Paper 5: Services in Relation to Building Design and Environment

Abstract

Engineering services nowadays account for between 20 and 60 per cent of the cost of construction, and are a major factor in operating costs of buildings. They must be provided as economically as possible and in proper relation to the design of the building and the needs of the users. The paper explores this theme from two aspects (1) thermal conditions, and plant sizing in relation to building design and (2) standardization of services for specific building types. The general effects of structural mass and window design are first discussed briefly and it is shown how these factors affect the temperature within naturally ventilated buildings in summer. Nominally sealed buildings are then considered and the size of refrigeration plant required for an office is discussed in terms of similar factors and in relation to the design conditions. Such relationships should be taken into account during sketch plan design. The paper considers service cores in multi-storey buildings, where the plan of the building lends itself to a measure of standardization in the services. This theme is developed with particular reference to mechanical ventilation for the service cores in a 17-storey block of flats. Some details of this installation are given and used as a basis for discussing standardized services. Greater use of such systems, designed on a once-for-all basis and catalogued, would reduce the effort devoted year by year to similar design situations. The examples used are drawn from current work of the Building Research Station.