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MEET THE EXPERT NEWS ROUND-UP
CLOSING THE GAPS IN PART L
What termites can TANK MUSEUM’S NEW QUARTERS
NY’S GREENEST APARTMENTS
teach us about natural COST MODEL: ACCESS CONTROL
CPD: TRENCH HEATING
ventilation
LOW ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR ENGINEERS
SEPTEMBER 2009 | £8 | VOL 1 N0 8
WWW.BSDLIVE.CO.UK

RUTH SLAVID
LIVE AND LEARN
Editor
Andy Pearson
Print and online reporter
Krystal Sim
Special contributor
Ruth Slavid
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Mark Bergin
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©All editorial contents UBM Built
Environment 2009. ISSN 2040-0500
LEADER 03
Progress in sustainability depends on getting the
details right. Optimistic designs full of red and blue
arrows will not save a single gram of carbon. Advances
will only come if our buildings are properly designed,
built and monitored. That is why, as Steve Irving
explains on page 10, the next iteration of Part L will be
concerned with ensuring that what is intended is
actually delivered.
It is also why the work by simulation
company IES, taking a first step to compare the
methodology of the world’s three leading sustainability
rating schemes, is so important (see page 27). If we
know how BREEAM compares with LEED compares
with Green Star, we will be a step nearer to learning
from what is going on in other countries.
The importance of detail does not mean that
we should turn our back on big ideas. Rupert Soar,
academic and pioneer of rapid prototyping, has looked
closely at the way that termite mounds behave, and
concluded that they “breathe” in much the same way
that our lungs do (page 35). His next leap of
imagination is to propose that we build a similar
breathing structure into the walls of our homes,
allowing us to ventilate them effectively with minimal
heat loss or requirement for mechanical ventilation.
Questions immediately spring to mind. Will
the British builder be able to cope? What happens if
we want to undertake modest home improvements or
just knock a nail in the wall?
If Soar’s ideas are ever to approach fruition,
these issues will need to be tackled, and the kind of
punctilious thinking that improves Part L or compares
accreditation schemes will have to be grafted on to
Soar’s endearing hand-waving enthusiasm. But
radical solutions will be needed if we are to
revolutionise buildings’ carbon consumption. How
ironic it would be if this new vision were to evolve
thanks to the diligent, blind termite.
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
06 NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Tidal prototype holds promise
A prototype of a device that could
generate up to 1GW of electricity
from shallow tidal waters around the
UK is now producing energy for a
NEWS&OPINION
local company from its position in
the Humber Estuary.
The prototype, developed by
Pulse Tidal, consists of horizontal
blades that move up and down with
tidal streams to drive a generator.
It is generating 100kW but full-
scale units would be designed
to generate 1MW each, and would
be arranged in arrays of five to
30 units.
Whereas the prototype (shown
with its blades raised above the water
in maintenance position) has a sig-
nificant structure above the water
line, future plans are to have fully
submerged machines.
“There would be no visual
impact,” said Howard Nimmo, com-
mercial director of Pulse Tidal.
Units need to be placed so that
they do not impede shipping (the
Humber estuary is the UK’s busiest
shipping area), and should not affect
the eco-systems of estuaries provid-
Birmingham shows way with district heating
All new buildings in Birmingham’s
huge Masshouse mixed use project
will use heat from Birmingham
District Energy Company’s com-
bined heat and power scheme.
This is expected to reduce the
development’s CO2 emissions by
88% compared with traditional forms
of energy.
The BDEC’s new Eastside Energy
Centre, on Aston University’s cam-
pus, has two combined heat and
power engines with a capacity of
3MWe. It provides electricity to the
campus only, but will supply high
pressure hot water, which can be
used for heating or to create chilled
water for air-conditioning through
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
Prototype shown with
blades raised above
water for maintenance.
Future machines are
planned to be fully
submergeable.
an absorption chiller, to surround-
ing developments.
The £600m Masshouse scheme
is the first of these. It consists of 550
apartments and 55,000m2 of offices,
plus public spaces and amenities.
It will include a new magistrate’s
court for Birmingham, by Denton
Corker Marshall, the architect short-
listed for the Stirling Prize for its
Manchester Civil Justice Centre last
year.
This is the BDEC’s second dis-
trict energy centre for Birmingham.
It estimates the first has generated
carbon emission reductions of 4500
tonnes since it came into operation
in 2007.
ed that the amount of energy they
absorb does not exceed the “signif-
icant impact factor” of 15% of the
total tidal energy.
On this basis, Nimmo estimates
that the units could generate up to
1GW from British tidal waters, a sig-
nificant proportion of the 4-5GW of
total tidal energy believed to be
available for exploitation.
He believes that once 100-
200MW worth of tidal units have
been commissioned, the energy will
become cheaper to produce than
offshore wind, for which the units
have to be positioned further from
the coast.
Nimmo says that because water
is denser than air, tidal generators
occupy less space than the equiva-
lent wind generators.
Pulse Tidal is negotiating a posi-
tion for its first full-scale unit, which
it hopes will be in place by 2012.
The prototype, which is sited just
off Immingham Dock, is providing
electricity to Millennium Inorganic
Chemicals on the south bank of the
Humber.
The new court starts on site in 2010.

LEED demands use data
Property owners who want LEED
certification for their buildings will
have to provide ongoing energy and
water usage figures.
The data sharing is part of LEED
2009’s Minimum Program
Requirements. The US Green
Building Council has said that is to
inform building owners on how they
are doing, and is “simply a ground
rule for entering the system”.
Projects can comply by provid-
ing energy and water usage data
annually; by recertifying on a two-
year cycle; or by the owner allow-
ing USGBC to access the data
directly from the utility provider.
Kay Killman, sustainability asso-
GLOBAL FOCUS
Kenya
More than 350 wind turbines are
to be installed in the desert
around Lake Turkana in Kenya by
a consortium of Kenyan and
Dutch companies. Each turbine
has a capacity of 850kw, and the
Lake Turkana Wind Power
consortium claims the wind
farm will provide as much as
30% of Kenya’s current total
installed power. The project is
being backed by the African
Development Bank. Production is
expected to start in June 2011
and reach full capacity of 300MW
by July 2012.
ciate at Hilson Moran, said: “This
move will make sure that develop-
ers are more diligent. This kind of
approach forces them to think about
energy and water usage more than
they may have before.”
Ricardo Moreira, director of
XCO2 Energy, said the move was
an excellent opportunity to gather
data on buildings in use.
“This will allow for a closer assess-
ment of the benefits of LEED for a
large stock of certified buildings, as
opposed to the much smaller sam-
ples used in existing research,”
Moreira said. “It may also help to
highlight the gap between energy
modelling and real energy use.”
World energy supply
An assessment of the world’s major
oil fields by the International
Energy Agency warns that
production is likely to peak in 10
years, about a decade sooner than
expected. According to the energy
forum, the world is facing a
catastrophic energy crunch. Dr
Fatih Birol, the IEA’s chief
economist, told the Independent
that the answer was “to leave oil
before it leaves us”. The IEA has
estimated that oil production in
existing fields has declined by 6.7%
a year, compared with its 2007
estimate of 3.7%.
IN BRIEF
Small world
An initiative that began as a full-
scale model of a “green” terraced
house is reappearing in shrunken
form. No 1 Lower Carbon Drive
first appeared in Trafalgar Square
in December 2007 when the
London Development Agency
launched its Green Homes
campaign. A 1:12 scale model of
the house will be shown at an
exhibition at London’s Building
Centre, opening on 10 September.
Carbon plot thickens
The government has unveiled its
Low Carbon Transition Plan
which plots out how the UK will
meet the promised 34% cut in
China
Hyder ACLA, the landscape and
planning subsidiary of Hyder
Consulting, has won a commission
for a holiday resort and conference
development in China with a brief
to protect the local ecosystems.
NEWS REVIEW 07
St Luke’s halo
St Luke’s Primary School in
Wolverhampton has gained a
BREEAM excellent rating, making it
one of the most sustainable
educational facilities in Britain. The
£5.9m building in Blakenhall, was
designed by Architype. Price and
Myers was sustainability
consultant. Architype claims the
form and section of the building
reduce energy consumption by
maximising natural light, as well as
using a passive ventilation system
and carefully controlling solar gain.
Every classroom is cross-ventilated
with a combination of manual low-
level windows and automatic
clerestorey windows linked to the
building management system.
emissions on 1990 levels by 2020.
Housing minister John Healey
has announced the four eco-town
sites, and the zero carbon homes
definition. For more details of
these stories, see
www.bsdlive.co.uk. Will these
steps make a difference to
carbon emissions or is the
government compromising on
sustainability? Have your say at
www.bsdlive.co.uk/blog
Correction
The co-author of the
refurbishment feature headlined
“Make Do and Mend” (BSD July
2009) was Richard Thiemann, not
Robert Thiemann.
Hong Luo Lake Resort (above) will
be built over 54ha in the foothills
of Hong Luo Mountain, 50km from
Beijing. Its 3000 residents will
occupy low-rise buildings set along
the contours of the mountain.
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
08 NEWS

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08

 NEWS 09

IN PICTURES
WHITE-HOT
GLAMOUR
White LED lighting plays a key role
in a headquarters building that is
as far from the conventional office
as it is possible to imagine.
Whereas most wacky office designs
have been for advertising agencies
and other media organisations this
is, surprisingly, for a manufacturer.
But the manufacturer in question is
GHD, maker of the upmarket hair
straighteners that are a key
weapon in the armoury of aspiring
fashionistas.
Visitors arriving at the building in
Leeds will progress not along a
corridor but a catwalk, a brightly lit
tunnel complete with underlit
walkway. There is also a hair salon
where demonstrations will take
Clockwise from left: “catwalk”
place.
walkway at GHD’s new
Designers often use coloured
headquarters in Leeds;
LEDs to add drama, but for GHD
demonstration salon; odd angles
architect Carey Jones chose white
and display shelving.
to accentuate the unusual forms.
Philips supplied 718 of its iW Cove
Powercore LED luminaires, which
can be varied in colour temperature
across a wide range from 300K to
6500K. They maintain the selected
colour temperature when they are
dimmed. Connectors between the
individual luminaires make it
possible to create continuous lines
of light.
The luminaires are particularly
suited to use in in small spaces,
says Philips, because they are very
slender and incorporate the
technology within the luminaire
control so there is no need for a
separate circuit.

ISSUE 08
8 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
10 NEWS ANALYSIS

PART L
GETS
TOUGH
Changes to the
energy regs aim to
close the performance
gap between design
and delivery. Steve
Irving explains.

A
chieving a low-energy, low-
carbon building needs good
design but it is vital to translate
that into good construction
practice and effective management and
operation. That is why Part L addresses
energy efficiency issues across the
spectrum, from design through to
implementation and handover.
A key feature of the new Part L,
proposals for which are nearing the end of
consultation, is a drive to close the gap
between the performance anticipated at
design stage and what is actually
achieved. There are a number of issues
that impact on this performance gap:

Does what is specified conform to the

standards in the Approved Document?
This is about improving levels of
compliance. An important element of the
proposals is to require a design stage target
emission rate (TER)/ building emission rate
(BER) submission to the building control
body (BCB) at deposit of plans.
This should be accompanied by a
specification that gives the claimed levels
of performance. This will facilitate checking
as it is easier to see that insulation of a
given type and thickness has been installed
than it is to check that the completed wall
has a U-value of, say, 0.25W/m2K.
The compliance software will also
highlight elements of the design that are
principally responsible for delivering the
claimed performance. That will allow BCB
inspections to focus on the main elements
and to confirm that these have been
specified and installed appropriately.
Is what is specified actually constructed?
This should be highlighted by any
difference between the design stage and the
as-constructed BER submission. The
Building Regs place a responsibility on the
person carrying out the work to confirm
that the building has been constructed
according to the specifications that
accompany the submission.
If an accredited energy assessor is
used to provide the TER/BER calculations,
they have a responsibility to ensure that the
product performance entered into SAP or
SBEM is consistent with the specification,
ie that the U-value etc has been correctly
calculated.
Does what is constructed deliver the
intended performance?
This step is about confirming that the
design intent is realised. Pressure testing is
a big part of this, and results indicate that
such testing has helped substantially to
improve airtightness of dwellings.
The proposals increase the minimum
number of dwellings that should be tested
per development, and state that untested
dwellings should use an air permeability of
2.0m3/h/m2 at 50Pa greater than the
average achieved in tested dwellings of the
same type. Builders therefore have the
option to increase testing so they can use
the measured air permeability in their
dwelling emission rating (DER) calculation,
or compensate for the increased
permeability by additional energy
efficiency measures elsewhere.
Another increasingly important aspect
of thermal performance is thermal bridging.
Minimising thermal bridging is achieved by
good details that retain the integrity of the
insulation layer through the junction. A
revised and enhanced system of accredited
construction details is proposed, whereby
specific proprietary details are accredited
based on expert assessment of both
calculated performance and buildability.
It is also proposed that the web-based

