, allowing the building to perform efficiently from day one, whilst remaining capable of supporting more technically demanding uses as tenant requirements evolve.

Thermal comfort is maintained using adaptive comfort principles where appropriate, alongside defined winter and summer set points for mechanically conditioned spaces. These criteria ensure low energy consumption, reduced plant sizes, and simple operation during early occupation.

For enhanced office, dry lab, and wet lab environments, the performance criteria step up in a controlled and predictable manner. Ventilation performance increases progressively from 3 air changes per hour up to 6 air changes per hour, with allowance for negative pressure regimes and localised pressure control where required.

Electrical small power densities increase incrementally, enabling higher equipment loads to be accommodated without compromising base building systems.

Crucially, specialist performance requirements – including fume cupboard extract rates, humidity control, process cooling, piped gases, and purified water – are excluded from the landlord performance criteria and clearly identified as tenant‑provided systems. The base building instead provides spatial, infrastructural, and capacity allowances to enable these higher‑performance systems to be installed safely and efficiently in the future.

Overall, the performance criteria establish a transparent and scalable framework: allowing Morgan Sindall and future tenants to understand exactly how the building can evolve from simple office use to advanced scientific environments, while protecting energy performance, cost certainty, and long‑term asset value.

Upgrade pathway

The upgrade path strategy for the FUSE project is fundamental to the MEP design and has been developed to ensure the building can evolve smoothly from simple initial occupation to more technically demanding uses over time.

The strategy is based on a graduated approach to servicing, where systems are not over‑specified at base‑build stage but are provided with clear, logical routes for future enhancement.

At initial handover, the building supports base and basic office functions using low‑energy systems, modest servicing levels, and simple, robust infrastructure.

As tenant needs grow, each building services system can be incrementally upgraded without wholesale replacement or disruption to adjacent occupiers.

This is achieved through safeguarded riser capacity, oversized distribution zones, and allocated plant space, enabling upgrades to be delivered within the original design envelope.

The strategy allows a clear progression through enhanced office, dry lab, simple wet lab, and advanced science environments.

Ventilation rates can increase from low‑occupancy office levels to higher air change regimes, heating and cooling capacity can be expanded via the hybrid VRF framework, and electrical power densities can be increased to serve higher equipment loads.

Specialist systems such as fume extract, process cooling, medical or process gases, and high‑grade water treatment are intentionally tenant‑provided, with the base building designed to readily accept them.

Overall, the upgrade path strategy provides cost certainty at day one while future‑proofing the building, ensuring it remains attractive to a wide range of tenants and capable of supporting long‑term innovation, growth, and changing operational demands.