SBEM Calculations for Blackpool Upside Down House
The team at SAP2SBEM (now rebranding as EnergyReg) delivered SBEM calculations for one of the UK’s most unusual new attractions — the Upside Down House in Blackpool. This gravity-defying experiential venue, with its striking ocean-blue exterior and 13 themed interactive rooms, presented extraordinary challenges for energy modelling and building regulations compliance.
The Challenge
Traditional SBEM assumptions about floors, roofs, and thermal exposure simply did not apply. The inverted design meant that what visitors experience as a floor was structurally functioning as a roof (and vice versa), creating complex questions around element orientation, heat loss paths, and U-value assignment.
In addition, the spaces were correctly classified as event spaces rather than standard commercial or assembly areas. Because of the inverted construction, typical gravity-fed water services in toilets and sinks would not operate as expected. This required precise activity-type selection and operational profiling in the model to avoid misrepresenting energy demand while still achieving realistic and compliant results.
Our Approach
Our Elmhurst-accredited assessors worked closely with the design and construction teams from an early stage. We carefully re-mapped the entire thermal envelope, correctly assigning exposure and heat loss characteristics to every element according to its true physical behaviour rather than its visual appearance.
Thermal bridging at the unconventional junctions was assessed in detail, and the SBEM model was built with accurate geometry and activity profiles that reflected the building’s real-world use as a visitor attraction. The result was clear, well-documented evidence that satisfied Building Control requirements under Part L.
Results
The Upside Down House achieved full compliance and opened successfully as a major new Blackpool attraction. The client was delighted with our ability to solve these highly technical and unusual problems and left an excellent 5-star Google review praising our professionalism and expertise on this one-of-a-kind project.
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