Building Services Design and Management

This assignment explores the multifaceted world of building services design and management. It delves into various aspects, such as electrical installations, fire protection systems, plumbing, and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). The importance of standards in building services is highlighted, alongside the role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in managing information throughout the building lifecycle. The assignment emphasizes the crucial role of intelligent building management systems (BMS) in achieving sustainability and energy efficiency.

Building Services 1
BUILDING SERVICES: CHURCH HALL CASE STUDY
Name
Course
Professor
University
City/state
Date

Building Services 2
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................3
2. Proposed building services................................................................................................................3
2.1. Mechanical services.....................................................................................................................3
2.2. Electrical services........................................................................................................................3
2.3. Lighting services..........................................................................................................................4
2.4. Water, plumbing and drainage services.......................................................................................4
2.5. Fire detection and protection services.........................................................................................5
2.6. Communication services..............................................................................................................6
2.7. Security services..........................................................................................................................6
2.8. Lightning protection services.......................................................................................................7
2.9. Façade services...........................................................................................................................7
2.10. Building management services.................................................................................................7
3. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................................10

Building Services 3
1. Introduction
Building services are different types of engineering systems, equipment and products that are
designed and installed in buildings so as to make them functional, efficient, safe, environmental
friendly and comfortable for occupants (Portman, 2014). These systems play a major role in
controlling internal environment of the building. The increased awareness of global climate
change and fluctuating comfort needs of occupants have made integration of building services in
modern buildings to be of great important. As a result of this, it is very important to ensure that
suitable building services are identified at very early stages of the project so as to incorporate
them in the design process of the building and prevent clashes with other components of the
building (Chadderton, 2012). The building services should also be designed, installed and used
by following the building standards, codes, regulations, procedures and practices (Hall &
Greeno, 2015).
2. Proposed building services
Some of the proposed building services for the Church Hall project are as follows:
2.1. Mechanical services
Mechanical services comprise of systems that are designed and installed in buildings so as to
provide optimal thermal comfort and maintain the desired internal temperature and air quality.
The proposed mechanical services for the building is heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) system. This is the system that will maintain safety and comfort of building occupants
by facilitating flow of fresh air throughout the building. The system maintains high air quality in
the building by controlling indoor temperature and oxygen replenishment, and removing
moisture, smoke, odors, dust, carbon dioxide, heat, airborne bacteria, etc. Heating and cooling
system that can be used include: chiller, heat pump or furnace or boiler. Ventilation can be
provided by a combination of natural ventilation and forced or mechanical ventilation systems
(fans, bathroom and kitchen exhausts, etc.). Air handling units (AHUs), such as standalone air
conditioners, can be used to provide the required air conditioning for the building. In case of a
chiller, an efficient refrigerant should be used to produce chilled water for supply to AHUs. All
these mechanical services should be designed and installed in compliance with the relevant
Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and council
conditions. The main standards that will be used for design, installation and operation of
mechanical services are AS/NZS 1668 set – The use of ventilation and air conditioning in
buildings.
2.2. Electrical services
These services include energy supply and energy distribution systems. The building requires
energy for several uses and therefore it must be adequately supplied with it. The building will be
supplied with electricity, gas (compressed natural gas or liquid petroleum gas) and solar energy.
Electricity will be obtained from the national grid and distributed to all rooms for various uses
such as lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, etc. The gas will be obtained from a designated
storage tank and piped to the kitchen and other rooms for cooking, air conditioning, cleaning and
water heating. The gas supply system should also be equipped with an automatic control system,
gas pressure meter, warning system and communication system. Solar panels will be installed on
the roof of the building or parking to generate solar energy. The building is located in an area
with high potential of solar energy and this should be capitalized. It is also recommended to
consider use of wind energy and geothermal heat pump. Any surplus energy can be kept in an

