CASE STUDY M&E
GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES
The guidelines on ventilation include:
• Standards for all spaces including halls,
classrooms and specialist practical areas such as
science labs and design and technology spaces.
Setting maximum levels of carbon dioxide in
teaching spaces and minimum ventilation rates in
practical spaces and specialist accommodation,
e.g. for pupils with special needs.
The guidelines on thermal comfort include:
• Guidance on room temperatures and cold
draughts in order to provide a comfortable
environment suitable for teaching and learning,
year round.
• Guidance on designing for children with
disabilities who are less able to regulate their
temperature than mainstream pupils.
• Detailed calculation methods for thermal
comfort. Adaptive thermal comfort calculations
have been introduced to prevent summertime
overheating based on the latest research on
how people adapt to higher temperatures. These
calculations use variable maximum indoor
temperatures that depend on the outside
temperature. This helps to avoid the unnecessary
use of air conditioning by using passive measures
such as night cooling and thermal mass to cool
spaces in summertime.
The guidelines on indoor air quality include:
• A summary of the health effects of indoor
air pollutants based on the World Health
Organisation guidelines for Indoor Air Quality
and the latest advice from Public Health England.
This describes pollutant sources, both internally
generated such as formaldehyde given off by
furniture and external pollutants including
nitrogen dioxide which are a major cause of
concern for respiratory health.
• Guidance on how to meet the maximum
exposure levels for pollutants. Ways to reduce
the level of outdoor air pollutants, such as
nitrogen dioxide and particulates from traffi c,
in the supply air. This includes the location of
air intakes and exhausts, the management of
openable windows, and fi ltration of supply air.
• Advice on reducing sources of indoor pollutants,
e.g. using materials that are low emitters of
pollutants and dealing with pollutants generated
by 3D printers and laser cutters.
38 OCTOBER 2020
Using extensive BIM modelling, this enabled us to
develop a new solution that met all requirements
in terms of e iciency, compliance and budget.
The latest technology, including new digital
tools and signage, is prevalent across the site to
help improve teaching standards as well as the
overall experience for students. This is supported
by highly-e ective data infrastructure
including more than 1,800 data
points.
As with all educational
facilities, reducing
energy consumption
is essential and
in line with the
London Plan, the
development
must achieve
a 35 per cent
CO reduction,
compared to Part L
Building Regulations.
A total of 228
photovoltaic panels were
incorporated as well as a
50kW air source heat pump. There
is also a Building Management System
(BMS) featuring a distributed bus system that
allows devices to exchange information directly.
Requiring reduced cable lengths, it can integrate
products from di erent manufacturers within a
single system. This makes it easier to maintain
and adapt to control energy consumption,
reducing costs.
One of the biggest challenges in terms of
building services was the design of the building.
There is a trapezium-shaped atrium measuring
24m wide and over 21m tall, which takes up
nearly a third of the building. A total of 81 teaching
and learning rooms fork o this central space.
Building services, including ventilation and smoke
ventilation systems, had to be fully integrated into
this unusually shaped area.
The facility’s location also had an impact
on the M&E design. As it is situated opposite
Twickenham Stadium next to the busy A316, noise
and pollution prevent the windows from being
opened. This required the design and
installation of a full mechanical
ventilation system, including
full comfort cooling
especially in the large
atrium area.
Bringing together
education,
enterprise and the
local community,
the new teaching
block was handed
over on time and
without any defects.
The impressive
building demonstrates
the extensive facilities
and quality standards that
are now expected in many new
educational institutions. This is driving
the need for more skilled M&E contractors,
collaborative ways of working, and building
services solutions which can meet a vast range of
requirements now and in the future.
REFERENCE NOTES
www.relbuildingservices.co.uk
(i) www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-
bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings
(ii) https://isgltd.com/en/news/richmond-upon-thames-
college-tops-out
/www.relbuildingservices.co.uk
/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings
/richmond-upon-thames-college-tops-out
