Architecture Student Needs Help
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Re: Architecture Student Needs Help
Re: Architecture Student Needs Help -- maydogg	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Bruiser ® 03/14/2007, 02:09:45 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Building Services Electrical: Lights and Small Power Major Power (eg air conditioning, heating, boilers, lifts) Data, Telephones, Security (inc external lights) Don't forget bonus points for: - utility connections! Especially for something like a lift - need to outline a discussion with the power utility. - fire protection (indicator panel, direct brigade alarm) - consideration for cable positions and switchboard locations, and coordination of water, air con, and cabling. - offsetting the ceiling bearers so lights can be installed centrally in corridors. Don't forget directional exit/emergency lighting!! I did on my first building services design, a retirement home of all places!

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Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help
Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help -- Bruiser	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: maydogg ® 03/14/2007, 04:11:07 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Cheers Bruis! Great help! You wouldn't happen to know any thing about transport engineer's? I mean apart from stairs and lifts, what else do they do related to a building? Do they get involved with disbaled access ramps and stuff of that nature? Thanks, Jason

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Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help
Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help -- maydogg	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Bruiser ® 03/14/2007, 04:38:16 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Nah, dunno about transport engineers. Architects should do the circulation, special access etc - it's sposed to come under form and flow. There's also stuff like toilet facilities - building codes specify number of M and F pans per head. Mechanical guys normally do air con and water. Structural guys do civil and structural. Architects are supposed to brief all these disciplines on the requirement for a building. In practice I've yet to find an architect who ever made their mind up about anything! I've always felt that, given building services is tough dollar, the way to set yourself apart is to have each discipline do something that's special. I always do lights, just something a bit different in one area or aspect of the building, often the entrance or surrounds. It's $$$ driven - needs to look great, but only cost a few k to build or the beancounters will kill it.

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help
Re: Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help -- Bruiser	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: GreenHornet ® 03/16/2007, 09:28:32 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Hello Jason: The point of the exercise looks to be one that intends you to get familiar with what an Architect's consultants do... and how the Architect interfaces with them. As an Electrical Engineer (EE) approaching the design of this University (Philosophy) Building one would begin by determining the program (usually through the Architect who works with the Owner to determine it and then the EE also speaks with the owner) and one's approach to power, lighting, communications, (fire alarm) safety and security. - Power: Since there is a computer room make sure there is a backup generator to provide UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). In today's world determining how the power is generated is worth considering. Questions like is the power generation sustainable and non-polluting / low environmental impact? Is is Green? Does the University want to include solar cell power generation on the roof or building wall panels or even in the glass? Wind power, local hydroelectric (not from a large impact dam) and on.... -Lighting: The most energy efficient set-up is to use Daylighting Design as the starting point. Sunlight is free, one simply needs to bring it into the building through direct and indirect means. The EE then designs automatic and preset lighting controls that operate to dim and turn off lights at the building perimeter when sunlight is adequate for illumination. The controls can also be tied into operable/motorized blinds and shades. The preset switches are illumination settings worked out to give the perfect effect for what each space is used for. In a classroom one wants a darkened room for slides with enough light to take notes and good lighting for when the lecturer is speaking. The lights themselves should be compact fluorescents and T8 or even T5 tubes in fixtures that are typically indirect (one does not see the lamp directly). General illumination with task lighting in offices is a good approach. Power for lighting is best and typical at 277 volt, 3 phase, 60 hertz. This usually means you need step down transformers... where one pays attention to heat and noise generation in selecting and locating the units. -Communications: This involves Category 6 or 6E (or probably 7 or 8 by now) cabling that runs to every room (lecturn and sometimes each desk) and especially the computer room. This is your data line network that is either connected to the university or town cable system outside on a pole or in the ground... or has its own satellite dish on the roof. Design the layout from each user to the outside connection. There may be a separate consultant for this or the University may have their own in house expert. -Safety: Your fire alarm system starts with pull stations that are wired to a control panel that is usually connected to a phone and data line that sends out warnings to the local fire house, the university fire person and other contacts, and also rings an audible alarm with visual stobe lights that the EE lays out according to Life Safety and Fire Codes. Other system connections are connected to a sprinkler pipe flowmeter that rings the alarm when there is a pressure drop when a sprinkler head goes off. This may also connect to a fire pump.. if there is one... to keep the water pressure up. The EE interfaces with the Plumbing Engineer on this. -Security: At this scale of project this is usually another consultant that the EE interfaces with to provide low voltage power and an empty conduit layout. It involves wiring up each door that they want security on, placing CCTV cameras and piping that feed to a data line to wherever the Control Room is. It may be in that building but in the University setting... when they have one... it is usually in their campus police station. For this project they would not want to spend the $$$ to do CCTV I'm betting.... but a security proximity card electronic locking system is possible. The Transportation Engineer (TE) is someone I've never worked with... my best guess is that they program and design for how people and materials enter and leave the building. Mostly Architects do this on their own but if this involves say a Subway stop under the building, or Light Rail above the TE would help quite a bit. Busses, trollies, trucks and automobiles an Architect can design for.... but not usually trains or planes. Lastly.... join up wiith your campus Student Chapter or the nearest local Chapter of CSI (Construction Specifications Institute / www.csinet.org) where all of these construction related disciplines are members (as are students at a ridiculously low rate).... Go to a monthly meeting and strike up conversations there. You will learn a great deal. Regards, Green Hornet

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Architecture Student Needs Help -- GreenHornet	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: GreenHornet ® 03/16/2007, 09:33:09 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Yo... I forgat that in today's world wi-fi internet connectivity is the way to go in University (and office) buildings... saves on lots of cabling. GH

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