Consultants: Leverage Inc., Barbados
Barbados is a long way from High Wycombe but ten Monodraught Windcatchers have recently been installed in the refurbishment of an indoor market in Bridgetown , Barbados in the West Indies. Those readers lucky enough to have been to Barbados will know that there is nearly always a gentle breeze from the offshore wind, so despite the much higher temperatures than the UK , Monodraught's Windcatcher systems appear to be perfectly suited to provide natural ventilation as a low energy solution to this indoor food market in the middle of Bridgetown and other similar 'green' Projects.
The Consultants for the Project were, Leverage Inc, who are Barbados based but the Contractors were the China State Construction Company, which meant the lines of communication with Monodraught were a little difficult at times! One of Monodraught's Engineers had the enviable task of flying out to Barbados to supervise the installation!
The Windcatchers are designed to encapsulate any prevailing wind and carry that wind movement down into the space below, whereas any heat generated inside the building will rise naturally to the underside of roof level being exhausted through the passive stack element of the Windcatcher system. Normally in the UK , modulating dampers are provided but in Barbados , where the temperature remains at around 30°C throughout the year, the high level of control was unnecessary.
This high profile installation in Barbados is just one of a number of similar schemes currently in the design and planning stage, since it appears that throughout the world, everyone is interested in saving energy and improving the indoor environment. |
