Behind the Scenes: The Barbican Heating and Cooling Study
By Helen Hudson Environment, Estate matters, Underfloor heating, Underfloor heating
Many residents will be aware of the ongoing study into the Barbican’s communal electric underfloor heating system. What began as an investigation into heating performance has evolved into a broader examination of how our homes perform throughout the year, including both winter heating and summer overheating.
The study is being led by Ambue Ltd, supported by CIS Ltd and monitoring specialists Atamate Ltd. Since 2025, volunteer flats across the Estate have participated in surveys, inspections and monitoring programmes designed to build a detailed picture of how Barbican homes behave in real-world conditions.
A wide range of techniques has been used, including environmental monitoring, energy metering, air-tightness testing, thermal analysis and three-dimensional scans of flats. The objective is to gather reliable evidence on resident comfort, heat loss, energy consumption and overall building performance.
The findings will be used to develop and test potential options for improving comfort and efficiency across the Estate. According to City of London documentation, these could include changes to the communal heating system, supplementary heating approaches, ventilation measures and improvements to the building fabric.
As the project has progressed, its scope has expanded to include cooling and overheating issues as well as winter heating performance. This has enabled monitoring to continue through different seasons, providing a more complete understanding of how Barbican homes respond to varying weather conditions throughout the year. Note that the City of London is covering the cost of the extended part.
Work has now progressed through surveys, monitoring and detailed modelling phases. The additional monitoring should allow the final recommendations to be based on a fuller picture of life in Barbican homes across all seasons.
For residents who have volunteered their flats and time, the study represents one of the most detailed investigations ever undertaken into the Estate’s heating and environmental performance. The hope is that the results will provide a strong evidence base for future decisions about comfort, energy use and the long-term operation of the Barbican’s unique heating system.
Findings are expected shortly and the BA will share updates as they become available.