Prestige Johannesburg office development stays cool with SE Controls

A new prestige office development in Sandton, Johannesburg is using a combined smoke and natural ventilation system, involving automatic window vents in the building’s elliptical glazed central tower, which is actuated and controlled by an integrated solution from SE Controls Africa.

Located in the Sandton business area, which is regarded as one of South Africa’s prime commercial locations, the R208 million (£10.7 million) Capital Hill development combines seven floors of office space with residential apartments, as well as covered parking for almost 400 vehicles.

                                  

Designed by MWLF Architects, the building not only provides high quality business facilities and residential accommodation, but is also highly energy efficient and is constructed to achieve a ‘Four Green Star’ rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.

As part of this process, the building’s 12 storey elliptical central tower features a fully glazed external facade within an aluminium lattice structure, which incorporates an automatic window and vent opening system to provide natural ventilation and overnight cooling, as well as smoke ventilation in the event of a fire.

To achieve the necessary level of versatility and control required for the automated vent system, SE Controls supplied 49 SECO N 24 25 twin chain actuators with a 350mm stroke length together with 7 SHEVTEC® control panels and manual control points (MCP), which were networked using the company’s OSLink network cards. An external weather station was also installed to provide an information feed on ambient conditions into the system.

In normal operation, the windows open and close automatically, to provide cooling and a supply of fresh air, but in the event of a fire this is over-ridden and vents are opened to allow smoke to be vented, enabling escape routes to be kept smoke free.

Russell Cramb, General Manager with SE Controls Africa, explained: “Capital Hill is an iconic building and has already attracted a lot of attention for its eye-catching design, green credentials and the quality of facilities it provides. We have an immense amount of experience in combined natural and smoke ventilation solutions, which we used when working with the architect to create a solution that wouldn’t compromise the smooth architectural lines of the external glazed facade.”

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 gets switched on with Bristol’s Electricity House contract

A key contract to provide an advanced smoke ventilation system to Crest Nicholson Homes’ redevelopment of Bristol’s iconic Electricity House building, has been awarded to leading smoke and natural ventilation systems company, SE Controls.

Originally designed by acclaimed architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1930s, the six-storey Grade II listed building is being converted into 85 luxury city centre apartments, while ensuring that many of the original design features are reinstated to enhance its art deco style.

Electricity House’s main atrium is at the heart of the SE Controls solution, as the smoke ventilation system is designed to vent smoke from the atrium in the event of a fire to ensure escape routes are kept clear.

To achieve this, SE Controls is designing, installing and commissioning the system, which comprises 37 SHEVTEC® automatically controlled louvres that are manufactured and tested in accordance with BS EN 12101: 2. The SHEVTEC® louvres also incorporate ‘fall protection’ to increase safety, as well as using IP rated external motors, which are essential to allow easy access for future maintenance.

In addition, 21 low level air inlet louvres and linear door actuators also form part of the system, all of which are controlled by a series of OS2 control panels with integral battery back up and fully compliant with the relevant sections of the BS EN 12010 standard.

Martin Oates, SE Controls’ Commercial Director, commented: “Electricity House is a landmark building designed by a giant of British architecture, so we’re naturally delighted to be involved in the project and look forward to its completion, which is scheduled for later this year.”

He added: “Smoke control and fire safety is not only a core part of our business, but also an area we’re very actively involved with via organisations such as the Smoke Control Association, FIRAS and British Standards, to ensure that design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance standards are constantly being maintained. Although this is important for the industry, the real benefit is for residents who rely on our systems for failsafe performance, if a fire should occur.”

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 receives FIRAS accreditation

Leading smoke control systems manufacturer and installer, SE Controls, has become one of the UK’s first companies to be accredited under the FIRAS Fire Protection Certification Scheme, achieving a Gold Standard certification for both natural and mechanical smoke ventilation systems.

FIRAS is a voluntary installer certification scheme operated by Warrington Certification Ltd in conjunction with the Smoke Control Association and through the process of accreditation aims to raise standard across the industry while improving safety and compliance best practice.

As a FIRAS Registered Installer Company, SE Controls must abide by a range of clearly defined best practice principles and guidelines in all smoke control projects, whilst also ensuring that all relevant technical and supervisory staff are fully trained to meet the regular FIRAS inspection standards.

SE Controls’ Group Managing Director, Will Perkins believes the FIRAS scheme is essential to raising quality and fire safety standards across the industry and urges other businesses to do the same.

