UK’s first branded Net-Zero carbon hotel installs Artus products to provide sustainable comfort cooling
Artus Air has announced that its comfort cooling solutions – which are designed to be the most sustainable on the market – have been installed in the newly-launched voco Zeal Exeter Science Park – IHG Hotels & Resorts first branded net zero carbon hotel, in partnership with Zeal Hotels and Valor Hospitality.
The voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, a 142-bedroom premium 4-star destination, stands out with its sustainable design, which earned BREAAM Outstanding rating and is 100% electric powered. It was designed and constructed using materials chosen for their sustainable characteristics, such as the Artus AR60, to achieve best-in-class energy efficiency. It follows the Passivhaus standard for ultra-low energy buildings and uses adiabatic cooling and heat reversible heat pumps, which power solutions, including those from Artus Air, to reduce energy usage.
The Artus AR60 provided Westworks Interiors, the interior architect on the project, with a compact way of upholding the design philosophy, whilst also offering a higher performing low carbon alternative to traditional systems.
The Artus Air solutions use 89% less operational energy than comparable units with a 47% lower embodied carbon footprint, demonstrating not only cost savings but clear sustainability benefits. The unique Artus unit has a compact design to create a discreet aesthetic presence, and its patented airpath has a negligible noise emission and importantly maintains a consistent and comfortable temperature for guests and staff in communal spaces of the hotel.
Tim Wheeldon, Founding Director, Zeal Hotels, commented: “The decision to build our net zero hotel reflects our commitment to combating climate change and reducing our carbon footprint, with the intention of helping the hotel sector be net zero carbon by 2050.
“By harnessing renewable energy sources, implementing energy-efficient designs, and utilising innovative technology like the Artus solution, we have created a space that not only provides comfort and luxury but also prioritises environmental responsibility. We are looking forward to sharing our knowledge with others to help accelerate the net zero carbon process across the sector.”
Rebecca Stewart, CEO of Artus Air said: “This is such an exciting and inspiring project. We were delighted to be chosen as a sustainable comfort cooling supplier, upholding the overall design approach. Sustainable design with positive impact is the foundation of everything we do at Artus Air. We’re collaborating with likeminded businesses and people across the industry to lead positive change through considered innovation.
“Working closely with Westwork Interiors, we ensured the communal hotel spaces could be optimised to create lovely comfortable environments with a seamless design integration and minimal noise levels.
“We wish voco Zeal Exeter Science Park a huge amount of success and look forward to seeing the Zeal Hotels model expand further into a hospitality market driven by investors and travellers looking for more sustainable options and approaches.”
Ruth Wainwright, Founder and Director of Westworks Interiors commented: “Sustainability is at the core of our design, along with creating a feeling for every single voco Zeal guest of being at total ease and finding conscious comfort and calm during their stay. From the outset we followed the principle of considered, simple and refined design in the space planning but also in the FF&E specifications and solutions we chose to go with. Not only do the materials and products matter, but how people use them and maintain them. All of these choices drive operational sustainability and ease – that is vital. We want this hotel to stand the test of time, that is crucial to the design philosophy, and why solutions like Artus Air’s comfort cooling are ideal for this type of environment.
“For us, it was effortless to incorporate Artus Air’s products into the overall design aesthetic. It was refreshing to work with a heating and cooling system that we were happy to showcase in and around our designs rather than the usual struggle of trying to hide (unsuccessfully) traditional, cumbersome systems. Artus units are pretty simple really – they perform a vital function whilst being hugely sustainable and looking good: which made our job far easier.
“The vision and foresight of Zeal Hotels, as well as the attitude of the whole design team have created a standout hotel which is now a driver for the sustainability standards that premium, elegant hotels can deliver. It was great fun and incredibly interesting to be a part of. We do hope that more developers and hoteliers will look to voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, and all that it is doing to ‘better’ the hotel world and want to do something similar – which will be an amazing outcome for the industry in the long run.”
Photography credit: Julian Preece
