New guidance on good practice in the design of homes has been published by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
Good Practice in the Design of Homes, CIBSE TM60, is aimed at helping building services engineers and other professionals working on the design and construction of homes deliver dwellings that are safe, fit for purpose, resource efficient, low carbon, comfortable, healthy and easy to operate and maintain.
The need for further guidance to support Building Services Engineers working in the residential sector was identified by CIBSE’s Homes for the Future Group, who applied to the CIBSE Committee for funding and then commissioned the guidance.
TM60 includes:
- Guidance on appointing and setting a project brief for the building services engineer.
- Key considerations in the design of building engineering systems in dwellings and detailed guidance on the various different services available including: space heating, water heating, ventilation, cooling, lighting and renewable power.
- An outline of the tools that are available to aid the engineering design
- A section on installation and commissioning of the building services and their handover.
The publication covers both new and existing homes and aims to be of relevance to all types of residences. Tom Lelyveld, Regional Director at AECOM and Lead Author of the new guidance, said: “The energy used in homes accounts for approximately 30% of the total energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the UK. When designing and building new homes or refurbishing our existing homes, it is crucial that dwellings are well designed and constructed, that they are low carbon, simple to operate and maintain, and provide a warm, safe, healthy and comfortable living environment.
“TM60 provides an overview of, and signposts to, existing guidance to support good practice in the design of homes. Where appropriate, the guide defines what is considered good practice. This guide will help local authorities, building services engineers, housing associations and contractors differentiate themselves by helping them to deliver improved quality homes with lower energy and maintenance costs”.
For further information or to purchase a copy of the guide go to www.cibse.org/knowledge.
