2022 KNX UK Award Winner – Mosaic Liverpool Street

2022 KNX UK Award Winner

Commercial Project of the Year – Mosaic Liverpool Street

How does this Project demonstrate the diversity of KNX?

KNX was selected for this 8 story office block to replace an existing BMS. The building was under going massive renovation throughout. KNX was selected as it was flexible enough to grow and change as each floor developed. The client was secure in the knowledge that the project could increase in size and scope as different floors were developed for different occupiers. Even as things change over time they have a system which can always be added to and adapted and will not become obsolete. Uncommon is unique in the way they will custom partition a floor depending on the occupiers need. For example some floors were kept at a base build level for months before being split into different offices/meeting rooms required by the company occupying them. The spaces change depending on the users need. One area which might have been 3 offices for one company can be changed to one large open space when the next lease is taken out. KNX allowed the splitting of services to change as the space changed.

How does this Project demonstrate a synergistic approach to building use?

Uncommon as a company take a holistic approach to a building so needed a BMS that would not only monitor and control heavy duty plant but give office users and stuff easy day to day control over the different spaces. The building has dedicated office spaces, flexible cafe/open working spaces, local kitchen areas, a fully equipped catering kitchen, two roof terraces and meeting rooms. The BMS system needed to be suitable for all of these spaces and make it easy for the building manager to maintain them all both locally and remotely.

How does KNX add value and ease of use for building owners/occupiers

Uncommon has a goal of making every member as comfortable as possible through out their time at the building. Meeting rooms can be booked out by the hour, an occupancy sensor brings the room to life as soon as it is entered, activating lighting, HVAC, bringing on the TV with video conferencing and screen sharing. The room stays active as long as it is in use, after being empty for 30min the room goes back into stand by making sure energy is not wasted.

All 8 floors are equipped with AC and fresh air, automated routines have been set up to make sure systems are shut down at night and brought back into standby early morning and comfort just before being occupied, then shut down again at night. Local users have the ability to put the room back into occupied if they are working late either by button or PIR depending on the location.

The cafe/common working space on the 7th and 8th floors can easily go from casual day time working to high class evening event, modes can be set by the staff on a local keypad or app. Pre set scenes can be used or they can individually control one of the 20+ lighting circuits, blinds and even adjust the local gas fire (which automatically switches off after a maximum room temperature). Blinds automatically open and shut depending on the time of day and amount of sun hitting the light sensor, if ever required staff can disable this and take manual control.

As part of individual offices not only do the occupiers the ability to control their own space but can see the current CO2 and humidity levels are optimum for working conditions, if not this is indicated locally to them and flagged up with building management. The plant room was partially fitted out with cold water sets, booster sets, fire alarms leak detection and similar. All the fault, run and control signals were brought into the KNX BMS interface for easy monitoring. The additions of some extract systems and hot water for additional showers were also brought into the BMS for monitoring/control.

What functionality is realised by this KNX Project? 

Lighting control, automatic lighting control in some areas, scene setting, individual control, timed Blind control (SMI), timed, automatic (via light levels), scenes and manual control Plant control, hot water, cold water, booster sets, fire system, alarm system, fresh air, valves, pumps. HVAC, AC (x 162 units), AHU (x2). CO2 / humidity monitoring (in each office space). Gira, Intesis, Zennio, ABB, Theben.