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


system(s) hosting the catalogues of details
will be able to communicate with the
compliance calculation tools so that the
performance of the selected details can be
passed automatically into the TER/BER
calculation, achieving a robust audit trail.
On the building services side,
appropriate and effective commissioning is
critical to achieving intended performance.
The proposals give this further emphasis by
recommending that a commissioning plan
be provided to the BCB along with the
deposit of plans. In this way, the design and
construct team will be required to think
about the commissioning process as part of
the design development.
Do the calculations capture all the real
world energy flows?
This issue is about improving the building
science that underpins the energy
efficiency regulations. A significant update
to the underpinning building science in the
2010 Part L is recognition that cavity party
walls do not have zero heat loss if there is
air movement within the cavity.
Without appropriate treatment, a
cavity party wall can have a U-value of
0.5W/m2K or more. Such values will have a
big impact on the energy performance of
those dwelling forms that incorporate party
walls, as can be seen when they are
compared with external wall U-values that
are typically 0.25-0.30 W/m2K.
The new draft Approved Document
offers guidance on alternative treatments
(edge sealing or full-fill) that can reduce the
U-value of the party wall. It further explains
that the non-zero heat-loss party wall is a
particular case of the more general thermal
bypass problem caused by the insulation
and air barrier layers not being in contact,
with the gap between them subject to air
movement.
An important part of the proposals is a
supporting programme of dissemination
and training. The strategy is explained in
detail in the consultation documents, and is
considered in three phases – during
consultation, post-consultation roll-out and
the longer term. This programme will need
to involve a wide range of stakeholders,
including designers, builders, material
providers, building control, the education
sector and organisations responsible for
promoting energy efficiency.
Government can set energy
efficiency standards and provide
dissemination and training mechanisms,
but it is up to each individual to want to
improve energy efficiency rather than
being forced to.
Steve Irving is a regional director at AECOM and a
member of the team that provided technical advice to
CLG on the Part L 2010 amendment proposals.
PART L 2010 – A
SIMPLE PRIMER
Part L 2010 is the next step on a
journey that aims to achieve zero-
carbon new buildings over the
period 2016-2019.
The government has also
established a legally binding
target of reducing emissions
by 80% by 2050, and this will
require substantial improvements
in the performance of existing
buildings.
The Part L 2010 consultation
must therefore be seen in this
wider context, but here is a brief
overview of the key proposals.
New-build
1 Part L 2010 should deliver a 25%
reduction in CO2 emissions from
new buildings relative to the
standards set in the 2006 Part L.
2 For non-domestic buildings, it is
proposed that the 25% improvement
will be achieved in aggregate terms,
with some buildings being required
to achieve a greater improvement,
others less. This recognises that
some building types can save carbon
more cost-effectively than others.
The standards have been set such
that all building types achieve their
targeted improvement at similar
levels of cost-effectiveness. For
dwellings, the preferred approach is
a straight 25% improvement on the
2006 standard, though the
consultation seeks views on whether
an aggregate approach should also
be adopted for dwellings.
3 An important element of the
proposals is to improve levels of
compliance with Part L. This is
addressed in two ways –
a By providing building control
with better information at an
earlier stage, so that checking for
compliance is facilitated. The main
example here is a requirement for a
design-based submission, including
a TER/BER calculation coupled
with a specification of the various
building elements.
b By adding margins to
claimed performance unless
there is robust evidence that the
feature delivers the claimed
performance in practice. The main
example of this is a much enhanced
system of accredited construction
details.
4 It is proposed that limits on
design flexibility will be retained
and supported by the much-
expanded building services
compliance guides.
NEWS ANALYSIS 11
5 A new approach to limiting solar
gains in non-domestic buildings is
proposed. This sets a limit on the
solar gain per unit area of facade,
and applies both to naturally
ventilated and air-conditioned
spaces. This will not prevent highly
glazed facades, but where they are
proposed it will require that good
solar protection is provided.
Existing buildings
1 The exemptions from the energy
efficiency requirements should be
removed. Guidance is provided on
what is reasonable in each
particular building type to which
the current exemptions apply.
2 The consultation seeks views on
whether to remove the current
exemption for conservatories from
Part L. As part of this, a formal
definition of what constitutes a
conservatory is proposed, the main
feature of which is adequate
thermal separation from the
attached building. Elemental
standards for glazed and opaque
elements are proposed, along with
the need for secure ventilation
openings to help to maintain
thermal comfort in summer.
3 The performance standards for
the various building elements and
services equipment have been
raised where this is deemed
appropriate. The biggest change is
in the standard for replacement
windows. For most domestic
replacements, the standard is now
expressed as a “window energy
rating” rather than a U-value, with
the standard being raised by two
grading bands (from E to C).
4 The definition of “renovation”
has been revised to make clearer
those circumstances when thermal
improvements should be made to
walls, roofs and floors as part of
refurbishment work.
The consultation on the proposed
changes to Part L closes on
September 17. The consultation
package can be downloaded from
the CLG website. Take the
opportunity to read the proposals
and provide feedback on how they
could be improved.
Details of the all the proposed changes
to Parts L and F, and the full
consultation package can be
downloaded from the CLG website at
www.communities.gov.uk/
publications/planningandbuilding/
partlf2010consultation
ISSUE 08
8 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

OPINION
SECRETS OF A
LONGER LIFE
The old assumption of a 25-year lifespan
for commercial buildings no longer
stacks up, financially or environmentally,
says Chris Twinn.
I
n a future world of constrained credit,
increasing taxation, scarce materials,
climate change, ever more vilified
carbon, and increasing individual and
community expectations, we won’t be able
to afford to keep delivering the same sort of
buildings we do now, with their continuing
drain on resources.
We need more socially aware designs
using less material and reduced systems,
with more passive elements and ultimately
costing less if we are to achieve growing
prosperity.
The recession has encouraged
property owners to look at these issues now,
to examine their current stock and reassess
what represents long-term value. In many
cases, they find that buildings constructed
over the last 20 years are not very robust.
These portfolio holders are also trying
to understand what will be a good property
in 25 years and beyond. Where should they
focus their limited investment to ensure the
best long-term return for pension funds?
Expecting to knock a building down and
rebuild after 25 years, with added mortgage
commitment, is way off their agenda.
Providing long-term value involves
designing buildings that can adapt to
change, from offices to residential for
example, or being able to cope with the
temperatures of the future. Do we provide
buildings that are ready for this?
Energy performance certificate
minimum standards are now appearing on
agents’ checklists, as occupiers’ exposure to
Carbon Reduction Commitment costs starts
to hit home. But it is where this will be in 25
years that is taxing their minds. What kind
of building can be progressively upgraded
to EPC “A” and beyond? The option of
simply switching to grid green electricity is
likely to be severely limited as sectors such
as transport will take the lion’s share. The
priority will be having systems that can be
switched off for much of the year. Although
opening windows for natural ventilation on
to noisy streets may not be viable now, there
should be an option to do so when streets
are quiet and pollution free, courtesy of that
green electricity powering our vehicles.
Another blinkered legacy of buildings
of the recent past is the total focus on IT
hardware as the driver for the office model.
This blip, passing rapidly into history, has
created buildings that will date very quickly.
The future is the software and human
interface, with ever more done via wireless
personal communicators. Wireless laptops
and web-type remote software will lead to
more benign demands on our office space.
A change of emphasis is also evident
in the balance between building and
furniture. Furniture, which can be
rearranged easily, will be key to
“
A blinkered legacy of the
recent past is the total
focus on IT hardware as
the driver for the office
model. This has created
buildings that will date
very quickly
”
COMMENT 15
accommodating not only the IT but also
quick changes in operation. Making these
alterations to the building itself is too costly
and cumbersome. Suspended ceilings and
raised floors are candidates for complete
omission, not least because they are also the
highest embodied energy components.
Occupant productivity and satisfaction
appear to be the elephant in the room.
Much recent feedback shows that people
want to feel they have more control over
their immediate environment. Systems that
are simple and intuitive for them to
understand come out on top time and time
again. Best value will come from using the
building enclosure as the simple passive
primary modifier of indoor climate, and
delegating to individuals as wide a range of
day-to-day trim controls as possible.
So what does all this mean for new-
build? The BCO office spec as it stands will
be left behind, with its presumption that
you need dealer floor upgradeability and
centralised control to achieve “grade A”
office space. The numbers game of large
cooling capacities, maximum daylight
factors, deep floor plates, large floor and
ceiling cavities, does not have a future.
What is intriguing is how well a 1960s
office block figures in this debate. Its
shallower depth, with occupier proximity to
windows, a structure that allows the
exposure of thermal mass and passive
cooling options, floor to ceiling heights and
so forth, mean it has far more resilience
than has been appreciated. With cladding
that is probably ripe for refurbishment or
replacement, the opportunity is there for
overall building performance to become as
good as a new-build offers.
Chris Twinn is director of Arup’s Building
Engineering Sustainability Group
For more opinions, www.bsdlive.co.uk
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
16 PRACTICE
BUSINESS W
hen Pick Everard decided to
develop a green travel plan,
the consultancy discovered
BACK ON
that its business travel
added up to 1.3 million miles in 2008.
Most of that was by car, and equated to
THE BUS more than 6000 miles per employee.
Pick Everard’s plan for its head office
in Leicester is a voluntary one, although
any business seeking to build a new
headquarters must now submit a travel
plan as part of its planning application.
A green travel plan The firm wants to be carbon neutral
by 2025, and asked sustainable transport
could be good for specialist Go Travel Solutions for help in
achieving that goal.
your company as well Andrew Bannister, Pick Everard’s
environmental manager, says: “We have a
as the planet, reports responsibility to the planet to reduce our
carbon footprint. On a practical level,
Krystal Sim. travel also costs time and money, so it
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
makes good business sense to review how
your staff travel to and for work.
“Until the 1970s the bus was the
mainstream, then that gave way to the car.
We’d like to see the bus become the
mainstream again.”
Go Travel Solutions offers advice on
sustainable transport to businesses, public
bodies and transport operators. Managing
director Robin Pointer and his team
reviewed Pick Everard’s company car use,
business travel and commuting. They also
looked at the firm’s communications, to
see how business travel could be avoided,
for example by video conferencing.
Bannister says: “Robin went through
our modes of travel and conducted a
survey that revealed some of the reasons
behind our travel. From there he set us
objectives and targets that we feel will
benefit the business.”

The green travel plan is awaiting
sign-off from senior management. The
main target is to cut business mileage by
10% a year per employee.
Staff feedback has been positive,
although Pointer admits that habit can be
a hurdle. “Marketing any voluntary travel
plan internally is tricky. Human behaviour
can be difficult to change.”
CONVERGING ISSUES
Pointer says that businesses’ need to cut
costs because of the recession converges
with the need to cut carbon emissions. “It’s
a great fallacy that you cannot cut costs
and improve sustainability. Some would
have you believe that they are two
mutually exclusive concepts. That simply
isn’t true.
“At the moment, the financial saving
is the key issue. A year ago, it would have
been the environmental side.”
Bannister agrees that with the bottom
line getting ever tighter, there has never
been a better time to review areas such as
transportation. Reduced emissions is a
valuable side-effect.
“And it’s not just about carbon. There
are other important benefits, such as
better efficiency and less fatigue. We all
spend too much time in our cars.”
As Pick Everard is a company that
works in sustainable design and
construction, did Pointer find any
differences in collaborating with it on the
travel plan?
“All businesses nowadays are much
more savvy about, and receptive to, green
[issues]. They have far more of an interest
in the environment,” he says.
“A few years ago climate change
was arguably a more niche issue for
businesses in general. There was some
confusion on the subject and conflicting
information. In the past few years,
however, it has become obvious that we
must reduce our emissions.”
Pick Everard is in talks with other
businesses in Leicester about how to
tackle the problem of city centre
congestion.
Bannister says: “One central
motivation behind this idea, aside from
getting staff out of their cars and onto
buses, is to form links with other
businesses and potentially form a
transport group.
“We’ve started to talk to other
companies in the area. We need to
understand our collective transport
patterns and the reasons behind them.
This could lead to some successful joined-
up thinking and make a real dent in our
carbon footprints.”
For more on practice, go to www.bsdlive.co.uk
LEGAL
ALL CARE AND TOO MUCH
RESPONSIBILITY
Specialist subcontractors carry heavy enough
responsibility as it is, so they should beware a contract
clause that is a recipe for disaster, says Stephen Rockhill.
I
magine the scenario. You are a
medium-sized subcontractor and
have been asked to tender on a large
project. Your first figure of £2m gets
squeezed down to £1.9m by the main
contractor, then to £1.8m. You are
appointed, but then your surveyor notices
this in the contract documents:
“The subcontractor shall design… on
the basis of the data supplied by the
contractor and to his complete
satisfaction…”
This clause is a recipe for a disaster.
The contractor has only to express
dissatisfaction with some minor detail
and the subcontractor can be held liable
for all costs associated with rectifying the
supposed “defect”.
Subcontractors must fully
understand their liabilities. Many not
only provide work and materials but
design elements such as lifts, fire alarms,
environmental services, cladding, glazing
and structural steelwork.
“The basic defect in the system… is
that the specialist subcontractor is a de
facto member of the design team but this
is not properly (or at all) reflected in the
contractual relationships documentation
or common terminology,” as CIRIA
Special Publication 138 puts it.
There has been increased reliance
on the use of provisional sums and
performance-oriented specifications. This
has brought about more difficulties,
mainly at the interface between the work
of the client’s design team and that of the
specialist subcontractor. Often the latter
will only become involved when the
architect has completed almost all the
design information and co-ordination
drawings for the main contractor.
At tender stage there are often few
clues as to the parameters in which the
specialist design is to be carried out. For
example, ductwork subcontractors may
lack information about the position of
partitioning or suspended ceilings. Often
they have to read voluminous
documentation carefully to gauge the
extent of their design responsibility.
Do not lose sight of the Sale of
PRACTICE 17
Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods
and Services Act 1982. These impose
implied contractual warranties (unless
the parties agree otherwise) that the
goods supplied must:
a) correspond with any description by
which they are supplied;
b) be of merchantable quality;
c) be reasonably fit for any particular
purpose made known to the supplier
where purchasers are relying on the skill
and expertise of the supplier. Liability is
strict.
A subcontractor may also be liable
in tort. In principle, a subcontractor
carrying out design can be sued by any
person to whom he owes a duty of care,
provided that person has suffered a
recoverable type of loss. What is often
described as pure economic loss (ie the
repairing of defects) is not recoverable.
There is one important exception.
This is where there has been a “negligent
misstatement”. If someone negligently
gives bad advice or incorrect information,
the recipient may have a remedy,
provided he can establish that he had a
special relationship with the person who
had advised him.
A special relationship may exist
where a person is so placed that others
can reasonably rely on his skill and
judgment or on his ability to make
careful enquiries, and that person gives
information or advice to someone he
knows will place reliance upon it.
Sir Michael Latham, in his 1994
report Constructing the Team,
recommended proper design agreements
for specialists akin to the terms of
appointment for a consultant. The
professional team should persuade the
employer to engage such specialists on
reasonable terms so that the design may
be developed at the appropriate time and
incorporated into the overall design
concept. This could save money and
certainly reduce frustration.
Stephen Rockhill is an associate at Charles Russell
LLP
For more on legal matters, go to www.bsdlive.co.uk
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
 The Tank Museum’s £10.4m
new exhibition space which
opened this summer. The
angled roof (left) bathes the
indoor exhibits in daylight, as
befits vehicles whose natural
habitat is the great outdoors.
FEATURES

