Top MSc student wins low carbon building design prize from SE Controls

Loughborough University student Jenny Cheung has been awarded the ‘SE Controls’ Prize for Best Overall Performance’ after achieving the highest results on the University’s MSc in Low Carbon Building Design and Modelling.

SE Controls originally created the prize to reward outstanding performance on the course as a further development in the company’s highly productive relationship with Loughborough’s School of Civil and Building Engineering, which involves advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and building energy modelling.

The Loughborough MSc was first introduced in 2009 and developed along a modular structure to meet the evolving needs of modern building services engineers, while reflecting the growing emphasis on sustainability and the use of low carbon technologies in building design, construction and operation. 

Each module on the course, which is accredited by CIBSE and The Energy Institute, is highly detailed and covers aspects such as concept design, renewable energy technologies and energy consumption as well as advanced thermal, airflow and lighting modelling, to ensure students have a complete understanding of the principles and practice of low carbon design.

Prior to enrolling on the MSc, 23-year-old Jenny graduated with a degree in architectural engineering and design management, which she also studied at Loughborough. Having chosen to follow a career in building management, the MSc was a logical next step and Jenny’s innovative approach and her dedication were key factors in her securing the SE Controls’ prize, according to the course Programme Director, Dr Malcolm Cook.

He said: “The calibre of all students was extremely high, which makes Jenny’s achievement all the more impressive. She is clearly a talented individual and her mix of creative thinking coupled with highly detailed and in-depth analysis of the problems set during the course enabled her to present solutions that were both innovative and practical.”

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.

The Loughborough University School of Civil and Building Engineering is one of the largest multi-disciplinary engineering faculties in the UK. It aims to develop and nurture the skills required to face the challenges of an increasingly complex built environment. Its world-class teaching and research are integrated to support the technical and commercial needs of both industry and society.

The school’s graduates are extremely sought after by industry and commerce, and its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are consistently ranked as excellent in both student surveys and independent assessments.

SE Controls takes the heat out of new London apartment development

Safety and comfort are at the heart of a major new residential development by Linden Homes in Hammersmith, London, which is using a combined smoke and natural ventilation solution from SE Controls to protect residents in the multi-storey apartment building.

Designed by HAP Architects, the new development is located on Hammersmith’s Glenthorne Road and provides 81 apartments from ground to sixth floor penthouse level, together with a communal roof top terrace, private gardens and secure parking.

To provide a safe means of escape for residents in the event of a fire as well as enabling fire fighters to enter the building, SE Controls developed the smoke ventilation system to remove smoke from corridors and stairwells by using a mix of natural air buoyancy venting and fan extraction through smoke shafts.

On floor one to five, smoke ventilation is provided by extract fans located in the building’s cycle store, with replacement air being supplied through ground floor and air inlet shaft, while the sixth floor is vented by a 1.5m² vent in the top floor corridor and stairs by a similar arrangement at the head of the stair.

In addition to smoke ventilation, the SE Controls’ solution is also designed to provide mechanically assisted natural ventilation to help maintain a comfortable temperature within the building’s corridors. As central heating and hot water distribution pipe work feeds each apartment via the corridors, the potential for the corridors to become overheated in some situations has also been addressed by the system.

On the first five floors, extract fans, which run at half speed, remove warm air from the corridors and the system’s smoke dampers are opened as required by the building’s natural ventilation control panel. On the sixth floor, a dedicated tamper proof thermostat controls the lobby vent while hooded vents allow ventilation during inclement weather conditions.

The integrated smoke and natural ventilation control strategy was developed by SE Controls to meet the specific needs of the apartment building and involved the use of nine OS2 controllers and tamper proof manual control points, as well as a range of temperature sensors and smoke sensors, all of which are linked to the main system control panel with a failsafe battery back up.

Under normal operation, the natural ventilation (NV) system is active between 08:00 and 20:00, which provides ventilation and corridor cooling to the building. The NV controller scans the temperature sensors and allows the end of corridor Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs) to open when required. However, in the event of a fire, where the system is triggered either by a smoke sensor or manually activated, all NV functions are stopped and the OS2 controller for the affected zone signals the fans to run at full speed.

SE Controls’ Project Leader, Brett Cave, explained: “Smoke ventilation is a safety critical factor in residential building design as it not only aids escape and enhances safety, but also assists the fire service by improving access to the building.  This project is one of an increasingly large number where we have developed a combined smoke and natural ventilation solution control strategy that not only enables high safety levels to be maintained, but also improves the environment of the building’s occupants.”

Smoke ventilation and control in apartment buildings is a key issue and is the subject of a seminar organised by the Smoke Control Association (SCA), where SE Controls’ Managing Director, Will Perkins, will be presenting on natural smoke ventilation technologies as one of the event’s main speakers. The event is being held on 10^th April 2012 at FETA’s headquarters in Hare Hatch, Reading and is aimed at Building Control Officers, the Fire Service and other stakeholders. Details and booking instructions are available from FETA’s website www.feta.co.uk.

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or by calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.

SE Controls, smoke and natural ventilation specialists tops £12,000 in Macmillan charity fundraising

A year long fundraising initiative by employees at Midlands based smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls, has generated more than £12,000 for national cancer support charity, Macmillan.

Macmillan Cancer Support was chosen by SE Controls after the company’s Commercial Manager, Mark Hargreaves, initially nominated the charity as a worthy cause and fellow employees voted overwhelmingly to select Macmillan as its ‘charity of the year’ for 2011.

During the year every opportunity was taken by SE Controls staff to raise money for the charity, using numerous initiatives ranging from a wacky Duke & Duchess Cambridge inspired Royal Wedding Fancy Dress and cake baking competition to a marathon 127 mile sponsored bike ride and the setting up of an ongoing book lending library at the company’s Staffordshire head office.

“The support from everyone has been phenomenal,” said a delighted Mark Hargreaves who recently presented the final donation cheque with SE Controls’ MD, Will Perkins, to Macmillan’s Hilary Barnes and corporate fundraiser, Sue Allcock.

He continued: “ It’s amazing what can be accomplished when people pull together to help support charities, such as Macmillan and I’m particularly proud of our fundraising achievement, which we hope to be able to repeat with our nominated charity for 2012.”

Macmillan’s Sue Allcock added: “What SE Controls has achieved is absolutely marvellous and is greatly appreciated not only by us, but also by those who rely on Macmillan for care and support at an extremely difficult and challenging time.”

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.