Services of a Commercial Building: Investigating Building Services, Importance of Good Design and Coordination, and Determining Required Services

This report investigates the building services of a commercial building, including electrical, HVAC, and mechanical transport systems. It also highlights the importance of good design and coordination of services and determines the legally required, recommended, and not required building services for a proposed visitors' center.

Running Head: SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING
Name
Course
Professor
Date

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 2
Services of a Commercial Building
Task 1: Investigating commercial building services
The selected building to be investigated in this report is the four-storey commercial
building in Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand. The building, which was formerly Van den
Brink Chicken Farm, houses a retail complex and office block (McAlpine Hussmann, 2010). The
retail complex includes an underground park and Countdown supermarket. For the purposes of
this repot, the focus is on Countdown supermarket. The main occupants of this building include
supermarket attendants and shoppers. For smooth and efficient operation of the building, it
requires several building services, including electrical system, HVAC (heating, ventilation and
air conditioning) system, and mechanical transport system. These services are mandatory during
operation hours of the supermarket. The building services are important because they make the
building functional, safe, comfortable and efficient. The function, components, operation, effect
on the building and safety features of the building services are provided in the table below
System Function Components Operation Effect on
Building
Safety
features
Electrical
Some of the
proprietary
brands used
include
Midland
Metropolis
Supply
power
Provide
backup and
emergency
power
To distribute
energy
The service
makes the
building
functional,
comfortable,
efficient and
safe
Step-down
transformer,
main
switchboard
(meter),
switchgear,
cables/wires
(feeder or
bus),
distribution
panel boards,
fuse, service
breaker,
circuit wiring,
circuit
breaker,
sockets,
It moves
electricity or
power from
the source to
the desired
outlet in the
building
(Joshi, 2008)
It requires
involvement
of electrical
engineers,
consultants
and
subcontractors
from a very
early stage of
the project
It requires
simulation of
electrical
systems to
determine
their
performance
Circuit
breakers and
earthing.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 3
switches and
electrical
devices
and improve
efficiency
Mechanical
transport
(mainly
lift/escalator
)
Some of the
proprietary
brands used
include
McAlpine
Hussmann
Transport
people from
one floor of
the building
to another
(Al-
Kodmany,
2015)
Enable
vertical
transportatio
n of
equipment
and goods
(Mattie,
Borisoff,
Leland, &
Miller, 2015)
The service
makes the
building
functional,
comfortable
and safe
Car – the
component
that holds
goods or
people for
transportation.
Shaft – the
space in
which the car
moves.
Sheave –
pulley with
groves that
lowers or lifts
the elevator.
Motor –
creates energy
for moving
the sheave in
the desired
direction.
Machine room
– room
containing lift
drive
equipment and
unit.
Control unit –
receives signal
from the
controls on
each floor and
translates it
into
movements
for the motor
Counterweigh
t buffer –
reduces strain
applied on the
motor.
Tension
pulley – it
Metal or steel
cables/strands
connect the
car to a pulley
system. The
pulley is
driven by an
electric motor,
pulling the car
down or up.
The car is
balanced by a
counterweight
, which is as
heavy as the
car when it is
half full.
It requires
involvement
of mechanical
transport
specialists
from early
stage of the
project
It requires
comprehensiv
e analysis of
mechanical
transport
system
performance
and efficiency
during design
stage
It increases
design and
construction
time and cost.
Buffer, safety
brake, speed
governor and
ratchet system.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 4
lowers and
raises the car.
Car guide rail
– prevents the
counterweight
and car from
swaying.
Doors –
openings for
boarding or
alighting.
HVAC
Some of the
proprietary
brands used
include
McAlpine
Hussmann
and Fantech
(JetVent
fans)
To maintain
good indoor
air quality
(Myrefelt,
2008)
To control
internal
humidity
To maintain
the required
internal
temperatures
It makes the
building
comfortable
and
functional
It also
increases
energy
consumption
hence it has
to be energy
efficient
(Imal, 2015).
Variable
refrigerant
volume heat
recovery air
conditioning
system – for
ventilating the
office block
and retail
block.
Car park
ventilation
system – for
ventilating the
car park.
Thermostat –
regulates
temperature to
the desired
level.
Furnace –
heats air
before t is
distributed to
various parts
of the
building.
Heat
exchanger –
heats cool air
inside the
furnace.
Air
conditioner –
dehumidifies
The
refrigerant
gets
compressed
by the
compressor
thus
increasing its
temperature
and pressure.
The condenser
blow hot air
from the
outside over
the refrigerant
to liquefy it.
The
refrigerant
gets cooled
and changed
into a low-
pressure liquid
by the
expansion
valve.
The
evaporator
transfers heat
for the cool
liquid to be
transformed
into a warmer
gas.
The warmer
gas gets
It requires
HVAC
specialists to
be involved in
the project
from an early
stage so that
they can give
their opinion
on the most
suitable design
and
construction
methods for
the service.
It increases
design and
construction
time and cost.
Sensors,
control
system/devices
, alarm, pull
station, low
pressure trip,
high pressure
trip, low oil
pressure trip,
oil separator
(Sanguri, 2010).

