Selecting the wrong fan coil (terminal) units can have disastrous consequences for occupant comfort, according to SSH’s Imran Shaikh at the CIBSE UAE Healthy Buildings Conference. Tim Dwyer took notes
Author: Alex Smith
Distance and dilution: Hoare Lea’s Covid-secure headquarters
Before Hoare Lea started offering advice to clients about making their offices Covid-secure it looked at how its own air handling units could be modified to make its King’s Cross headquarters safe and comfortable. Hoare Lea’s Steve Wisby explains
A question of competence
The draft Building Safety Bill sets out new requirements for professional competence. Hywel Davies considers proposals in the draft framework
Unwanted guests: bipolar ionisation in hotel rooms
Bipolar ionisation can improve air quality and remove odours from hotel rooms, says Spire Building Services’ Adam Taylor, who highlights research in Spain on its use to reduce the risk of Covid-19
Case study: retrofit of Fairfield Halls theatre
Fairfield Halls theatre in Croydon is a prime example of 1960s public architecture, so when Max Fordham was asked to devise a services strategy during a major refurbishment, it had to stay faithful to the original while maintaining 21st-century comfort and efficiency. Andy Pearson reports
Planning sticking points
More environmental rigour is needed to support the government’s rhetoric on deregulating planning while ensuring standards, says Julie Godefroy
Young Engineer Awards: Meet the 2020 finalists
Alan Sugar’s show may have been cancelled this autumn because of Covid-19, but CIBSE’s first Apprentice of the Year competition is taking place as part of the virtual Young Engineer Awards. We introduce the nine finalists, plus the candidates for Graduate of the Year
Tall order: fire safety guidance for façades
Following the ban on the use of combustible materials in some building façades, two industry bodies have come together to produce guidance on these legislative changes. Liza Young looks at the wider implications of the new regulations
Safety with numbers: using data to make workplaces Covid-secure
Data monitoring can help identify poorly ventilated office spaces at risk from Covid-19, as well as highlight poorly performing HVAC systems during lockdowns, says Carbon Intelligence’s Khasha Mohammadian
Performance pioneers: the developers targeting real outcomes
Eleven office developments will trial the UK version of Australia’s Nabers rating scheme, which grades buildings by actual performance. Andy Pearson speaks to consultants on the Design for Performance initiative about outcome-based designs