He explained: “Smoke control systems are life safety critical, and requires that they must be designed, manufactured, installed and maintained to the highest standards. By being FIRAS accredited, this confirms that we are committed to maintaining these high standards throughout our business while also signalling to the industry that by using SE Controls, there is a range of quality safeguards in place that may not be present in non-accredited companies. I hope more businesses follow suit and go through the FIRAS assessment process.”

Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling  +44 (0) 1543 443060.

‘Green’ natural ventilation from SE Controls at new King’s Cross Central development

The London Borough of Camden’s new multi-storey office and leisure complex within the 67 acre King’s Cross Central development, is using a highly energy efficient natural ventilation system from SE Controls to maintain a comfortable indoor environment while contributing to the building’s BREEAM outstanding rating.

Working with contractors, Kier Construction, as executive architects, Weedon developed the original design prepared by Bennett Associates for Camden Council’s new administrative HQ and customer services contact centre. Located at Five Pancras Square, the the 14-storey building not only provides 150,000 sq.ft of floor space but also incorporates a leisure centre, swimming pool, public library and café.

By using a combination of active and passive design features to obtain very low carbon emissions, such as low glazing ratios and energy efficient ventilation, the building achieves the highest standards of environmental sustainability for a major office building and is on course to reach the highest ever BREEAM score.

To maintain precise energy efficient control over the building’s indoor air quality and maintain a comfortable working environment, SE Controls supplied, installed and commissioned a natural ventilation system that fully automates and controls the opening of windows on the North and South elevations, as well as the main atrium space.

A total of 204 SCCO 24 30 concealed tandem and single chain actuators are installed on Schüco AWS 102 SK glazed projected top hung vents, which are controlled by 68 NVLogiQ 6Amp power supply units (PSUs) and actuated by the building’s central BMS, which also triggers window opening and closing for night purging.

Within the North atrium, SE Controls also installed 12 SECO N 24 40 twin chain actuators and a 30 Amp PSU panel, incorporating a maintenance key-switch and linked to the BMS, to provide additional control over ventilation, indoor air quality and building energy efficiency.

SE Controls’ Commercial Director, Martin Oates, explained: “With the continued move towards greater energy efficiency and sustainable building design, highly efficient natural ventilation systems, such as that incorporated within Five Pancras Square are delivering significant performance and running cost benefits to building owners, architect and occupants:

He added: “In addition, the level of flexibility and precise environmental control they provide via advanced sensors and actuation systems enables indoor air quality parameters, such as carbon dioxide and temperature levels to be managed highly efficiently, allowing a comfortable and stimulating environment for staff and visitors to be maintained.”

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.

Natural ventilation from SE Controls for award winning Hong Kong Science Park

Phases 3a and 3b of the extensive Hong Kong Science Park development, which won the Grand Award at the international ‘Green Building Awards’ in November 2014, are using more than 2000 window actuators from SE Controls to manage indoor air quality and provide natural ventilation to both of the new buildings.

Designed by architects, Simon Kwan & Associates and constructed by main contractor, Gammon Construction, the new buildings were conceived to be carbon neutral over their lifetime. To meet this goal a range of sustainable technologies and innovative energy saving solutions are incorporated, including a low energy hybrid natural ventilation system, where air conditioning is provided on a ‘pay for use’ basis to help reduce energy consumption.

As the 8 storey buildings use extensive glazed facades, they are orientate north-south to minimise solar gain and windows are automated using 1000 SE Controls SECO N 24 40 compact single chain actuators on each building, which are linked to the BMS and control the single sided, double opening natural ventilation system.

By using double opening window units with a high and low apertures incorporated in the design, warm air is vented through the top and cooler fresh air enters through the lower vent, which provides adequate ventilation to a room depth of 2.5 times the height of the window opening.

Manual opening of the windows is also incorporated into every floor, so that individual units can be opened or closed by the buildings’ occupants, when external weather conditions permit, to provide good indoor air quality and thermal comfort.

Frank Leung, Project Manager with SE Controls’ Asia Pacific operation in Hong Kong, explained: “Natural ventilation provides a highly energy efficient method of reducing costs and environmental impact. The innovative and holistic approach to sustainability that has been taken with the new Hong Kong Science Park buildings has shown what can be achieved with innovative systems and an integrated approach to energy management and carbon reductions and we’re delighted to have contributed to its award winning status.”

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.