Building Services: Open-Plan Office Building- Proposing New Systems Design- Report Writing Assignment

Internal Code: 1HBIC

Report Writing Assignment:

Case Study:   Your company has been given the opportunity to retrofit an existing 6 storey open-plan office building (40m street frontage, 30m deep, 30m high from street level, 5m slab to slab, 1 basement level, 5 levels above ground level) located in the Melbourne CBD.

• The NCC building classification is ‘Class 5’.
• Your client (the owner of the building) would like to increase the building’s overall sustainability credentials by reducing excessive energy and water usage by completely replacing all the existing building services whilst maintaining maximum net lettable area (NLA).
• The two lifts will be upgraded also to the latest technology.
• The client will allow for some minor demolition works to happen (i.e. to promote better day-lighting) but requires an explanation on how any proposed building fabric changes may affect the overall building if required (that is, you need to justify your changes).
• The client intends to sublet each floor to separate tenants and so needs to be able to attribute each floor’s energy use to that floor’s tenant.  There is also a requirement to provide enough toilets for each floor based on an assumed (future) population load.
• The fire protection systems in the building are old and the client would like to replace them with modern systems that will comply with current building regulation.
• The client wants a rainwater collection system to flush the toilets.  Water will be collected from the roof in a tank in the basement then pumped from basement to a header tank located on the roof.
• The building has neighbours bordering its east and west sides and has a road to the north.

Please refer to the following sketch to help your understanding: Group Assignment building layout incl risers.pdf Task:   In proposing the new systems design, the team is to take into consideration the existing dimensions of open plan office spaces and their future usage. The team is to provide all proposed system layouts and locations on the floor plans provided and draw up sections of the building or offices to show how all the proposed systems operate and are integrated together (and do not clash!).  Use as many plan and section drawings as you deem necessary to communicate your design proposal.  An indicative furniture and partition wall layout is NOT necessary but can be used if it helps communicate your answers to the above Building services requirements. In order to convince the client that the proposed new building services systems are complying with their requirements and the building regulations/codes, the team is to prepare a report outlining the reasons for selecting particular systems, how the systems work in various spaces in the building, and the regulations and standards that the proposed systems are complying with. This report is to be supported with sketches of the proposal as required to communicate your design recommendations.  Clearly state any assumptions!! As the selected building services design team, you are to propose appropriate and effective building services systems to the office building retrofit as follows: HVAC systems

1. Provide appropriate locations of HVAC equipment (AHU’s, exhaust fans, etc) with estimated fan sizes (L/s) based on a typical office layout (your choice) and AS1668.1-2012.
2. Show locations of Cooling towers, chiller, boiler, pumps, AHU’s, FCU’s, etc as you have decided it is required. Do not size the chillers/cooling towers/boilers/pumps but show their indicative locations, size, and weight (kg) in a drawing plan and simple section plan of the building. Show indicative pipework and pipework routing from this equipment to the risers, then to the equipment below.
3. Indicate the fresh air intake inlets and exhaust outlets, the estimated ventilation volumetric rates, and flow directions for the system/s (schematically only).
4. Show zoning for air conditioning as required including dimensions (m). Explain your reasoning why you chose these zones for ventilation.

Fire protection systems

1. Indicate the type and location of fire protection systems (e.g. sprinklers, hose reels, etc.) as required by the relevant Australian code regulations.
2. Indicate your references and reasoning as to why you have selected these systems.

Water systems

1. Evaluate number of toilets, wash basins, urinals, disabled toilets, etc and show them on the typical floor plan and ensure they are sufficient for the building to meet the population you expect.
2. Show a schematic section of the rainwater collection system with length of pipework shown (m). Determine the static pressure at each floor and state your assumptions (e.g. pipe material, pipe diameter, temperature, header tank open to atmosphere, etc) if there is to be a supply outlet on every floor (including basement) to this rainwater collection system.

Lighting systems

1. Determine the Daylight factor (DF) for each floor of your building and comment on this value. If you change the building layout, clearly show the before and after conditions and DF.
2. Choose one floor only and propose the lighting layouts for one open space office and one enclosed office space (e.g. the boardroom). Indicate zoning as you think would be advantageous for a future tenant occupying the whole floor.
3. Recommend how to light this typical office floor only (to 500 lux at floor level) and calculate the average maintained illuminance using whatever light selection you decide. Clearly state your assumptions (e.g. type of light fitting used, lumen of light fixture, spacing of lights, etc).
4. Recommend and show on typical floor any daylighting and/or shading systems that could be installed and explain why.

Electrical systems

1. Comment on the fit-for-purpose usefulness of Photovoltaic panels for this building. Comment on why or why you would not use PV for your building.
2. Indicate where the main switchboard in your building should be located and why. Discuss the pros and cons of this location.
3. Indicate where your distribution boards are to be located.