System Five was very proud to have been selected earlier this year by Knight Harwood to join the team working on the restoration and renewal project at the Royal Academy of Arts Schools.
The impressive project team also includes Arup, a sustainable development consultancy, Buro Four, project managers, Harley Haddow, a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy and Fairhurst, consulting engineers.
Founded in 1768, The Royal Academy of Arts is an independent charity that exists to promote art and artists through exhibitions, education, and debate from its Grade II listed home, located on Piccadilly. The RAA promotes not just the appreciation and understanding of art, but also its practice and is home to Britain’s first art school, the RA Schools where students can undertake a three-year postgraduate course.
The project will see the transformation of the RA Schools space to provide a fully accessible, flexible and high-quality work environment for its staff and students through careful restoration and enhancement of the historic buildings alongside new facilities and contemporary spaces.
The whole team acknowledge the responsibility of working on this iconic building of historic significance.
The works involve extensive structural alterations and will provide a new suite of professional specialist workshops, library, canteen and leisure facilities.
System Five’s engineers are currently in the process of adapting and extending an existing Trend Control Systems based BEMS to cater for new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems along with kitchen ventilation and comprehensive metering, all of which will ensure the comfort and functioning of the school and allow the space to operate with much improved energy efficiency.
Commissioning is now underway, and we look forward to seeing the completion of this historic project early next year.