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 5
and extracts
air from the
building.
Evaporator
coil – cools air
before
distribution.
Condensing
unit – supplies
evaporator
coil with
liquefied
refrigerant.
Condenser –
extracts heat
from the
system.
Refrigerant
lines –
enables
transfer of
refrigerant
substance
between the
condensing
unit and
evaporator
coil.
Chiller –
extracts heat
from a liquid
via absorption
or vapor-
compression
refrigeration
cycle.
Air handler –
conditioning
and
circulating air
in the
building.
Ductwork –
transports
cooled or
warmed air to
distributed
throughout the
building.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 6
different parts
of the
building.
Vents –
transfer
cooled or
heated air
from the
ductwork to
particular
rooms in the
building
(Firszt, 2014).
Figure 1 and 2 below shows electrical system for lighting in Countdown supermarket.
The lighting is by light-emitting diodes (LED), while Figure 3 shows HVAC system installed
outside the building. This building was designed with sustainability in mind and therefore it has
numerous green features that make it energy efficient. The features include: maximum use of
natural light, energy efficient refrigeration cabinets, environmentally friendly refrigerant gases
and energy efficient building management systems, among others (Fantech, 2010). The
company’s main goal was to reduce carbon footprint of the building by 40% within five years of
operation.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 7
Figure 1: Electrical system (lighting) of Countdown supermarket (Fantech, 2010)
Figure 2: Electrical system (lighting) of Countdown supermarket

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 8
Figure 3: HVAC system of Countdown supermarket
Task 2: Importance of good design and coordination of services
The importance of good design and coordination of services for successful completion of
a building project cannot be overemphasized. Good design helps the project team to identify and
correct errors in the design (if any), ensure that the building will achieve all its functional
requirements so as to avoid changes during construction stage, and determine how to improve
the performance and efficiency of the building (Jense, 2014). Good design also helps to plan on
how the construction process will be completed by choosing competent contractors,
subcontractors, suppliers and other personnel, and assigning tasks appropriately. This helps in
ensuring that the project is completed within stipulated time and budget. Most importantly is that
good design ensures that once the construction process starts, it will not stop until completion
because every stakeholder will be fully informed about the steps of completing the project
(Braganca, Vieira, & Andrade, 2014). Generally, good design of building services ensures that
the building is constructed as planned i.e. it meets the quality, functional, safety and
sustainability requirements, and that it is completed within planned time and budget (Knotten,

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 9
Svalestuen, Hansen, & Laedre, 2015). This helps in seamless integration of the services as they
contribute to the functioning/operation, efficiency, comfort and safety of the building. Before the
final design is prepared, the project team members have to create mockups or prototypes and
allow each member to give opinions. This further demonstrates the need for the members to
coordinate and work as one team with a common goal.
For the building to function as expected, all is services must be adequately designed and
properly installed. This requires involvement of qualified designers, engineers, consultants,
contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. The relevant professionals should identify the most
suitable types, sizes, materials and position of the systems so that they can be integrated
flawlessly and operate as a single unit. For instance, they should ensure that the position,
installation and operation of electrical system, HVAC system and mechanical transport system
does not interfere with each other. This can only be attained if there is effective communication
among all stakeholders involved in the project. These stakeholders should cooperate and
coordinate effectively by sharing knowledge and experience they have for successful delivery of
the project. The coordination also helps in ensuring that every stakeholder has the right and
complete information on time. Therefore proper design and coordination of stakeholders
facilitates impeccable installation of building services and their functioning after construction.
Task 3: Determining the required services
Some of the building services are legally required for the proposed visitors’ centre, some
are not legally required but recommended, while others are not required. The legally required,
recommended and not required building services for the proposed building are as shown in the
table below. The services have been identified as legally required, recommended or not required
by considering New Zealand building standards and codes – New Zealand Building Code

