Government guidance on FCU design for Cat A fit out
The effectiveness of the design of fan coil units (FCUs) can play a significant part in improving the sustainability of buildings both through reducing embodied and operational carbon. Sustainability of public buildings, as is increasingly the case in the private sector, is high on the government agenda. A ‘State of the Estate report’ is produced each year that looks at the large estate of office buildings managed by the Office of Government Property (OGP) where one of the key areas of focus is sustainability. The latest report covers 2017 and shows that the size of the government estate is nearly 7.9 million square metres. An ongoing initiative is the Government Hubs programme where civil service and public bodies are being relocated out of London to ‘play an important role in spreading economic growth, wealth and opportunity across the UK’. The new buildings constructed to house the Hubs are subject to standards to ensure that sustainability is maximised.
Guidance on the specification of FCUs is included in a document called the ‘GPU Hub Specification’. When referencing air conditioning it states that FCUs should have DC motors with multiple fan decks so that individual spigots from the unit can provide independent variable volume supply to multiple control zones. These are commonly referred to as adaptable FCUs.
Why are adaptable Cat A FCUs favoured in government guidance to help advance sustainability?
Adaptable Cat A FCUs are favoured in government guidance as they help to minimise the construction waste that can occur when the Cat A fit out on a newly constructed building is subject to a Cat B fit out. The Cat A fit out offers basic functional requirements and these include items such as raised access flooring, finished perimeter wall coverings, suspended ceilings and toilets. From a Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) perspective, air conditioning is provided at the Cat A stage in the form of FCUs.
Once the property space is rented out, the Cat B fit out tailors the space to meet the business needs of the tenants. It is common that the original positions of the FCUs from the Cat A fit out will not be best placed to provide efficient and effective air conditioning for the more complex airflow picture created after completion of the Cat B fit out. A reassessment of the M&E design is needed and can require additional FCUs to be added and existing FCUs to be removed. This creates waste and adds to the embodied carbon of the building to the detriment of the building’s sustainability performance.
FCU designs that use adaptable fan coils are better able to cope with the changing demands of Cat B fit outs and can therefore help to reduce waste, save time and money, and improve the long-term sustainability of the building. All benefits that appeal to the government looking to maximise the value and performance of the public estate.
Where can I find information on adaptable Cat A FCUs that can deliver benefits for my project?
We have a comprehensive Ability white paper ‘Reducing waste in development fit outs through effective fan coil solution design’ available for download. It contains a wealth of information to guide you through the process of selecting fan coils and explains why adaptable Cat A FCUs bring many benefits to a project.
If you have any questions about the white paper or would like to chat through the adaptable fan coil options available, please contact our experienced team who will be happy to help.
