Norfolk I

Outside London

Description

Full detailed design and installation of air conditioning, ventilation and wine store cooling to traditionally styled new-build family home on the Norfolk coast, located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Client

Private Client

Appointed By

Beechwood Estates & Development

Design

Kate Thomson Design | Atelier Associates

The Brief

Introduced through a client recommendation, Calibre was approached to provide high-specification air conditioning and ventilation for a new-build family home on the Norfolk coast. The client’s key priority was silent operation even when operating at full capacity. Early engagement allowed us to develop the system design in conjunction with the wider property design to ensure performance, comfort and visual integration were considered before construction progressed.

The SOLUTION

Step 1 - Virtual Meeting

During the initial consultation, we established the client’s outline requirements and priorities across air conditioning, ventilation and wine store cooling. The discussion focused on achieving quiet operation, simple room-by-room control and a discreet installation throughout the home, with early consideration given to plant locations, service routes and the need to protect the architectural and interior design intent.

Step 2 - Design Workshop

As the next stage in Calibre’s five-step process, the project moved from outline discussion to a Design Workshop. This allowed our consultants to review the property in detail, assess the basement and principal living spaces, and identify where services could be integrated without visual impact. Plant locations, concealment strategies and coordination with joinery, AV and electrical services were considered from the outset.

Step 3 - Scope of Works

The scope of works translated the client’s requirements into a clear technical framework. It covered air conditioning to the bedrooms, study and gym, MVHR to the basement, wine store cooling, plant locations, controls, service routes and associated coordination requirements. This was presented alongside the design and installation proposal, giving the client and wider project team a clear understanding of how the systems would be delivered within the architectural and interior scheme.

Step 4 - Design Development

Design development focused on integrating the systems into a new-build home where performance expectations were high and the visual impact needed to remain minimal. The air conditioning design was developed to serve the bedrooms, study and gym, with careful attention given to sound attenuation so that the system would remain quiet in sensitive spaces, including bedrooms.

The basement required a separate ventilation strategy, with MVHR integrated into the coffered ceilings serving the games, bar and TV areas. This allowed ventilation to be incorporated into the architectural detailing rather than treated as a visible add-on. In the master dressing room, coordination with the joinery design was particularly important, ensuring equipment and routes could be concealed while maintaining clean interior lines.

External plant was positioned behind the house, using the mass of the building to help screen noise and reduce visual impact. Wine store cooling was also incorporated into the design, providing stable temperature control within the wider mechanical strategy. Throughout the process, Calibre coordinated closely with the client, architects, interior designer, joiners and main contractor to ensure each system was integrated into the building fabric and interior detailing.

Step 5 - Project Delivery

Our operations team delivered the installation in coordination with the wider construction programme, ensuring the air conditioning, ventilation and specialist cooling systems were installed in line with the agreed design intent.

By coordinating the system design and installation as a single specialist package, we were able to maintain consistency between the client’s performance requirements and the finished result. The completed systems were commissioned, balanced and tested, with individual room controllers provided for simple day-to-day operation. The installation was handed over on programme, with the systems fully operational and aligned with the client’s priorities for quiet performance, reliability and minimal visual impact.

Project Completion & Key Takeaways

The completed installation provides high-specification comfort throughout the property while remaining largely hidden within the architecture and interior design. Key achievements included quiet operation across the bedrooms and gym, concealed ventilation within the basement coffered ceilings, discreet integration within the master dressing room, and stable temperature control for the wine store. Early involvement allowed the systems to be coordinated before construction progressed, reducing compromise and ensuring the final result remained sympathetic to both the traditional coastal architecture and the detailed interior scheme.

Testimonials

Steve Sharp, Architect, Atelier Associates: Calibre Climate understood the process perfectly and were extremely flexible when considering different outlet options within the rooms. It was essential that the outlets didn’t compromise the finish. The Calibre Climate team developed bespoke solutions from our sketches, and the result is perfect.

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