Project Title: GCU Framework Project 4 – New Learning Centre
Client: Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) began in 1875 and has diversified into one of the largest universities in Scotland with over 14,000 students. The University is located in a new purpose built campus in the centre of the city of Glasgow, allowing them to offer some of the most modern facilities available to students. The New Learning Centre promises to be another great facility built as part of the GCU vision and framework for the campus.
The main feature of the GCU Learning Centre is a glass atrium wrapping around the whole south elevation. As part of Hulley & Kirkwood’s duties on the full mechanical and electrical services package for the New Learning Centre, Hulley SIM were employed to help oversee the design development of the south-facing glass atrium, in conjunction with the architect, to help ensure suitable environmental conditions within transitory spaces.
HulleySIM devised a strategy for the simulation study, to consider the effectiveness of proposed passive stack ventilation and to determine the degree of solar shading provision required. The locations and required characteristics of any proposed solar glazing and potential blind positioning strategies were considered and reported.
To ensure the solutions proposed met with the user requirements and provided suitable environmental conditions within the atrium, over 50 simulation scenarios were considered by the design team before reaching a satisfactory conclusion.
