Victaulic, the global pioneer in mechanical pipe joining, has partnered with renowned mechanical, electrical and HVAC contractor, WS Swift to successfully retrofit and upgrade the HVAC system within an iconic 265,800 sq. ft. office and retail building in the heart of London.
This project, carried out over the summer of 2024, involved replacing the existing chillers with cutting-edge air source heat pump systems — all while the building remained fully operational and occupied without disruption.
Advantages of Victaulic’s flame-free
The project showcased the advantages of Victaulic’s flame-free, reconfigurable pipe joining solutions
The project showcased the advantages of Victaulic’s flame-free, reconfigurable pipe joining solutions, ensuring efficiency, safety, and adaptability in a live environment.
“The partnership with Victaulic allowed us to deliver an efficient solution tailored to the needs of the building and its tenants. The simplicity of the installation process, compared to flame-based pipe joining, helped us to stay on schedule and reduce the carbon footprint of the project,” said Chris Rodwell, Mechanical Project Manager at WS Swift.
The increasing focus on decarbonizing London
London is implementing various strategies to decarbonize its buildings. The GLA reports that 78% of greenhouse gases in the UK’s capital are produced from buildings. The built environment has a significant role to play in meeting the UK’s climate action targets.
“Decarbonizing existing buildings in London is a critical step to meet net zero goals,” said Ed Hamlyn, Technical Sales Engineer at Victaulic, adding “We’re proud to support projects like 1 Stephen Street with innovative solutions that make retrofitting faster, safer, and more adaptable, while also reducing on-site emissions.”
Focus on refitting existing piping systems
Victaulic is frequently the preferred partner for mechanical pipework solutions
WS Swift is renowned in the MEP industry, specializing in installing, maintaining, and upgrading systems. They have found that many of their London projects now focus on refitting existing piping systems with more efficient options.
Victaulic is frequently the preferred partner for mechanical pipework solutions, thanks to their reusable, reconfigurable, and recyclable products that are installed without the need of flames.
New technology with thoughtful planning
“Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. On this Stephen Street project, Victaulic solutions meant we were able to minimize emissions, reuse components, and support a circular economy — all while delivering a cutting-edge HVAC system,” said Daniel Swift, Managing Director of WS Swift.
He adds, “Decarbonizing an existing building is far more complex than starting from scratch. This project shows how combining new technology with thoughtful planning can transform older spaces into sustainable, energy-efficient environments with little to no impact on building operation.”
Navigating the intricacies of retrofitting an active building
During the planning phase, WS Swift initially considered welding for the retrofit
During the planning phase, WS Swift initially considered welding for the retrofit. However, early assessments revealed that the time required for welders to be on-site would be excessive — almost permanent — not a scenario that would work for the contractor or the building owner.
Given these constraints, teamed with the requirement for low emissions on this decarbonization project, Victaulic came out as the ideal solution.
Flame-free pipe joining method from Victaulic
“During planning, we took our original drawings to Victaulic's Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) department,” said Daniel Swift, adding “They converted our welded model into detailed 3D drawings which helped to visualize and optimize the piping design and mitigate any potential system clashes prior to installation.”
Another major factor in choosing Victaulic was the need to work within an occupied building. Since tenants remained in place throughout the upgrade, safety on-site was of course a key consideration and the flame-free pipe joining method from Victaulic eliminated any potential risk of fire.
Visual confirmation of proper installation
Instead of welding, pipes are grooved and joined with a mechanical coupling secured by two bolts
Victaulic provides a streamlined alternative to welding by eliminating hot works. Instead of welding, pipes are grooved and joined with a mechanical coupling secured by two bolts.
This method is faster, requires no specialist labor, produces no on-site emissions, and offers clear visual confirmation of proper installation. Additionally, the couplings are easily removable and reusable.
“The beauty of Victaulic is that we can have the correct lengths and sizes on site thanks to the detailed drawings Victaulic provided,” said Chris Rodwell, adding “Victaulic products can be assembled so easily, and our operatives are fully trained by Victaulic. It just made sense for us to use Victaulic for this project.”
Meeting tight project deadlines on a live building project
Upgrading an HVAC system in an operational building presents unique challenges. With this project taking place during the summer of 2024, it was crucial to keep the building cool throughout the installation process.
Daniel Swift continues, "Multiple systems were running back-to-back to keep the building cool. As we shut down old chillers, we provided temporary cooling systems – all using Victaulic products as they are so adaptable – allowing the temporary system to be quickly disassembled and reconfigured at a new location, all using the same materials."
"At times, the parts of the existing and new cooling systems were running simultaneously meaning that there was a constant need to change configuration,” said Daniel Swift, adding “We’ve used Victaulic before and it’s tremendously reliable. In this circumstance, we were able to temporarily build sections of the plant room and then relocate them to other parts of the building when needed.”
Reconfigurable nature of the system
The reconfigurable nature of the system allows for live modifications to be made quickly and easily on-site
Time considerations also become more critical. Project deadlines are always important, however when upgrading a fully occupied and operational building, there is even more pressure. Victaulic solutions significantly impacted project timelines.
Their Installation-Ready™ couplings are designed for quick and easy installation, translating to faster assembly times, resulting in less time on site. The reconfigurable nature of the system allows for live modifications to be made quickly and easily on-site, reducing the risk of delays.
“Using Victaulic solutions means there is a big saving on time because their products are so much quicker to install. Minor alterations are very quick and easy to execute too,” said Chris Rodwell.
A blueprint for future retrofits
With the GLA introducing the Accelerated Green Pathway, which outlines that 2.2 million heat pumps will be in use in London’s buildings by 2030, there is no doubt that Victaulic and WS Swift’s work will be replicated many times in the coming years.
“It's easy to summarize, really. The key benefits for us partnering with Victaulic are the reconfigurability of its system, the fact products can be reused, the fact that there’s no welding, and no emissions on site, and that the products can be recycled at end of life bring great advantages to any decarbonization jobs. This project is a testament to the power of innovative partnerships in shaping a greener future,” Daniel Swift concluded.