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 10
(Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 2014), type, size and use of the building and
local weather (Meteoblue, 2018).
Building service Legally
required
Recommended Not
require
d
Reasons
Cold water ✓ This is legally required by New
Zealand Building Code because water
is a basic need that must be supplied for
use by building occupants. The water
supplied should be fit for the intended
use.
Hot water ✓ It is recommended because it can be
used by the company’s workers for
bathing, washing, cooking, etc.
Sanitary waste ✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
provision of sanitary fixtures and
sanitary waste collection systems to
facilitate and promote personal hygiene
Sanitary drainage ✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
provision of proper sanitary drainage to
remove sanitary waste from the
building to the right drainage systems
so as to facilitate sanitation in buildings
Stormwater ✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
buildings to have systems that can
manage stormwater so as to enhance
safety and health of persons using the
building.
Gas ✓ This is recommended because the
company can use it for its operations
when there is power outage or as a way
of reducing reliance on electricity
generated from non-renewable sources.
New Zealand Building Code
encourages developers to install gas
systems as a way of promoting
sustainability.
Electricity ✓ This is recommended because the
company’s operations requires
electricity. However, electrical
installation must be in compliance with
New Zealand Building Code
requirements
Telecommunications ✓ This is not required because the

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 11
company can use alternative means of
communication to pass information,
such as mobile phones, social media,
etc.
HVAC ✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
buildings to have appropriate HVAC
systems so as to enhance ventilation
and indoor air quality and thermal
comfort
Lift ✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
any storey building to have a staircase
and an accessible route for persons with
disabilities. The lift is recommended
because it can be used by persons with
disabilities and will also make it easier
and faster for the company’s employees
and customers to move from one floor
to another.
Security and access ✓ According to New Zealand Building
Code, it I mandatory for every building
to have security systems and access
features so as to ensure occupants’
security and to enable people access all
parts of building easily. There should
also be access route for repairs and
(evacuators or firefighters in case of an
emergency).
Rubbish and
recycling
✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
buildings to have a facilities and spaces
for the collection of solid waste
(including rubbish) arising from the
building’s intended use.
Building
maintenance
✓ New Zealand Building Code requires
buildings to be maintained properly so
as to ensure that they are able to
function as intended, without putting
the health, safety and wellbeing of
occupant at risk. Therefore the
company must have a building
maintenance plan.
Building
management system
✓ This is recommended because it will
help the company use modern
technology to improve energy
efficiency (Kamali, Khakzar, &
HajiAbadi, 2014), reduce water
wastage (Tariq, et al., 2012), ensure

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 12
proper maintenance of the building
(Paulo, Branco, & de Brito, 2014), and
improve sustainability of the building
(Pukite & Geipele, 2017).
Task 4: Effect of selected services on the design, construction and operation of the building
All building services have different effects on the design, construction and operation of
the building. Knowing these effects is important in ensuring that the services are designed,
installed, operated and maintained properly so as to attain the goals and objectives of the project.
The various effects of the services are as shown in the table below
System Placement Construction Operation Cooperation
Electrical The system
can be in the
cafeteria,
exhibition
space, store,
conference or
meeting room,
offices, foyer,
lift and toilets.
The system
can be placed
through the
walls, floor
slabs and
above the
ceiling.
The system must meet
the minimum quality
requirements of New
Zealand Building
Code
The system must have
safeguards against fire
outbreak and personal
injury
The system must be
safe to allow their
intended use
It must protect
occupants against
excessive temperature
caused by currents or
electrical equipment’s
normal operation
It must operate safely
within its planned
environment
Electrical system
features, such as
switches and socket
outlets should be
accessible and usable
by persons with
disabilities
The commissioning
requirements are checking
the following before the
electrical system is
approved: the system has
all the requisite
components in proper
working condition, control
system has been properly
calibrated, the system is
tested and balanced, its
performance is also tested,
there is proper
documentation of the
system (including
specifications, suppliers,
installers, maintenance
schedule, etc.) and building
manager has been trained
on how to operate the
system and identify any
hazards
Partial system failures
should also be initiated so
that the system can be
stressed and the backup
system. performance
verified.
The consultants that
need to engage
during the design,
documentation and
construction of
electrical system are
the client, building
designer, civil
engineer, electrical
engineer, structural
engineer, quantity
surveyor, main
contractor, electrical
subcontractors and
suppliers.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 13
It must be made of
good quality materials
and installed by
qualified electricians
It must be able to
supply adequate
power for the intended
use throughout the
expected period
Once the system has been
installed and is in
operation, it has to be
maintained through regular
checks. The maintenance
must be done by a trained
and certified electrician, at
least half yearly. This
requires the company to
have a maintenance
schedule for the electrical
system.
This service can be
accessed where it is
installed/placed
Plumbing The system
can be in the
cafeteria and
toilets.
The system is
placed
through the
walls, floor
slabs and
above the
ceiling.
The system must be
able to supply
adequate water for the
intended use
It must be made of
good quality and
durable materials
It should be placed in
places where it does
not compromise
occupants’ hygiene
The commissioning
requirements of the
plumbing system include
the following:
Verify the specifications,
installation and working
conditions of individual
components, subsystems
and the integrated
plumbing system.
Verify if the plumbing
system performs in
accordance with its design
and operational
requirements of the owner.
Verify is the operation,
performance and efficiency
of the system meets the
requirements of New
Zealand Building code and
owner of the building.
Ensure that there is proper
documentation for the
plumbing system.
To ensure that the
plumbing system operates
as intended and in safe and
efficient manner, the
company must have a
maintenance plan. The
system should be
The consultants that
need to engage
during the design,
documentation and
construction of
plumbing system are
the client, building
designer, civil
engineer, mechanical
engineer, electrical
engineer, structural
engineer, quantity
surveyor, main
contractor, plumbing
subcontractors and
suppliers.