Building Services 4
energy storage for later use or sold to the national grid. The general electrical services can be
similar to the schematic diagram in Figure 1 below. The electrical services will comprise of all
equipment, fixtures and connections used in the supply and distribution of power into the
building. This includes power distribution boards, electricity meters, cables, sockets, switches,
etc. All these electrical services should be designed and installed in compliance with the relevant
Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and council
conditions. Some of the standards to be used for electrical services include: AS/AZS 3000:2007
– Electrical installations; AS/AZS 3012:2010 – Electrical installations, AS/NZS 3017:2007 –
Electrical installations; AS/NZS 3760:2010 – In-service safety inspection and testing of
electrical equipment; AS/NZS 4836:2011 – Safe working on low-voltage electrical installations
and equipment; Electrical Safety Act 2002; and Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of electrical services (ClimateTechWiki, 2010)
2.3. Lighting services
These include both artificial and natural lighting systems. The building will capitalize on
daylighting by use of windows, light shelves or skylights to save energy. Artificial lighting
system will comprise of indoor and outdoor light fixtures (LED bulbs and lamps), switches, etc.
Since the artificial lighting systems consume energy, they will be integrated with electrical
services. Emergency lighting will also be included. All the lighting services should be designed
and installed in compliance with the relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code
of Australia (NCC) standards and council conditions. Specific standards that will be used for
lighting services include: AS/NZS 1680 Set – Interior lighting and workplace lighting; and
AS/NZS 2293.1 – Emergency evacuation lighting for buildings (Part 1, 2 and 3).
2.4. Water, plumbing and drainage services
These are systems that are associated with the supply and distribution of water to the building
and removal of wastewater to the treatment or municipal wastewater systems. In other words,

Building Services 5
they are the water and drainage systems of the building. The proposed plumbing services for the
building include: water storage tank, cold water system, hot water system, sanitary drainage
system, rainwater system, showers, sinks and toilets. Figure 2 below shows a typical layout of
water, plumbing and drainage services in a building. All the water, plumbing and drainage
systems should be designed and installed in compliance with the relevant Australian Standards,
National Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and council conditions. Plumbing
Code of Australia (PCA) standards (especially AS/NZS 3500 set, including AS/NZS
3500.1:2003 – Plumbing and drainage, AS/NZS 3500.4:2015 – Plumbing and Drainage and
AS/NZS 3500.5:2000 – Planning and Drainage) are the main standard that will be used for
water, plumbing and drainage services.
Figure 2: Typical layout of water, plumbing and drainage services (The Constructor, 2017)
2.5. Fire detection and protection services
These are systems that are designed to protect the building against fire. The fire protection
services will comprise of the following: smoke detection, heat detection, fire control room, fire
hose reels, fire extinguishers; hydrants, mimic panels, evacuation signage and signals, break
glass station, automatic fire sprinklers, fire brigade booster points, first air fire protection, fire
alarm system, etc. The fire protection services shall comprise of both passive and active systems,
as shown in Figure 3 below. Each of these components shall be designed and installed in
compliance with the relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia
(NCC) standards and council conditions. Some of the standards that will be used during design,
construction and use of fire detection and protecting services are: AS 1851 – Service and
maintenance of fire protection equipment; AS 1670 – Automatic fire detection systems and
alarm systems; AS 2293 – Emergency escape lighting and exit signs; AS/NZS 1841 – Portable
fire extinguishers; AS 4655 – Fire safety audits; AS 3745 – Planning for fire emergencies in
buildings; AS 2188 – Automatic fire sprinkler system; AS 2941 – Installation of fixed fire
protection; and AS 2419.1-2005: Fire hydrant installations.

Building Services 6
Figure 3: Schematic diagram of fire protection services (Life Safety Services, 2016)
2.6. Communication services
These are mainly information, communication and technology (ICT) networks that comprise
of telephones, communication lines, and information technology networks. The proposed
systems for the building comprise of data and voice systems. They include telephone lines,
wireless phones, sound systems, paging systems, analog and digital video systems, internet
cables, computer networks in function and meeting rooms, antenna systems, information
systems, etc. The main categories of communication systems suitable for the building are: audio
systems (intercom, radio, music, speakers, microphones, amplifiers, etc.), video systems (such as
projector), telephone systems, data systems (local area network, modem, router or wide area
network), signals and multimedia systems (such as video-conferencing systems). The building
shall also have any special communication systems that may be necessary to facilitate activities
taking place in the function and meeting rooms. The communication services will also be
interconnected with the security and fire protection systems. All the communication services
should be designed and installed in compliance with the relevant Australian Standards, National
Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and council conditions.
2.7. Security services
These are building protection systems that are meant to enhance security and safety of the
building and its occupants by monitoring and controlling activities inside and around the
building, and notify occupants and/or other relevant persons in case of a security breach
(National Research Council, 2007). The security services proposed for this building include:
perimeter security (a fence, wall, bollard, etc.), access control systems (such as keys, passcodes,
access badges, key fobs, etc.), closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system, surveillance cameras, sensors
and intruder/burglar alarm. All the security systems should be designed and installed in
compliance with the relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia
(NCC) standards and council conditions. Some of the standards to be used in design of security
services include: AS 4806:2008 – CCTV suite (CCTV management, application guidelines, PAL
signal settings, and remote video); AS/NZS 2201: 2008 suite – Intruder alarm systems (client’s

