Comfort ventilation and SHEV

Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation (SHEV) is a critical part of commercial building design. Rooflights can be specified with SHEV to offer additional safety in the event of a fire. If a fire breaks out, SHEV rooflights work to remove smoke quickly. This helps to preserve oxygen and maintain visibility for occupants to exit a building.

Ventilation contributes to the provision of good indoor air quality, removing carbon dioxide and unwanted pollutants while introducing fresh air. People spend 90% of their time indoors but with the right design strategy, occupant well-being and comfort can be improved thanks to mechanical, natural or hybrid ventilation. A reduction in energy use, as well as a boost in productivity, focus and performance are additional benefits of implementing a ventilation strategy in a commercial building.

If no ventilation strategy is in place, a commercial building can experience overheating, especially in spaces where there is increased internal gains caused by machinery, occupants, electronics or a lack of solar shading during hot days. Natural ventilative cooling works to improve thermal comfort in commercial buildings with the introduction of outdoor air at the right time and rate. This cools indoor spaces, reduces heat gains and provides building occupants with a comfortable indoor environment for work, study or leisure.

Poor indoor air quality can not only seriously inhibit students’ concentration and overall performance, but can also lead to increased absenteeism due to illness. Adequate ventilation is therefore imperative for healthy classroom design to help students flourish.

Ryparken Lille Skole (literally "Ryparken little school") is situated in a century-old former textile factory in Copenhagen. For years the school and its inhabitants suffered from the building’s decrepit conditions, until in the early 2010s, the school board decided to start a major renovation project.

There’s no doubt that the physical design of classrooms can have a positive or negative effect on children’s learning outcomes. One of the key factors identified by studies over the past several decades is the importance of consistent thermal comfort.

Just like the bowls of porridge in the well-known fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the temperature in classrooms should be neither too hot, nor too cold, but just right.

Did you know that well-designed classrooms have a significant influence on academic performance? Studies have found that improved physical characteristics of classrooms can boost the learning outcomes of students.