The Icon Center

The iCon is a new type of publically funded building, which actively promotes economic sustainability for local boroughs via the promotion of an Innovations Network or 'iNet'. There are 4 iNets in the East Midlands. The iCon building forms the Sustainable Construction iNet. The 4000m2 iCon building is a BREEAM Excellent exemplar project which uses less than 15 Kg of CO2/m2/yr and showcases the feasibility of achieving maximum energy efficiency and zero carbon status via sustainable design and construction techniques and integration of renewable energy technologies.

The innovation hub and office building in Daventry includes 54 incubation units for start up businesses, public exhibition space, conferencing facilities and cafe. It utilises features such as a timber frame construction, passive
ventilation systems, efficient heat recovery and the first commercial application of DuPont™ Energain phase-change materials to limit overheating. These phase change materials have been introduced into a number of rooms, at soffit level, and can help to reduce interior temperature peaks by as much as 7°C, optimising comfort levels and helping to save energy. This decreases air conditioning costs (by an average of 35%) and heating costs (about 15%) and can therefore make a meaningful contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of a building.

The system is supplied in panels which are sealed behind the plasterboard in walls or above ceiling panels where it absorbs ambient heat as room temperature rises (at around 22°), storing it until the temperature drops again (at around 18°), and then releasing it back into the room. It is the intent to measure the effectiveness of this material by comparing temperature changes against similar rooms that have not had the material installed.