Modern Building Services

FEATURE HEATING 22 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES MAY 2022 W ith research 1 indicating that UK residents spend upwards of 90% of their time indoors, it goes without saying that building design is an inherent factor of occupant wellbeing, as well as wider quality of life. This is a phenomenon that has been increasingly recognised in recent decades, with growing trends towards incorporating features that enhance inhabitant health, comfort and performance. In order to gauge current attitudes towards the impact that buildings have on their occupants, REHAU surveyed 520 M&E designers and architects for their 2021 report, Designing Healthy Apartments 2 . The report forms part of a series which also spans the construction of hotels, healthcare and educational facilities. The top line finding here indicated that the overwhelming majority concurred with the earlier hypothesis, with leaving high-quality buildings for future generations a priority for 97% of respondents. However, despite recognition of this fact, a further 44% believed that wellbeing is being ‘value- engineered’ out of building design further down the line, with cost- cutting coming at the expense of inhabitants. For this reason, there has never been a greater need to ensure that buildings are – and continue to be – ‘healthy by design’. Current Attitudes and Regulations Our report also revealed the design priorities for M&E designers and architects for the next ten years. In the face of ever-pressing net zero targets, sustainability understandably took top billing, with 41% of respondents citing it as a priority. Thiswas closely followedby a number of factors pertinent to occupant wellbeing, including temperature control (40%), safety (35%) and drinking water quality (33%). These concerns are detailed in current government building regulation in various capacities. For example, Fire safety: Approved Document B 3 states that a building should be designed and constructed so there are provisions for the early warning of fire, as well as appropriate means of escape. UK fire regulations came under intense scrutiny following the Grenfell Inquiry, with a national regulator being established to ensure that materials used to build homes are safer, while also possessing the power to remove any product from the market that violates these rules. For this reason, balancing the safety values of materials against other factors such as cost and practicality during specification will be key to ensuring healthy building design. Resistance to sound: Approved Document E 4 covers issues of noise, and stipulates that sound transfer from one flat to another must be reduced by at least 43-45 decibels (dB) through the partitioning wall or floor. However, this currently fails to extend to building service noise, while verification is conducted without any occupants in the building, calling into question its legitimacy. As a result, many technical consultants choose to specify above the regulatory standard. Otherwise, a reduction in noise levels can be achieved by opting for insulation on utility infrastructure such as pipework, which minimises the noise of water movement in the building. Requirements for effective ventilation and airflow are set out in Ventilation: Approved Document F 5 , with a view to avoiding damage to building materials through condensation build-up. As such, ventilation strategies should be incorporated into the earliest stages of design to prevent this from becoming a problem for the occupant later down the line. By making use of solutions that promote more optimal airflow and ensure temperature changes take place gradually, M&E designers can promote a healthier indoor environment for occupants, mitigating the risk of overheating and upholding higher air quality. Lastly, and perhaps most pertinent to the nation’s net zero goals is Conservation of fuel and power: Approved Document L 6 , which outlines energy performance standard for both new and existing buildings. Here, the Government aims to curb carbon emissions through a ‘fabric plus technology’ approach. This necessitates effective insulation and thermal performance for building stock, Decarbonising current building stock has become a key concern in order to successfully fall in line with net zero targets in future. Moreover, continuing to create buildings that are ‘healthy by design’ is critical to successfully catering to the wellbeing of their occupants. Steve Richmond , Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, discusses how architects and contractors can successfully balance these dual concerns. The Impact of Design on Occupant Wellbeing HVAC TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES