Mechanical Engineering · Design, Installation and Commissioning
Daikin VRV air conditioning for prime London properties
Comfort cooling in a design-led London property is a spatial problem before it is a mechanical one. Condensers need somewhere to live that planning and neighbours will accept; indoor units must disappear into ceilings and joinery; refrigerant pipework and condensate must travel routes the architecture can absorb. Daikin's VRV platform gives an experienced engineering team the flexibility to solve all of this well – and AVC designs, installs and commissions it as one continuous scope.
We size systems from calculated heat loads rather than rules of thumb, select indoor units around the interior design rather than against it, and commission every zone so the system performs as the calculations intended. The result is cooling and heating the household or business simply feels – without ever being asked to look at it.
Photo location: AVC-EXP-VRV-01
Beautifully finished London living space with air conditioning fully concealed – only a discreet linear grille visible
Landscape · 16:9 · min 2400 px wide
VRV is Daikin's variable refrigerant volume air-conditioning technology – the original form of what the wider industry calls VRF – in which one outdoor condenser serves many discreet indoor units, each individually controlled. AVC Integrations designs, installs and commissions Daikin VRV systems for prime residential and high-end commercial projects across London, taking responsibility from heat-load calculation through to commissioning and handover.
The starting point
The problem: cooling that arrives too late in the design
Air conditioning added late to a high-value project generates the same failures again and again: condensers with nowhere acceptable to go, ceiling voids too shallow for the units the loads demand, grilles that land in the middle of a decorated ceiling, pipe routes fighting the structure, and noise criteria discovered only after the first summer. Each failure is expensive precisely because it is discovered on site, where the remedy involves builders' work rather than a drawing revision.
On refurbishments the risks compound – existing systems at end of life, refrigerant regulations that have moved on since the original installation, and an occupied or programme-critical building around the works. These are engineering problems, and they are solved on drawings.
How AVC works
The AVC approach: calculated, coordinated, commissioned
We begin with the numbers. Room-by-room heat-load calculations – glazing, orientation, occupancy, equipment – decide capacities, and capacities decide everything else: indoor-unit selection, condenser strategy, pipe sizing and electrical provision. We then design the system into the building alongside the architect and interior designer: ducted units concealed in voids and joinery, grilles positioned with the ceiling design rather than after it, condensate routed with the drainage strategy, and acoustics treated as a design input rather than a complaint to manage later.
Because AVC also delivers the electrical and controls scope on most of our projects, VRV arrives with its power, interlocks and control interfaces already coordinated – one team, one model, one accountable programme through installation, commissioning and handover.
Photo location: AVC-EXP-VRV-02
Coordinated Daikin VRV mechanical layout or BIM model showing indoor units, refrigerant routes and condenser strategy
Landscape · 4:3 · min 1800 px wide
What we deliver
Scope of service
Every VRV project is engineered from calculation to commissioning. Depending on how AVC is appointed, the scope typically covers:
Design and selection
- Room-by-room heat-load calculations
- System topology and condenser strategy
- Indoor-unit selection – ducted and concealed as standard, wall-mounted only where appropriate
- Refrigerant pipework and condensate design
- Acoustic assessment of indoor units, grilles and condensers
- Controls philosophy and zoning
Coordination and documentation
- BIM coordination with structure, joinery, lighting and other services
- Grille schedules agreed with the interior designer
- Plant-space and condenser planning, including planning-sensitive locations
- Builders' work information and electrical-supply coordination
- Technical submissions and construction drawings
Delivery
- Supply and installation by our own engineering teams
- Pressure testing, evacuation and refrigerant charging to manufacturer requirements
- Commissioning of every zone against the design figures
- Controls integration – standalone Daikin controls or the wider smart-building system
- Client demonstration, documentation and aftercare
Interfaces, resolved
Designed with the architecture, not against it
VRV succeeds or fails at its interfaces. The engineering matters, but so does the conversation with the design team – which is why grille positions, joinery access, condenser screening and ceiling-void strategy are agreed on drawings while every option is still open.
