The multi award-winning restoration and conservation of the prestigious Aldourie Castle & Estate saw CDMM appointed as Building Services Engineers and Low Carbon Consultants. Working alongside a distinguished design team, including architect Ptolemy Dean and landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, this complex five-year project was successfully delivered in 2025. The works spanned the wider estate and included the careful refurbishment of the castle, renovation and repurposing of the historic stables, and the construction of new buildings including a boathouse and gatehouse. In addition, extensive infrastructure upgrades were undertaken across the landscape, gardens, and associated outbuildings. Operating within a highly sensitive listed environment required meticulous coordination at every stage. The integration of modern building services was carefully developed to respect and preserve the historic fabric, with all routes, plant locations, and interventions discreetly incorporated. Close collaboration with the wider design team and heritage stakeholders ensured that all services strategies were sympathetic to the architectural and historical significance of the estate. A key challenge of the project was improving energy performance across a collection of traditionally constructed buildings, where conventional retrofit solutions were constrained by conservation requirements. CDMM undertook a comprehensive energy feasibility study and detailed modelling of the estate-wide building portfolio to develop a robust, low-carbon strategy. This resulted in the design of a site-wide district heating network, supplied from a new energy centre housing biomass boilers. Particular care was taken in the design and siting of this facility to ensure it complemented the character of the estate. Through sensitive architectural integration and close interdisciplinary coordination, the energy centre conceived as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional “boiler house” was awarded the Georgian Group New Building Award in 2023. The project demonstrates CDMM’s ability to deliver carefully coordinated, technically sophisticated building services solutions within historic and listed settings enhancing sustainability and operational performance while preserving the unique character of heritage assets. Contractor: Kishorn Heritage Photographer: TIDE Design