TANKS FOR
THE MEMORY
Rust is the chink in a tank’s armour,
so King Shaw Associates made sure
there was no condensation in the
Tank Museum’s new exhibition
space. Krystal Sim reports.
Photographs: Doug King.
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08

A “
t the Tank Museum in Dorset, as
at so many British military
attractions, you find a sombre
and respectful tone alongside a
tongue-in-cheek cheeriness. A
commemorative statue close to the
children’s play area reminds visitors of the
human cost of warfare, but if you arrive at
the right time you will see a huge Chieftain
tank, pirate flag billowing, circuiting the
arena to the strains of the Phantom of the
Opera. It’s a unique experience.
Opened in June, the arena, and the
new Tank Story exhibition space, are part of
the £10.4m first phase of redevelopment of
the museum of the Royal Tank Regiment
and the Royal Armoured Corps. With nearly
300 armoured vehicles, the museum has the
largest collection of tanks in the world at its
Bovington home, and has proved a lure for
19
warfare enthusiasts since it was set up in
the 1920s.
These days though, as the trustees
realised, the museum needs to be more
We argued for months competitive as a visitor attraction, and
that these are outdoor provide better accommodation for its
ageing exhibits, some of which languished
fighting vehicles and in other crammed sheds or out in the open
that is how they should protected only by tarpaulins.
Something had to be done, but it
be seen. We believed was not just a question of smarter
surroundings, as services consultant King
this could be achieved Shaw Associates can attest. The practice
with daylight using the became involved in the project in 2002
when the masterplan for a phased £30m
roof design redevelopment was being drawn up by
architect Kennedy O’Callaghan.
”
At that point the main exhibition space
was the Discovery Centre, which museum
director Richard Smith describes as “an ¢
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
20 BUILDING ANALYSIS

¢ old tank shed that’s had things tagged on Clockwise from right: King Shaw
to it over time”. Associates fought for a roof design for the
Tank Story exhibition that would bring in
“The tank geeks absolutely adore it daylight without glare; cutaway of Tank
but it is very 1970s,” Smith says. “Exhibit Story building; observation tower
plus explanatory plaque. We had so overlooking the Tank Arena; the world’s
first tank, Little Willie, built in 1915.
many vehicles that it had a bit of a car park
feel to it.”
The Discovery Centre still has that old
vehicle museum feel to it – an intense smell
of diesel, flat fluorescent lighting and the
feeling that you’re about to bump into a
busload of schoolchildren armed with
handouts and packed lunches. Doug King
of King Shaw was determined that the new
space would do a better job.
He says: “We wanted to benefit every
tank in the collection. We did a complete
stocktake of all the tanks and their decay.
There was a backlog of 30 years’
maintenance, and there were some wrecks.”
He soon identified that the chief
problem would be the visitors themselves,
or rather the condensation formed by their
breath. He says the firm’s approach to the
problem was instinctive rather than looking
for the “least worst option”.

BAD REACTION
“The right solution will appear if you think
about the problem long enough,” King says.
“We spent ages crawling over the museum
and understanding what was going on, and
what we saw were bad examples of
bimetallic corrosion.”
This is an electrolytic reaction between
dissimilar metals. Painting the steel tanks
had prevented them from rusting, but where
brass fittings were attached there was
corrosion. King realised that to prevent this
happening, they would have to keep the
tanks warm.
“It all suddenly made sense,” he says.
“To preserve these vehicles in the new
space, we needed to stop condensation
getting on them. How do we do that? We
make the tanks warm so they don't get system to be adaptable to match visitor these are tactile objects,” King says.
below dew point. You've got big tanks and a numbers. “Originally the exhibition designers wanted
big room, so air-conditioning wasn’t going “When you have a heavy visitor flow,” complete blackout and complete control
to do it. The only way was radiant heat.” he says, “you have to ventilate for more over the lighting, but that would have cost a
The new exhibition space was people. We also put heating batteries on the fortune just to light the space.
designed with a system of overhead radiant underground vent system to enable the air “We argued for months that these are
heating panels. These raise the surface to quickly heat or adapt the environment. outdoor fighting vehicles and that is how
temperature of the tank hulls and ensure There’s constant heating from the radiant they should be seen. We believed this could
that condensation, and therefore corrosion, panels at high levels and this quick be achieved with daylight so we asked for
does not occur. The panels also provide response system from the underfloor the opportunity to work with the architect
energy-efficient heating for the space, heating acts as ventilation and another form to design the roof properly.”
especially useful in the summer months of heating, with the fresh air coming from The narrow roof apertures create
when the temperature, and energy the underground ducts.” directional light, which is diffused by
consumption levels, can be reduced. Another important aspect is the use of interreflections from the soffit. The roof
Displacement ventilation carries the light. Unhappy with the “flat” lighting in the form is aligned so that the sun falls on the
moisture in the air away quickly. Fresh air is Discovery Centre, King Shaw worked back of the roof rather than through the
introduced via large underground concrete closely with architect Kennedy O’Callaghan lights, apart from later in the day and after
ducts, designed to carry the massive load of on the design of the roof. However, Doug visitor hours. King claims that whatever the
the tanks on the display hall floor. King had to battle the exhibition designers time of day or year, the quality of light is
Steve Caulfield, director at King Shaw over how the space should be lit. always the same.
Associates, says the practice designed the “There was no sense of depth and He says 60% of the light is directional

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


and 40% is diffuse, which is roughly the
same as on a moderately sunny day outside.
He claims this gives the tanks a much more
dynamic presence.
“We originally considered a glazed
barrel vault. The problem with that is when
the sun reaches the apex and the sun shines
in. We designed a series of reflectors that
would sit inside the barrel vault, each one
angled slightly differently. This would have
mean that wherever the light came in, it
would be reflected in the same direction to
replicate these narrow aperture roof lights.”
Cost engineering put paid to this idea,
but King hopes to use it elsewhere.
“That was some serious design and it
would have been superb – the first time
anyone would have used variable pitch
louvres to take diffuse light and turn it into
directional light. Maybe we’ll keep it on
reserve and use it another time.”
The museum also upgraded the
ancillary buildings which house the
archives and military regalia – everything
from regimental flags, swords and uniforms
to excavated pieces of machinery. These
were reclad, insulated and made airtight.
King Shaw put in a climate-control system
which keeps the humidity levels up in order
to preserve the archive material.
Some of these items are now on
display in the Tank Story exhibition area,
something that was not possible with the
limited floor space of the Discovery Centre.
The Tank Story has also freed up space in
the Discovery Centre for vehicles that were
previously parked in the storage sheds.
“It’s a continuous tide of tanks,”
exclaims King. “This was key to the
Heritage Lottery Funding [which
contributed a grant of £9.6m]. They like
access and ongoing conservation. This is an
BUILDING ANALYSIS 21
RESCUED FROM RUST
Bovington has been a base of
military operations since the First
World War. The story goes that the
museum, which was set up in the
1920s, was inspired by writer
Rudyard Kipling. He was reported
to have seen a collection of tanks
left rusting in a Bovington field and
suggested that something should
be done to retain them for
posterity.
In the early fifties, the public
was admitted for free, and the
collection was operated by the
Ministry of Defence. This continued
until the 1980s and, according to
museum director Richard Smith,
there has been an ongoing
process since then to clarify the
relationship between the museum
as a body and the MoD. The
museum had to obtain the lease for
the land before it could upgrade
the facilities.
It then applied to the Heritage
Lottery Fund, which gave it a grant
of £9.6m in 2005.
expensive building but there is scope to
move more tanks from the sheds and into
the display areas.”
While King believes the Tank Story
exhibition space has the best and most
sustainable services system, he says it may
not achieve a top display energy certificate
rating when the first annual readings are
available next year.
“The exhibition space is mechanically
ventilated and we found out that DECs are
purposely biased towards natural
ventilation,” he says. “That’s a real bugbear
with me, because in this context mechanical
ventilation was the best solution. Clients
want appraisals that offer them the sexy
option in today’s market, what is seen to be
green today.
“Anything that we judge as sustainable
today has to still be operation in 2050. I am
confident that the Tank Story will be.”
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
22 PEOPLE
BSD INTERVIEW
LUCY PEDLER
The green construction
proponent explains why she
wishes the recession had been
far worse. By Krystal Sim.
Portrait by Wilde Fry
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
A
ny practice that claims to take
sustainability seriously must put
its money where its mouth is.
That’s the belief of architect and
passionate environmentalist Lucy Pedler,
the director and founder of the Green
Register.
The independent, self-funded
organisation has an online list of
construction professionals who have
“demonstrated their commitment” to
sustainability and runs courses to promote
sustainable building practices across
disciplines.
Construction firms looking to join
must prove their dedication to
sustainability by sending a representative
to attend a two-day course.
“We can’t measure a company’s