- Ceiling voids and bulkheads sized with the architect before spatial decisions close
- Grilles and linear diffusers coordinated with lighting, joinery and decorated ceilings
- Condensers positioned for planning, acoustics and maintenance access
- Refrigerant routes resolved against structure in the BIM model
- Condensate falls coordinated with the public health drainage design
- Electrical supplies, isolation and controls wiring included in the electrical package
- Maintenance access preserved – concealed does not mean unreachable
Photo location: AVC-EXP-VRV-03
Quality installation detail – concealed ducted fan-coil unit in a ceiling void with coordinated containment and condensate
Landscape · 4:3 · min 1800 px wide
Where this applies
Project types
Prime houses
whole-house comfort cooling concealed within listed-sensitive and newly built interiors alike
Apartments and penthouses
lateral spaces with limited riser and condenser options – solved spatially first
Complete refurbishments
end-of-life system replacement designed around an existing structure
High-end commercial
offices, restaurants and boutique hospitality where comfort is part of the offer
Delivery
How a VRV project runs
- 01
Load assessment
room-by-room heat-load calculations from the architectural drawings
- 02
Strategy
condenser locations, riser and route options, acoustic constraints, planning considerations
- 03
Selection
indoor and outdoor units selected against loads, voids and noise criteria
- 04
Coordination
pipework, condensate, power and grilles resolved in the model with the design team
- 05
Installation
first-fix pipework and containment, then units, wiring and insulation to programme
- 06
Commissioning
pressure test, evacuation, charge, controls configuration and zone-by-zone proving
- 07
Handover
demonstration, documentation and a maintenance path that keeps warranties intact
Timing
Why early involvement matters
Almost every constraint that shapes a VRV system – condenser real estate, riser space, ceiling depths, acoustic targets – is fixed early in the architectural design. Engage the engineering before those decisions close and the system is designed in; engage it after and the design becomes a negotiation with a finished building. The difference is measured in variations, programme and ceiling heights.
AVC prefers to join at concept or developed design. We can and do join projects already on site – but the earlier conversation is always the cheaper one.
Placeholder – project evidence
Project example to follow – a genuine AVC Daikin VRV installation with the client's permission. Photography and project details are being prepared.
Photo location: AVC-EXP-VRV-05
Engineer commissioning a VRV system – controls check or airflow measurement in a finished room
Landscape · 3:2 · min 1800 px wide
Connected expertise
Related services
Mechanical Engineering
the full mechanical scope – cooling, ventilation and heating
Mechanical Design & Consultancy
design-only appointments and consultant support
MVHR & Mechanical Ventilation
fresh air and heat recovery alongside comfort cooling
MEP Design, BIM & Coordination
how services are resolved before site
Smart Home, Controls & AV
climate as part of whole-home control
From the knowledge centre
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between VRV and VRF?+
They describe the same technology. VRV – variable refrigerant volume – is Daikin's original name for the system type it pioneered; VRF is the generic term the rest of the industry uses. On a Daikin project the correct name is VRV.
Why does AVC specify Daikin VRV?+
Because it suits the projects we deliver: a wide range of concealed ducted indoor units, flexible pipework topology for complex buildings, refined control options and strong manufacturer support in the UK. Where a different solution genuinely fits a project better – smaller splits, or a chilled-water approach on larger commercial schemes – we say so.
Can the indoor units be completely hidden?+
In almost every room, yes. We use concealed ducted units in ceiling voids, bulkheads and joinery as standard, with only a grille visible – positioned with the interior designer. Wall-mounted units are a fallback we design around, not a default.
Where do the condensers go on a London property?+
That is usually the defining constraint, and it is solved early: roofs, lightwells, rear areas or acoustically treated enclosures, assessed for noise, airflow, maintenance access and planning. On conservation-area and listed properties we coordinate locations with the planning strategy before the system is committed.
Is planning permission needed for air conditioning?+
Sometimes – it depends on the property, the condenser location and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Condenser placement and acoustic treatment are designed with this in mind, and project-specific advice from the planning consultant is coordinated into the design.
Can VRV provide heating as well as cooling?+
Yes. VRV is a heat-pump technology: systems heat and cool, and heat-recovery variants can do both simultaneously in different rooms. Whether it serves as the primary heat source is a project-specific design decision made against the wider heating strategy.
Can you replace an existing, older system?+
Yes – replacement of end-of-life systems is a significant part of our work. We survey the existing installation, assess what pipework and routes can be retained, and design the replacement around the building with the minimum of intrusive work, sequenced around occupation where required.
How is the system controlled?+
Either through Daikin's own controls or, on integrated projects, through the wider smart-building system so climate sits alongside lighting, shading and audio in one interface. Zoning is decided at design stage – control is only ever as good as the zoning behind it.
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