Net Zero UK was appointed to deliver the full decarbonisation design for Vine Court, a major student accommodation development at the University of Liverpool, funded through the Salix Low Carbon Fund.

The project replaces the existing gas-fired boiler systems with low‑carbon air‑to‑water heat pumps across two buildings, the East and West Blocks, which together contain approximately 750 one‑bedroom apartments. The West Block also includes retail spaces, a restaurant, kitchen areas, and office accommodation at ground level.

Our early involvement focused on identifying and allocating suitable space for the new plant equipment. This included feasibility studies, strip‑out assessments, and an evaluation of the existing plant room’s capacity, along with the requirement for additional ancillary pipework and potential extensions to house the new mechanical systems.

Noise constraints were a central challenge due to the buildings’ use as student accommodation. We worked closely with the client and design team to determine optimal heat pump placement that met acoustic requirements while minimising disruption to residents.

A range of routing strategies was assessed to connect the internal plant room to the external heat pump units, considering cost, aesthetics, and constructability. External routing was agreed upon and required careful detailing to ensure visual quality, insulation performance, maintenance access and long‑term durability.

Given the high demand for domestic hot water across the buildings, we collaborated with the Building Management System (BMS) contractors to analyse existing performance and ensure smooth integration with the proposed heat pump systems.

The final design incorporates two new air‑to‑water heat pumps serving the East Block and three serving the West Block, all installed on the roofs of the respective buildings. The scheme also includes an extension and refurbishment of the plant room to enable full integration of the upgraded low‑carbon mechanical systems.