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SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL
Project Status
Location
Project Value
Service Provided
Planning Stage
Oxford, U.K.
Undisclosed
Facade air movement and temperature analysis
SAID BUSINESS
SCHOOL
FACADE ANALYSIS
With a large theatre space containing platformed seating, lighting and equipment along with acoustic panels and curtains, the theatre space at Leeds City College is challenging in regards to fire and smoke modelling with complex geometry, fire size and scale of the geometry.
K8T evaluated the theatre using Fire Dynamic Simulation (FDS) solver during means of escape.
EDUCATION COMMERCIAL
REVITALISATION, THE OLD WITH THE NEW
A major development can revitalise and transform a area of the city. With a large development transforming a derelict site in Oxford the Said Business School provides a pivotal movement in transforming the local area.
The scheme redevelops the existing building on the site, the first electricity plant in the city the Osney power station, into an executive educational site as well as extending to incorporate the facilities required. The veil facade the encompasses two elevations provides privacy along with blending the old and the new.
ESTABLISHING CONDTIONS
In order to determine the impact that the facade design may have on the internal environment of the building, it was important to firstly establish the meteorological data for the site. Through analysis of the meteorological data for Oxford, the temperature gradients and percentages of the temperatures throughout the year could be determined to find an average for winter and summer. As well as the temperature the wind direction, magnitude and frequency was also required to determined the air flow interaction with the facade..
DECIDING ON THE PERFECT BALANCE
There were many factors that needed to be considered to ensure that the design of the facade was going to be successful. There is a fine balance between three different aspects of facade design, firstly the architectural design, second the performance both in terms of material but also the role the facade plays in the building control and thirdly, the impact the building may have on the surrounding area.
TEMPERATURE THROUGH THE VEIL
With the veil having small perforations some of the heat is trapped behind
AIR SPEED THROUGH THE VEIL
Air movement is key to the success of the veil design, through movement of air behind the veil the temperatures can be better maintained
IMPACT ON INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
A facade protects the building and internal environment from many factors, such as against heat loss, however it can cause problems to internal rooms through blocking sunlight or in fact increases the thermal load. Through modelling the internal and external spaces of the Said Business school development a understanding of the impacts can be assessed. This was a key elements of the project, through modelling internal spaces the temperature levels could be assessed during different weather conditions to see the impact the facade designs were having.
ORIGINAL VEIL DESIGN
In the original design the full height perforated sheets that for a zig-zag in plan, this had the effect of trapping the heat and air in the space between the veil and the building
PROPOSED DESIGN
To aid the movement of air through the void between the veil and the building, we proposed opening up the zig-zag to allow more air into the cavity void, reducing heat build up
OPTIMISATION OF DESIGN
During the design phase of a project the ability to quickly design and evaluate options can be critical to the success of the project. With the facade serving multiple purposes a series of ideas where proposed for the design of the veil that would wrap the majority of the facade. Through modelling a variations in quick succession, we could adjust the layout and free area of the facade to find a design that worked in turns of aesthetics, air flow and radiant heat.
