MP, MICHAEL FABRICANT OPENS SE CONTROLS’ NEW TECHNICAL INNOVATION CENTRE

Lichfield’s Member of Parliament, Michael Fabricant, today officially named and opened the new technical innovation centre as part of a business and industry focused visit to one of the region’s fastest growing businesses, SE Controls.

The 21,500 sq.ft (2000 sq.mtr) ‘Hood innovation Centre’ is named posthumously in honour of the company’s former Head of R&D, Chris Hood, who played a pivotal role in developing SE Controls’ smoke and natural ventilation system products, which have helped the company grow by more than 35% since 2010 and create around 25 new jobs over the past two years.

“Product development and technical innovation are essential facets of our business and helps ensure that we provide the best and most effective solutions possible. This not only helps us maintain a strong competitive advantage, but is also vitally important when designing and manufacturing life critical smoke ventilation systems,” explained SE Controls’ Managing Director, Will Perkins.

He added: “Chris Hood was a true innovator and was instrumental in many of the products, systems and solutions that we offer today, so it’s very fitting that his legacy is recognised and acknowledged with the dedication of our new technical innovation centre in his name.”

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.

SE Controls helps create a stimulating learning environment at Passmores Academy

Passmores Academy in Harlow is using a natural ventilation system from leading smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls, to provide a comfortable and stimulating learning environment for pupils while helping to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

Designed by Jestico & Whiles and constructed by Wilmott Dixon, the £23 million school provides places for 1200 students and uses an innovative design where five arms radiate from a 2.5 storey elliptical atrium ‘hub’, allowing access to the flexible teaching facilities and recreation areas from the common central area.

A range of low impact design features and sustainable technologies have been incorporated in the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rated school, including solar shading, biomass boilers and energy efficient glazing together with the use of a natural ventilation strategy to improve and mange indoor air quality while reducing the need for mechanical cooling.

To provide the level of control and flexibility required for the school’s natural ventilation system to operate effectively within the pre-defined set points, SE Controls supplied and installed 7 OS2 control panels to operate the rooflights, atrium louvres and entrance screens.

In addition, the company also supplied and installed the rooflight and window actuators through specialist glazing contractor, English Architectural Glazing and were responsible for commissioning the complete natural ventilation system, which is interfaced with the school’s building management and fire safety system.

SE Controls’ Project Manager, Darren Wainwright, explained: “Indoor air quality in schools is a vital consideration as it not only manages the temperature within the building, but more importantly, the level of carbon dioxide present, which has been proven to reduce learning ability if it exceeds pre-defined national guidelines. Even the classrooms have CO₂ monitors fitted so that the level can be monitored and windows can be manually opened, if required.”

He added: “By incorporating natural ventilation and linking our control panels to the BMS, Passmores Academy can not only ensure that the air quality and environment is effectively managed but also that the energy costs are kept in check.”   

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.

Precision Ventilation Control for Sheffield University NAMRC

Precision window actuators from SE Controls are being used as part of an energy efficient natural ventilation system at Sheffield University’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) in Rotherham, to help maintain a comfortable environment for researchers and staff.

Work at the NAMRC focuses specifically on innovative research into metals and manufacturing engineering, rather than radioactive research and the new BREEAM Excellent rated building, which was designed by Bond Bryan Architects, is based around an open plan 5,000 m² workshop that incorporates cutting edge manufacturing equipment and facilities.

As the building already employs low energy and renewable initiatives, such as 320kW ground source heat pumps and a 900kW wind turbine, the use of natural ventilation was an ideal solution, as the temperature and air quality can be maintained within clearly defined set points while minimising the need for additional mechanical cooling.

To provide the high degree of control required, SE Controls, supplied, installed and commissioned a range of chain actuators, which are linked to the NAMRC building management system and are used to control the operation of the high and low level vents.

Twenty TGCO 24 15 actuators with a 350mm stroke length were installed on the building’s high level exhaust vents, while the need to protect against finger entrapment on the low level louvres prompted the selection of eighteen SE Controls’ TGCO 24 20 ‘Easi-Drive’ compact actuators each with 160mm stroke length.

SE Controls’ Project Manager, Darren Wainwright, explained: “It is absolutely vital that the natural ventilation strategy and system perform as designed to allow the right amount of fresh air to enter the building while ensuring that heat energy is not lost unnecessarily during the process. By using precision actuators to provide incremental operation of the system’s vents and louvres, it helps ensure that required performance is within the specified design parameters.”

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.

