{"id":5550,"date":"2016-05-15T06:05:05","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T06:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/designbuybuild.co.uk\/?p=5550"},"modified":"2016-08-16T20:44:10","modified_gmt":"2016-08-16T20:44:10","slug":"plenum-air-conditioning-refurbishment-retrofit-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/designbuybuild.co.uk\/plenum-air-conditioning-refurbishment-retrofit-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Plenum Air Conditioning for Refurbishment and Retrofit Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"
One major design challenge for refurbishment projects is how to incorporate high specification heating and cooling into buildings designed long before air conditioning of commercial buildings became a reality.\u00a0 In the UK we have a large amount of older building stock requiring modernisation.\u00a0 Often developers will strip these buildings back the core, add modern construction materials and facades to improve aesthetics, but will still be left with the original floorplate and structure.These structures can present a number of challenges with respect to height and available space to integrate essential building services required in order to cater to ever growing demands of tenants of modern workspace today.
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In this article we look at these challenges in more detail in line with the application of Under Floor Air Conditioning to these buildings as a solution to provide heating and cooling for said buildings.<\/p>\n
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At this point it is fitting to give a general description of how plenum air conditioning works.\u00a0 In brief; fully conditioned air is fed into the underfloor plenum by zonal downflow units (CAM).\u00a0 The supply air is then introduced into the space via floor recessed fan terminal units (Fantile).\u00a0 \u00a0Spent return air can be returned to the CAM for reconditioning either at floor level or at high level depending on the configuration of the CAM.\u00a0 The equipment is modular and flexible allowing easy adaptation and future change.\u00a0 This also makes it an ideal choice for speculative CAT B fit out work; as the primary units can be installed during construction phase and it is quick and easy to install additional floor terminals according to tenant requirements.<\/p>\n
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Making use of the plenum beneath a raised access floor as the ventilation duct is an obvious space saver.\u00a0 To give an example; the floor void is usually in the region of 150 \u2013 200mm, and a ceiling based air conditioning system typically requires a void of 600-700mm; bringing the total services space requirement to 750-900mm.\u00a0 By adopting an underfloor system with floor level supply and floor level return, ceiling ductwork and lateral pipework can virtually be eliminated.\u00a0 A floor void of only 250-300mm is required to accommodate the cabling and fan terminals, equating to increased headroom of 200-400mm in this example.\u00a0 Where the slab to slab height is severely restricted, a slimline fan terminal unit which only requires 180mm floor void space can be used.\u00a0 It is therefore easy to see the suitability of such systems with respect to refurbishing older building stock.<\/p>\n
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Tricorn House, Birmingham<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AET Flexible Space; a leading authority on underfloor systems have worked on a number of refurbishment projects over the past 25 years and pride themselves on the bespoke level of product and specification advice given to developers and designers working with older buildings.\u00a0 Tricorn House in Birmingham is one example of a long running phased refurbishment where AET supplied underfloor equipment to one of twelve floors back in the early 2004 and are currently delivering equipment for the final floor to be completed this year.\u00a0 The iconic building with its unusual floor plate shape has been fully refurbished over a twelve year period by Commercial Estates Group and AET Flexible Space equipment was originally specified as an option that would bring cooling to the inner areas of each deep space floor area, whilst maximising headroom with a restrictive 2.8m slab to underside slab height.\u00a0 Over the years the system has proved to be adaptable and flexible for the multi-tenanted building easily accommodating increasing cooling load requirements through higher density and occupant demand.\u00a0 Another key feature was the addition of fresh air units which introduce fresh untreated air at floor level to the CAM downflow units significantly reducing plant space riser and maintenance requirements.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 20 Cannon Street, London<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In London, AET have worked closely with developer Allied London on two further buildings which have undergone extensive refurbishments; 20 Cannon Street, near St Paul\u2019s Cathedral and 28 Savile Row in prestigious Mayfair.\u00a0 Cannon Street was the first project to use AET\u2019s slimline Fantile incorporating EC fan technology.\u00a0 The 1960\u2019s building had very limited structural height space and retrofitting a fan coil, VAV or split system would have required a ceiling void of up to 450mm; an option that was not viable.\u00a0 Under floor air conditioning was specified and as a result, the recommended floor to ceiling height of 2.5m was achievable; whilst also creating modern high class office space.\u00a0 The building had been empty since 2008, but was fully pre-let to a corporate client as a headquarters building just at the stage of completion testament to the Grade A space created.<\/p>\n