So, while there is a ‘kit of parts’ that includes components common to lots of different pieces of furniture (fittings, hinges, drawer bases and sides, dimensional grids etc.
We always review the possibility of variable-volume fume cupboards to reduce the energy demand, whilst being aware that the stack discharge on fume cupboards must remain constant, which means the fans will require a bleed damper to allow make-up air to enter the fan to maintain constant efflux velocity.With any fume extracting system, we will ensure the material of construction throughout the entire system is suitable for the extracted fumes.
Solvents and acids are particularly good at corroding metal, such as the metal fixing a fire damper to a wall..The electrical engineer should review with the client the earthing requirements, including static discharge within the floor construction or electromagnetic interference for sensitive equipment, and inform the lab design architect.Some client laboratory equipment can be damaged or become dangerous if there’s a loss of power, so understanding any Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) requirements early on is essential.. As usual, the coordination between the MEP services becomes the difficult part of the latter stages.
It’s not unusual to have an extremely busy ceiling void, so it is important to start with the drainage and then the ventilation.We have to bear in mind the coordination below the ceiling too, with dropping services, wall-mounted isolation and panels, shut-off valves and emergency stop buttons, all competing for space on the walls.
Internal windows will be needed in labs with dangerous atmospheres to ensure line of sight for occupant safety, which will further impact the below ceiling coordination.
While external windows will need to be maintained to introduce daylight, this can lead to solar heat gains.Ultimately, when we make MMC and design for precision manufacturing the default option, we’ll be able to make better homes for people.. At Bryden Wood we’re currently working on the New Hospitals Programme, which is the first real enactment of the Construction Playbook.
Within the lifetime of that programme, we hope to have fundamentally changed the way physical building is done, the way we use MMC, and the way we deliver assets.Such a success would pave the way for P-DfMA and other MMC methodologies to be rolled out across other social infrastructure, including schools, social housing and more.
We envision that there is likely to be about a ten-year window of opportunity here, and the industry needs to make a start.It also seems likely that within the grand scheme of things on the horizon, the digital work will take longer than the physical aspects, and we should be conscious of that.. Miranda Sharp reminds us that digitising planning and the wider built environment won’t be easy to do.
(Editor: High-End Adapters)