SE Controls enhances fire safety and comfort at flagship apartment development

Berkeley Homes’ flagship Woodberry Park apartment development in North London is using an advanced smoke and natural ventilation system from SE Controls to not only provide protection for residents in the event of a fire, but to also create a better environment by actively managing any excessive heat build up in corridors.

Located on Seven Sisters Road, Woodberry Park is part of the innovative Woodberry Down regeneration programme being undertaken by the London Borough of Hackney, Genesis Housing and Berkeley Homes, which will eventually create almost 4,700 homes, combining social and affordable housing with private residential apartments.

SE Controls was commissioned to design and install a SHEVTEC® mechanical extraction smoke ventilation systems within two separate low rise private residential blocks within Woodberry Park, which provide a total of 117 luxury apartments.

In addition to smoke ventilation, a key part of SE Controls’ project specification and design brief was that the system should also incorporate an ‘environmental ventilation’ mode, enabling it to monitor heat build up in communal corridors and lobbies while also managing the operation of automatic vents to reduce the temperature and introduce fresh, cooler air into the building.

SE Controls’ Project Leader on Woodberry Park, David Sawyer, explained: “Heat build up in corridors with multi-storey apartment buildings can become an issue as many developments use efficient distributed heating systems where pipework runs along the corridors to each apartment.”

He added: “The cumulative thermal gain generated by the pipework can make corridors, lobbies and communal spaces uncomfortably hot, which is why we originally developed the environmental ventilation mode as an integral part of our smoke ventilation system capabilities, to help developers overcome this issue and provide a better environment for residents.”

The comprehensive SHEVTEC smokeventilation and environmental ventilation system installed in the two residential blocks, which have between four and seven floors, includes both an extract shaft and air inlet shaft in each the building’s two cores, with smoke dampers fitted at each level.

In normal smoke ventilation mode, if a fire is detected by building’s smoke sensors, the SHEVTEC roof mounted fan sets will start, while staircase vents and smoke vents located on the fire floor will open, enabling up to 5m³ per second of smoke to be drawn through the extraction shaft and provide a smoke free escape route for residents.

Tamper proof manual control points are installed throughout the buildings and separate fireman’s control points are also incorporated as part of the system, enabling fire service personnel to manually control the operation of every damper and staircase vent as well as the smoke and heat exhaust fans.

In addition to the system’s fire safety role, it is also designed to operate in a ‘natural environmental ventilation’ mode, which allows temperatures in corridors, lobbies and communal areas to be maintained at comfortable levels and avoid the heat build up caused by the under floor heating pipework feeding individual apartments.

Each lobby that is served by the smoke shafts is fitted with a ceiling mounted temperature sensor, which triggers the roof mounted environmental ventilation fan to run when the temperature exceeds the pre-determined set point to vent the warm air and replace it with cooler air from outside.

As with the smoke ventilation operation, only the dampers on the over-temperature floor will open and once the temperature has reduced sufficiently, they will close again and the ventilation fan will switch off. External temperature sensors are also installed within the system, which ensures that the environmental ventilation system will not operate if the outside temperature is higher than that within the corridors.

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.

Charity fundraising by SE Controls raises over £6,500 for St Giles Hospice

For the past year, staff at Midlands based smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls, have been raising funds totalling £6,504 for local charity St Giles Hospice, which provides specialist care for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses.

The SE Controls staff found a variety of fun ways to raise money including fancy dress days, unwanted item sales and the hotly contested annual SE Controls cake baking competition that saw the Operations Director triumph for the second year in a row with his famous lemon cake.

The fund raisers joined up with Walsall Rugby Club to host a family fun day with a rugby match and balloon release. The Walsall Vets gained victory over the Bloxwich team and whilst age and athleticism wasn’t on their side the weight advantage meant they won every scrum. The balloon release was a great success with the winning balloon making it all the way to The Netherlands.

“Being able to help support a great charity like St Giles is always rewarding” Mark Soleil, who recently helped present the cheque to head of fund raising for St Giles Helen Relihan, who commented “It really is a fantastic amount and the money raised will go a long way to helping support those who need it most”.

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.

A fresh solution from SE Controls for Birmingham City Council offices

Birmingham City Council’s award winning office development at Woodcock Street is using an advanced natural ventilation solution from SE Controls to create a comfortable environment for staff and visitors while enhancing the building’s sustainability credentials by reducing energy consumption.

Designed by Associated Architects, the £38 million five-storey building provides a flexible working environment for around 3,000 employees and forms part of the local authority’s plans to rationalise its office portfolio and generate more an £200 million of savings by reducing its occupancy of leased buildings.

