What makes Adelphi Portrush Unique?

Having purchased the Windsor Guesthouse in 1996, Mark Holmes was shocked at the level of energy consumption required to keep the building heated and lit.

The Adelphi Project is the result of eight years of research and head scratching by Mark and his wife, Amanda. Many trade shows and other hotels have been visited, lots of consultants “consulted” and quite a few systems “modified” to meet the very high specifications and standards which they had set themselves for the envisaged hotel project.   

The end result will ensure that the Adelphi has a much smaller carbon footprint than many buildings a third of its size! The building has also been designed to be "smart", without the complications of a full building management system. Great benefit has been gained from "design advice" provided free of charge by the Carbon Trust.

It is a combination of all the components below which have resulted in the Eco-friendly design of Adelphi Portrush.

• A super insulated & airtight newbuild section has been constructed using an Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) system. This system design was specially modified by Mark to ensure a super-insulated design. As a result, it has now gained widespread recognition as an energy efficient building method. The floors are in-situ cast concrete, a modified version of the Kingspan metal deck. These provide an excellent heatstore to stabilise the building’s temperature.  
• Approximately 27 tons of reinforcing steel was replaced with 3 tons of a specialist composite reinforcing fibre from Australia. “Barchip" is used in very heavy duty applications worldwide but this was the first time that this product had been used in vertical walls in the UK. Another Adelphi First!
• All windows are “low E” with argon fill including the wooden sliding sash windows to the front which came all the way from Vrogum in Denmark.
• Each bedroom has its own individual heat recovery ventilation unit.
• Specialist Unico air conditioning equipment providing “draught free” super-efficient heating and cooling has been installed in public areas on the ground floor as well as in some of the bedrooms. This equipment, installed by Chilltec from Ballymena, is combined with a ventilation system which is automatically activated by a sensor which detects how much oxygen has been used in the air. This results in the Conference Area always having fresh air only when it is needed thus saving on heating or cooling costs. It also means that delegates are less likely to fall asleep in a conference!
• Efficient lighting design – most of the Adelphi benefits from occupancy detection to switch the lights ON. This is particularly important in the corridors. Where possible, energy efficient fluorescent lighting has been installed. Some LED lighting is also incorporated into the project. LED strips built into the step bullnosing are being used as step downlighters, another first for the Adelphi.
• Colour changing LED lights will also be used to floodlight the front of the building.
• Bedroom lighting (& ventilation) is controlled by keycard, ensuring that lights will switch OFF shortly after a room is vacated.

Efficient equipment specification –

• The Hobart commercial dishwasher specified uses heat recovery of waste water to heat the incoming water! This manufacturer is also unique that it has a 4-sided hood to minimise steam loss.
• The kitchen fridge and freezer units are manufactured by Foster, with Zero ODP refrigerants and insulation. They are the most energy efficient available.
• The lift installed is Kone Ecodisc – the most energy efficient in its class. The heating and hot water system for the Adelphi are sized based on peak hot water demand, as heating load is minimal.
• The Health Suite uses Vent-Axia heat recovery ventilation equipment in addition to a calorex dehumidifier that minimises heat loss. The entire area uses efficient underfloor heating to heat the area and keep floors warm and dry!
• All bedroom TVs are LCD type which have lower energy consumption than standard CRT type units.
• For additional guest comfort a centralised vacuum system from Beam has been installed. This has the major benefit of quiet operation so avoiding early morning wakeup from normal vacuums, as well as total removal of dust. 

Careful consideration has been given to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

• DDA compliant carpet! Another first for Adelphi Portrush.
• You might ask how! Well, Mark & Amanda approached Ulster Carpets with an idea on how to design a staircarpet to avoid the need for hard stair nosings! They also had custom carpet designed for all corridors and public areas. The result you can see from April 2007 onwards in Adelphi Portrush!
• The building is fully accessible to an independent wheelchair-bound guest. From first approaching the Adelphi, a wheelchair user has the same access as the able-bodied person. The access ramp allows wheelchair access. The motorised door at the top of the ramp can be activated through either an intercom for initial contact, or a card access system for subsequent access. Once inside the Reception Desk is designed to faciligtate wheelchair user. The lift then provides access to all new floors. Three rooms are equipped with level entry showers.

A full history is currently being written – this is aimed at providing an insight into the complicated design and implementation of the Adelphi Project. Hopefully it will assist others to lower their carbon footprint also! The forthcoming project write-up details all the aspects of the project, elaborating on those listed above as well as covering –

• Dealing with Government departments, NITB, Invest NI, etc.
• The Design Team – critical decisions, essential knowledge.
• Dealing with Building Control, Fire Authority, Environmental Health, The Planning Service!
• The Tender process.
• How to safely implement the computerisation of a hotel, the different networks required etc..
• The search for robust IP Telephony - How to save £10k capital costs + £800 pa on a telephone system, yet provide a totally customisable solution!
• IP CCTV systems – spending the £10k saved on the telephone system!
• The search for an IP door entry and intercom system.
• The research of the best Hotel Property Management System, along with the EPOS.  

If you would like further details please contact Mark Holmes stay@adelphiportrush.com

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