A six-storey timber façade at the Black and White office building in London helped slash embodied carbon and won its engineer an SFE Façade 2023 Design and Engineering Award. Andy Pearson finds out how the winning design was engineered while alleviating safety risks
Category: Technical
Going with the flow: how improved design can lead to better roof drainage
Traditional roofs in Japan were designed to deflect rainwater away from a building and these types of roof forms are an elegant and sustainable alternative to the pipework and guttering used now. Jake Cherniayeff says a performance-based design approach can achieve similar drainage strategies on modern buildings
Lighting up the gallery: daylighting in arts institutions
Advanced techniques in lighting analysis are allowing designers to reintroduce daylighting into galleries without damaging the exhibits or causing visual discomfort to those viewing them. Max Fordham’s Nick Cramp highlights the benefits
Control explosion: review of LG14 Control of Electric Lighting
No longer an optional extra, control systems have become an integral component of lighting schemes. Jill Entwistle talks to Sophie Parry about the Society of Light and Lighting’s updated guide to an increasingly important field
Back in control: making savings with BMS optimisation
The optimisation of HVAC controls for a Croydon office has reduced energy use by 28% over nine months, resulting in a £171,000 saving in operational energy costs. REsustain’s Annie Marston describes how CO2 was slashed for a minimal capital cost
Taking the heat out of decarbonisation: insights from CIBSE’s roundtable
Eight industry experts came together to discuss the challenges of decarbonising heating in CIBSE Journal’s latest roundtable.
Amanda Birch sums up the main points of debate
Glint of steel: the lighting design journey of Espenes rest stop
An award-winning low-energy lighting scheme tuned into the stunning natural backdrop of its Norwegian landscape for inspiration. Jill Entwistle speaks to the designers behind the Espenes scenic rest stop
Smart homes, zero bills: Octopus Energy’s scheme for housebuilders
Octopus Energy is offering a partnership with housebuilders that guarantees zero energy bills for occupiers using its Kraken technology platform. Andy Pearson speaks to Nigel Banks about the company’s first pilot and a 200-home scheme planned with Bellway Homes
Heat pump design from the ground up: upcoming TM51 update
New CIBSE guidance on ground source heat pumps is due to be published in early 2024. Here, project lead Ken Gordon outlines the changes
The balance of power: the bivalent approach to heat pumps
Using a boiler to top up peak space heating in heat pump systems can save CO2 and costs, says Mitsubishi Electric’s Chris Newman, who gives examples of two configurations