Case Study from: Kench Consultants
Learn how Kench Consultants designed 7 large private dwellings in just 1.5 days, and saved over 3.5 working days using h2x.
Name: Rob Adams
Role: Associate Director
Company: Kench Consultants
Location: South London, United Kingdom
Results at a glance:
All 7 plots designed in 1.5 working days
3.5+ days saved initially (plus 2 days saved through design changes)
Auto-updates to pump duties and pipe sizes to make fewer errors and faster approvals
See how this was done:
The Background
Kench Consultants Ltd. were appointed to deliver the full mechanical and electrical design for seven large private dwellings in South London. Each plot required boosted cold water and hot water cylinders, and individual air source heat pumps splitting into two circuits: one serving the hot water cylinder primary, the other feeding a low temperature heating circuit with underfloor heating.
The team needed a consistent way to size domestic water and heating systems across multiple, near-parallel plots, while producing drawings and documentation that could be approved quickly and handed to CAD without rework.
The Challenge
Under traditional methods, the programme would stretch. Pressure drop calculations for seven booster sets and fourteen heating circuits, manual pipe sizing, and drawing mark-ups typically add up to as much as five working days for a scheme of this scope.
Frequent design changes compound the risk. Re-calculating pump duties and re-establishing sizes as layouts evolve is time-consuming and error-prone. The team needed calculations that update automatically so confidence stays high while the design moves forward.
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The Solution
Kench Consultants modelled both heating and domestic water for all seven plots in h2x, completing set-up, inputs, and full calculations in 1.5 working days. The outputs included PDF plans for CAD and pressure drop calculations for all pumps, removing manual transcription and speeding approvals. "The fact that calculations and PDF mark-ups are produced at the same time is also very beneficial," notes Rob Adams. "In some instances we've been able to send the output direct from h2x to clients for approval before we commit to final drawings, which has allowed us to save considerable time."
When architect-led updates arrived, the linked model allowed the team to adjust layouts and immediately see pump duties and pipe sizes refresh, maintaining compliance and momentum. "The speed of h2x is the biggest advantage... with pump duties and pipe sizes updating automatically," says Rob. "It also reduces the opportunity for human error when calculating pump pressure losses, which is something that has been very time-consuming in the past."
The Results
The initial design period saved at least 3.5 working days, with a further 2 days recovered through iterations, turning a week-long task into a tightly managed 1.5-day delivery. Automated pressure loss checks and clear sizing logic increased assurance across engineering, client review, and installation.
Commercially, the combined calculation plus PDF workflow paid off. Kench could send h2x outputs directly to clients for early approval and support contractors with better pricing information. As Rob adds: "We've also used h2x to advise our contractor clients on estimated pipework lengths so that they can make their tenders more accurate, which they've been very grateful for."
h2x: All-In-One Tool for Calculating, Designing, Estimating, and Paperwork
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