The City Academy

The City Academy, Hackney is a highquality education facility for the youngpeople of Hackney, in a secure,supportive environment, raising theiraspirations and standards of educationalachievement, and building positivepartnerships with local people andorganisations.

Opened in September 2009, theAcademy caters for 900 eleven tosixteen year old boys and girls of allabilities and faiths, as well as offering240 sixth-form places. Here traditionalvalues of good behaviour andattendance, high expectation andachievement are combined with adynamic curriculum, state-of-the-artfacilities and innovative teachingprogram, so students can enjoy learningand achieve the highest standards bothacademically and personally.

The academy specialises in teachingbusiness and financial services withsponsors KPMG and The City of LondonCorporation.

The City Academy is a striking buildingusing bold colours and an extensivefacade of aluminium and glass in anacoustic twin facade design.

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Name:The City Academy

Location:Hackney, London

Title:Providing a combined solution of naturalventilation and smoke ventilation systemby automating windows, louvred ventsand roof lights.

Challenge:To design, manufacture, supply, install andcommission a combined system to offerexcellent levels of both automatic naturalventilation and smoke ventilation at TheCity Academy, Hackney.

Products:230V AC and 24V DC chain actuators, upto 603mm stroke capability, coupled towindows and roof lights, complete withbattery backed bespoke SHEVs ControlPanels.

Experience:From conception, design, manufacture,supply through installation, commissioningand maintenance from the UK’s leadingsmoke and natural ventilation provider –SE Controls.

Combined solutions for both naturaland smoke ventilation systems

Case Study

Students learn in optimum natural light and comfortable,well ventilated, quiet spaces. It’s a good environment tolearn in. A ground source heat pump underneath thesports field supplies 75% of the energy needed forheating and 130 photovoltaic panels on the roof deliverenough electricity to light 50 classrooms. All insulationmaterial used in the provision of building services haszero ozone depletion potential. The school communitywas involved from the outset of the project.Max Fordham LLP

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A Sustainable Solution

In order to keep running costs of thebuilding to a minimum and to ensuresafety in the event of fire, a combinednatural ventilation and smoke controlsystem was designed and installed. SEControls were specified on the projectand supplied equipment to various sub-contractors which included the envelopeglazing and roof system. Final installationand commissioning was undertaken bySE Controls’ own engineers.

Designed by Max Fordham ConsultingEngineers and Studio E Architects forthe City Academy Trust, the project costin the region of £30 million to completeand is one of the areas most outstandingsustainable education building projects.

The project is also used by the communityand contributes to the regeneration ofthe Hackney area.

The Solution

Approximately 1054 actuators weresupplied and fitted in variouscombinations to the ventilation. Ventconfiguration included both ‘top hungopen out’ and ‘bottom hung open in’casement windows. Various methods of

actuation was specified depending onthe location and window design withineach space.

Classroom ventilation consists of linkedtandem pairs of actuators fitted to eachwindow which are operated by theteacher via a single switch whenventilation is required. In circulation andcommunal spaces actuators are wiredback to a total of 10 control panelsoperating 17 zones for the entirebuilding. The 1054 actuators aregrouped into 110 separate groups,either switch or BMS operated.

Classrooms are fitted with 230V ACactuators which are operated on aclassroom by classroom basis by theteaching staff. This ensures local controlover ventilation requirements.

Circulation and communal spaces arefitted with 24V DC actuators whichprovide a dual function. Linked to theBuilding Management System (BMS),automatic opening ventilators provideday to day ventilation. Linked to the firealarm system these actuators overridethe BMS and open fully for effectiveventilation. Each BMS controlled zoneprovides manual override for theteaching staff.

In case of a fire and an electricity supplyfailure, all 24V actuators are backed upby battery to ensure correct operation inthe event of a fire. This independentand battery backed up system will openall the windows to full-stroke of theactuator should a fire alarm and powersupply failure occur.

For natural ventilation a total of 9control panels are linked into the BMSto offer day to day comfort ventilation.When the fire alarm is reset, theautomatic opening smoke vents willreturn to their previous positions andwill be under control of the BMS again.

