The mechanical and electrical aspects of the building – heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting and energy – all need to be considered early in the building’s lifecycle, just after the bricks and mortar design.
Changing these core infrastructure elements later will be difficult, expensive and involve downtime while components are replaced.
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) equipment is becoming more efficient, reducing in size, and offering greater design flexibility and opportunities for sustainability.
For example, can the heating sources be passive and supported by other means, such as utilising the geographical location to take in heat and light through windows?
The wellbeing of employees, and even their productivity and ability to concentrate, can all be influenced by the lighting and its colour spectrum. This too needs early deliberation as it will impact cabling, power and physical attributes.
Finally is the energy supply critical to the environment? If so then having a diverse electrical supply from different suppliers may be the answer to the resilience required.
Not all energy is equal so power correction equipment may also be needed to optimise its quality and reduce costs.