Background / Objectives / Timeline
The University of Oxford approached Bojen in 2018 to undertake an investigation into how to light and power their new bespoke larch wood cladded steel barn. Bojen would also have to provide the new building with a concrete base and steel frame structure with rooms for researching the behaviour patterns of fish, birds & insects. The Zoology Department required a space that could house the fish, birds & insects individually, in comfort, to monitor them and enable the facility to film them. Other areas also needed addressing, including washing facilities, storage, incubator and freshwater & marine rooms, and a separate observation room.
Bojen were brought in because the original designers and contractors had massively over-engineered the project, but were unable to solve the problems that this unique building created; to provide power, then design and install energy efficient lighting & emergency lighting, lighting controls, climate control, ventilation & heating controls, Wi-Fi & high-speed data installation, door access, intruder alarms and fire alarm. The building was behind schedule and still on the planning table because of the innovations that were going to be needed to complete the project.
Advance(s) Sought
To create a unique sub-station electrical panel, situated in a GRP Enclosure, with automatic change-over facility for a generator back up system.
To design and develop a unique array of LED lighting that would significantly reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. To combine with bespoke lighting controls to enable automatic dimming, zoning of light switching and daylight control to provide light levels as required for the fish, birds and insects to be housed within comfortable lighting levels and to comply with Home Office regulations.
To create bespoke, intelligent lighting controls to allow light levels to mimic tracking of sunrise and sunset throughout the whole year. This to be linked to a controlled heating & ventilation system that would allow climate control to be accurate to the exact requirements for each species in the building. To both reduce running costs and comply with Home Office requirements.
The previous contractor had been unable to solve the issue and it was considered to be one of the hardest to solve.
To facilitate the existing and new research laboratories with fish, bird and insects rooms with specialised equipment and controlled lighting in a modern building for all staff and visitors that will last for many years with all benefits of cost efficient heating, cooling & lighting, all within a limited budget.
Technical Challenges
It was clear that a great deal of R & D would be required by Bojen – at their own expense, to develop homogenous systems that could be installed in each of the zones within very tight budgetary constraints.
The first challenge presented itself due to the fact that the client had only completed a basic performance specification based on generic installations, which did not in any way meet their vision of modern, efficient, and environmentally sustainable research facility. This meant there were many elements of work which the company needed to research and design if this vision was to be made a reality; including development, adaptation and use of cutting-edge technologies not normally considered for such uses.
As this was a design and build project, the building evolved over time with the Company attending many meetings with the design team, main contractor and client. This meant that it was critical to have the relevant practical skills and technical experience on site to overcome issues as they materialised and also be prepared to look into a range of new and different technologies.
Bojen have many years of experience and are the trusted partner for the University of Oxford. The challenges are not readily deducible by a competent professional because of the unique design and electrical requirements that the building created.
Other specific challenges included:
- The need for bespoke metering facilities for all separate areas, and the design of the building made this a most complex problem.
- That different species need different levels of light and heat. The original design of the building was not overly suitable for this requirement, so Bojen would have to experiment with materials to achieve the desired climate zones.
Bojen were well placed to solve these issues because of their previous experience of solving such complex problems. By working closely with the architects and knowing and understanding the building’s complexities, they were able to undertake the required research as necessary. This involved adaptations of existing components indiscussion with manufacturers so that warranties would not be voided and that wiring regulations would be complied with. There were many “coordination” meetings with the University and specialist contractors to discuss the findings and implications of the research.
On-site design/development was undertaken to identify best solutions both practically, financially and from energy consumption viewpoints.
Prototypes
No separate prototypes were constructed. However, the various system designs were linked together for alpha testing purposes, with improvements and adjustments made prior to final installation for field testing and release to the client.
