To streamline the concept design stage for building services, four teams took part in a challenge to automate common project workflows. CIBSE’s digital engineering lead Carl Collins explains
Author: Alex Smith
Book review: Housing Fit for Purpose by Fionn Stevenson
Housing would be vastly improved if more was done to feed back lessons learned from building performance, says Fionn Stevenson, in a new book based on years of her own pioneering research. Julie Godefroy finds lots of practical advice for raising standards
Nearer to zero
With most of the 2050 building stock already in place, Hywel Davies considers what the net-zero carbon UK emissions target might mean in practice
Case study: Cambridge Central Mosque
Cambridge’s elegant new mosque has comfort and sustainability at its heart thanks to the involvement of the environmental engineer at the project’s inception. Andy Pearson looks at how Skelly & Couch’s creative design worked with the grand scale of the prayer hall to provide natural ventilation and daylighting for more than 1,000 worshippers
Ant Wilson: ahead of his time
Ant Wilson FCIBSE has been at the forefront of building services innovation for 40 years, helping to change how engineers design buildings. After his retirement from Aecom, Alex Smith looks back at a prolific career
Plymouth’s 5th-generation heating network
When Plymouth City Council looked at heating and cooling buildings more efficiently, it found the area’s geology offered a source of energy that enabled it to use the latest heat network technology. Andy Pearson reports
The scale of the problem – water quality issues in heat networks
A recent study found 15% of heat networks had suffered failures as a result of issues around water quality. Jon Greaves, of Hydro-X Water Treatment, offers guidance for different stages of the system life-cycle
Electrocaloric cooling – making a difference
Electrocaloric cooling works by applying an electric field to change temperatures and requires no refrigerants. Metkel Yebiyo and Professor Andy Ford look at the benefits of the technology and the challenges of bringing it to market
Hot off the press: research on overheating in homes
The latest research on assessing and mitigating overheating in buildings is the focus of a Building Services and Engineering Research and Technology Journal special edition. CIBSE’S Anastasia Mylona looks at the key findings
Rewriting the rulebook on fire responsibilities
SCA’s Ian Doncaster discusses the impact the government’s consultation on fire safety may have on the industry