When you hear the term building services consultant, you might be wondering what that actually means.
In simple terms, a building services consultant helps make sure a building works properly, is comfortable to occupy, meets relevant regulations and standards in order to operate as efficiently as possible.
From heating and cooling to lighting, ventilation, electrical systems and sustainability, building services consultants are involved in many of the systems that people rely on every day – often without even noticing them.
So what do we actually do?
We make buildings work
A building isn’t just four walls and a roof.
Behind the walls, above the ceilings and underneath the floors is a whole network of mechanical and electrical systems that make the building function.
And that’s where we come in.
As building services consultants, we design, coordinate and advise on these systems to make sure they work together effectively from start to finish.
What does that look like though?
Well every project is different but our work can cover everything from mechanical and electrical design, including power, lighting and electrical infrastructure, to heating, cooling and ventilation to keep buildings comfortable and provide good indoor air quality. We also support clients with sustainability and low-carbon solutions which helps to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. BIM and 3D modelling is used to coordinate designs and identify potential issues before they reach site and we can provide construction support, working with contractors and project teams to help bring our designs to life.
And that’s just the start.
It’s not just about drawing systems
One of the biggest misconceptions about building services consultancy is that we simply sit at a computer and draw pipes, ducts and cables but there is so much more to it than that.
We need to understand how a building will be used, who will use it, how much energy it will consume, what the client needs, what regulations apply and how everything will fit together.
We work closely with people like architects, structural engineers, contractors and developers because there’s no point designing a fantastic ventilation system if there’s nowhere to put it!
We think about the future too
Modern building services design isn’t just about making a building work today. We are increasingly looking at how buildings can be more energy efficient, have a lower carbon footprint, and be more adaptable for the future.
That could be us incorporating heat pumps, heat recovery, efficient lighting, smart controls, heat networks or other low-carbon technologies.
The aim is to find solutions that are practical, efficient and right for the building – rather than simply choosing the latest technology for the sake of it.
New builds, refurbishments and everything in between
Building services consultants aren’t only involved in shiny new developments.
We work across new builds, refurbishments, extensions and existing buildings, each bringing its own challenges and sometimes means designing an entire M&E strategy from scratch.
Also it can mean walking into an existing building and figuring out what is already there, what can be retained and what needs upgrading.
No projects are quite the same and that’s one of the things we love about what we do.
So, what does a building services consultant actually do?
In short?
We make buildings work.
Because while you might not always see building services, you definitely notice when they don’t work.