competency or passion for sustainability,”
Pedler says, “but I firmly believe that
someone who is willing to take two days out
of their work isn’t just a bandwagon
jumper.”
Ten years ago, sustainability was
almost a dirty word, she recalls. “You were
put in the brown rice and lentils bracket, it
was terribly isolating. I wanted to create a
network of professionals, a support group,
where like-minded people could share ideas,
find new firms to work with and feel
motivated to continue their good work.”
Pedler has 25 years of experience in the
built environment, and is a passionate
advocate for a greener way of living. She
pinpoints her decision to get into
architecture to a crisis of choice in her
childhood.
PEOPLE 23
Her school demanded that its pupils
choose between arts and science by the
tender age of 13. With her parents, both
doctors, entrenched in the latter camp,
she not surprisingly chose science. At 16 she
“realised there was another side to life” in
the form of art, and felt that architecture
could be the perfect way to draw from both
academic interests.
“I decided to become an architect
when I visited the Palace of Knossos on the
island of Crete,” smiles Pedler. “I was with
my mother and I found myself looking at
this beautiful ruin. I started rebuilding it in
my mind. I was inspired.”
She took a year out before beginning
her architectural training at Plymouth
School of Architecture in 1978. There
she met her future husband, Paul ¢
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
24 PEOPLE
¢McWilliams, who was on a student
exchange programme from Mississippi
State University. She finished her training
in 1984 and moved to Mississippi with him.
The couple lived in Boston for a few years
before moving back to London in 1995.
Pedler left architecture for a time
because the hours were “incompatible with
having children”. When her two daughters
were a little older, she went to work as a
product specialist at Construction
Resources, the UK’s first ecological building
centre, where she stayed for five years.
Pedler says that she was effectively being
paid to learn. “It was a fantastic job, which
combined my passion for architecture and
my passion for environmentalism.”
She spent the first two years there
researching the environmental impact of
ecologically sound building materials and
systems, and three years advising architects
and other professionals on the appropriate
selection of building materials.
FIGHTING SCEPTICISM
Pedler says she was fortunate that the
professionals she addressed were
sustainability friendly, though she did come
across some scepticism.
“Ten years ago sustainability wasn’t
what it is now. Most of the people I met
were already on board with the concept, but
outreach meetings brought a fair few
sceptics. They poured a fair amount of
scorn. Thankfully there are even fewer of
these types around today; there’s no room
for them any more.”
Pedler believes in looking at buildings
as a whole and says that, thanks to the
Building Regulations, architects and
engineers now have to engage with each
other from the beginning of any given
project.
“Time was an architect would draw
plans, hand the design to the engineer and
tell them to make it work. Truly sustainable
building projects can’t rely on bolting
things on at the end. Integration is
essential. I’m desperately trying to avoid
using the word holistic, but there it is.”
Pedler started her own sustainable
architecture practice, Archipeleco, in Bristol
in 1999. She says the idea of working for
herself, and the feeling that her daughters
were old enough for her to go back into
practice, made a return to architecture more
appealing.
“I did not want to work for anybody
else again. I would be an impossible person
to employ now,” she admits.
The idea for the Green Register
emerged from her experience of leading
seminars at Construction Resources.
“There were plenty of people
passionate about sustainability, but they
just couldn’t find the professionals who
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
“
I had hoped that the
recession would be more
catastrophic, that it
would change the way
people think about
their lives – because we
can’t keep consuming
the way we do
”
could deliver it. Setting up the Green
Register was the way to pool together
companies who could,” Pedler says.
The Green Register holds the two-day
introductory sustainable building and
services course about eight times a year at
locations across the country, and also visits
companies to provide CPD sessions,
workshops and events inhouse.
FEELING THE PINCH
The organisation has taken a hit because of
the recession, as company training budgets
are being slashed. “The impact has been
pretty significant, we have seen a noticeable
drop in certain courses,” Pedler says.
“Green refurbishment, on the other
hand, is quite topical at the moment. That
course was fully booked. Slashing budgets
is such a shortsighted thing to do. The
regulations aren’t going anywhere.”
When the conversation turns to the
economic downturn, Pedler makes a
seemingly startling admission: she wishes it
had been worse.
“I know that’s an odd thing to admit
but I had hoped the recession would be
more catastrophic – that it would change
the way people think about their lives,
because we can’t keep consuming the way
we do. Frankly, we’re running out of stuff.”
SENSE OF URGENCY
Pedler is fearful that the world is not
catching on fast enough to sustainability.
“We can’t just consume our way to greener
living. The old economic model is
fundamentally flawed.
“We just don’t seem to learn, and our
experts tell us to consume and things will
improve – although I will say that if this had
happened 10 years ago, the green agenda
would have been lost. Sustainability just
wasn’t bedded in enough. I do worry that
people won’t be persuaded to change. You
may have noticed that I feel very cynical at
the moment.”
Pedler believes that one sure-fire way
to reduce fuel consumption, and lower
emissions would be to increase fuel prices
tenfold. “The problem is that there’s no one
thing that’s crystallising the issue of energy
efficiency. If you were to increase energy
prices that dramatically you would
definitely see a change in the approach to
energy consumption.”
With allowances for those in fuel
poverty, Pedler believes that such a huge
increase in fuel costs would lead to much
more creative thinking and improved levels
of energy efficiency.
“There are some problems with this
idea, of course,” she concedes, “such as in
rural areas, where people and businesses
are more dependent on cars. But something
radical has to happen to snap people out of
this pattern of consumption.”
The Green Register now has more than
500 members. With slumps in the numbers
attending certain courses and full bookings
for others, the future is uncertain, but Pedler
remains upbeat.
“I’m not an economist,” she laughs, “I
have no idea when to expect things to pick
up. Twenty-five years ago I had never heard
of the term sustainability but now it’s
embedded in the industry.
“The Green Register is cross-
disciplinary, because we can’t work in silos
any more. That’s not going to change any
time soon. Built environment professionals
just have to capture the public’s
imagination better, so we don’t run out of
stuff after all.”
For more interviews, visit
www.bsdlive.co.uk
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 IT 27

WHO’S THE
FAIREST?
Case study
building model

LEED scheme BREEAM scheme Green Star scheme

(PRM) (NCM) (NABERS Energy)

Proposed building Baseline building Actual building Reference building Base building

Proposed building Baseline building Building emission Standard emission Base building
energy use average energy use rate (BER) rate (SER) Energy use

Proposed building Baseline building

energy cost average energy cost

Percentage Energy performance Predicted greenhouse

improvement certificate rating gas emission

LEED credits BREEAM credits Green Star credits

W
hat is the best way of
measuring the energy
performance of a building?
As the pressure to reduce
The energy rating CO2 emissions mounts, it is important not
only that buildings work better, but that
methods of the UK, their designers and operators can measure
the levels of improvement. They want to be
the US and Australia able to demonstrate their virtues, not just
for altruistic reasons but also to attract
have influence far potential purchasers and to satisfy
regulations or win grants.
beyond their own This is why some countries have
developed their own assessment methods –
borders. So how BREEAM in the UK, LEED in the US, and
Green Star in Australia. All are relatively
do they stack up rigorous, and it is fair to say that a building
with a high score is better than one that
against each other? does not fare as well. But how does one
assessment method compare with another?
Ruth Slavid reports. This matters, because the schemes are
spreading beyond their national boundaries,
either to countries that have no rating
system of their own, or travelling with
clients who operate internationally. LEED is
already used in 24 countries. BREEAM is
developing an international standard for
use in the Gulf and in Holland. Green Star
is used in South Africa and New Zealand, as
well as Australia.
These systems are butting up against
each other increasingly, but until now there
has been no real comparison between the
ways they work, and the results they
produce. This is the work that a team of four
at Glasgow-based simulation company IES,
led by Ya Roderick, set out to do. They
compared not the whole assessment
process but the energy component, which in
all three cases is equivalent to just under
15% of the total potential score.
They applied the methods of each to ¢

ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

28 IT

Geometric representation
of the case study building,
seen from the north-east.

¢ a model of a hypothetical eight-storey TABLE 1: GENERAL COMPARISON BETWEEN LEED,

commercial building in Dubai, with open- BREEAM AND GREEN STAR SCHEMES
plan offices and a three-storey car park. The
building, which contains all standard
facilities, including a data centre and LEED BREEAM Green Star
showering and changing areas, is fully air- Assessment method Performance rating UK National Calculation National Australian Built
conditioned and uses no renewables. method (PRM) based Methodology (NCM) Environment Rating
The team then used IES’ Virtual on ASHRAE 90.1-2004 based on Approved System (NABERS)
Environment software to score the building Appendix G Document PartL2A Energy methodology
Scope of assessment % of improvement Energy performance Predicted greenhouse
under each process. Under LEED, the based on annual certificate (EPC) rating: gas emissions
proposed building is compared with a energy cost CO2 based index
baseline building model, which is set up Simulation tool Software approved Approved software Software must meet the
with four orientations – 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° by the rating authority interfaces to SBEM requirements laid down
– so that it does not shade itself. The energy and subject to method. Approved in Green Star Office
requirements specified Dynamic Simulation Design Tool
rating calculation is based on the annual in ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Modelling software
energy cost of running the proposed Appendix G
building against the average annual cost of Max credit level 10 points for over 42% 15 credits for zero 20 points for zero
the baseline building, using actual rates for for performance of improvement CO2 index predicted greenhouse
based criteria (net zero CO2 emissions) gas emission
energy or state average energy prices. +2 exemplar points for (carbon neutral)
In BREEAM, the assessor models an innovation
actual building and a reference building, Min credit level for 2 points minimum for 1 credit for 63 CO2 index Conditional requirement
and compares the former’s CO2 rating, performance based 14% of improvement is 110 kgCO2/m2/year
derived from its energy performance criteria
Energy performance 14.5% of total 14.7% of total 14.1% of total
certificate, with the performance of the related credits/ available points available credits available points
reference building. points (%)
Green Star rates the greenhouse
performance of the landlord-operated
services in an office building. Unlike the
two other approaches, it does not carry out TABLE 2: COMPARISON OF THE ENERGY RATING BETWEEN
a comparison with any kind of reference LEED, BREEAM AND GREEN STAR
building.
So how did they fare? Under LEED, the
LEED BREEAM Green Star
hypothetical Dubai building showed only a Proposed Baseline Actual Reference Base
7.8% improvement in energy performance building building building building building
related to the base building, which is less Total energy 2545.78 2761.86 1892.44 2044.70 891.57
than the 10.5% improvement needed to consumption (MWh)
CO2 emission (tons) - - 776.40 959.01 386.94
score just one point. So the building failed Energy cost ($) 20,366,240 22,094,880 - - -
its LEED assessment. Under BREEAM, the Normalisation % improvement = EPC rating = 50 x Normalised
building fell into category B for its energy formulae (1 –proposed/ (actual CO2/(reference emissions = base
rating, which gave it two out of a maximum baseline) x 100 CO2 x 0.765)) CO2/NLA
of 15 points available. In contrast, under = 7.8% = 49 asset rating = 41kgCO2/m2
Credit points 0 (total 10 points) 2 (total 15 points) 11 (total 20 points)
Green Star, the building scored 11 points
out of a potential 20.

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08

 IT 29

Energy model 3D view of the

proposed building (right) and
baseline building (below right)
for the LEED scheme.

Why are the results so different?
Roderick says: “The main difference is that
LEED and Green Star pay a lot of attention
to the HVAC.” This may be because Green
Star is designed for a hot climate, and
LEED covers all the very diverse US climate
zones. But obviously there is also a big
difference, since Green Star gave this
building such a high score, whereas LEED
failed it. “Green Star only compares with
one building,” Roderick says. “So if you
make any small changes to your system it
will directly impact on your final scoring.”
It is very difficult to say that one
system is better than another. They were all
designed for internal comparison between
buildings scored under the system, rather
than comparisons of buildings appraised
under different systems. But this research
does show that different systems produce
different results, so one should be wary of
comparing across the systems.
Green Star is unlikely to be adopted
widely outside its immediate areas of
influence, but there are many countries that
look both at LEED and at BREEAM. “It is
interesting that LEED is more rigorous than
BREEAM,” says David McEwan, Roderick’s
colleague and one of her co-authors. “We
can ask if BREEAM should have the option
to be more rigorous, to go into plant more
thoroughly, for example.”
This rigorous approach has a cost,
though, and it is a financial one. As
American clients in the UK become more
environmentally aware, some have started
to think about having LEED assessments of
their UK buildings. “We have had a few
queries for LEED studies here,” McEwan
says. “I am afraid the price puts them off.”
One reason why LEED is more
rigorous than BREEAM is because it has
the potential to deal with much more varied
climates. The IES study looked only at one
building type, in one climate, and one
particular orientation. Even that was quite
an undertaking. But it is important work,
and Roderick would like to do more of it.
“We are interested in fully
understanding the methodology in order to
guide our clients,” she says. “And at an
academic level nobody has done this work –
it’s very complicated.” She hopes to extend
the work to other climate zones and
building types, so that one day we may have
a deeper understanding of the similarities
and dissimilarities of these methods.
To read the full paper, go to
www.iesve.com/Learning/IES-Whitepapers

TABLE 3: COMPARISON OF ENERGY USE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN

LEED, BREEAM AND GREEN STAR
End use (MWh) LEED BREEAM Green Star
Proposed Baseline Actual Reference Base building Base building w/o
building building building building tenants’ components
Interior lighting 544.37 555.81 579.20 577.73 454.92*(total) 103.42 (total)
Tenancy lighting 351.5* -
Common area lighting 81.42 81.42
Car park lighting 22 22
Exterior lighting 92.55 92.55 n/a n/a 92.55 92.55
Equipment 589.37 589.37 589.46 589.46 607.98* -
Space heating 22.13 26.96 1.22 0 0.11 0.11
Space cooling 487.16 631.06 476.71 693.18 414.42 414.42
Service water heating 92.74 92.74 91.67 162.96 19.3 19.3
Pumps 11.51 12.89 37.51 37.51
154.18 21.37
Interior fans 242.42 296.96 136.08 136.08
Parking garage fans 439.2 439.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Heat rejection 0 0 0 0 0 0
Refrigeration n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Cooking n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Elevators & escalators 24.33 24.33 n/a n/a 77.2 77.2
Water treatment n/a n/a n/a n/a 10.98 10.98
Total energy consumption 2545.78 2761.86 1892.44 2044.70 1851.05* 891.57 (for Green
Star assessment)
*Do not count towards total energy consumption used for the energy rating in Green Star

ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

30 HOUSING
J
ohn An, an associate at the
environmental consultant Atelier
Ten in New York, has just moved
into the apartment building that he
believes is the ideal place for him and his
wife to bring up their new baby. Selecting a
family home is always special but An’s
choice was all the more so because the
building, called The Visionaire, was one he
had worked on. There can be no better
endorsement of a project’s design and
execution from a building services
professional. “I love it,” he says. “It’s
fabulous. I saw the whole design process
and the construction process.”
And there can be no better
endorsement of a building’s sustainable
design than a LEED platinum rating, which
the tower in Battery Park City duly received.
It is the first condominium (apartments for
sale) in New York to get the top rating.
Some of the elements that look highly
innovative from the UK stem from the
stringent environmental demands set at
Battery Park City. Nico Kienzl, Atelier Ten’s
principal in charge of the project, believes
that the greatest innovation is in fact “the
level of integration. The facade performance
has been matched with the HVAC design.
The energy numbers we are seeing are
significantly lower than on earlier schemes.”
The building uses 43% less energy
than would a condominium that merely
complies with the city’s 2004 building code.
Much of this, Kienzl believes, is down to the
developer, Albanese. The Solaire, one of two
apartment blocks it built earlier in Battery
Park City, was seen as setting a new
standard for sustainable design. The
Visionaire surpasses it.
The 33-storey building contains 250
apartments, the four-storey headquarters of
the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy,
VISIONARY
LIVING
New York’s first platinum-rated
condominium block makes up for a
dearth of on-site power generation
with an aggressive approach to
water and sewage, says Ruth Slavid.
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
and facilities such as a health club and a
grocery. Atelier Ten was involved from the
beginning, working with Pelli Clarke Pelli
Architects to win the competition.
This and the client’s focus on detail –
its project manager was often on-site and
personally checked the vapour barrier on
every piece of curtain walling – means the
building has benefited not only from joined-
up thinking but from joined-up delivery.
“You can tell from the way the building
smells, and from the level of detail, how well
it has been done,” says Kienzl.
GREEN ROOF
Roofs at all levels have a mix of planting
and high-albedo paving, which has
excellent reflectivity and emissivity.
The roofs are well landscaped and fully
accessible, providing an amenity for the
residents in an intensely developed
environment (there is even a lap pool). They
have a high R-value (the inverse of U-value)
and help to diminish the city’s urban heat
island effect. The green roof also slows the
run-off of water in a sudden storm, an
important part of the water strategy.
WATER STRATEGY
The approach taken may seem a little
extreme until you learn that the city’s storm
water and foul water flow through the same
overloaded sewers, so water and sewage
overflows into the Hudson River when it
rains hard. Battery Park City therefore has a
commitment to discharging, as well as
consuming, as little water as possible.
Large storage tanks have been
installed to collect rainwater. With the
attenuation effect of the green roofs, this
means there should be no discharge of
rainwater from the building, even in a storm
of two-year event magnitude, according to
the design team’s forecasts.
More unusual is the fact that all the
black water (the sewage and other waste
water) is being treated on-site, an approach
pioneered by Albanese at The Solaire. It is
collected in tanks, which occupy about a
quarter of the basement’s footprint, and
cleaned biologically to a standard that is
potable, although it is not used for such
applications. Instead, it is used for irrigation
and in the open cooling towers of the air-
conditioning system. Fear of Legionnaire’s
disease has almost eliminated such towers
in the UK but they are popular in the US
because of their lower energy consumption.
Another important part of the water
strategy is the fitting out of the apartments
with low-water-use appliances, such as
washing machines. Albanese has not used
the cheap finishes and equipment that are
common in apartments for sale, where it is
expected that purchasers will replace them
immediately. Instead it has gone for high ¢
 31

The Visionaire’s sleek curtain

walling is evidence of
construction standards
normally reserved for offices.
Inset: low-level roof garden
with high albedo paving.

All images: Pelli Clarke Pelli

Architects

ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

32 HOUSING

¢ quality and buyers have been involved in VISIONAIRE SERVICES Air-handling unit natural gas-fired
choosing the fit-out, so the low-water-use absorption chiller
appliances are likely to stay.
As a result, as well as the building’s
load on the sewers being virtually nil, its
potable water consumption is said to be at
least 40% below the norm. The only trick
that seems to have been missed is that the Preconditioned fresh air
distribution and four-pipe fan coil
gases from the sewage treatment are vented system
rather than used for energy generation. Demand-controlled filtered
exhaust ventilation
VENTILATION AND HEAT CONTROL
All rooms have dedicated fresh air
ventilation, which Kienzl says is unique
among New York residential buildings.
“Even if the windows are closed, the air
quality is high,” he says, which discourages
occupants from opening windows and so
lessening the benefits of heating or air-
Natural ventilation
conditioning. Similarly, having multiple
thermostats in each apartment helps to
ensure that no more heating or cooling is
supplied than is actually needed.
New York’s climate makes it Domestic hot water
impossible to achieve a reasonable degree
of year-round comfort purely with natural Water system
Storm water
ventilation, but the need for air- Waste water
conditioning is restricted to about four to Finished water
Domestic municipal
six weeks a year at The Visionaire. potable water

ENERGY GENERATION Air system

Supply air
The renewable energy strategies on the Return air
building seem to be concerned more with
the green message they send out than
making a big contribution to the energy Heat
recovery
load. The 400m2 of photovoltaic panels air-handling
running round the top of the facade provide units
only 5% (45kW) of the load to the common Geothermal
areas. “In an urban high-rise, there is no way well
to generate a significant amount of Finished water for toilet + mechanical reuse
electricity,” say Kienzl, not mentioning the Treated waste + storm water
building’s even more tokenistic micro- Waste water
Storm water
turbine. Geothermal heat pumps do a little
better, providing most of the heating and
cooling load for the office space.

CURTAIN WALLING WATER STRATEGY

It is unusual to have curtain walling on a
Potable for drinking Storm water harvesting Black water treatment On-site treated water
New York apartment building because of and bathing recycled for toilets,
the cost. Normally a built-up system with irrigation, cooling tower
“lots of cold bridges” is used, says Kienzl. evaporation
Curtain walling is more costly but gives a
better result, particularly with the attention
to detail shown by the project manager.

WASTE AND CLEANING

More than 80% of the construction waste
was diverted from landfill. Significantly,
LEED is more prescriptive than BREEAM
about the construction process, and insists
on keeping materials dry and not creating
dust. The lack of dust or dirt in the ducting
helped to produce the sweet smell of
success that so impressed Kienzl.

For more on high-rise design, go to www.bsdlive.co.uk

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


SWAT TEAM
Termites of the species
Macrotermes michaelseni, which
Dr Rupert Soar studied in detail.
Below: one of the individual
contributors to the study
(photograph by Isaac Eastgate).
Termite mound
construction offers a
lesson in natural
ventilation for small
buildings, reports
Fiona McWilliam.
T
here is a certain logic in looking
to termite mounds for a way to
inform the design of comfortable
and sustainable buildings with
little or no need for mechanical heating or
cooling. These intricate structures preserve
a steady level of atmosphere, humidity and
temperature in the termite nests beneath
them while enabling the exchange of
oxygen and carbon dioxide between the
inside and outside of the mound.
Exactly how termite mounds function
is a lot more complex than scientists
initially thought, however, and potentially a
great deal more useful in the design of
sustainable, self-regulating buildings.
Dr Rupert Soar, the freeform
construction pioneer, and the physiologist J
Scott Turner have studied this topic since
2004 with engineers and scientists at
Loughborough and Cambridge universities
VENTILATION 35
and the National Museum of Namibia. As
part of the research, funded by the
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council, they have digitally
scanned a termite mound to understand
how they “breathe” without ventilation by
bulk air flow.
The heat-driven convective flows that
drive natural ventilation in tall buildings
cannot be applied to small structures such
as termite mounds or, indeed, our homes,
Soar says. Even tall, naturally ventilated
buildings, with atriums or chimney systems,
often have to be retrofitted with fans and
other ventilation devices because
occupants break the natural air flow by
opening windows and doors, he points out.
Mechanical HVAC consumes an
increasing proportion of energy in homes,
and creating effective natural ventilation in
small buildings can be tricky, Soar says. ¢
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
36 VENTILATION

¢ “If anything, governments and
certification systems now tend to encourage
the sealing of buildings, necessitating
forced or mechanical ventilation systems
to allow gas exchange without removing
heat (or vice versa in hot climates),
requiring fans and a heat exchanger, which
consume more electricity in an effort to
conserve energy.”
Gas exchange in buildings is hitched
to bulk air flow between the inside and
outside. The process of constantly moving
air out of the building, in order to replenish
oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, inevitably
takes with it heat and moisture in that air.
It is a problem, Soar says, “that all air-
breathing animals and termite mounds
solve automatically”. He likens the delicate
balance or stasis of temperature, acidity
and moisture inside our lungs to being
comfortable in modern housing: “Inside the
lung there cannot be bulk air flows and
complete air exchanges [as there is in a
chimney] as our lung membrane would
dry out and cease to function. We are still
like our fish ancestors, with our gills [lungs]
in a nice wet place where oxygen and
carbon dioxide can move across the lung
membrane.”
To prevent the lung drying out we
breathe in and out, which allows gas
exchange but preserves the stasis of
temperature, moisture and acidity.
While the idea of strapping muscles to
the outside of our homes to make them
breathe is absurd, Soar admits, what is
needed is a way to make them breathe
without using muscle. It is something Soar
and Turner suspected was happening in
termite mounds.
Much is known about resonance and
standing waves in tubes, which have been
studied for generations. Soar explains:
“However, when tubes are humming at their
natural resonant frequency, there appears to
be a subtle twist to this knowledge, in that
gases and molecules can speed up or down
a tube if there is a different concentration of
the gases between one end or the other.”
The skin of termite mounds is
peppered with branching and convoluted
tube networks as complex as our own
capillaries. As light, gusty air moves over
the surface of a mound, the energy in the
wind is split into a range of frequencies or
pulses that can even be heard with a
microphone inside the mound. The high-
frequency components of the wind’s energy
work within the mound skin to create a
gradient of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
The key to the system is that resonant
oscillation is set up when gusts of wind
travel over the mound surface, Soar
explains. “We think it’s a form of the
phenomenon of high-frequency oscillatory
ventilation, and it’s all do with how the
termites tune the structure they build.”
In addition, the low-frequency pulses
travel deep into the mound, where they set
the air sloshing – an effect known as
pendelluft.
“All this can only happen in complex
tubular networks known as impedance
structures,” says Soar. “Our lungs are
impedance devices which generate the
gradients required, partly by breathing and
partly because of their structure. With new
computer and fabrication techniques, we
can now copy and reproduce these complex
channels and ducts in the walls, floors and
ceilings of our homes. Houses will literally
breathe rather than ventilate. They will not
need electricity to do this, they will not
affect the delicate balance of moisture and
heat inside the building and they are not
affected by scale.”

HOW TERMITE MOUNDS BREATHE EASY

buoyant force
+ fast wind buoyant force +
translents slow wind translents

buoyant force

Cross-section through mound,
in conditions of no wind, when
the air in the mound is quite
stable, forming layers rich in
oxygen (blue) or CO2 (orange).
Close-up showing impedance
effect in the vertical channels,
with fast oscillation near the
skin and slower oscillation in
shorter tubes nearer the nest.
Disturbance to the pressure
field around the nest results in a
downward flow on one side of
the nest and upward flow on the
other.
Reversal of the flow in the
previous diagram, as the air
sloshes back and forward in a
process known as pendelluft.
Diagrams by J Scott Turner

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


For years scientists have believed that
termites regulated the temperature in their
mounds, Soar says. “We can now show
categorically that they don’t; if anything,
what they regulate is water potential by
constantly building and moving mortar
through the system.
“Yes, it does retain a constancy of
temperature and moisture, but they are not
regulating it, as many biologists or
architects would tell you. Ventilation is a
misnomer as it uses bulk air flows or
exchanges. This is respiration, and
breathing is a good enough term for it.”
Soar believes that all termite species
and other nest builders such as ants use a
similar approach.
The research team’s findings
challenge architects’ perception of walls as
impermeable barriers, Soar says. “What we
The research team in
Namibia created an
“endocast” of a mound by
filling it with gypsum, then
lifted it out for analysis.
see in nature are permeable membranes
which set up energy differentials between
one side and the other. Recreating this
membrane in buildings opens up a world of
possibilities.”
Architects such as Achim Menges in
Germany and Michael Hensel in Australia
are already experimenting with the concept
of permeable walls. Soar says: “Architects
are naturally in tune with the solution, but
without necessarily knowing how it works,
which is the role of the engineer.”
He is now studying how membranes
work – “how they can drive energy, and how
air moves in an oscillating system”. This is
where Soar’s main area of expertise – rapid
manufacturing or, as he prefers to call it,
freeform construction – comes to the fore.
Through his recently established
company Freeform Engineering, he is
VENTILATION 37
PESTIVAL
A walk-in termite pavilion is to be
constructed at Pestival, a
celebration of insects to be held in
London on September 4-6. Dr
Rupert Soar and his colleagues will
reveal their discoveries in the 9m3
model of part of a Namibian
termite mound chimney, located
outside the Royal Festival Hall on
the South Bank. The sounds of
millions of termites at work and
communicating with each other
will be played inside.
About 150,000 people are
expected to visit Pestival, which
will illustrate the critical role
insects play in life on Earth. The
termite pavilion (model below) is
an art and science collaboration
between Softroom Architects,
Freeform Engineering, Atelier One
and Pestival.
www.pestival.org
working with colleagues in Namibia and
America to pioneer construction
technology whereby entire buildings
and building components are “printed”
using a range of materials, including
gypsums, concretes, polymers and,
ultimately, metals.
Soar works with architects worldwide:
“In the face of the need for sustainable
buildings and a green ethos, architects
have had to rely on existing designs with
green materials and retrofit technologies
such as photovoltaics and wind turbines.
With modern computer programs and
agent-based modelling, we can design
buildings from scratch that capture or
harvest energy directly from the
environment.”
For more on natural ventilation, go to
www.bsdlive.co.uk
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
38 TECHNICAL

ACOUSTIC
CEILINGS
NEW HYBRID
At Kew’s new herbarium a bespoke
curved ceiling frame persuades chunky
reconstituted glass panels to bend a
little. Andy Pearson reports.

