The facilities team at the British Antarctic Survey are responsible for maintaining heat and power in some of the most isolated buildings on Earth. Alex Smith finds out how remote monitoring and controls are ensuring the welfare of staff and scientists living near the South Pole
Author: Alex Smith
Tidings of comfort and joy – cost efficient church heating
Churches may be full to bursting at Christmas, but smaller congregations at other times make planning a heating strategy difficult. In response, James Sheehan, heating adviser for the Diocese of Peterborough, has produced a cost guide that aims to minimise ecclesiastical heating bills
Body clock wise – lighting design for the circadian cycle
Human-centric lighting is a phrase that has been bandied about over the past couple of years – not least by lighting manufacturers – but what does it actually mean? Jonathan Rush explains
Why the London Plan is targeting zero carbon
Hywel Davies discusses the implications for new developments in the capital
Raising the bar – Land Rover BAR headquarters for the America’s Cup
Land Rover BAR will attempt to achieve Britain’s first America’s Cup victory next year. If its teamwork is anything like the collaborative approach taken to design its HQ, Sir Ben Ainslie stands a good chance of bringing home the trophy. Alex Smith reports
Fresh thinking: Meeting design and cost targets with single-side ventilation in schools
A single-sided ventilation strategy that meets environmental criteria – while upholding design quality – has been rolled out in two Nottinghamshire schools. Breathing Buildings’ Shaun Fitzgerald, Cundall’s Peter Hazzard, and John Leonard, from Nicholas Hare Architects, explain the system
Why property owners are putting a price on thermal comfort
Data analytics company Demand Logic is attempting to calculate productivity losses caused by uncomfortable temperatures. Liza Young reports
Question time: Boswell Reid’s pioneering work on occupant evaluation in the Houses of Parliament
David Boswell Reid was a pioneer of post occupancy evaluations, allowing MPs to feed back on their comfort levels during the development of the Palace of Westminster’s Victorian ventilation system, says CIBSE Heritage Group’s Dr Henrik Schoenefeldt
Cambridge first – exemplary retrofit of Grade I listed halls of residence at Trinity College
A Grade I listed hall of residence at Trinity College, Cambridge has undergone a highly sensitive upgrade that sets the standard for the green retrofitting of UK’s historic buildings. Andy Pearson reports
Missing the mark – why schools are failing on energy performance
A RIBA review of school performance revealed an industry-wide struggle with delivering new buildings that operate well. Lisa Pasquale MCIBSE of Six Cylinder explains why adherence to design codes is causing high levels of complexity in controls and services, resulting in significant inefficiencies