Building Services 7
premises, monitoring centres, detection devices and alarm transmission systems); AS/NZS
3016:2002 – Electrical installations; and AS 1725:2003 – Electricity gates and fencing.
2.8. Lightning protection services
The building should also be protected against lightning strokes. The lightning protection
system comprises of the capture device (air terminals or rods), down-conductors (conductor
cables), earth leads (ground rods) and connections between earth leads and metallic frames, as
shown in Figure 4 below. Lightning rod is the proposed type of lighting protection for this
building. The lightning protection services should be designed and installed in compliance with
the relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and
council conditions. The standards that will be used for design, installation and operation of
lightning protection services are AS/NZS 1768: 2007 – Lightning protection.
Figure 4: Schematic diagram of lighting protection system (Electrical Installation, 2016)
2.9. Façade services
This is another very important building service even though it is usually overlooked.
Functions of façade systems include: acoustic and thermal insulation, weather tightness (such as
air permeability control, removal of water ingress, wind actions resistance), solar gain control,
ultraviolet radiation control, aesthetics, etc. Proposed façade systems for the building are brick
slip system, insulated wall panels, aluminium composite panel, precast concrete panels or
insulated render. The façade services should be designed and installed in compliance with the
relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code of Australia (NCC) standards and
council conditions. The main standards to be used for the design and installation of façade
services are AS/NZS 4284:2008 – Testing of building facades; AS/NZS 1530 set – Fire testing
of building materials; and AS 5113 – Fire propagation testing and classification of external walls
of buildings.
2.10. Building management services
These are integrated, computer-based systems (software) that are used for monitoring,
control and management of various conditions and systems installed in the building. They play a

Building Services 8
major role in minimizing resource wastage, improving comfort and safety of building occupants
and protecting the environment (Beucker, et al., 2016); (Mirpadiab & Bagheri, 2016) (Pukite &
Geipele, 2017). The building management system should integrate mechanical, electrical,
lighting and ventilation systems, security systems, communication systems and fire systems,
among others, as shown in Figure 5 below. To facilitate operation and efficiency of control
systems, building control services should be integrated with the building information modelling
(BIM) (Gerrish, et al., 2016). The building control systems will generally monitor and control
factors such as temperature, humidity, airflow, toxic gases, occupancy presence, lighting
intensity, operating hours, etc. This will help in ensuring that various systems, appliances and
fixtures are only switched on when necessary thus reducing energy and water consumption in the
building (Dounis & Caraiscos, 2009) (Rezeka, et al., 2015).
Figure 5: Schematic diagram of a building management system (Regel Systems Co., Ltd, (n.d.))
Integrating all the above building services will have numerous benefits throughout the
building’s lifecycle. Some of these benefits include: increased energy savings, increased water
savings, increased safety, improved comfort, increased productivity of occupants, increased
safety, reduced carbon emissions; increased durability of appliances, ease of maintenance,
reduced operating and maintenance costs, and increased environmental conservation. Therefore
these building services will benefit the owners of the building, its users, surrounding community
and the ecosystem as a whole.
Every country or region has its own building and construction standards, codes and
regulations. These are principally guidelines that have been set by concerned government
authorities to guide people on what to build, where to build and how to build. This is done so as

