BSEE-SEP21-PG18 Air Con, cooling & Vent_Layout 1 23/08/2021 12:31 Page 18
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As the pandemic has shifted guest expectations around hygiene and health, design priorities in the hotel construction industry have shifted towards promoting wellbeing. With guest comfort, health and overall satisfaction more centre stage than ever, Steve
Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, explores how the concept of ‘designing healthy’ will help building services engineers select suitable solutions to deliver futureproof buildings.
ollowing the lifting of restrictions, the UK hotel market has seen a marked rise in bookings as many people partake in the ‘staycation’ boom. As hospitality relies on close attention to the latest customer trends and demands, taking into account changing guest perceptions to hygiene and health as part of the design will be important for consultants and engineers working on hotels post-COVID.
F Delivering on rising expectations
Much like in other areas of construction, a recent survey of 520 M&E consultants and architects, 130 of which work in the hotels sector, identified sustainability is a key design priority for hotel construction. However, it also revealed that temperature control was a key driver affecting design, likely motivated by guests expecting individual temperature control in rooms to their exacting requirements.
With comfort and wellbeing driving the need for a hotel to meet these priorities to satisfy guests’ standards, pressure is falling on building services engineers and specifiers to design systems that deliver this. However, the same research revealed over half (52%) of respondents believe wellbeing is ‘value engineered’ out of projects later on in the build. In addition, 86% of respondents said they had specified fittings containing lead, while 90% admitted there was a risk to human health when using the material.
While there are clearly some elements of wellbeing falling to the wayside during the course of hotel builds, most respondents placed high importance on the need to leave behind high- quality buildings for future generations. As sustainable development underpins most design decisions in the built environment, the desire to futureproof from an environmental and occupant wellbeing perspective is one that is being reflected in regulatory changes.
Regulatory landscape
Within the building services sector, air quality for occupants is a key concern when specifying temperature control solutions. This is as a result of changes to the Building Regulations that have been enforced to improve building efficiency, particularly for sealed new-build developments. An example of where sustainable development in regulation has met with air quality concern is the recent consultations of Approved Document L: Conservation of Fuel and Power of the Building Regulations and Approved Document F: Ventilation. The intrinsic link between the two parts, which has driven an increase in air tight, energy efficient developments, necessitates ventilation measures to sufficiently support occupant health and comfort. For the hotels sector, good air quality is a standard expectation of guests. As a result, those working on projects in the sector are under even more pressure to select solutions that will maintain a healthy atmosphere for guests. When different guests’ temperature demands can vary greatly between hot and cold, the challenge of providing adequate temperature control while keeping the air quality high comes into play.
Healthy guests, healthy planet
Designing suitable building services solutions to overcome the challenges posed by sustainable development and guest expectations around temperature control and air quality can directly and positively affect wellbeing. The concept of designing healthy buildings has informed REHAU’s latest report, which looks into opportunities for building services consultants across new build and retrofit hotel projects.
As tech-savvy guests come to expect a certain level of technology to be integrated into hotels, the report identifies the role of smart temperature controls in efficiently maintaining adequate temperature levels. Using intelligent algorithms to optimise temperature levels, systems such as the NEA Smart 2.0 can be integrated with sensors and dehumidifiers to maintain safe air quality in rooms. The room thermostat controls can also allow guests manual control over the temperature. With regulations demanding building services engineers to provide better ventilation and air quality, such solutions are key to promoting wellbeing while guaranteeing efficiency.
18 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2021 Read the latest at:
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As outlined in the guide, pressure from government targets to reduce emissions, combined with guests becoming more eco- conscious, is increasingly making sustainable hotel design a necessity. On top of efficient smart controls, consultants have other choices when designing building solutions that can ensure wellbeing is not compromised in the drive for efficiency. Thermally activated building structures (TABS), for example, can efficiently regulate heating and cooling in large hotels and eliminate the need for energy-intensive mechanical cooling systems, improving overall efficiency. Underfloor heating can be used with greener energy sources such as heat pumps to provide heating and cooling in a similar manner.
In order to meet customer demands and stricter government legislation, employing the concept of healthy design can allow building services consultants and contractors to meet sustainability and wellbeing requirements together. Although a seemingly difficult challenge, innovatively designed solutions can help professionals satisfy the need for futureproof hotel buildings. Whether for new build or renovations, delivering fit-for- purpose spaces that protect both guest welfare and the environment is essential for the sustainability of this sector.
To read the latest guide in REHAU’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series, Designing Healthy Hotels, visit the website.
www.rehau.uk/designinghealthy
AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION Designing a Healthier Future for Hotels
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