T
he herbarium at the Royal Botanic
Gardens at Kew is growing by an
astonishing 30,000 specimens a
year. Herbaria are collections of
dried, preserved plant specimens and fungi.
At Kew, the herbarium plays a central role
in facilitating research into plant and
mycological biodiversity, with over 7 million
specimens. But with the collection
increasing so fast, it needs more space.
A new wing, designed by Edward
TECHNICAL

Cullinan Architects, is now nearing

completion. At its heart is a four-storey,
brick-clad, concrete-framed box that will
house the specimens.
Day-lit study areas are located around
the box’s perimeter, with the main
workspace on the top floor under the
building’s large concrete-vaulted roof. Here
the walls and floors are hard-finished to
maintain sterile conditions and prevent
pest outbreaks.
To provide acoustic absorption in the
space, ceiling specialist Baker Stickland
worked with the architect to develop a
bespoke curved ceiling raft, mounted below
the curved concrete ceiling.
“The framework is key to the success
of the ceiling,” says Mark Yates-Smith, a
director at the specialist contractor.
This unit uses a curved rigid frame to
bend Sto Acoustic Ceiling boards – 15mm
thick panels made from reconstituted
glass.
The lighting is installed and the
services masked before the unit is sprayed
with Sto Superfine plaster to provide a final
finish, which Yates-Smith describes as
“acoustically invisible”.
Aluminium feature panels that run
longitudinally between the curved ceiling
rafts and the lantern rooflights provide
access to the electrical services enclosure
behind.

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


COST MODEL
ACCESS CONTROL
SYSTEMS
This month Davis Langdon
Engineering Services
compares the features of various
methods of access control for
both people and vehicles.
A
ccess control in and around
buildings is concerned with
allowing the free flow of
authorised people while denying
access to unauthorised visitors. This
includes the control and management of
vehicles as well as pedestrian flow.
Requirements range from simple
remote systems for perimeter doors to a
sectorised installation with flexible access
privileges and usage records. Sensitive
areas may need special protection and
access may be required by different
people to different areas at different times.
It may also be important to monitor and
have a record of who went where and when.
It is essential that these issues are
thought about in the early stages of the
project to ensure they are fully integrated
into the overall M&E services design. This is
particularly pertinent in buildings where
security is an important factor, such as
airports and banks.
The benefits of an effective, robust
access control system include:
■ The generation of valuable management
information. Knowledge of people’s
movements can help planning to achieve
greater efficiencies.
■ Securing certain areas of a building,
where appropriate.
■ Protection of employees, visitors,
property and sensitive information.
■ Integration with other security systems
within the building, to enhance the overall
level of protection.
■ Assistance with car park management.
■ Help in satisfying the requirements of the
Disability Discrimination Act.
■ Controlling access to other facilities or
equipment, such as vending machines or
computers.
TECHNICAL 41
This article is a brief overview of the
typical issues that need to be considered
when formulating an access control strategy
for a new development.
VEHICLE MANAGEMENT
The sophistication and cost of vehicle
management systems vary according to the
number of cars to be controlled, whether a
fee is charged, the type and number of
entrances and the level of security required.
For instance, retail and airport
environments may have very different
needs from commercial office buildings.
The typical elements of a vehicle
management system are:
Barriers
The most common means of managing
vehicular flow is by using traffic barriers, an
often overlooked but vital part of any car ¢
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
42 TECHNICAL

¢ park management system. Groundworks TABLE 1: CAR PARK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

are frequently completed before anyone
thinks about the barrier system, which adds DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT RATE TOTAL £
cost and time to the installation.
1 Entrance/exit columns (control unit) 25 nr 3,800 95,000
Barriers can be electro-mechanical 2 Articulated rising arm barrier 25 nr 950 23,750
or hydraulic. The latter offer a longer life 3 Automatic pay stations 34 nr 8,700 295,800
and are robust and reliable. The former are 4 Manual cashier station 2 nr 4,300 8,600
5 Central server, PCs, printers, desk coder for ticket issue and 1 item 29,000 29,000
cost-effective to buy but more expensive to processing, system and application software licences
operate. For sites with high traffic volumes, 6 Device extension licences for control columns and 1 item 28,000 28,000
it is worth considering barriers with built-in payment stations
7 Intercom system (digital voice over IP) 1 item 23,000 23,000
loop detectors and fast cycle times. 8 Installation 1 item 40,000 40,000
Barriers can be linked to access control 9 Data cabling, from fibre backbone running around 1 item 15,000 15,000
or traffic counting systems. They can also the site to the point of connection
be automated using a tagging system on 10 Testing & commissioning 1 item 16,000 16,000
11 Training 1 item 5,000 5,000
the cars of office staff. 12 Preliminaries 1 item 15,000 15,000

Rising bollards TOTAL 594,150

Rising bollards provide a more substantial
Exclusions 1 VAT 2 Contingencies 3 Main contractor’s/CM fees, OHP, attendance etc 4 Professional fees 5 Out of hours
barrier for controlling access and urban
working 6 Primary containment provided by others; secondary containment only included from primary containment
traffic and protecting sensitive areas with system to point of connection 7 Power supplies by others 8 Excludes use of chip and PIN technology at pay machines.
minimal visual intrusion. They can be
manually, electrically or pneumatically
operated and controlled to rise and fall on
TABLE 2: ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM
impulse from a transmitter or access control
system. They can also be key operated. DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT RATE TOTAL £

Head end equipment 12,000

Parking management systems 1 File server including licences and software 1 item 3,800 3,800
The most common system for fee-paying 2 Access control PC 1 item 1,800 1,800
car parking is time based. The system 3 Card production system 1 item 6,000 6,000
4 Smart cards 100 nr 4 400
uses magnetic strip cards to hold access
rights and validity-time data and has an Turnstiles including access control 75,396
entry station, pay machines and an exit 1 Entrance turnstiles, 6 lanes 1 item 65,000 65,000
station. From the information stored on 2 Proximity card reader (ground floor) 12 nr 208 2,496
3 Reader controller 1 item 2,000 2,000
the card, the system validates entry time, 4 Reader interface 1 item 3,600 3,600
calculates the fee and issues the card 5 Data cabling (ground floor) 1 item 2,100 2,100
for exit. Cards are captured for reissue and 6 Batteries, 12v DC 1 item 200 200
all transactions can be logged for instant Access control including card readers 44,150
verification and later report generation. 1 Proximity card readers (basement & ground floors) 30 nr 207 6,210
2 Card reader key pad 1 item 400 400
PEDESTRIAN ACCESS MANAGEMENT 3 Magnetic locks (basement & ground floors) 20 nr 143 2,860
4 Door handles with electric locks 10 nr 470 4,700
The key considerations when formulating a 5 Proximity exit button (basement & ground floors) 20 nr 94 1,880
pedestrian access control strategy are: 6 Reader controllers 1 item 6,500 6,500
■ location and number of sites 7 Reader interface 1 item 10,000 10,000
8 Power & data cabling (basement & ground floors) 1 item 10,000 10,000
■ number of areas and points to be 9 Batteries, 12v DC 1 item 600 600
controlled 10 Miscellaneous 1 item 1,000 1,000
■ layout of building
Door contacts 2,400
■ number and turnover of occupants
1 Door contacts (basement & ground floors) 60 nr 40 2,400
■ number and access required internally for
visitors Intercoms 12,900
■ disabled access requirements 1 Intercom controller & desk station 1 item 4,000 4,000
2 Intercom call point including video 10 nr 790 7,900
■ how the system is to be managed 3 Cabling (basement & ground floors) 1 item 1,000 1,000
internally
■ future growth Containment 27,000
1 Secondary containment (basement & ground floors) 1 item 27,000 27,000
■ level of security required
■ incorporation of other functions such as Builders’ work 27,000
cashless vending. 1 Pedestals & turnstiles 1 item 27,000 27,000
The range of options available to
Other items 77,100
manage the access and movement of people 1 Reception desk pass gates 3 nr 4,700 14,100
in and around buildings is summarised 2 Testing & commissioning 1 item 10,000 10,000
briefly below. The level of sophistication 3 Training 1 item 3,000 3,000
4 Preliminaries & organisational costs 1 item 50,000 50,000
and security will depend on assessment of
the factors above. TOTAL 277,946

Coded entry systems Exclusions 1 VAT, 2 Contingencies 3 Main contractor’s/CM fees, OHP, attendance etc 4 Professional fees 5 Out of hours
This is simply where a standard four-digit working 6 Primary containment is provided by others. Secondary containment only included from the primary containment
code is set to allow certain staff access system to the point of connection 7 Power supplies are provided by others.

BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08


through a particular door or doors. There
is a keypad outside the door with a power
supply and electric lock on the secure side
of the door. Battery back-up should be
provided in the event of a power failure.
This can also form part of a door
intercom system.
Door intercom systems
These are now considered essential for any
small to medium-size office in the UK.
Audio systems consist of an intercom panel
at the entrance connected to a door phone
in the office and an electric lock.
Video systems may be considered
more appropriate, which means the
addition of a camera in the entrance
panel (with infra-red lighting to improve
image resolution) and a monitor on the
receiving unit.
Turnstiles
Controlling access through the main
entrances of a building is fundamental to
providing a secure environment. Even with
access control on a door it is possible for
somebody to “tailgate”, thereby
undermining the security system.
Greater security and control can be
achieved by installing turnstile access at
the main entry points of a building. There
are mid-height, full-height or monitored
versions. Factors to consider in the choice
of the most appropriate type include:
■ The number of people using the building.
One lane is enough for 150 to 200 people,
assuming the turnstiles are set up to
be bi-directional.
■ Are they required to fail to an open
position on a fire alarm activation?
■ Means of activation (normally card).
■ Requirement to be alerted if tailgating
takes place. Some of the systems offer this
feature and can provide an impulse to a
local alarm, CCTV camera etc.
■ Is an override to the system with a
remote push button required?
Automatic doors – card access
Reader technologies provide the interface
with the access control system and vary
considerably. Swipe and access cards are
capable of allowing or disallowing access to
specific areas depending on the level of
access required/authorised.
Swipe cards, although regarded by
many as old-fashioned, rely on a low-cost
basic technology which has proved over the
years to be very effective. Building users
carry a small card which, when swiped
through the reader, allows them in if the
card is valid for that day and time.
Where high user populations are
likely, this can be an economical option as
the cost of the cards is low. The system can
be specified for buildings with many card
readers, linked back to a PC, thus allowing
individual cards to be timed and controlled
and providing a full audit trail of who went
where and when.
Proximity card readers are becoming
the norm. Security is extremely high thanks
to the encryption of data on the cards. It is
possible to amalgamate photo-ID images
and time recording into the same system.
The card can be read a few inches away
from the reader. As it is a non-contact
technology there is no wear and tear on the
reader or the cards.
The new generation of smartcard
readers allows programming of individual
memory sectors within the card. The basic
difference between smartcard readers and
conventional proximity or swipe card
readers is that the former can be encrypted
with data and used for other services such
as cashless vending and photocopying.
Hands-free entry is possible as the
card or fob can unlock the door as the user
walks towards it, thanks to a signal
picked up by the proximity card reader.
Each card has a unique signal and can be
individually recognised so the appropriate
action can be taken when the card comes
into range.
The system works through solid walls,
so can be out of sight, and makes disabled
access easier as no action is required by the
card bearer. This approach is also popular
for medical applications as the system is
non-contact, hygienic and quick. It can
accommodate long- or short-range reading
technology. Photographic imaging and
links to CCTV equipment can be used to
provide a higher degree of security.
Fingerprint access is probably the
most advanced form of control available
today because it does not rely upon a
number or a card but on the person’s
biological identity. This raises the security
level significantly.
There are many biometric access
systems, including hand, face, retina and
voice recognition, as well as many
combinations. The two most widely used
are hand shape and fingerprint readers.
Both systems can be very useful in highly
secure areas, and are available with time
and attendance software that makes it
possible to determine how long a person
has been on site, for both economic and
safety reasons.
The biometric hand reader requires
users to present a hand to the unit and after
three sample reads it holds the shape in its
memory. When users wish to gain access
they tap in their four-digit PIN numbers
and present their hands, which are then
compared to the records on the machine.
The fingerprint reader works in an almost
identical manner but is smaller.
It can be built into a door or wall.
TECHNICAL 43
These systems can be linked to card
access systems, thus requiring staff to
present their card and hand to gain entry.
The latest development allows the
fingerprint to be stored within the card
rather than in the client’s database. This
makes the system less vulnerable to
data loss.
Door entry systems
These allow multiple card readers to be
connected together to a single point of
control. The software allows the card
holders to be set up for different access
levels and time frames to provide flexible
control over cards, doors and times.
Automatic doors
Automatic door operators help to achieve
compliance with the Disability
Discrimination Act by making some
provision for disabled access. The units can
be push-button entry or linked to an access
control system such as a card reader,
keypad or intercom so when the visitor
arrives, the door will not only unlock but
automatically open and close. The industry
is moving toward 24v operators as opposed
to 230v as they are more energy efficient
and safer in operation.
The units can also be set to open on
impulse from a fire alarm activation and
stay open if necessary to assist in
ventilation and evacuation procedures.
The systems need to be set up in
accordance with BS7036 to ensure they are
correctly specified for the purpose and are
fitted with the appropriate safety circuits.
These can include presence detectors,
hinge guards to stop fingers getting caught
and other safeguards.
INDICATIVE COSTS
Separate breakdowns are provided for a car
park management system (Table 1) and an
access control system (Table 2). These
indicate the likely cost for large schemes.
The car park management system is
for a town-centre shopping complex that
has purpose-built parking facilities with
numerous barriers and pay stations.
The access management system is for
an office building in central London with a
gross area of 50,000m2 over 12 floors,
including one basement level. The costs
include access control to basement and
ground-floor levels only, with on-floor
access control to tenants’ areas being part
of the fit-out works. Primary containment is
by others and allowance is made for
secondary containment from this to the
point of connection on the basement and
ground floors.
More cost models at
www.bsdlive.co.uk
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