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 14
maintained quarterly by a
trained and certified
plumbing specialist.
This service can be
accessed where it is
installed/placed
Lift The system
will be in the
lift space.
It is placed
inside the
building in th
designated lift
area.
The system should be
of the right size
depending on the
number of occupants
in the building
It must be constructed
using materials that
meet the minimum
quality requirements
of New Zealand
Building Code
Installation must be
done and supervised
by competent
personnel
Before the lift is approved,
it has to be commissioned.
The commissioning process
entails: verifying if the lift
has all components with the
required specifications,
checking whether the
individual components
have been installed
properly, checking and
testing each subsystem of
the lift and testing the
performance, efficiency
and safety of the integrated
lift system.
The required
commissioning also
includes verifying the
documentation of the lift,
testing the control system
of the lift and initiating
partial system failure to
determine if it will function
as intended in case of
failure.
After installing the lift, it
has to be maintained
through regular checks.
The maintenance must be
done by a trained and
certified lift expert, at least
quarterly. Therefore the
company should have a
maintenance schedule for
the lift.
This service can be
accessed where it is
installed/placed.
The consultants that
need to engage
during the design,
documentation and
construction of lift
system are the client,
building designer,
mechanical engineer,
electrical engineer,
structural engineer,
civil engineer,
quantity surveyor,
main contractor,
MEP subcontractors
and suppliers.
HVAC The system
can be in the
The system must be
constructed to
The commissioning of this
system entail the following
The consultants that
need to engage

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 15
cafeteria,
exhibition
space,
conference or
meeting room
and offices.
The air
handling unit
and ductwork
can be placed
inside the
building while
the
condensing
unit can be
placed outside
the building.
minimize energy use
without compromising
its functionality or
efficiency
Its installation should
minimize likelihood
of injury
It must provide
adequate ventilation to
the building’ intended
use
It should maintain
indoor temperature
within desired levels
It must be able to
prevent multiplication
of harmful bacteria,
allergens and
pathogens within it
It must be able to
remove any harmful
gases, fumes or
substances from the
building
It should be made
using materials that
meet the minimum
quality standards
specified in New
Zealand Building
Code
processes: testing
individual equipment of the
HVAC system, testing
discrete HVAC systems,
testing the integrated
system, checking
documentation of the
system, and verifying
performance and efficiency
of the system.
The HVAC system should
have a maintenance plan.
The maintenance should be
done half yearly by a
trained and certified HVAC
specialist.
This service can be
accessed where it is
installed/placed.
during the design,
documentation and
construction of
HVAC system are the
client, building
designer, civil
engineer, mechanical
engineer, structural
engineer, electrical
engineer, quantity
surveyor, main
contractor, MEP
subcontractors and
suppliers.
Works Cited

SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 16
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SERVICES OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING 17
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