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A local authority with an ‘intelligent client’ team that incorporates a professionally qualified building services engineer has more chance of delivering a successful outcome in a new school build


cost/quality challenges are understood by the project team and managed effectively. Over recent years, published guidance,


codes of practice and statutory regulations, have grown but, regretfully, this has not always been matched by an increased knowledge of the design engineer. The level of competency can vary enormously and without an IC to advise the client, and/or challenge the designer, the risk of disappointment is high. It is essential that engineering designs are


The group’s mission is to improve the design, operation and environmental quality of educational buildings by providing timely, unbiased impartial information on design techniques and building technologies, as well as developing novel engineering tools to enable the industry to deliver truly sustainable educational buildings. Its vision is that educational buildings will become centres of low carbon knowledge-based economies. The group aims to foster long-


term knowledge exchange and partnership between stakeholders working on sustainable school design, construction and maintenance. It holds a number of events and also publishes a Bulletin. If you would like to find out more, or wish to join the group, visit www.cibse-sdg.org


reviewed at key milestone stages to ensure compliance with the brief. The IC will review the design to ensure that it is robust, within budget, affordable to operate, coordinated, maintainable and satisfies the carbon and energy targets. The review provides the design engineer with an opportunity to demonstrate their competency and reassure the client that the end product will meet the brief objectives and is value for money. Knowing that a design solution will be subject to an independent engineering audit should also guarantee that the designer has a clear rationale for their solutions. Modern primary or secondary schools


are complex buildings with engineering and architectural challenges that can only effectively be resolved through design teams understanding their customers’ own challenges, limitations and expectations. The Soft Landings framework, published by building services research body BSRIA, is a very useful tool to help deliver successful outcomes and maintain the golden thread throughout the life of a project. An IC ensures that the golden thread is there and that the ‘baton’ is successfully passed on and not dropped. All designers need to take time out to


view the world through the client’s end of the telescope. Installed engineering services need to be suitable for operation by the site manager (or other designated person) who


12 CIBSE Journal March 2012


may well have very limited technical or IT knowledge, especially in primary schools. Highly sophisticated engineering solutions – that theoretically are very energy efficient and carbon friendly – may well fail to deliver their intended benefits if, in practice, they are too complex for the end-user to understand and manage or are too costly to maintain. Early discussions with the end user,


conducted in non-technical language, to understand their needs and outcomes, and to explore potential engineering solutions, will help deliver good design and achieve success. Simplicity is the key and the IC’s role is to ensure that that message is understood by the design team. For example, removing human interface


from daily tasks such as switching lights on or off, opening windows, and so on, if done correctly and in conjunction with end-user support, can deliver real energy and carbon benefits. But if systems are imposed, not well designed or just not explained during early design discussions with the client, the risk of end-user frustration is high. And there is a likelihood that the system may eventually just be overridden or disconnected. Sadly it is not unusual to learn of a


school building project being viewed as a disappointment by the end-user due to a failure of the design team to understand the client’s world. A local authority, with an IC team that incorporates a professionally qualified BS engineer, has a far greater chance of delivering a successful outcome by ensuring that the commissioning and delivery process is competently managed with all parties interest in mind. CJ


l GreGory KeelinG is environmental performance and technical standards manager for Essex County Council. A version of this article first appeared in the October 2011 CIBSE School Design Group Bulletin, which can be downloaded at www.cibse-sdg.org/building-bulletins For details of the group, see the box on the left.


www.cibsejournal.com


Tim Soar


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