Concept services design
Concept design proposals from the services engineer might include:
- Weights and location of major plant and equipment.
- Position of vertical service risers.
- Routes for the distribution of horizontal services runs including access provisions.
- Builders' work holes larger than 300 sq. mm.
- Insulation assumptions.
- Environmental control strategies.
- Geothermal requirements.
- Solar energy requirements.
- Rainwater drainage requirements.
- Below ground drainage routes.
- Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).
- Building shading requirements.
- Plant room space requirements including access provisions.
- Energy budget
- Energy assessment method.
- Energy targets.
- Energy sources.
- Emissions targets.
- Earthing pits and lightning protection.
- Incoming service routes and statutory utility requirements.
- Acoustic and vibration information.
Before developing a concept design strategies it is worth analysing the client's current environmental services to assess adequacies and inadequacies. The services engineer also needs to understand how future requirements might change.
A list of things to look at might include:
- IT and telecoms strategy.
- Personell and department numbers and space standards.
- Security issues.
- Equipment servicing and power requirements.
- Catering facilities.
- Waste and consumables.
- Staff leisure facilities/showers.
- Car parking/garage facilities.
- Future trends and likely expansion/contraction of different operations.
- Electrical security, standby generation and UPS systems.
- Natural light priorities.
- Zone controls to different areas.
- Existing maintenance and running costs.
NB: Detailed descriptions of the concept design stage are available in the Designing Buildings Wiki home project plans.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building services.
- Building services engineer.
- Concept design.
- Concept design report.
- Concept structural design.
- Concept architectural design.
- Electrical control systems.
- Plant room.
- Thermal comfort.
- Types of building services.
- U value.
[edit] External references
- CIBSE Design Compass: The CIBSE Design Framework.
Featured articles and news
How can it benefit the built environment?
The benefits of early contractor involvement.
Why it is so important for health and wellbeing.
A highly effective method of managing supply chains.
How it can benefit construction.
Free guide to commissioning for site managers published by NHBC and BSRIA.
Resolving quickly to minimise delay and costs.
Tackling domestic abuse.
Disallowed costs vs. defined costs. Which is which?
Coping with the loss of local authority conservation services.
The cost of poor housing in Wales
Remedial works could save the NHS £95 million a year.
Comments
To start a discussion about this article, click 'Add a comment' above and add your thoughts to this discussion page.