A key focus of the building’s design was the use of a wide range of sustainable technologies to minimise energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint. In addition to rainwater harvesting, a ‘brown roof’ wildlife habitat and photovoltaic panels, SE Controls’ natural ventilation solution also played an essential role in helping achieve the energy reduction targets.

SE Controls supplied, installed and commissioned the extensive natural ventilation system, which involved 562 TGCO chain and tandem type actuators together with 101 OS2 type 22 controllers to ensure the precise operation of automatically opening windows and vents within the workspace and four atria, which are managed by the building’s integrated BMS.

The natural ventilation system’s operation is also enhanced by the construction methods used with the building. Using steel framed construction and steel floor beams with 200mm thick hollow cellular core concrete floor planks, the design optimises the building’s thermal mass to enable the temperature to be managed without additional external cooling. The natural ventilation system is also used to ‘night purge’ the building, allowing cooler air to enter and cool the hollow beams.

SE Controls’ Project Manager, Darren Wainwright explained: “The Woodcock Street building epitomises current thinking on sustainable building design particularly in commercial workplace structures.”

He added: “Our natural ventilation system provides a highly energy efficient ventilation solution and its effectiveness is enhanced by many of the other sustainable technologies used within the building, such as solar shading and even details such as energy saving automatic lighting, which limits the heat energy being put into the building.”

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.

Indoor Air Quality In Schools – Is It Making The Grade?

The new Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) Facilities Output Specification, launched last October by the Education Funding Agency, proposes some significant, positive and welcome changes to school ventilation specifications, when compared to the existing BB101 standard.

Alongside ventilation and carbon dioxide levels, it also provides clear guides on specific performance standards for thermal comfort while recognising that indoor air quality, ventilation strategy, temperature, humidity and energy efficiency are all intrinsically linked.

However, given that the PSBP is aimed at renewing, repairing and refurbishing some of the country’s most dilapidated schools, the question has to be asked about what happens to those schools that are not especially out of date or in poor repair? Will schools that fall outside the scope of PSBP and its associated funding find that their pupils suffer as ‘legacy’ classroom designs struggle to meet the new standards, particularly for CO₂?

Classroom carbon dioxide levels exceed BB101

In the last quarter of 2012, we ran a pilot test with a small number of ‘non-PSBP’ primary schools in the Midlands and Northern Home Counties to gauge the actual level of CO₂ in classrooms.

Using our NVLogiQ room controller’s integral CO₂ sensor and data-logging function to monitor and record carbon dioxide levels for later analysis, it’s front panel display also acted as a ‘traffic light’ system for teachers, alerting them that the levels were increasing and they should manually open windows to improve ventilation.

When the initial data was analysed in January this year, the headline results raised some significant concerns and were as follows:

·         For most days, the daily average occupied CO₂ level exceeded the recommended 1500ppm figure in BB101.

·         In some cases the CO₂ figure was between 2500ppm and 3700ppm on every day of the week.

·         BB101’s maximum 5000ppm level was breached four times per week in some cases.

·         A maximum reading of 7200ppm was recorded, resulting in the CO₂ levels exceeding 5000ppm for almost 3 hours in one case.

While this is a relatively small pilot programme, the results appear fairly consistent and suggest that air quality in schools is probably not as good as it should be. It also raises some general questions about verifying the performance of building ventilation systems in schools.

Clearly the new PSBP output specification sets out to address the issue of CO₂ levels, but as some schools are already struggling to comply with the less stringent existing standards, it is evident that any PSBP compliant system must be designed correctly and controlled effectively.

Control is the key

In ‘post-test’ de-briefings, teachers said they were too busy to constantly monitor and respond to ‘traffic light’ signals, so relying on manual opening proved to be unviable due to the intrinsic lack of precise control

Unless automated ventilation solutions are adopted, such as window automation linked to dedicated monitors and controllers or a hybrid mixed mode system to provide additional backup, then it’s likely that children and teachers will continue to work in poorly ventilated and non-compliant schools with the inevitable result of reduced learning performance.

By utilising devices such as NVLogiQ, which can be configured to operate either as a networked system or be dedicated to individual areas, classroom CO₂ levels, temperature and energy efficiency can be managed as an integrated set of parameters to provide optimal ventilation while saving energy and money.

Performance monitoring and ‘Soft Landings’

While the value of effective monitoring and logging of CO₂, energy efficiency and other parameters provides a constant source of information for analysis and system ‘tuning’, the real benefits come from long term building performance and environment monitoring. This information allows consultants, contractors and school facilities mangers to understand and refine a building’s overall performance.