CPDTRENCH
HEATING
Welcome to the sixth in our regular
series of CPD modules, designed to
help you broaden your knowledge
while you work. This module is
sponsored by Jaga.
Building Sustainable Design’s free continuing
professional development distance learning
programme is open to everyone who wants to
develop and improve their professional
knowledge and skills. These modules can
contribute to your annual programme of CPD
activity to help you maintain membership of
professional institutions and bodies.
All you have to do is read this module and then
answer the multiple-choice questions on the
final page; complete your personal details and
fax the answers to +44 (0)20 7560 4014 or
scan the answer page and email it to
bsd-cpd@ubm.com. Alternatively, for a quicker,
greener way of completing this module go to
www.bsdlive.co.uk/cpd
C
urrent architectural fashion
favours highly glazed buildings,
and it often falls on building
services designers to prevent
some of the potential problems they
present: cold draughts, condensation and
excessive heat losses. This article explores
the principles and use of perimeter trench
heating, not only as a means of achieving
facade heating but also as a primary heat
source.
Trench heating is the arrangement
whereby the heating element is located
under floor level and its top is a continuous
grille. The trench itself is a prefabricated
open topped duct, usually galvanised steel
with anchorage and levelling elements
fitted. The duct can be set into a preformed
trench in the concrete slab or into the raised
floor void. In the UK widths range between
150 and 450mm, depths between 90 and
190mm and lengths to over 6000mm.
Grilles are available in various materials
such as aluminium, wood, etc and finishes
to match the interior decor, providing
airflow of between 50% and 75%.
In general terms, cold air from the
room enters the trench, it is heated and
eventually displaced by convection. The
performance of the trench is therefore
related to the air flow around the heat
exchanger and this, in turn, is related to the
duct dimensions and the grille free area.
This aspect is discussed in more detail later
on in this article. Figures 1 and 2 (overleaf)
illustrate the principle of operation and the
elements of a typical unit.
In the more common type of
arrangement, the heat exchanger within the
trench consists of copper pipes expanded
with aluminium fins and connected with
flexible connections to the flow and return
pipes. This heat exchanger is some 150mm
shorter than the trench at each end and, as
TECHNICAL 45
the rating of units is expressed in W/m, it is
important that the effective length is used
when calculating the total output. The
connection of the heat exchanger can be
made in several ways:
■ with a central control collector (no valve
in the trench);
■ with a manual valve in the trench;
■ with a thermostatic valve in the trench.
Heater output should be calculated in
accordance with BS EN442 European
Standard for Water Filled Radiators. This
replaced the previous standard, BS 3528 in
1997. It is important that only outputs
derived from the new standard are used, as
they can be up to 11% lower than those from
BS 3528. The passive arrangement
previously described can provide output of
up to 450W/m, depending on trench
dimensions.
When a higher output is required, fan-
assisted trench heaters providing up to
1500W/m are available.
Control is achieved by the use of
thermostats, occupancy sensors, timers, etc
to increase or decrease the fan speed. Fan-
assisted units can also be used to provide
cooling in either a four-pipe or two-pipe
changeover.
The installation of trench heating
offers several advantages:
■ It removes obstructions in front of
windows.
■ Releases usable floor space that would
have been taken by radiators or perimeter
casings.
■ It avoids hot and cold spots which can
occur in conventional radiator installations.
Radiant asymmetry has a great influence on
thermal comfort, and is one of the major
causes of user dissatisfaction. It happens
when an occupant perceives different
radiant temperatures from various surfaces
in relation to their relative positions: ¢
ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
46 TECHNICAL
FIGURES 1 & 2
Principle of operation and the elements of a typical trench heating unit
¢ closer surfaces will contribute more to
the overall radiant temperature. This is
particularly applicable to large glazed
areas, as the temperature differential
between the cold air adjacent to the glazing
and the internal air may generate
convective currents, which are perceived as
draughts even the though the fenestration
is air-tight.
■ It reduces the risk of condensation on
large glazed areas.
■ As the volume of water is much lower
than in conventional radiator installations,
less energy is used for heating water. Also,
response can be faster, and this is
particularly useful when used in
conjunction with underfloor heating
systems, or in weather compensated
installations that take account of the
exterior temperature and reduce or increase
FIGURE 3
Heating element on room side
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
Grille
Detachable fan guard
Thermal activator
(tangential mini-fan)
Low-H2O heat exchanger
Flexible hose 40cm
Extendible insert piece
for installation from
8.5cm to 13cm
Housing
Condense removal pipe
the water flow accordingly, resulting in both
increased thermal comfort and decreased
energy consumption.
■ Because of the linear configuration of
the heat exchangers, friction losses are
reduced leading to lower pump energy
expenditure.
■ The trench space can be used to
accommodate other services, for example:
air supply, conditioned air, cabling in a
separate trunking compartment, etc.
Cooled air can be supplied through the
units as part of a displacement ventilation
system making use of a pressurised
floor void.
The installation of trench heating is
more commonly associated with new-build
construction but the floor plenum in raised
floor construction can be used to
accommodate the ducts in retrofit projects.
FIGURE 4
Heating element in centre of trench
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
The principle of trench heating in front of
glazed areas is simple yet effective: the cold
air falling from the window meets a rising
stream of warm air. The warm air mixes
with the cold air and prevents it from
entering the room.
Trench heating installations can also
be arranged to make substantial
contributions to the background heating as
well, and may be the primary heat source in
some cases. This is determined not only by
the output and the type of heating (passive
or fan-assisted) but also, importantly, by the
position of the heating element within the
trench. Figures 3 to 5 illustrate various
scenarios.
Figure 3 illustrates the situation where
the trench is located along the window line
and designed to provide facade heating.
FIGURE 5
Heating element on window side
 TECHNICAL 47

FIGURE 6 FIGURE 7
1.6 ■ High efficiency heat 1.6
exchanger
1.5 ■ Finned heat exchanger
1.5

1.4

1.4
1.3
trench depth (m)

1.2 1.3

ϕw
1.1
1.2

1
1.1
0.9

1
0.8

0.7 0.9
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 1 2 3 4 5 6
height of trench (m) bp/b

“
Cold air is drawn exclusively from the edge of trench. This distance also allows
window side, and therefore there is little sufficient space for the installation of
contribution to space heating. curtains, blinds, etc – an obvious point
In Figure 4, the trench is again located sometimes forgotten.
by the glazing, but the heating element is Trench heating is a useful Grille design also affects output and
positioned centrally within it. Cold air is those with higher free air flow (up to 75%)
drawn from both the window and room tool when clear open achieve better values.
sides, so the installation contributes to Trench heating installations can be
facade and space heating. Where the trench
spaces with large glazed controlled in several ways, including:
is located in the room space and not along a areas are required. Its low ■ passive, with TRVs with built in remote
window, cool air enters from both sides of capillary sensors;
the room and the trench heating can be the water content and ■ active, with two-port zone valves and
primary heat source.
The space heating contribution can be
reduced friction losses sensors;
■ as part of building management systems
maximised by supplementing the natural contribute to energy (BMSs) or building energy management
convection with a fan. This is the preferred systems (BEMSs).
option where the heat requirements are conservation

”
higher, and can provide all the space COMMENTARY
heating in circumstances where internal Trench heating installations are particularly
heat gains create less demand for space effective during the off season (spring and
heating. It is also useful where highly glazed autumn) when there are large temperature
facades are present, or where there are fluctuations between the working day and
limitations in available trench space early morning/evening.
(shallow floor structures, for example). In a The immediate corollary of this Those trench heating products with
window perimeter location, the heating definition is that if ϕ <1 then the actual low water content make a significant
element is positioned on the window side to output is increased due to better air flow contribution to energy conservation, and
draw cold air from the room side only, as and chimney effect. they are also very well suited to lower
illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 6 illustrates the influence of grade heat sources that require lower flow
The height and width of the trench trench height (h) in performance: depths and return temperatures to operate at
affect the performance of the installation, as greater than 500mm approximately maximum efficiency.
they determine how much space there is have values of ϕ <1 and thus higher They may not be a universal panacea
around the heat exchanger to allow the free performance. as they are not a viable option for all
movement of air. A larger free space allows Figure 7, on the other hand, plots ϕ in projects, for example in existing solid slabs
a greater chimney effect to be generated, relation to the ratio between the trench or where the suspended floor void is
with consequential increased output. width (bd) and the exchanger width b. It shallow.
In order to quantify the effect of shows that the optimum ratio is when the However, they can undoubtedly be a
dimensional changes and compare various trench is three times wider than the useful tool when clear open spaces with
products, a correction factor (ϕ) has been exchanger, after which increases in the ratio large glazed areas are required.
introduced: have no effect.
The distance between the glazed
© Mónica & Alex Grinfeld 2009
facade and the trench bears some influence
theoretical output of heat exchanger
ϕ= on the system’s performance, with a peak at Further reading
actual output of unit in trench
approximately 450mm between glazing and ■ www.jaga.co.uk

ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

48 TECHNICAL

MODULE 6
Having read this CPD module and made use of
the bibliography, you should be ready to answer
each question below. Tick one box per question.
1) Radiator outputs derived from EN442 can
be:
❑ A Up to 11% higher than those from EN3528
❑ B Up to 11% lower than those from EN3528
❑ C Up to 21% higher than those from EN3528
❑ D Up to 21% lower than those from EN3528
❑ A On the glazing side Name (capitals please)
❑ B In the middle of the trench
❑ C On the room side ....................................................................................................
❑ D Location is irrelevant Job title
....................................................................................................
Send this page by 22 September 2009 Company name
(Unfortunately, due to time restrictions, any
answers received after the above date will not ....................................................................................................
be processed.) Address

2) The optimal location for a trench heating
system is:
❑ A approximately 150mm between glazing
and edge of trench
❑ B approximately 250mm between glazing
and edge of trench
❑ C approximately 350mm between glazing
and edge of trench.
❑ D approximately 450mm between glazing
and edge of trench
To find out your score, complete this answer
sheet and EITHER photocopy this page and
fax to +44 (0)20 7560 4014 OR scan the
page and email to bsd-cpd@ubm.com
Alternatively, for a quicker, greener way of
completing the modules please go to
www.bsdlive.co.uk/cpd
Answers to Module 6 will be published in
the November 2009 issue.
....................................................................................................
....................................................................................................
Postcode
....................................................................................................
Telephone
....................................................................................................
Facsimile

3) The output of a trench heating installation
increases when the correction factor ϕ is:
❑ A <1
❑ B >1
❑ C <2
❑ D >2
4) For facade heating purposes, the location
of the heat exchanger in trench heating
should be:
❑ A On the glazing side
❑ B In the middle of the trench
❑ C On the room side
❑ D Location is irrelevant
5) In a fan-assisted trench installation where
maximum space heating is required, the
location of the heat exchanger should be:
Answers to Module 5, August issue ....................................................................................................
Variable flow systems Email
Q1: C Q2: A Q3: D Q4: B Q5: D
....................................................................................................
All queries about the CPD collection should Unique reference code
be emailed to bsd-cpd@ubm.com
....................................................................................................
Information you supply to UBM Information Ltd may be used (this number will be allocated upon your
for publication (where you provide details for inclusion in our
first submission and should be quoted
directories or catalogues and on our websites) and also to
provide you with information about our products or services thereafter)
in the form of direct marketing activity by email, telephone,
fax or post. Information may also be made available to third Which of the following best describes
parties on a list lease or list rental basis for the purpose of your job function:
direct marketing. If at any time you no longer wish to receive
❑ Consultant
anything from UBM Information Ltd or to have your data made
available to third parties, please write to the Data Protection ❑ Contractor
Co-ordinator, UBM Information Ltd, FREEPOST LON 15637, ❑ Local/national government
Tonbridge, TN9 1BR, Freephone 0800 279 0357 or email ❑ Financial services
ubmidpa@ubm.com
❑ Health authority

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BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08

