Atrium Thermal Comfort – Proof of Concept 120 Collins St Melbourne

Project Overview

Client:	A.G. Coombs
Work Type:	Refurbishment Design, Fitout Design, Proof of Concept – Thermal Comfort CFD Modelling
Sector:	Hospitality (e.g., fast food store, cafe, restaurant, hotel, resort, pub, casino)
Size:	2235 sqm
Disciplines Engaged:	Mechanical

The mechanical contractor (AG Coombs) proposed a design utilising low-level displacement ventilation below the bench seatings within the Atrium at 120 Collins St, Melbourne. SEED Engineers conducted a CFD thermal comfort modelling to confirm the proposed mechanical design meeting the comfort requirements both in summer and winter.

The Challenges Faced

The building which is a luxurious state-of-the-art events assembly hall/atrium serves the St. Michael’s Uniting Church, is required to have an air conditioning system that ensures thermal comfort parameters, temperature and air velocity. The velocity constraint forced the designer to reduce the amount of cold air flowing into the space which affected the total air conditioning capacities of the space. Additionally, the complex geometries and architectural details increased the chances of having stagnant spots where air quality is below acceptable levels.

The Solution Provided

“SEED Engineers studied the atrium geometry and performed detailed analysis and provided few solutions to overcome the air conditioning capacities and air quality issues. Such as reducing the off-coil temperature in two zones and utilising floor-mounted diffusers (tile diffusers) to provide direct comfort near the floor level and eliminate the air heating up if diffused from high levels. Additionally, SEED Engineers studied the solar radiations and heatload of the huge skylight which was considered in the overall analysis. In conclusion, SEED Engineers provided two CFD models to analyse the thermal comfort performance of the base design and the developed design to prove the validity of the additional works and provide confidence for all parties involved that the developed design will achieve the thermal comfort requirements.”

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