Regents Park II
Description
Planning application, design and installation of air conditioning installed to six rooms in a listed terraced apartment in Regent’s Park, running concurrently with works to the neighbouring flat, navigating high-specification interiors and tight spatial constraints.
Client
Private Client
Appointed By
Private Client
Design
TR Studio
The Brief
Having previously collaborated with Tom Rutt’s architecture studio, Calibre was approached to define the scope of works for air conditioning within a terraced apartment that had stood vacant since the war. The property was being refurbished on a blank canvas behind a listed façade. The brief soon expanded to include full system design, covering both internal and external elements, as well as preparing the technical documentation required for a Westminster planning submission. With the capability to manage every stage of the process in-house, Calibre provided an efficient solution to what is often a fragmented and costly process.
The SOLUTION
Step 1 – Virtual Meeting
Having been introduced to the clients by TR Studio, we held a virtual meeting with both parties to outline room-by-room cost options, explore different aesthetic approaches, and explain legal, planning, and acoustic considerations. The session focused on setting initial priorities and helping the client understand what was possible for the project.
Step 2 – Design Workshop
Following our virtual meeting, the clients engaged our consultants for our paid design workshop on site. We assessed planning requirements, finalised room-by-room specifications, and confirmed client preferences, providing all the information needed to develop a clear and actionable scope of works.
Step 3 – Scope of Works
Having established the clients’ requirements during the design workshop, we assessed all elements necessary to meet them and consolidated this into a clear scope of works. This was presented to the clients alongside a fixed cost for designing the system and a close estimate of the anticipated installation cost. The scope was then expanded to include the planning permission package as an add-on. During this stage, the neighbours in the flat above, who had previously owned this apartment, engaged us to assess their own air conditioning requirements, so we incorporated their needs into the scope of works.
Step 4 – Design Development
The planning process was fully managed for the property, including specification of the condensers, identification of options for plant location, preparation of technical and site drawings, and submission to the local authority with recommended wording. Condensers were designed to be located in the basement car park. Two 24-hour noise surveys were undertaken, which proved that no external acoustic treatment was required. Pipework ran through a commercial area outside the client’s ownership, so, with agreement from building management, The Crown and Motcomb Estates, and the clients, we routed it through a floor-to-ceiling cupboard in the commercial area of the ground floor. All decisions, including planning, took into account heritage and acoustic requirements and also considered the requirements of the upstairs neighbours’ system to ensure coordination between both properties where possible to minimise cost and disruption.
Internally, the system design required highly detailed coordination with the joinery and other trades to work within tight spatial constraints. In one of the bedrooms, limited ceiling height meant full attenuation of the fan coil unit wasn’t possible in the usual configuration. We resolved this by specifying an attenuator on the discharge side, with acoustically lined voids within the stud wall for the intake, all contained within the thickness of the stud wall. Intake and supply were positioned at high level within the joinery, using different parts of the same slot for supply and return. Throughout the property, ductwork and terminals were integrated into the joinery with low visibility, including a subtle shadow gap in the kitchen above the doors, ensuring the design was both acoustically effective and visually discreet.
Step 5 – Project Delivery
Our experienced in-house operations team then took on the installations to both properties concurrently, coordinating access, trades, and logistics to ensure minimal disruption. The installations were completed in line with the wider refurbishment programme, and were handed over on schedule, fully operational, and meeting all requirements agreed during the design and planning stages. Our aftercare team then took on the system to provide ongoing preventative maintenance and support.
Project Completion & Key Takeaways
Our design-led process successfully navigated a complex brief involving the Crown Estate, Motcomb Estates, and building management, avoiding complications that would have arisen with multiple consultants. We secured planning permission and delivered a system that met expectations across the board, deliberately designing it to meet noise regulations without costly external acoustic enclosures. Shared pipework between properties optimised cost and efficiency. Following completion of the project, our clients recommended us to relatives, for whom we are now undertaking design and installation, with on-site completion expected in Q1 2026.
Testimonials
Sayaka Namba, Lead Project Architect at TR Studio: We worked with Calibre recently on this tricky listed property with a lot of planning constraints. Despite a challenging pipework route and condenser location, they took a very flexible approach to designing within these constraints, while keeping an eye for detail all the way through. Their support was invaluable in every element of the design, and they were able to coordinate seamlessly with both architecture and interior design.
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