that have a big impact.
We look at how a building gains heat in summer, or loses it in winter; how it requires natural or artificial light; as well as issues like temperature control, moisture and air movement.Although some of the focus on this topic was lost in the last recession, the industry’s renewed commitment to sustainability in design is intensifying.
This is in large part due to the climate emergency and our need to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.However, it’s also due to our simple desire to create the best buildings we can; those which promote health and well-being for occupants, and are comfortable, durable and safe to use.. WELL building standards and passive design.As in so many other areas of our lives, COVID-19 has created new challenges within the architecture and design space, with clients now regularly requesting COVID-secure design.
The idea of designing for COVID is very compatible with sustainable design’s broader focus on health and wellbeing, and ties in nicely with the WELL Building Standard.This American rating system, launched in 2013 and now in the UK, challenges the built environment from a wellness perspective, while the UK’s earlier environmental assessment method, BREEAM, also places some attention on things like thermal comfort and air volumes.
In the case of designing for COVID, the most obvious starting point is to look at the airflow of a building — how it might move through an office floor plate, for example.
Here, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) offers us a way to address the challenge using a process based on mathematical modelling..We may witness the emergence of two distinct data centre topologies: the energy-efficient approach versus the high-density model, or perhaps a hybrid combination of both.
These design choices will significantly impact heat rejection systems and other critical aspects, such as IT infrastructure development..While the industry strives to reduce PUE in data centres, sustainability efforts should also focus on minimising process water consumption during adiabatic cooling.
Cooling towers, which consume substantial amounts of water year-round, may eventually be phased out or replaced with hybrid systems that prioritise dry cooling methods or utilise HDAC units.. By embracing these trends, data centres can enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and pave the way for a more sustainable future in the ever-evolving landscape of IT infrastructure.. References.ASHRAE TC 9.9 white paper 2011 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments.