Historic building converted with Flair

Grade II listed building is being given a new lease of life including state-of-art ventilation via the Flair system from Passivent.

The two centuries-old Norcliffe Hall in Styal, Cheshire, is now being converted by Avalon Trustee Co into eight luxury apartments, with adjacent mews cottages being upgraded for occupancy by older people.

Designed by Rob Lee of Cheshire Architects, each of the apartments will retain as many original features as possible whilst providing modern living, including state-of-art ventilation via the Flair system from Passivent.

Virtually silent, the Passivent Flair system links a purpose-designed stylish kitchen extractor hood and extracts in the "wet" bathrooms and en-suites to one remotely located fan discreetly positioned in a services cupboard in each apartment and ducted through the external wall.

The central, continuously running fan operates at low level until the cooker hood is switched on, which simultaneously boosts the fan and opens a damper in the hood to extract cooking smells and moisture from the kitchen.

Self-regulating, non-electrical extracts in the bathroom and en-suite automatically ensure the correct, pre-set level of ventilation is maintained, even when the system is boosted by operation of the cooker hood.

Passivent Flair means all rooms are properly ventilated to Building Regulations, and requires only one wiring loop instead of at least two.

Further, as the fan is located in the services cupboard, even when the cooker hood is 'on', extraction is virtually silent.

Rob Lee adds, "We have aimed to utilise careful design to restore the hall to its former glory, retaining numerous original internal features.

Part of that aim, and the listed building status, meant we needed to minimise the number of extractor fan grilles visible from the outside.

"The services cupboard in each apartment was the ideal place to locate the Flair system motor, and the system itself means we have only one ventilation penetration through the external wall per apartment".

Norcliffe Hall has been empty for some years.

Originally the home of the Greg family who owned nearby Quarry Bank Mill- now a National Trust property- the hall had been used as a nursing home.

The one- to three-bedroomed apartments will be available for short and long term lease.

Passivent is the only natural ventilation supplier to offer independent BBA certification across its product range.

In addition to the Passivent Flair system, it supplies a comprehensive range of through window and through wall trickle ventilators, plus natural and assisted ventilation solutions with or without acoustic options.

Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group which specialises in developing innovative yet practical ventilation and roofing products in line with changing market requirements.

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