Windcatcher X-Air Provides Natural Ventilation for Tesco Eco Store Sales Area

Monodraught has supplied and installed twelve of its Windcatcher X-Air systems to provide natural ventilation for the 82,500 square foot sales area of Tesco’s newest and largest Eco Store, which opened in Corby, Northamptonshire in January 2013. The tried and tested Monodraught Windcatcher X-Air systems are on the Tesco approved list for its Eco Stores and have been specified previously on successful installations by architects Woods Hardwick, the project’s master planners and designers. The Eco Store was built by developer Mulberry to Tesco’s specification on the St. James Industrial Estate, and is the largest Eco Store built to date. The 7.8 hectare site, which is located on one of the primary approaches to the town, has been landscaped and includes cycle routes and displays of public art. It also features a special, dynamically-designed canopy for its petrol station. The site is also within Corby’s existing ecology zone, so rather than disrupt the natural habitat of the indigenous wildlife, the site plans were adapted to include an ecology zone adjacent to the store, which also extends into an ecology corridor leading into the town centre. Commenting for Woods Hardwick, commercial director Karl Myhill says that in response to updated building regulations Tesco has included energy saving and sustainable initiatives to go beyond the standard requirement of 50% carbon reduction and ensure that the store is as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. As one of the key suppliers, Monodraught was involved early in the planning stage, later supplying twelve oval Windcatcher X-Air systems aerodynamically-designed to deliver the optimum ventilation rate to extract warm, stale air from the vast main sales area of the store and introduce fresh, naturally-ventilated air. Defining features of the Windcatcher X-Air include distinctive styling and patented LED architectural lighting, which create a unique presence on the roof of a building – day and night. For the Corby store, Monodraught also designed a unique terminal, which is now a distinctive feature of new Eco Stores and an integral part of the corporate image of the buildings. Complementing the distinctive design are other innovative features that significantly improve the Windcatcher X-Air’s performance and create a new standard in natural ventilation systems. These include Monodraught’s Activlouvre modulating aerofoil technology featuring specially-designed louvre blades to minimise resistance and maximise airflow while providing significantly smoother internal airflow. Together they optimise ventilation control and ultimate weather protection. The X-Air units, which are constructed from fully-recyclable materials, are also fitted with composite insulated upstands to achieve low U-values and high air tightness. They also make installation much quicker and easier. Other significant environmental features of the building include a timber frame, sustainable cladding and a rain water harvesting system. Summing up, Karl Myhill says: “We were proud to have designed-in such sustainable features at the start and worked with Corby Council, which was involved in enhancing the environmental credentials of Tesco’s largest environmental-format store, providing electric car charging points and a number of other initiatives.” He adds that the practice is also proud that the building has achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating without having to resort to retro-fit solutions such as photovoltaic cells and wind turbines. Commenting for Monodraught, business development director Robbert Alsem says the company is delighted to have been involved in such a prestigious and pioneering retail project and, while it is too early to assess its ultimate performance, it will be interesting to learn in future how environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient the store is. The Corby Eco Store is expected to become a benchmark for future Tesco Eco Stores. Windcatcher X-Air and Activlouvre are registered trademarks owned by Monodraught Limited. Ends