The design brief for Trumpington Community College was for open teaching spaces overlooking a large, airy atrium. The challenge for Max Fordham’s acoustic engineers was ensuring teachers were not disturbed by noise from neighbouring spaces. Andy Pearson reports
Category: Technical
To close the performance gap, choose Option D
IPMVP Option D offers robust measurement and verification to give building services engineers and their clients a better insight into how a design energy performance rating can be validated during operation. Nazli Dabidian explains how
Hotel study reveals predicted hot water use is double the reality
Analysis of two hotels by Elementa Consulting revealed that actual hot-water use is around half of what systems are capable of supplying. Elementa’s David Glossop says this is resulting in much lower carbon savings in new services designs
Countdown to zero – Leti roadmap to zero carbon buildings by 2030
The London Energy Transformation Initiative aims to support the construction of zero carbon buildings by 2030. It is creating a roadmap describing how this can be achieved, and newly crowned CIBSE Building Performance Engineer of the Year Clara Bagenal George says anyone in the industry can get involved
Cost model – battery storage
Advances in battery technology and steep falls in prices for PVs and storage is making smart energy grids an attractive commercial proposition. Aecom’s first cost model of the year assesses the viability of batteries across a number of scenarios
Data with destiny – BMS protocols
Building data offers valuable insights into performance, so it is essential protocols are in place to ensure digital information imported from the building management system is robust and relevant, says BuroHappold Engineering’s Tom Hopton FCIBSE
Going to any length – chilled beams at Lambeth Civic Centre
Limited space and the need for flexibility helped drive the specification of chilled beams at Lambeth Civic Centre. Frenger’s Michael Ainley explains
Key changes in the updated Heat Networks Code of Practice
A major update to the Heat Networks Code of Practice includes key performance outputs that allow clients to check their networks are performing as designed. Here, the authors highlight the major revisions
Closing the gaps: creating a joined up approach for ventilation and energy regulations
Guidance on energy and ventilation regulations must be more integrated, say researchers, after their study of UK airtightness tests showed air permeability is often too high for MVHR systems to work optimally. Alex Smith reports
Climb every mountain: BIM from design to operation at Schneider Electric’s Grenoble campus
Can a single BIM model be used from design to operation? Schneider Electric was keen to find out if true BIM was achievable at two flagship new buildings in Grenoble. The company’s Bertrand Lack describes the not inconsiderable challenges to Andrew Pearson