Belfast museum targets Passivhaus

A £50 million redevelopment of the Ulster Folk Museum in Belfast has just received planning approval and is targeting the Passivhaus standard for its new buildings.

The 'Reawakening the Ulster Folk Museum' project, commissioned by National Museums Northern Ireland and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will see the redevelopment of the existing 56-hectare site including construction of a two-storey new 'Industry Zone' exhibition space targeting Passivhaus. Building design will be inspired by the traditional materials and crafts found throughout the building. The museum aims to be a heritage and environment resource that creates new ways to link Ulster's heritage with a sustainable future and reconnect people with nature and with the rhythms of the landscape in a time of environmental crisis.

Key stats

Construction: Timber frame
TFA: 1296 m²
Form factor: 3.06
Expected build start date: 2025
Expected completion: 2028
Certification: Aiming for Passivhaus

Ulster Folk Museum. Image credit: Hoskins Architects

QUOTE | The new buildings will be in tune with both the finest contemporary aesthetics and the best sustainable practice and will be designed and built to BREEAM Excellent and Passivhaus Standards. | National Museums NI

Construction

The timber frame project has been modelled with a predicted space heating demand of 10.4 kWh/m².a and primary energy renewable demand of 50.9 kWh/m².a, sitting comfortably within Passivhaus criteria. The roof and floor are designed to achieve U-values. of 0.10 W/m²K and the walls will have U-Values in the range of 0.10 - 0.14 W/m²K.

Ulster Folk Museum. Image credit: Hoskins Architects

Services

A centralised mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) unit will be used for public areas, with decentralised MVHRs used for the non-public spaces. Heating will be provided by a low temperature hot water system (LTHW) supplied from an air source heat pump (ASHP) to radiant panels. Comfort cooling will be provided by fan coil units served by an Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow (HVRF) system. Domestic hot water will be delivered by a two-stage heat pump system (first stage delivered at the energy centre, then boosted at the building).

QUOTE | The ambitious undertaking has presented significant challenges, including stringent energy efficiency requirements, comfort and environmental criteria and the adaptation of heritage buildings to meet modern environmental standards. | Kelsey Coey, Passivhaus Consultant and Mechanical Engineer, Arup