Building Services and Sustainability - Level 4

Assessment - Building Lighting, Acoustics, Services Integration and Mantainance

Learning outcome 1: Understand scientific theories and principles relating to heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, acoustics and indoor air quality, demonstrating that understanding via the informed usage of measurement tools and equipment.

Learning outcome 2: Demonstrate an awareness of building structures and the possible building engineering services integration and co-ordination options available for the development of a range of commercial and industrial buildings.

Learning outcome 3: Make informed decisions regarding the suitability and selection of building engineering service systems.

Learning outcome 4: Consider the potential sustainability and operational implications building services installations can have on property.

INTRODUCTION

This assignment has been provided to introduce some ‘real world' activities into your study of Building Services Engineering Design and Maintenance, and the consideration of sustainability within Building Services design projects. It is hoped that by examining various aspects of a ‘semi-real' medical research centre building, you will become more familiar with the role of the Building Services Engineer and the day to day problems he/she/they may encounter.

The below tasks are to be based upon a two storey Architectural Design Consultancy Office building as shown in the attached drawings.

The building is to be constructed in Handforth, Cheshire, with a targeted occupancy date of September 2025. It is to be anticipated that the building will not be used for anything other than the room titles suggest and, to that end, it can be assumed that only standard, generic, HVAC and electrical services will be installed in the building appropriate to the usage of the rooms within. Note that there is space for M&E services in the ‘Boiler Room' as indicated on the drawing. Note that, as previously mentioned, although dimensions are shown, these are only accurate if the drawing as inserted in the brief is correctly sized. As mentioned above, exact dimensions are not crucial if scaling from the drawing - what is important is design procedures not calculation accuracy.

TASKS:

Before the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Services can be selected, sized to meet building loads and then installed, the Services Design Engineer must determine the internal environmental conditions that have to be achieved regardless of the external environmental conditions. The internal conditions need to be maintained throughout the year despite the bitter cold of winter and the intense heat of summer. Services Designers typically consider the ‘thermal', ‘visual' and ‘acoustic' internal environment together with the requirement for a high standard of ‘indoor air quality (IAQ). Additionally, different types of buildings, and rooms of differing usage within the same building, will require different environmental conditions.

Once the task of selecting suitable environmental conditions has been achieved the Services Designer can then determine room heat losses and gains, ventilation requirements, lighting requirements and sound level requirements and, crucially, how they can acceptably be installed in the building, or accounted for, from an access, physical and aesthetic perspective.
This assignment, Assignment 2, concentrates on the lighting and acoustic design criteria already identified as part of Assignment 1 though these will be re-examined in trimester 2 lectures.

Therefore, using the floor plan as the basis for your analyses and calculations, you will carry out the following tasks:

Select an appropriate type of luminaire, or luminaires, suitable for installation in the Reception/Waiting area shown on the drawing and determine by calculation the number of luminaires required to illuminate the whole space to an appropriate illuminance ‘Lux value' as per the design values you selected in Assignment 1, or as corrected in trimester 2 lectures. Mark up, by hand or digitally, your proposed luminaire layout relation to a typical 600 mm by 600 mm suspended ceiling grid and include the marked-up drawing as part of your assignment submission. Identify elements where any aspect of sustainability is considered.

Utilise lighting catalogues and photometric design data (provided in Blackboard and/or elsewhere) clearly illustrating the type/model of luminaire selected. List all assumptions used in the determination of luminaire type and numbers. Cite and fully reference all sources used. (Typically, 500/600 words ignoring calculations, plus images, photos, etc., together with clearly annotated manufacturer`s literature as appropriate.

Provide a lighting installation proposal to provide functional but also aesthetic illumination to the Reception/Waiting area in relation to the actual reception and seating areas shown on the drawing. Discuss applicable lighting design criteria as covered in lectures, including daylighting, colour quality and physical appearance, and highlight how your proposal uses some of these criteria to enhance the overall design.

Utilise lighting catalogues and design data clearly illustrating the type/model of luminaire selected. Explain why the light fittings identified have been selected, their anticipated lighting effect on surfaces, and the perception those entering the building may have as a result of your innovative proposal. You are strongly advised to support your proposal with exemplar photos that portray similarities to your own design thinking. Include brief examples as to the calculations that might be undertaken to determine your proposal's visual effectiveness.

List all assumptions used in your proposal development. Cite and fully reference all sources (Typically, 500/600 words, ignoring calculations if used, plus images, photos, etc., together with clearly annotated manufacturer`s literature as appropriate.
In relation to the building's focussed and wider location maps, discuss the external environment from a noise pollution perspective and thus put forward proposals as to how noise transfer into and through the building can be minimised to meet accepted NR values as per the design values you selected in Assignment 1, or as corrected in trimester 2 lectures.

A minimum of three noise transfer minimisation proposals should be put forward including brief examples as to the calculations that might be undertaken to determine your proposals' effectiveness.

(Typically, 500/600 words ignoring any calculations, plus images, photos, etc., together with clearly annotated manufacturer`s literature as appropriate.

In relation to the vertical and horizontal distribution of M&E Engineering Services (heating pipework, ventilation ductwork, lighting trunking/cable tray, etc.) discuss the difficulties met by the Services Design Engineer in routing these services efficiently around the building, especially in relation to solutions that facilitate installation and access for maintenance, whilst ensuring Health and Safety measures are not compromised and interior design and aesthetics are sympathetically considered.

(Typically, 500/600 words ignoring any calculations, plus images, photos, etc., together with clearly annotated manufacturer`s literature as appropriate.

All assumptions made should be explained at the point of use. All task procedures are demonstrated in lectures.