Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES OCTOBER 2021 19 FEATURE VERTICAL FOCUS T he global pandemic has changed everyone’s perception of optimal study conditions and has also illuminated the importance of good air quality when it comes to study environments within universities and schools. Concerns around air quality will continue in the post-Covid world as people remain acutely aware of the risk of infection. As a result, educational institutes will need to be more flexible than ever to allow for students to learn alongside each other safely and optimise the use of study space. Universities and schools in particular are faced with increased pressure as the students return to campus following the successful transition from remote working and learning, along with the additional funds provided by the government to support students through the pandemic. Temperature A recent university study was undertaken which included testing students in different climate-controlled rooms. In this study, it was concluded that the optimum temperature for a learning environment is between 21-25° Celsius. But it goes a lot further than optimal temperature alone and it is very apparent that all aspects of the climate we learn in play an extremely significant role. Ventilation Ventilation is widely considered the best-known method of improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). As COVID-19 becomes a virus that we learn to live with, it is clear that ventilation in workplaces and learning spaces will play an important role in the control and reduction of the transmission of viruses. Chartered Institute Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) advise that 10 l/s/person is a minimum recommended supply of air volume for any working space. However, the more fresh air delivered to any space along with minimised or eliminated recirculation the better. The need for increased ventilation to deal with viruses moving forward will continue to challenge existing ventilation design in all spaces. Humidity Humidity plays a major factor in air quality and occupant’s health and comfort as well as being known to support the spread of viruses and infection when levels are not optimal. It is suggested that a humidity level of between 40-60 percent is best for cognitive function. However, increasing the humidity levels has a positive impact on work performance. Volume & distribution Measuring the air flow rate relative to the size of a room is useful to understand how quickly the ventilation removes contaminants from the air. To mitigate the risk of spreading viruses, a ventilation rate of 6 air changes per hour would be a general rule of thumb, although different applications require different design. In principle, 6 air changes per hour means that 6 times the air volume of the room is provided every hour by the ventilation system. However, as the new fresh air mixes with the air that is already in the room it will dilute, so it doesn’t necessarilymean that all the air is changed 6 times within the hour. At 6 air changes per hour, approximately 95%of the contaminants in the air would be removed in 30minutes. è Barry Richards , Senior ProjectsManager, Artic Building Services Ltd delves into howair quality in lecture theatres can be achieved. University campus – optimal indoor air quality and the student VERTICAL FOCUS Hotels & Universities