Transforming the 1,000-room Old War Office building in London into a luxurious Raffles hotel has been a momentous project for Aecom engineers. Andy Pearson discovers how an extensive services refit was in keeping with the magnificence of the makeover
Tag: Ventilation
On the same page: New Library at Magdalene College
the distinctive appearance of the Stirling Prize-winning New Library at Magdalene College was inspired by Cambridge University’s historic buildings and Max Fordham’s ventilation strategy. Alex Smith reports on the melding of form and function in Níall McLaughlin Architects’ elegant design
A well-mixed cocktail? Air contaminant levels
A paper on the mixing of air in a contaminated space examined the difference between modelling and real-world scenarios. Tim Dwyer examines the findings of Tom Smith’s paper, which was presented at the ASHRAE conference
Beyond the fabric first approach
Fabric first is not necessarily the right approach when decarbonising heat, says CIBSE’s Engineer of the Year Stephen Hill, who considers the best approach to achieving net zero from a building and infrastructure perspective
Guide M update: maintaining healthy environments
Health and wellbeing is at the heart of the updated Guide M: Maintenance engineering and management. Chapter author Colin Goodwin describes the key topics that are addressed, such as lighting, water quality and infection control
Hospital ventilation: can air purification systems provide relief?
Poor ventilation has been identified as a contributing factor to Covid-19 transmission in NHS hospitals. In seeking solutions, a study by Lewis Turner found that, while air purification systems reduce infection risk, they should only be used when mechanical ventilation is not available. Tim Dwyer reports
It’s a breeze being cool in class
Overheated indoor spaces in tropical regions pose challenges for building occupants, particularly in areas with limited access to air conditioning. A study by Dr Charles Munonye evaluates the thermal comfort of Nigerian schoolchildren in two building types to see if cooling is needed in primary schools
Targeting net zero ventilation for schools
The Monodraught HVR Zero ventilation unit won a product of the year award at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards because it targets both embodied and operational energy use. Schools are one sector benefiting from the costs savings that the heat recovery unit brings
LSBU’s cool new hub
More than half of all UK building services engineers studied at London South Bank University, so BDP’s services retrofit of the main building on the campus had to demonstrate best practice in every function. BDP’s Laura Smith reports on the steps taken to transform a tired teaching facility into the collegiate LSBU Hub
Step change: designing stairs for fire safety in high-rise buildings
A government consultation calling for two staircases in high-risk residential buildings of more than 30m has raised questions about how this and the amended BS 9991:2021 will impact fire safety design and developments.
Phil Lattimore reports