Spring 2015 has seen the first stages of a £40million pound renovation in Southampton reaching its completion.

The brand new Guild Hall Cultural Quarter complex will feature seven restaurants and retail spaces, as well as a gallery and an arts centre with two auditoria, a dance studio and several education spaces.

The Guild Hall Square project will also be home to 38 luxury apartments that are designed to be energy efficient and strive to be the epitome of sustainable living. The apartments, which range from one bedroom units to three bed homes, will all feature underfloor heating from leading UFH manufacturer, Giacomini UK.

By heating almost entirely by radiation, underfloor heating offers an efficient and comfortable form of heating and new residents in the Guild Hall Apartments will soon reap the benefits. The large surface area of the floor means the system does not have to be heated to the same high temperatures as a radiator. By distributing heat through the use of lower operating temperatures, underfloor heating can reduce running costs by up to 30 percent. Cost efficiency is also boosted by minimising waste energy. Underfloor heating allows different rooms to have different temperatures, which is achieved by thermostats that allow independent control.

Whilst working on the project, Giacomini partnered with M&E contractors, A F Connell, based in Halifax. Steve Parkin, Mechanical Operations Manager at A. F. Connell, commented: “Having worked with Giacomini on many previous successful contracts, we engaged their services as our preferred UFH installer right from the very outset for this prestigious new development. Giacomini’s design and project management team has been committed and professional at all times and worked closely with AFC to ensure we meet the clients’ requirements in full”.

Managing director of Giacomini UK, Matt Lowe, commented: “The work going on in Southampton to rejuvenate the city is very impressive and the plans for the Cultural Quarter look great. We’re delighted to have been selected as the underfloor heating supplier for the apartments. Sustainability and energy efficiency are always the main driver in our design and innovation so our UFH fits in perfectly with the aims of the Guild Hall Square project.”

The retail units and residential areas are due to open in spring 2015 and the arts complex is set for completion in 2016. Giacomini UK specialises in providing a unique complete underfloor heating package, taking projects from design through to manufacturing and installation via its network of approved UFH installers.

For more information about Giacomini please visit www.giacomini.co.uk.