Laboratory testing and careful design has reduced the risk and given future flexibility on a refurbishment.

Tenants at Colmore Court, Birmingham are looking forward to a flexible future thanks to an installation by Trox (UK). The ten-storey office block in the upmarket area of Snow Hill was refurbished by owner insurance company Friends Provident, which has plans to let the building.

The owner wanted a flexible air conditioning system designed so the configuration of offices could be changed easily to accommodate the differing needs of future tenants. In a £100 000 contract Trox supplied 274 horizontal Phantom water-side chassis-type fan coil units, 274 VSD slot diffuser faces plus 400 plenum boxes and 250 ADT louvre-face diffuser faces plus 155 plenum boxes. These have been fitted throughout the building in offices, toilets, foyers, reception areas and meeting rooms.

Remi Suzan of m&e design and build contractor Gratte Brothers said: "Trox ran a series of tests including airflow, temperature and noise, and proved the commissioning of the standard module." By conducting these tests in laboratory conditions, Trox could guarantee the thermal, aerodynamic and acoustic performance. After the design was mocked up and signed off, 80% of the project risk was gone, reports Suzan.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor