Ionut Hapaianu

External CFD analysis plays a crucial role in data centre design by assessing the risk of hot air being entrained by cooling equipment.

reducing the embodied carbon emissions associated with new builds.reduced operational carbon emissions.

reduced energy bills for occupants, and.the economic benefits of keeping the construction industry active.. Retrofitting also has notable health and wellbeing benefits derived from better thermal and acoustic comfort and air quality (including the reduction of dampness and risk of fungi / mould).Cutting energy bills is beneficial in addressing fuel poverty, especially in the context of a global energy crisis, where electricity is more expensive than gas.

Lastly, improving the efficiency.of existing buildings with adaptive reuse will attenuate the peak demand on the national grid, which is under growing pressure due to the electrification of buildings and transportation..

The downside of retrofitting and reusing buildings is that renovated buildings are, in most cases, still not as energy efficient as new buildings.

Depending on the extent of the upgrades in the reused buildings, air quality, thermal insulation and visual experience may not be as good, are not always suitable and may not be flexible enough to accommodate different uses..The project is also delivered as an open source, web app and as she says, ‘enables architects, teachers and pupils alike to quickly and easily configure early stage design proposals...’.

Digital school models feature ‘clusters’ of rooms, which adhere to Department for Education area/adjacency requirements.The goal is to achieve compliant school design from the outset, whilst simultaneously maintaining flexibility and creativity.. An openness and willingness to share ideas is important to Cresser-Brown, who recognises the unique position the industry currently finds itself in resulting from new digital and manufacturing opportunities.

She expresses a desire to help create a better built environment and enthuses about the fact that both of these existing projects are being released on an open source basis.‘Sharing current thinking and best practices freely,’ she says, ‘is the best way that we can shape the industry as a whole.’.