The risk of overheating in buildings is growing significantly as temperatures rise, but a new survey by CIBSE Journal and Zehnder Group UK shows that mitigating the risk is not always a priority in design even though respondents say it’s a hot issue. David Blackman reports
Category: Technical
Low carbon, high safety: fire engineering and embodied carbon
The embodied carbon impact of fire safety measures is relatively unknown. Arup’s Grete Wilson and Dr Emma McIntyre have created a roadmap to establish how engineers can create low carbon designs without compromising fire safety
Exploring the non-visual effects of lighting
The 2023 Jean Heap Bursary has helped fund an advanced eye-tracking headset, which is allowing lighting designer and researcher Simone Bonavia to assess how lighting affects people’s non-visual functions
Safe and practical applications: natural refrigerants
The higher flammability of low-GWP refrigerants in heat pumps and air conditioning systems has to be carefully considered by designers and installers. Alex Smith reports
The urban emergency: addressing environmental quality
Designers must take a holistic approach to the urban environment, say members of the UK Urban Environmental Quality working group, who explain how elements such as wind, water and the urban form can be addressed to optimise air quality and thermal comfort
The good, bad and illegal: rules and guidelines for IAQ
How can you tell whether the indoor air quality of buildings is safe for occupants? DustScanAQ’s Oliver Puddle gives a summary of current regulations and guidelines for monitoring air pollutants
Building on performance: CIBSE awards analysis
The quality of data in entries to the CIBSE Building Performance Awards is improving, says Julie Godefroy, who reveals new categories for the 2025 accolades, which are now open for submissions
Sustainable cooling in a warming world
As carbon emissions from cooling spiral upwards, Professor Graeme Maidment reveals the latest research underpinning government strategy on air conditioning and refrigeration
High fives for Highline 235: CIBSE award-winning fan coil unit
The Diffusion Highline 235 modular fan coil range won CIBSE’s Product or Innovation of the Year – Thermal Comfort award because of the emphasis on minimising embodied carbon, as well as optimising performance
The bigger picture: non-domestic heat pump retrofits
Retrofitting heat pumps in non-domestic buildings will be key if the UK is to meet its net zero targets. To help building owners assess the best solutions, a UK-led International Energy Agency project is developing a tool based on potential cost and carbon savings. Roger Hitchin reports