Detailed services design

[edit] Introduction

Detailed design is sometimes referred to as 'developed design' or 'definition'. It is the process of taking on and developing an approved concept design. Technical aspects of the developed design - including those related to building services, controls and smart building systems - may require further exploration, which may be delivered through a process sometimes defined as detailed services design or detailed building services design.

[edit] Applicable services

The term 'building services' is used to refer to systems installed in buildings to make them comfortable, functional, efficient and safe. Building services might include:

• Building control systems (including their integration with building management systems).
• Energy distribution.
• Energy supply (gas, electricity and renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass).
• Escalators and lifts.
• Facade engineering (such as building shading requirements).
• Fire safety, detection and protection.
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
• Information and communications technology (ICT) networks (including integration of AV requirements).
• Lighting (natural and artificial).
• Lightning protection.
• Refrigeration.
• Security and alarm systems.
• Water, drainage and plumbing (including sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)).

See Building services for more information.

[edit] The role of building services engineers

The specialists who provide detailed services design are sometimes referred to as building services engineers. These individuals plan, design, monitor and inspect building services.

Building services engineers play a central role in contributing to the design of a building, not only in terms of overall strategies and standards to be achieved, but also in facade engineering, the weights, sizes and location of major plant and equipment, the position of vertical service risers, routes for the distribution of horizontal services, drainage, energy sources, sustainability and so on. This means building services engineers must integrate detailed services design into the overall building design from a very early stage, particularly on complex building projects.

While it is usual for a building design team to be led by an architect, on buildings with very complex building services requirements, a building services engineer might be appointed as the lead designer.

Increasingly, building services engineers are also central to the design and assessment of sustainable systems, assessing the life cycle of buildings and their component services to minimise the resources consumed and the impact on the environment during fabrication, construction, operation and dismantling.

For more information, see Building services engineers.

Detailed services designs may include specifications, plans, sections, elevations, 3D models and so on, describing aspects of a building such as:

• Plumbing and drainage.
• Ductwork.
• Pipework.
• Electrical trunking, wiring and controls.
• Radiators.
• Plantroom layouts.
• Risers.
• Appliances, equipment, plant, fixtures and fittings and so on.
• Access requirements and builders' work in connection.

[edit] Tools to use with detailed services design

The detection of clashes between building services and other building components is a significant cause of delays and variations on site, not just in terms of the physical services themselves, but also in providing access for builders to work in connection with those services. The use of 3D computer aided design (CAD) systems and building information modelling (BIM) for the purpose of creating detailed services designs can help reduce the occurrence of such problems and help the project meet relevant building regulations. This may include clash detection and clash prevention.

Specialist tools may also be used to predict the performance of aspects of the building services installation, such as energy use, environmental conditions and so on.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• BREEAM developed design.
• Building engineering services.
• Building management systems.
• Building services.
• Building services compliance with the building regulations.
• Building services engineers.
• Concept design.
• Concept services design.
• Detailed design stage in building design.
• Detailed structural design.
• Developed design.
• RIBA Plan of Work.
• Types of building services.