» Concept Design

Concept Design

Architectural Engineering is as it sounds, a link between the building form and the things that make it tick. The best buildings integrate the servicing to complement what has already been delivered by clever architecture; a building which exploits freely available resources to maintain comfort, minimises servicing space, cost and complexity – a win-win.

Passive Engineering

M&E Concepts

Value Added Engineering

Passive Engineering

Why pay to ventilate, light and cool buildings? – most of these resources are available free of charge to cleverly designed internal spaces. A keen eye for design, familiarity with the concepts of passive engineering and using tools & techniques to analyse daylighting, ventilation and thermal transfer can really pay off in the finished product.

Thermal mass, the placement and size of windows, screening from wind, shading, opening devices and specification of glazing and thermal elements along with the principles of building massing are all carefully considered, analysed and implemented.

M&E Concepts

Having minimised the requirement for building servicing, we must then look to establish the best way to deliver the energy efficiently to the spaces which need it. Using dynamic analysis, we can interrogate which systems are the most appropriate for the building and can evaluate multiple servicing strategies for the same building to obtain the optimal blend to satisfy the requirements of Part L, carbon reductions for planning, lifecycle cost, BREEAM credits or simply their annual energy requirements. This exercise can be undertaken at concept stage so that the building is formed with the right amount of plant space in the right position, with enough space allowed for horizontal and vertical distribution & harmonisation with the structural strategy.

Value Added Engineering

Prior to the construction phase, often a period of value engineering will be undertaken – the professional team analyses if the client’s money is being spent prudently and in the right areas. Often, alternative systems are proposed which can meet performance parameters at a reduced cost.
It is at this stage where it pays to know what systems are having the biggest impact on the project goals i.e. there is little point decreasing fabric performance in a heat dominant building – conversely, providing less insulation in a cooling dominated building will lower its annual energy demand whilst also saving money.

Employing ZED chartered mechanical engineers with a modelling specialism, we can target these areas specifically without taking a wider approach – our first proposals will be those which have the most potential.