Underfloor air conditioning revives 1960s office building
Helping to transform this 1960s office block into an exciting new building for the 21st century is Hiross underfloor air conditioning from AET.
When relaxing at D&D London on Kirby Street, it is difficult to imaging that the building was once a tired 1960s office block. The transformation of the 2400 m2 building into a contemporary commercial development includes the Hiross underfloor air conditioning from Advanced Ergonomic Technologies. The redevelopment of the building involved extensions to the basement, ground and first floors, as well as the construction of a double-level atrium in its courtyards. The comprehensive expansion plans and additional floorspace at roof level presented consulting engineers Ernest Griffiths with a shallow ceiling void that made conventional air conditioning impractical — hence the underfloor system. Glan Blake Thomas, managing director of AET, explains, ‘With the Hiross system, there is no need for a large ceiling void. Instead, the system is located within raised access flooring areas measuring only 250 mm, which enables a much more practical retrofit.’ The plenum under the floor is used as a duct and divided into a number of zones depending on the use and occupancy density of each area. The void is divided into supply- and return-air channels by airtight baffles. Supply air is delivered to the space from fan-assisted terminal units recessed into the floor and having individual control. Air is drawn back through the return path by conditioned air modules for reconditioning and mixing with fresh air.
For more information on this story, click here:
Nov08, 134 Related links:
Related articles:
