University of Huddersfield | CAB Building

Scope:

This building was commissioned to bring the arts and music departments, currently scattered across the university, into a single state-of-the-art facility.
The project was for complete design and build and had two key objectives: meeting the noise control criteria for each space and providing a comfortable working environment (based around a thermal model for the building).

The mechanical services installation involved extensive ventilation, with room and cross talk attenuation to suit the noise requirement. The majority of spaces were fitted with refrigerant-based VRF heat recovery units to provide both heating and cooling. The other spaces have cooling via a central ducted supply, with background heat via radiators from a condensing boiler plant. Domestic water is mains-fed, with local electric water heaters for DHWS. Rainwater recovery serves the WC’s and urinals throughout the facility.

The electrical services installation involved mains distribution lighting to CIBSE codes and mainly dado-mounted power. Data was provided throughout, routed to data hubs on each floor.

An NSWL2 analogue addressable fire alarm system, compliant to BS5839, was installed along with CCTV cameras linked to the campus central facility.
Certain renewable items were included in the project; to both generate a modicum of electricity, but mainly act as a learning tool for students. These included 32 photovoltaic panels and six wind turbines. The electricity renovation is relayed to a monitor in the building maintenance facility to show the students its effectiveness.