Building Services 9
to protect the people, their activities and the ecosystem in an area because buildings, however
small or big, have different impacts to surrounding people and the ecosystem. These standards
and regulations have been set so as to suit the needs of the community and economy (Standards
Australia, 2017). It therefore means that any building service or plan that does not meet the
minimum building standards will not be approved by the concerned authorities and hence it
cannot be constructed. Failure to comply with the relevant standards is an offense and
punishable. For this reason, it is very important to follow these regulations when designing
building services.
During design stage, relevant standards and regulations will be identified first before
starting to design any building service. The design team will scrutinize the standards and
regulations so as to understand the specification requirements for each building service. Every
component and subsystem of each building service will then be designed by following the
procedures outlined in the relevant standards. At the end of the design stage, all components,
subsystems and integrated systems of various building services designed will be subjected to
relevant checks for testing, evaluation and validation. Findings from the testing, evaluation and
validation processes will also be used to optimize the services so as to have the best solutions.
The same standards compliance principle used in design stage shall be applied during
construction stage. This means that construction of building services will be done in strict
compliance with the relevant standards. The design team will include specific construction
practices to be used in the contract documents and it will be the responsibility of the contractor to
build the systems following these methods. To ensure strict compliance, the quality of
workmanship and final products shall also be tested, evaluated and validated one every
component has been built.
3. Conclusion
A building can only be functional and efficient if it has the right building services. The
building services are what makes the indoor environment comfortable and safe for the occupants.
This helps in improving the functionality and usability of the building. The recommended
building services for the Church Hall are: mechanical services, electrical services, lighting
services, water, plumbing and drainage services, fire detection and protection services,
communication services, security services, lightning protection services, façade services and
building management services. All these building services should be designed and constructed
with strict compliance to the relevant Australian Standards, National Construction Code of
Australia (NCC) standards and council conditions. They must also be designed and constructed
to meet the technical and functional requirements of the building and should be resource efficient
so as to reduce operating costs and promote environmental conservation. Designing and
constructing these building services by following the relevant Australian Standards will be very
useful in improving the building’s constructability, functionality, safety, sustainability,
maintainability, serviceability and affordability.
References

Building Services 10
Beucker, S., Bergesen, J. & Gibon, T., 2016. Building energy management systems: global
potentials and environmental implications of deployment. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 20(2),
pp. 223-233.
Chadderton, D., 2012. Building Services Engineering. 6th ed. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
ClimateTechWiki, 2010. Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS). [Online]
Available at: http://www.climatetechwiki.org/technology/jiqweb-bems
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
Dounis, A. & Caraiscos, C., 2009. Advanced control systems engineering for energy and comfort
management in a building environment - a review. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews,
Volume 13, pp. 1246-1261.
Electrical Installation, 2016. Building protection system. [Online]
Available at: http://www.electrical-installation.org/enwiki/Building_protection_system
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
Gerrish, T., Cook, M. & Ruikar, K., 2016. BIM for the management of building services
information during building design and use. Journal of Science and Technology for the Built
Environment, 22(3), pp. 249-252.
Hall, F. & Greeno, R., 2015. Building Services Handbook. 8th ed. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Life Safety Services, 2016. Difference between passive and active fire protection. [Online]
Available at: http://news.lifesafetyservices.com/blog/difference-between-passive-and-active-fire-
protection
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
Mirpadiab, S. & Bagheri, S., 2016. Identifying intelligent building management systems (BMS)
in sustainable housing. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 8(3S), pp. 1175-1190.
National Research Council, 2007. Protecting Building Occupants and Operations from
Biological and Chemical Airborne Threats: A Framework for Decision Making. Washington,
DC: The National Academies Press.
Portman, J., 2014. Building Services Design Management. 1st ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-
Blackwell.
Pukite, I. & Geipele, I., 2017. Different Approaches to Building Management and Maintenance
Meaning Explanation. Procedia Engineering, Volume 172, pp. 905-912.
Regel Systems Co., Ltd, (n.d.). Building Automation Systems - BAS. [Online]
Available at: http://www.regelgroup.com/main/building-automation-systems-bas/
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
Rezeka, S., Attia, A. & Saleh, A., 2015. Management of ir-conditioning systems in residential
buildings by using fuzzy logic. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 54(2), pp. 91-98.
Standards Australia, 2017. The role of Standards in building and construction. [Online]
Available at: https://designbuildexpo.com.au/policy-trends/the-role-of-standards-in-building-

Building Services 11
and-construction/
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
The Constructor, 2017. Types of plumbing and drainage systems in buildings. [Online]
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-of-plumbing-drainage-systems-
buildings/13117/
[Accessed 28 September 2017].
Visual Dictionary Online, 2017. Plumbing system. [Online]
Available at: http://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/house/plumbing/plumbing-system.php
[Accessed 29 September 2017].