Long Term Event HVAC Solution for Aston Villa
- LOCATION: Villa Park
In early 2025, Aston Villa FC embarked on a comprehensive programme to increase the hospitality capacity at Villa Park ahead of their UEFA Champions League campaign. Flow were approached to design, install, and maintain a temporary HVAC system for a luxury hospitality suite.
Project overview
Flow provided a low-carbon, flexible heating and cooling solution that could operate across the changing seasons, all within a tight installation compound in the heart of an active city centre stadium. Flow designed and deployed a low-emission heating and cooling solution combined with power distribution, a lighting array and seamless cabling to create a comfortable, high-quality hospitality structure. The full installation was completed in just two days.
The 180 kW Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) was capable of both heating in the early spring and evening matches, while seamlessly switching to cooling for summer matchdays.
IN Numbers
- 1 x 180kW Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
- 12 x high-performance fan coil units
- 10 x drum lights
- 5 x distribution boards
- 1,100m cabling (1PH – 3PH)
The challenge
The key challenge of this project was the city centre site location. This required careful site planning to install equipment around the temporary structure.
A large tree, which was protected under a Tree Protection Order, added further complexities to design. To safely accommodate the tree, GL events, the temporary structure provider, designed the hospitality suite with a small inner quadrangle, essentially providing four zones within the structure. This created an unusual floor area and structure shape, meaning we had to work hand in hand with GL events to plan cable routing to engineer a seamless solution. Around 50% of the cabling was sub floor level, with the remaining cabling to the 12 fan coil units, ducted or routed around the structure to provide a clean high-quality finish.
Innovation and outcomes
Historically, two solutions would have been required for this application, a boiler in winter and a chiller in summer. A dual solution would have required two transport costs, twice the disruption with equipment deliveries and uncertainty as to the best time to swap the system from heating to cooling. With an ASHP, the system remotely cycles between heating and cooling as required in a matter of minutes, adapting in real time to changing weather and temperature conditions. This efficient system generates chilled or heated water depending on the climate, which was then distributed to 12 strategically positioned fan coil units around the hospitality structure.
All controls were optimised for non-specialist operation, reducing reliance on external support. Specialist engineers from Flow held an equipment familiarisation session to enable the client FM team to understand the system. Due to their knowledge of the system and the robust set up, there were zero reactive callouts for the duration of the installation. The system was signed off toto BS7909 standards and stress tested pre-handover. A Standby Engineer was on site for the first activation.
Hospitality and VIP sections were improved, enhancing comfort and spectator experience. As well as structures, other GL events UK business units joined forces, with Xpect Furniture providing high quality furniture for one of the fixtures.
What We Provided
- Expert design service
- Air Source Heat Pumps
- Drum lighting
- Cabeling and distribution
- Maintenance and support
Let's talk
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Experts in delivery of temporary and semi-permanent power, heating and cooling
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