Prior to the refurbishment, conditioned air was provided throughout the 3-storey building by two air-handling units, each with cooling and heating coils. The consultant was briefed to use as much of these services as possible and extend them with comfort-cooling systems for specific areas of the new development.
One of the new areas is the ‘drop-in’ Studio digital cinema, which shows archive and contemporary film, television and video material and hosts presentation and educational events.
A new Gallery exhibition area illustrates the film and video work of leading contemporary artists. A unique Mediatheque facility allows individuals and small groups access to film and television archives.The Project Space enables casual research and study of BFT collection material.
There is also a well stocked Filmstore and a new bar and café to extend the facilities of the popular river-front Film Café.
Because of the height of the gallery ceiling, air conditioning is provided by Daikin slim ducted fan-coil units in the floor void and ducted to grilles in the floor. The other new areas are served by a variety of concealed floor-mounted, ceiling-concealed and ceiling-suspended fan-coil units. Four small offices on the first floor have wall-mounted fan-coil units. Ceiling-suspended units are installed in the delegate conference area on the mezzanine floor.
Daikin air-conditioning is also supplied to offices, meeting rooms and communications room on the lower ground floor via floor and wall-mounted units. Fresh air is provided by the air-handling plant, and the remaining public areas of the building and the Filmstore are linked to the existing system.
All VRV outdoor units are in a caged compound next to the car park on the lower ground floor.
The VRV system is controlled by a Daikin I-controller in the plant room on the lower ground floor plus local temperature controllers in the various air-conditioned zones. Design temperatures are 23°C±2 K for cooling and 21°C±2 K for heating. Cooling/heating loads are 120/137 kW.
Daikin dealer Birdsall Services is responsible for installing the air conditioning. All services for the project were designed and specified by Hurley Palmer Flatt, with Briggs & Forrester as M&E contractor.