This facility has even more value within the framework of BSRIA’s Soft Landings programme, which formally establishes a process of managed and extended handover from contractor to owner or occupier to help create a culture of ‘shared responsibility and co-operation’.

A learning environment

PSBP provides a tremendous opportunity to bring our schools up to date with quality facilities and better, more comfortable energy efficient buildings.

It’s evident that the ventilation industry and the education sector have learned a lot since the original introduction of BB101, yet the issues identified in our classroom CO₂ pilot study suggest that while there are still some lessons to be learned, the ventilation solutions are already available.

SE Controls’ 30 years of experience in creating and installing natural ventilation solutions in a diverse range of sectors, alongside an ongoing commitment to rigorous academic research, equips us with skills and technologies that can help make PSBP work, while helping improve building performance overall.

Exclusive smoke ventilation solution from SE Controls for London’s Marconi House

London’s prestigious Marconi House apartment and hotel development, which is already set to be one of the capitals most sought after addresses, is using an advanced SHEVTEC® smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system from SE Controls to provide smoke free escape routes for residents and staff in the event of a fire.

Located on The Strand, the building has a long and varied history, originally housing the Gaiety Theatre’s restaurant before being redeveloped as the headquarters of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company and being chosen the location for the BBC’s first landmark radio broadcast in 1922.

The latest phase in its evolution, which has been designed by Foster & Partners includes the construction of a five star 157-bedroom hotel linked to and exclusive development of 86 apartments behind the original stone façade that still bears the Marconi name. Alongside this, the five star hotel development provides 157 bedrooms, which is served by a separate and completely independent SHEVTEC smoke ventilation system.
 

As each building has different layouts and specification, SE Controls worked closely with Lloret Fire and Security on the hotel development and Nomico/Galliard on the apartments to create smoke ventilation solutions dedicated to the apartments and hotel while integrating fully with the fire alarm systems.

SE Controls was responsible for the supply, fitting and commissioning of the North and South stair smoke shaft control systems, involving the installation of SHEVTEC automatically opening smoke shaft door actuators on each of the apartment block’s eight levels, primarily to provide pressure relief to the stair core pressurisation systems and passive smoke extraction to the communal lobbies when activated by the fire alarm.

The actuators are controlled by OS2 control panels, which are located on each floor together with tamper proof manual control points (MCP) for use by fire service personnel. Two repeater panels are also installed in the concierge area and the fire control room to provide a constant display of status and activation in the event of a fire.

Within the hotel, smoke ventilation is handled by two smoke shafts with one located in the North stairs and the other dedicated to the ten floor bedroom corridors, which also provides natural ventilation to the building in normal operation.

The extensive SE Controls’ solution incorporates SHEVTEC automatic multi-blade dampers on each floor, including basement levels, together with 28 OS2 Type 21 controllers, 31 fire servicetamper proof MCPs and reset points two repeater panels to provide full status monitoring. All systems used within the SE Controls system are CE marked and conform to the latest legislation requirements for performance, fire safety and operation including the EN12101 and BS9999 standards.

In normal operation, all dampers are open to provide natural ventilation, but automatically close when activated by a signal from the fire alarm system except for the damper located on the floor where the fire has started. This provides pressure relief to the staircase system and enables smoke to be vented from the fire floor, while stopping any cross contamination onto other floors and allowing smoke free escape to be possible on all floors.

Fire service manual control points are located next to each damper to enable control of the vent by fire officers. If a fire should occur on any non-bedroom floors, the system is configured so that all dampers will close to allow evacuation, while still allowing Manual Control Point override.

SE Controls’ Managing Director, Will Perkins, commented: “The developers have not only focused on the quality of the facilities, services, construction and finish within Marconi House, but also on the fire safety strategy and its vital role in ensuring the safety of residents, staff and hotel guests. Smoke ventilation is a vital element in this process and I’m delighted that we were able to put our extensive experience in residential smoke ventilation systems to use on this prestigious development.”

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.

SE Controls helps provide the perfect environment at Audi Leicester

Sytner Group’s state of the art Audi dealership in Leicester is using advanced natural ventilation technology from SE Controls to ensure that a comfortable environment is maintained for its customers and staff.

Constructed to Audi’s ‘Terminal Concept’ dealership template, originally designed by Allmann, Sattler, Wappner Architekten GmbH, the extensive new showroom and workshop complex replaces Sytner’s previously facility, which it had occupied since 2007.

As part of the energy efficient design, the dealership uses natural ventilation to ensure the carbon dioxide levels and temperature are managed effectively within the entire building to create a comfortable environment for staff and customers within the large open plan showroom as well as for its technicians in the pristine workshops.