Optimal Design

This optimal design uses and monitorsactuators which would be required incase of fire on a daily basis. Due to dailyuse, the natural ventilation system iseffectively being visually checkedcontinually, giving greater confidenceshould smoke ventilation be needed inthe event of a fire. Financially it alsomakes common sense as a safetysystem is also being used to offer goodlevels of natural ventilation.

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All window actuators are fitted withpivot brackets ensuring that thewindow could still attain some lateralmovement which reduces the strain onthe actuator chain. Adopting thismethod of attaching the actuators tothe windows ensures that the actuatorsthemselves attain the longest possiblelife without failure.

Where there are areas of possibleentrapment in automated areas, forexample where actuators are placedwithin 2.5m from finished floor level, SEControls TGCO 24 20 ED and TGCO 2430 ED programmable chain actuatorshave been implemented within thewindow system. These actuators arefitted with sensors to detect obstructionand have been reduced in both closingforce and speed in order to protectagainst injury should an entrapmentoccur.

At third floor ceiling level there are 101louvres at the top of the externalglazing façade which allows outside airto enter attenuated ducts - these aresealed with bulkhead hatch covers tothe inside. Hatch covers are operated bySE Controls SECO 15 230V AC 380mmstroke chain actuators with pivot bracketsand bespoke trunnion brackets controlledby the teaching staff with a single switch.

To attain cross ventilation exhaust for airentering via the high level louvreventilators, the third floor roofaccommodates 18 roof lights which areoperated locally to ensure a throughputof natural ventilation. Each roof light isfitted with a pair of SE Controls SELA S230V AC linear actuator with pivotbracket and spreader plate bracket.

Hackney Academy is a typical exampleof how easily dual purpose smoke andnatural ventilation systems can worktogether to provide both comfort andsafety in case of a fire. SE Controls haverecently produced a new documententitled ‘Natural Ventilation inEducation Buildings’, which guides thespecifier through the current legislationand the systems that can be specified.

The windows and actuators on theproject were installed by Parry BowenLimited who worked closely with SEControls to complete the project.

Project Management

Installation co-ordination of specific sitestages is a key element of SE Controls’effective and proven project manage-ment service. All of SE Controls’ contractcustomers have a single point of contact(the Project Leader) throughout theentire project duration. Each projectteam has dedicated project administration,co-ordination and installation resourcesat its disposal to ensure the clientreceives consistency and the highestlevels of customer service and deliverymanagement. SE Controls workedclosely in conjunction with WillmottDixon and their electrical subcontractorto ensure installation of the systemwent smoothly, to time and to budget.

Commissioning and Handover

It is essential that all smoke ventilationsystems are tested via cause and effectanalysis to demonstrate that theyactually operate correctly in anemergency. Almost 30 years of installingsmoke ventilation systems, SE Controlshave refined this process and hugelyexperienced commissioning engineersare able to “get a result” on site, savingtime, money and the need for returnvisits.

Increasingly, SE Controls are usingsmoke tests to satisfy their clients andapproving bodies that fire engineeredsolutions work in accordance with theirdesign. This methodology wasemployed at The City Academy for thebenefit of the client, Greater LondonBuilding Control and the London FireBrigade.

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Tel: +44 (0)1543 443060

Fax: +44 (0)1543 443070

Email: sales@secontrols.com

Visit us at: www.secontrols.com

SE Controls is a Registered Trademark

Service & Maintenance

Smoke ventilation systems are life savingsystems and it is therefore essential thatregular preventative maintenance iscarried out to the required standards bycompetent personnel, who are familiarwith the specification and strategy forthe particular application. Under theRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order2005 legislation this is the responsibilityof the Management Company or ownerof the premises. SE Controls maintenancedivision are able to provide 24 hoursupport for 365 days of the year to itsmaintenance clients to ensure that theirinstallations are always ready to performtheir life safety function whenever theyare called upon to do so.

The Service

SE Controls are able to offer consultationand advice on projects that mustperform to the design intentions set outin Approved Document B. Theirextensive involvement in governmentsponsored working groups has provideda unique insight into the methodologybehind Approved Document B, meaningthe solutions proposed are guaranteedto meet the most demandingrequirements.

All SHEV’s components must besuccessfully tested to the BS EN 12101before they can carry the CE mark.