particularly on complex projects.
The most important thing during these initial workshops is to keep an open mind.Rather than tabling a design solution too early and possibly forcing the conversation to a preconceived solution, we encourage stakeholders to speak freely about what matters to them.
Through structured questioning and diagramming on flipcharts and whiteboards (or their digital equivalents), we turn those concerns and desires into clear objectives.The aim is to ensure that all stakeholders understand each other’s drivers and that we develop an agreed set of objectives that everyone feels is comprehensive and fair.. We turn that knowledge into an initial, digital model.The model captures all the systems and their interfaces, and represents all aspects of the overall solution that affect the objectives of the various stakeholders.
This initial representation allows us to agree what kind of expertise we require to develop a solution.For a prison design, that might mean that we need to understand how guards and social workers do their jobs.
For a pharmaceutical plant, it might mean we need a specialist in oral solid dose manufacturing, a quality representative and a health and safety specialist.. Based on this initial representation, we can start gathering the knowledge and data that is essential for developing a solution.
We use this input to create a comprehensive and holistic model of the problem and the outline solution.This analysis allows for the optimisation of design elements, such as UPS, to ensure inclusion only where necessary, leading to significant cost savings and a reduction in embodied carbon.
Accurate determination of buffer vessel sizing through this analysis helps prevent oversizing, thereby saving costs and plant space, and minimising the need for structural reinforcement..The optimisation of the chilled water system design ensures even distribution throughout the data hall.
This optimisation process is crucial, as it prevents the tendency to oversize equipment or specify unnecessary components to meet resilience requirements, providing assurance that the building will meet requirements and allowing for greater potential for economic and carbon cost savings..As the demand for data centre capacity continues to grow and challenges in electrical supply capacity become more pronounced alongside regulatory pressures, there is an increasing need for data centre designs to be optimised..