AET Flexible Space was contracted to supply the innovative underfloor air conditioning (UfAC) system to 24 St James Square. The brief for AET was to maximise floor-to-ceiling heights within the constraints of the original building while providing flexible air conditioning at each floor plate.

In almost all cases, AET’s UfAC system met the requirements of this refurbishment, and in any cases where the standard system did not meet the specification, AET was able to design bespoke elements to solve the problems. Crucially, key architectural elements of the building were preserved, including the original ceilings.

The installation of an overhead air conditioning systems using ducting would have taken up valuable headroom on each floor, as well as covering up the building’s original ceilings and creating awkward junctions where window heads would otherwise meet suspended ceiling grids.

M&E Consultant for the project, Vic Holloway, from Edward Pearce LLP commented, “At the outset of the design process it was clear that the refurbishment delivered significant challenges in delivering fully serviced accommodation whilst maintaining respectable floor to ceiling heights. The AET downflow units promptly stood out as the obvious candidate for several reasons, including having the absolute minimum requirement for floor void height, and offering excellent distribution of cooling, heating and ventilation evenly across the whole floor whilst reducing energy consumption.”

A key goal for the refurbishment was to design and build a flexible workspace which could adapt to changing needs in the future. AET’s UfAC systems provide far greater flexibility than ceiling-based air conditioning systems. Once an overhead ceiling air conditioning system is installed it is not possible to easily reposition the fans. AET ‘s UfAC system is inherently flexible, modular in design, and are installed at floor level, making it easy to install, maintain and re-arrange to suit the changing needs of the workspace. AET’s FantilesTM can easily be relocated, offering huge savings when reconfiguring and adapting workspace.

The 24 St James project has already won the “Best Office Architecture London” award at the 2019 International Property Awards , and the space is currently being let as Grade A office space by BNP Paribas Real Estate.