SE Controls supplied, installed and commissioned the complete natural ventilation system, which involved the supply of two SCCO Schuco 500mm stroke chain actuators and a precision OS2 controller to provide automatic operation of the sloping vents in the showroom atrium. Manual operation of the vents also formed part of the showroom system, operated by tamper-proof key operated switches.

Audi Leicester’s workshop area is split into six separate areas, each with its own localised ventilation, control and manual over-ride system. To actuate the Schuco AWS 55 vertical vents, SE Controls installed 18 of its new 24 Volt SECO 24 40 N chain actuators together with six OS2 controllers and key operated switches to give accurate and flexible control over the system.

SE Control’s Project Manager, Darren Wainwright, explained: “The strength of the natural ventilation solution at Audi Leicester is its simplicity, versatility and effectiveness. By using well designed vents in the showroom and workshops, coupled with our energy efficient actuators and OS2 controllers, the overall system not only provides effective ventilation and temperature control, but also allows a high degree of flexibility in its operation, particularly in the workshops.”

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.

Honorary Graduate receives SE Controls award at winter ceremony

Loughborough University student Tom Davis is the latest recipient to be awarded the ‘SE Controls’ prize for best overall performance on the MSc course in low carbon building design and modelling.

The course, which is accredited by CIBSE and The Energy Institute, covers 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.

SE Controls originally created the prize as part of the company’s highly productive relationship with Loughborough’s School of Civil and Building Engineering. The School 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.

On presenting the award, Will Perkins of SE Controls commented “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”.

Prior to completing the MSc, 25-year-old Tom graduated Nottingham Trent University with a 2:1 in Building Surveying. Tom is currently employed as an Energy & Sustainability Consultant and aims to work towards CIBSE chartered status in a building services design consultancy.  

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.

SE Controls ventilation technologies improves safety and saves energy at HMP Oakwood

The £150 million HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire is using advanced smoke and natural ventilation solutions from SE Controls to not only improve safety in the event of a fire, but also save energy at the prison, which has achieved a BREEAM excellent rating.

Located on a 50 acre site adjacent to the existing Featherstone Prison near Wolverhampton, HMP Oakwood was designed by architects Pick Everard and comprises of 17 buildings including a healthcare unit, first night unit and training centre alongside three ‘star’ shaped secure accommodation blocks, each providing 480 places.

Designed and developed by WSP Group with additional specialised input from SE Controls, the combined smoke and natural ventilation system was tailored to meet the specific criteria and configurations of the individual buildings to ensure they not only complied with the relevant natural ventilation standards, but also met strict smoke ventilation performance specifications.

In addition, all of the components, systems and solutions provided by SE Controls were fully CE certified and complied with the relevant European standards including EN12101 and BS9999.

The complexity of the smoke and natural ventilation system varied depending on the size and nature of the seven individual buildings, ranging from a relatively straightforward installation within the healthcare block, to the complex multi-zoned solution used in the each of the main accommodation blocks, which would need to allow the safe evacuation of more than 500 people in the event of a fire.

Each four-storey accommodation block is designed with five ‘arms’ radiating from a centre access core, with four of the five providing accommodation and the last one dedicated to housing services to the building.

In natural ventilation mode, AOVs and roof actuators open to allow stale hot air to escape, with fresh air being drawn in through automatic glazed vents at the gable end of each prisoner wing, which operate as two separate zones serving the lower two and upper two floors. Air intake is also provided through additional glazed vents in the curtain wall screens on the centre core between the wings.

When smoke ventilation is required, the system provides both natural and mechanical smoke ventilation to ensure the smoke can be vented quickly and effectively to keep corridors and communal areas clear to aid evacuation. In the event of a fire, natural smoke ventilation is provided by the core’s glazed vents with the addition of ducted dampers, while mechanical smoke extraction is handled by high level louvres together with duty and standby fan sets located at the end of each accommodation wing.

To enable the natural and smoke ventilation systems to monitor the air quality and operate effectively, SE Controls supplied and installed a 32 zone BMS and fire alarm interface panel for each accommodation block together with all necessary actuators, vents and over-ride switches as well as smoke extract fan starter systems and pressure monitoring.

SE Controls’ Commercial Director, Martin Oates, explained: “We have undertaken a number of smoke and natural ventilation projects within the prison sector and they each have their own specific demands. The distinctive design of the accommodation blocks at HMP Oakwood not only provide a secure custodial solution, but also enabled us to create a highly effective natural ventilation systems that improves safety and evacuation in the event of a fire.”

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.