In our experience, the ceiling type is dictated by the services; a ceiling can provide a plenum for air distribution at very low air velocity to the room, which is good for labs with a high air change rate, but it can also limit the space for service crossovers and distribution.. One final note is that the colour scheme of a lab can have a big effect on the users, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also for safety reasons.
This open approach to design takes time, care and, ultimately, collaboration from our clients to help drive it forward.With rising construction costs and an increased focus on decarbonising our built environment, it’s essential that we do not lose focus on improving the social value and impact of what we create..
The pressure on development to design and construct at increasing speed must be balanced against the critical analysis of the design brief and problem statement, and engagement with stakeholders that is so essential to improving the quality of our surroundings.The increasing use of social and environmental metrics in client briefs and a construction industry starting to recognise the importance of this broader social value gives hope, as we strive to improve the quality and meaning of the built environment.. Sources:.https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/resources-landing-page/social-value-toolkit-for-architecture.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-value-act-information-and-resources/social-value-act-information-and-resources.Samuel, Flora, Why Architects Matter: Evidencing and Communicating the Value of Architects, first edition (London: Routledge, 2018), pp.
115-116.. Serin, Bilge, Tom Kenny, James White, and Flora Samuel, Design Value at the Neighbourhood Scale, first edition (Glasgow: UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), 2018), p. 8 [Accessed 7 January 2022].
Samuel, Flora, Social Value Toolkit for Architecture, first edition (London: Royal Institute of British Architects, 2020), p. 6 [Accessed 7 January 2022].This framework proposes Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV) as a metric for assessing the scale of MMC adoption on a project.
PMV is calculated as the percentage of cost that is derived before any site works and strongly encourages maximising the proportion of off-site works.. As a result, many parts of the construction industry are focusing more and more on off-site prefabrication in pursuit of benefits including lower cost, reduced delivery timescales, higher quality, improved health and safety, less waste and more productive site labour..But is off-site always the best way to achieve these benefits?
Construction sites have been around since the dawn of civilisation.Do we really want to walk away from all that learning, and start moving as much of the construction process as possible into distant sheds?.
(Editor: Durable Diffusers)