Buildings Offices
Nyul
iStock/
Close comfort
The office building services landscape
use of space, and the sustainability agenda takes hold,
the guide evaluates the steps that need to be taken to
has shifted under the weight of economic
ensure viability.
recession and growing pressure for
New research was commissioned to inform the 2009
guide, covering subjects ranging from internal office
sustainability. The new version of the
temperatures and occupier densities to small power
BCO Guide to Specification seeks to reflect
consumption. All the key design parameters have been
revisited and, where needed, updated and amended
these changes, writes Neil Pennell
to reflect best practice. There is additional coverage
on envelope design, acoustics, vertical transportation,
F
our years on from the last edition of British building refurbishment, handover and taxation.
Council of Offices (BCO) Guide to Specification, The guide reflects the recognition that the ‘one size
much has changed in the office marketplace. fits all’ approach of the past is too restrictive a medium
Perhaps the most significant change has been to define what is best in office design. It considers two
the growing importance of sustainability. Additionally, building typologies: an intensively used and serviced
in the current recession, occupiers are seeking to deep plan urban city centre office; and a shallow plan
optimise their use of space. BCO wanted to investigate geometry, much more suited to passive solutions.
different products and ways of working in anticipation The internal design of office spaces is all about the people
of future changing conditions. that use them. While external climate and imposed load
The needs of occupiers, and the relationship between drive many of the design parameters of a building structure
cost and value, have been key to the link between supply and envelope, most of the internal design requirements are
and demand. A generation of highly sophisticated defined by the use of the building.
buildings have been delivered on the back of historically Fundamental to ensuring appropriate levels of
high capital values. As occupiers seek to optimise their specification is identifying the number of people
36 CIBSE Journal June 2009
www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEjun09 pp36-38 offices.indd 36 28/5/09 15:48:33
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