We are specialist designers and manufacturers of unique natural ventilation products for commercial and industrial applications.
As Consultants we have the ‘in house’ resources a to take an idea, a sketch or a ridiculous concept and develop the simple idea through a series of stages from inception to finished tested and certified products.
Over the next few weeks, we will explain in more detail our full design and development process, so you can see how we would work with you to design and develop a bespoke ventilation solution to meet your requirements. This week we are focusing on Ideas:
If you look around our day-to-day environment every building and structure is different, some old, some new but all based on some common parameters. The same is true of natural ventilation products and systems, different designs, shapes and colours but all intrinsically designed to allow the building to breath properly under changes in our natural environment.
An idea is normally defined and initiated by the architect who wishes to design a bespoke iconic building to complement their company’s ethos and ideals. On the other hand, the consultants and contractors need to achieve a natural ventilation solution that works in the building and its surroundings but importantly meets the architects design philosophy.
Approach
At Vision we approach the design intent from two directions, the architectural aesthetics and the consultants air flow requirements to ensure both achieve their specific requirements. We do not offer a “one product fits all” philosophy, each idea is bespoke to the project; from the outset we provide a range of ideas for you to review from standard simple products through the complete spectrum to the very bespoke unique architectural features and designs. Once an idea is chosen, we then refine the design to produce a natural or hybrid ventilation strategy that meets all aesthetic and air flow wishes and most importantly delivering a complete concept within the budget constraints of the project.
Case Study
DLR Lexicon is a building in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, housing the main public library and cultural centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.
Vision was approached by the County Council Architects to assist in some conceptual ideas on how to naturally ventilate the main Library open interior without the need for any mechanical assisted fans. The first phase was to come up with a series of conceptual architectural designs, this is always the best approach as anything positioned on the building is a feature that is viewed by the public for many years to come and must sit comfortably in its location.
Long before the construction phase we designed a series of ideas from simple square windcatchers at roof level through very large rotating wind cowls. The simple square boxes were rejected as being too simple with no real presence due to the height of the building. The other end of the scale was a series of bespoke wind cowls, but this was rejected due to the weight limits on the suspended roof.
After some calculations we realised that to deliver the required air change rate and to maintain CO2 and temperature levels we needed to have ten units positioned across the roof of the library below. This eliminated rotating wind cowl idea as the wings that rotates the cowl would clash with the adjacent units.
Fixed turrets became the only viable solution, and it was the architect that provided the final shape of the wind towers. The next problem is how do you get fresh air in and exhaust air out through the turret without compromising air flow or mixing the air causing the system to stall and no air moves in any direction.
After some head scratching we decided that there needed to be two separate air paths one in one out and so we designed a central rotating pole with semi-circular air scoops stacked on top of each other. One faced in one direction the other in the opposite. The two scoops rotate depending on the wind direction so that one is always harnessing the prevailing wind driving fresh air into the building, the opposite always faces away from the wind allowing the warm air to escape uninterrupted further assisted by the wind passing around the turret that creates a negative draw sucking contaminate air out of the library.
To demonstrate the principle, we created some 3D images of the units that once approved was manufactured and installed all within a 3 month period.
The completed installation:
