Every building must utilise building services in order to meet the wants and needs of its inhabitants – whether that’s your home, office or shopping centre. Below we answer the question, just what is building service engineering and why it’s crucial to employ a building services specialist.
What are building services?
‘Building services’ is the catchall phrase for the systems which allow us to create healthy, comfortable and safe environments within a structure. They are the life blood of a building, encapsulating:
Safety:
- Daylight or artificial lighting
- Escalators and lifts
- Security, CCTV and alarms
- Fire detection and prevention
Comfort:
- Heating
- Air conditioning
- Ventilation
- Water, drainage and plumbing
Efficiency:
- Smart systems which reduce carbon footprint
- Communication networks
- Façade engineering
What is building services engineering?
Building services engineering ensures that these systems are designed, installed and perform as intended.
A building services engineer designs the system from scratch, to suit the function of the building and its users. Then they’ll advise on how best to implement the designed system and define how performance will be measured.
In recent decades there have been a multitude of changes to the way we build, insulate and ventilate buildings. New build homes, for example, are designed to be more airtight and insulated than ever before to reduce energy consumption and waste. Your engineer will know the British standards, guidelines and rules that must be adhered to, saving you the stress of understanding them yourself.
Building services engineering is a highly specialised field requiring the study of both theoretical and practical application. And it often takes a decade of experience for engineers to be considered fully independent, progressing from a junior, to a project engineer, and finally to a senior engineer.
At GLD, our team of engineers have different backgrounds and are at different stages of their development. This offers a diverse spectrum of viewpoints and intelligent ideas on any one project, which is a huge advantage compared with other teams.
Building services engineering: design vs functionality
Striking the balance between design and functionality is a core principle of building services engineering.
Building services engineers make sure you’re operating systems that are safe, efficient, practical and within your budget, all whilst creating an environment people actually want to be in.
A great example of this is a spa facility: the ambience of the warm and slightly humid air and pool water temperatures must be balanced against the ventilation. The energy efficiencies of water features, steam rooms and saunas is balanced against the aesthetics and consumer expectations. The lighting used must be safe but not harsh enough to take away from a relaxing atmosphere. In today’s climate, a spa could be a cost-of-energy nightmare and so overall efficiency of the systems working alongside each other would be optimised to reduce the environmental and financial impact.
Supporting the building services process
Building services engineers come in handy during the implementation stage as well as the design. Arguably one of the biggest challenges within a construction environment is organisation both within and across teams.
Whether it’s a single building or a whole housing estate, communication is key for building services to be installed quickly, efficiently and to brief.
At GLD Technical Consulting, we’re highly experienced in the practical application of building services, liaising with essential site personnel to provide a seamless service. Our engineers work to prescriptive work stages and are instrumental in the implementation of the designed systems, coordinating architects, structural engineers, consultants, and tradespeople.
Talk to us about your next building services project on 0161 641 7097 or use our online contact form.
