Building services design is vital for any construction project. During the design process, building services engineers help bring a vision to life and offer innovative solutions to any complications which arise to allow for a smooth construction process.

What is Building Services Design?

During the design process of a project, building services engineers focus on ensuring a building is fit for purpose and determine how the mechanical and electrical elements of a building will operate to create a comfortable environment.

High-quality designs are important to enable a building to be constructed in a way that allows for optimum performance when in operation, particularly important for complex projects like hospitals. Building services engineers focus design efforts on creating a building that is safe, comfortable, functional and energy efficient.

Building services design covers a wide range of aspects including:

     

      • Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)

      • Lighting (natural and artificial)

      • Energy supply (gas, electricity and renewable)

      • Fire safety (detection and protection)

      • Carbon emissions (calculation and reduction)

      • Water-related issues (plumbing and drainage)


    Sustainable Building Design

    Sustainability is also central to building services. With buildings currently responsible for 40% of the UK’s total carbon emissions and the world’s building stock projected to double by 2060, it is now more important than ever for the construction industry to integrate sustainable measures into projects.

    Engineers devise innovative solutions to make a building energy efficient in a bid to meet government carbon targets. Whether a building is in the initial stages of its lifespan or an existing building is being renovated, building services engineers can create designs which greatly lower a building’s carbon emissions. Associated energy costs are also reduced resultantly.

    By considering ways to make a building ‘green’ during the design process, minimises the negative impacts of a construction project on the environment.


    Why is it Important?

    Not only does a solid design result in an environmentally friendly building being developed, but also allows for a smooth construction process. Any potential issues are identified during the design process and are remedied quickly and easily. This prevents any unexpected delays occurring during the construction stage, thereby reducing associated costs.

    Additionally, software such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) enables the optimisation of the design process. Engineers can gain highly accurate representations of how a completed project will look and how it will operate.

    During the design process, building services engineers convert an artistic vision of a building into tangible technical solutions as to how a building will function. These can be understood by contractors who are later responsible for constructing the project.