The trend for exposed ceilings in offices can have serious consequences for occupant comfort if designers don’t take into account the impact they have on air movement. Gilbert’s Roy Jones explains how draughts and cold spots can be avoided by using special plates added to diffusers
Category: Technical
How audio visualisation can drive the natural ventilation of buildings
Acoustics and ventilation should be designed in tandem to ensure optimal performance in naturally ventilated buildings, says Mach’s Ze Nunes, who shares research on software that visualises noise to give designers a sound basis for their decision-making
Take me higher: A’DAM Tower lift strategy
The lift configuration in the newly refurbished A’DAM tower in Amsterdam has been radically redesigned to accommodate a huge increase in traffic. Jochem Wit explains how this was achieved through a combination of technical, architectural and organisational measure
In the hot seat: Interview with Dave Pearson
Large heat pump installations could change the way heat is generated in the UK and help decarbonise existing buildings in cities, says Star Renewable Energy’s David Pearson, who speaks to our journalist Andy Pearson
Intranets for heat: Introducing BEN networks
The balanced energy network at London South Bank University has been part-funded by Innovate UK to help accelerate the creation of smart heat-sharing networks. These balance the heating and cooling needs of different buildings and act as a virtual energy store to help the National Grid match supply and demand. Andy Pearson reports
Using renewables to unlock the Grid
If electric vehicles and batteries are to herald an all-electric future for homes, smart tech must be developed and tested to ensure there is always available energy to match household demand. Andy Pearson reports
The meaning of life: Comparing whole life carbon for gas and electric heating
As electricity generation reduces its carbon intensity, embodied carbon represents a higher proportion of whole-life carbon. Clara Bagenal George’s study, summarised at last month’s CIBSE Technical Symposium, considers the implications for building services
Tackling NOx from CHPs
Policies encouraging gas-fired CHPs in London are going into reverse. David Blackman looks at how new air pollution policies will affect the future of heat in the capital
On the right track: services retrofit saves TfL’s Palestra £400,000
Like most large offices, TfL’s Palestra building is complex. To realise its true potential, it underwent significant interventions resulting in £400,000 of energy savings. Andy Pearson explains how an energy performance contract made the building 6% better than good practice
Industry wakes up to reality at Futurebuild
At the conference formerly known as Ecobuild, there was a large focus on housing and monitoring performance, as well as debates on the future of heat and integration of electric vehicles. Alex Smith and Andy Pearson report