50 TECHNICAL
PRODUCTS
AIRCON
Want to turn your air-conditioning
into a work of art? BSD has the
answer, and looks at more
innovations in the latest ranges
from big-name manufacturers.
LG u
Air-conditioning in hotel bedrooms
and upmarket locations can be
disguised as paintings with the LG
Artcool range. All pipework and
cables are concealed, and it is easy
to unclip the picture on the front to
replace it with another.
The unit has a three-way blow
configuration and it is possible to
block the bottom louvre to prevent
draughts if it is placed over a bed
or a desk.
The units have a Neo Plasma air
purifying system, auto cleaning,
auto changeover, dehumidification,
wireless remote controller and auto
restart.
Another option from the Artcool
range for wall-mounted units is a
mirror front.
SAMSUNG u
The DVM Plus III VRF system has
the world’s largest system capacity,
according to Samsung, as well as
the greatest piping lengths and the
smallest footprint for a 16hp unit at
just 0.92m2.
It uses a new digital hybrid
system – a digital vapour injection
scroll compressor and a turbo
intercooler – which improves
cooling and heating performance
and energy efficiency through two-
stage compression, improved
refrigerant flow rates and enhanced
sub-cooling. As a result, it has a
CoP of up to 4.23, which is as much
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
HONEYWELL p
The CentraLine range from
Honeywell has been extended with
the Zio programmable wall units
and Spyder terminal unit controller.
The Zio wall units have a large
backlit LCD display to make it easy
for building users to adjust room
conditions. There are two versions:
one with a built-in temperature
sensor, the other with both
temperature and humidity sensors.
Spyder controllers incorporate
Honeywell’s Adaptive Integral
Algorithm (AIA) control. This
reduces overshoot to reach the
required temperature more quickly.
It also helps to prevent actuator
wear by reducing the number of
times it repositions.
Zio and Spyder link using Sylk
bus communications.
as 11% better than for earlier
models, and is claimed to exceed
the industry next-best rating of
4.15.
The units are available in 8, 10,
12, 14 and 16hp modules and can be
combined to provide up to 64hp
(180kW) to support up to 64 indoor
units.
The system allows a maximum
pipe length of 200m between
outdoor unit and furthest indoor
unit, with up to 50m height
difference. There can be up to 45m
between the first branch joint and
the furthest unit (90m if the next
size of pipe is installed).
 TECHNICAL 51

HITACHI q
Hitachi Europe has launched FSN2, an
addition to its Set Free range of VRF
air-conditioning systems. FSN2 uses
H-Link II, Hitachi’s proprietary
high-performance transmission
system, and CS-NET Web, the
company’s computer control network
system, to increase the number of
connectable indoor units.
The off-coil temperature can be
controlled to within 1C, and noise
levels are low, meaning there is no
need for attenuation.
The company says the high-
efficiency DC inverter compressor
with release valve, heat exchanger
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC q with newly developed high-efficiency
A new range of Mr Slim models heat transfer fins and DC fan motors
incorporating power inverter result in an excellent CoP.
technology has been made available The Set Free FSN2 is compatible
by Mitsubishi Electric. The 2009 with all existing Hitachi System Free
Power Inverter Series has brought indoor units. Its maximum piping
increased energy efficiency across the length has been extended to 1000m.
range, with most systems now
achieving an A rating.
The 12 power inverter outdoor units
have cooling capacities from 3.6kW to
22.0kW and heating capacities from
4.1 to 27.0kW. They have a CoP of up
to 4.61.
All the units have a unified side-
flow configuration and a small
footprint. They can link to 34 different
indoor units to offer single, twin,
triple or quadruple configurations.
The shapes of the fan and grille of
the outdoor unit have been
redesigned, increasing the blowing
capacity and improving the efficiency
of heat.
The fan has a new rear edge design
which suppresses wind turbulence
and improves operational efficiency.
The opening for the fan has been
increased from 490mm to 550mm and
the grille shape has been redesigned
to reduce pressure loss and improve
heat exchange performance.

ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009

52 BSD4JOBS.COM
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LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE
& TROPICAL MEDICINE
Laboratory and Building
Services Engineer
This internationally renowned postgraduate medical school
seeks to recruit an individual within Estates to support its
Laboratory Services. This important post will be at the
forefront of maintaining environmental control within lab
containment facilities. You will have considerable knowledge
of working in a research institution within a control systems role,
should hold a recognised electrical or mechanical
engineering/controls qualification, and be able to demonstrate
a practical “hands on” role with dealing with any day to day
reactive maintenance issues.
Salary will be on the professional support pathway Grade 6 scale
£35,194 to £39,988 per annum, commensurate with the duties
of this post. There is also a generous holiday allowance,
pension scheme, interest free season ticket loan and access to
sports and social facilities.
Applications should be made on-line via our website at
http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk
The reference for this post is CO4. Applications should also
include a CV and the names and email contacts of 2 referees
who can be contacted immediately if shortlisted. Closing date
for applications is Friday 4 September 2009. Any queries
regarding the application process may be addressed to
jobs@lshtm.ac.uk Please quote reference CO4.
For further information about the School visit
www.lshtm.ac.uk
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
As a leading multi-disciplinary business, we provide multi technical and support
services from initial mechanical and electrical design, through installation,
commissioning to long term maintenance and facilities management. We are committed
to delivering exceptional quality whilst ensuring we pass innovative solutions onto our
customers.
Chief Commercial Manager
Location: Central London and West London
Ref: BSD4000
• The ideal candidate is to lead the division’s commercial process to ensure a
turnover and associated profit of £50m per year is achieved. This is a senior role in
the Division reporting directly to the Directorship.
Key Responsibilities:
• To manage the preparation and assess the requirements for producing tenders
and budgets, establishing associated costs.
• Interpret information and produces accurate bills of quantities/pricing
documents.
• Develops rates, prices and incentive schemes for inclusion in tenders, in
accordance with commercial strategy.
• To clearly communicate the different forms of contracts, their interpretation and
•
legal requirements.
To understand and manage the relationship between cost and programme being
able to forecast the expenditure of all project costs and manage the cash income
position.
• To manage and understand and applies insurance coverage to protect the
position of the Company, mitigating and managing the risks.
• To manage and have an understanding of the application of bonds, warranties
and guarantees coverage to protect the position of the Company, mitigating and
managing the risks.
• To negotiate and establish agrees terms and conditions for engagement and
secures win-win settlements.
• To manage a team to produce commercial bids and documentation forapproval
of the Commercial Review Board (CBR).
• Procure and manage the appropriate resources, goods and services for the
project, including the selection and engagement of suppliers, in line with
budgetary provision.
• Manage and communicate to a team the principles of design and construction,
and the impact on delivering cost and value solutions to clients/customers and
profitable returns to the business.
• To manage and understand the impact on risk and cover all aspects to protect
the interests of self, others and the business.
Qualifications/Experience required:
A proven commercial experience within the Mechanical and/or Electrical industry is
essential for this role. Formal, relevant commercial qualifications would be desirable,
but not essential.
Chief Estimating Manager
Location: Central London and West London
Ref: BSD4001
The ideal candidate is to lead the Division Estimating process to ensure a turnover and
profit of £50m per year is achieved. This is a senior role in the Division reporting
directly to the Directorship.
Key Responsibilities:
•
•
Networking and attending interviews, including Business Development.
Opportunity sourcing and tracking.
• Attend Mid / Post tender interviews.
• Prepare tenders with tasks as follows: -
- Prepare plant / sub-contract enquiries.
- Take-off quantities from drawings.
- Input take-off onto Estimation (Or input BOQ’s onto computer).
- Price plant / sub-contract items, including labour times.
- Price for the site prelims and apply overheads to a draft selling cost.
- Finalize tender in accordance with levels of authorities.
- Apply agreed percentages to produce client’s tender breakdown.
- Prepare letter, inclusive of any specific qualifications.
- Prepare quantified / unquantified SoR’s
- Price post tender changes / alternatives.
• Sole responsibility for the estimating system as follows: -
- To assist on use, maintain & update where necessary.
- Add / Delete items on to or from the estimating database when required.
- Input electric price updates onto computers on a weekly basis.
- Maintain supply of computer accessories.
• Attend contract evaluation meetings at completion of project installatio include
discussing overall profit / loss and lessons learnt
Qualifications/Experience required:
Electrical estimating experience in a building services background is paramount. The
ideal candidate must also have experience in negotiating within the Mechanical and
Electrical field. Intermediate computer literacy Microsoft Applications and Cost
Management Software Applications is essential for this role.
Higher National Diploma (HND) in Construction or Building Services or recognised
equivalent in a related discipline would be desirable, but not essential.
To apply for either of these vacancies, visit www.bsd4jobs.com and enter the relevant
reference number in the key word search box. Along with your CV, please send a
covering letter setting out why you are ideal for the above posts.
To advertise your vacancy with bsd4jobs.com please telephone 020 7560 4249
 BSD4JOBS.COM 53

Senior Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Buildings

Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
Stantec strives to attract leaders of today and tomorrow!

If you have the drive, passion and determination to succeed, Stantec has technical and leadership opportunities for you in our Vancouver,
British Columbia office. You will be relocating to the world’s most livable city (The Economist Magazine 2009) and work on some of
the most exciting and innovative projects from across North America. Stantec is a leading multi-discipline design and consulting services
firm with offices located across North America. With a staff contingent of over 10,000, we are recognized as a top 50 global design
firm.

Known for its leadership position in sustainable practices and innovative design, Vancouver’s buildings engineering group comprises
approximately 150 mechanical and electrical engineers and technical staff. As a senior member of this group, you will be leading project
teams and assuming responsibility for technical quality of the projects. You will also participate in business development, marketing and
client relationship management.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years professional engineering experience with demonstrated leadership, business,
technical, communication and people skills through management of large professional teams in the engineering field. Registration as
a Chartered Engineer would be desirable.

Vancouver offers a unique West Coast lifestyle, moderate climate and unmatched natural beauty. With the Winter Olympics being hosted
in this great City in 2010, now is a perfect time for you to join the Vancouver Stantec team. Please send your cv and cover letter to
Heather Thompson (heather.thompson@stantec.com)

www.stantec.com

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Stay in touch with the best
industry jobs, register online now. tel: 01244 311609

To advertise your vacancy with bsd4jobs.com please telephone 020 7560 4249 ISSUE 08 / BSD SEPTEMBER 2009
BACK PAGE
YOUR DIGITAL WORLD
When Andrew Titley looks at YouTube in
the office, he’s doing so for sound
professional reasons. Topping the list of
projects in his in-tray is the Masdar Institute
of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi.
ANDREW TITLEY
DIRECTOR OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS,
PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
What is your favourite
website?
BBC Weather – in life I am an
optimist, except when it comes
to trusting the weather.
What is your favourite
gadget?
My iPod. Its simplicity of use
and its practicality are
tremendous. A traveller’s
favourite.
What’s the most useful
website you access for work?
Oddly enough, perhaps
YouTube. There are some good
thought leadership pieces on
business and technology.
YouTube allows you to
get access to
lectures by
highly notable
domain experts.
BSD SEPTEMBER 2009 / ISSUE 08
“
What was the last track you
downloaded?
The Killers from iTunes.
There are
some good What was the subject of the last
thought email you received?
A schedule for the residential
leadership study in Sweden for the
pieces on Executive MBA course I am
business and currently completing.
technology Social networking or face-to-face?
”
LinkedIn is great for keeping
tabs on colleagues and contacts
in your industry, but you can’t
beat the personal contact that
you get from face-to-face.
Who is your favourite blogger?
Not my bag.
What’s the best link you have
ever been sent?
A clip about a Canadian film
crew who were filming a street
view and for some inexplicable
reason a woman started stripping
in front of them. Not
pleasant but hilarious.
What was the last thing
you bought online?
Playmobil crane and
container ship for my son.
What’s the funniest
piece of spam you have
received?
The 2008 Darwin awards – don’t
know why, but it made me laugh.
BSDLIVE.CO.UK
Ed Miliband, the energy
secretary, said earlier this year
that opposition to wind farms
should be as taboo as not
wearing a seatbelt. The story
continues to generate debate on
our website about Britain’s
energy sources. One of the latest
comments is from Tony
Marmont:
“Ed Miliband is right – we
need every ounce of energy,
including what nuclear we can
get until it runs out in 10 years.
We also need wind, wave, tidal,
geothermal; in fact, everything.
Even if we hit the targets, it will
barely get us to 50% of the
123kWh a day we each use now,
so what are we going to do for
the remainder? We certainly
should not be objecting to wind
farms. We can’t spare the time.”
Have your say at
www.bsdlive.co.uk
BLOGGERS UNITE
Your contributions are what
makes the BSD blog. If there’s
an issue you feel passionate
about, feel free to contact us at
bsdeditorial@ubm.com.
TWEET LOUDER
Join the ever-expanding BSD
Twitter following at twitter.com/
bsdlive. If you’re blocked at
work, you can still see the latest
Tweets on sustainability issues
via the Twitter hashtag feed at
www.bsdlive.co.uk.
JOIN OUR WIKI
Upload details of your projects
at www.bsdlive.co.uk/wiki. You
will be able to add items as the
project progresses. Never
uploaded a wiki stub before? Go
to www.bsdlive.co.uk/wiki for
our beginners’ guide.
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