Mitigating MEP Coordination Challenges in Limited Floor Height Office Space
Qpro was appointed as the MEP design consultant for a leading financial services client’s office space. Our scope covers the interior design of several floors of a building.
Due to the building's limited floor height—2950mm bottom-of-slab elevation and 2700mm bottom-of-beam elevation—and the architect's intent to maintain a ceiling level of 2400mm, we faced significant challenges in ceiling coordination.
Firstly, space constraints made it challenging to route the fresh air ducts and place the fans effectively.
Secondly, clashes occurred between cable trays, fire pipes, and other services due to the limited cavity space.
To resolve these issues, we implemented the following solutions:
• Fresh Air Ducts: The sizes were modified to fit the available space without compromising the design efficiency.
• Cable Trays and Duct Crossings: To minimize conflicts, offsets were introduced for the cable trays wherever they crossed ducts.
• Fire Pipes : Routed to avoid obstruction with fresh air ducts and IDU units while ensuring compliance with design standards.
• Cassette units : Positioned to ensure they are not placed directly under the beams and are sufficiently distanced from them. This arrangement facilitates the smooth routing of other services, allowing for easier installation and maintenance
• Fire and drain pipes : Planned to run at a lower height along the building's periphery. This arrangement eliminates the need for crisscrossing with other services, such as cable trays and copper pipes, ensuring a more organized and efficient layout
These adjustments helped us overcome the space constraints and achieve seamless ceiling coordination.