As part of ACD’s full-service offering, we have in-house Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Coordinators who support the integration of building services throughout the design process.
Why does my project require specialist input?
Animal care facilities are often far more complex than people initially realise. Whilst the most technically demanding areas of a typical home might be the kitchen and bathroom, veterinary and animal welfare buildings can contain dozens of rooms with similar servicing requirements. Theatres, imaging suites, laboratories, kennels, isolation facilities and treatment areas all rely heavily on carefully coordinated mechanical and electrical systems to function effectively.
Let’s consider the veterinary prep area shown above and the clinical rooms connected to it. Beyond the finishes, equipment and lighting visible within the room, our Mechanical and Electrical team would need to consider factors such as ventilation and air change rates, temperature control, medical gas requirements, specialist lighting, power supplies for equipment, data infrastructure, infection control measures and fire detection systems.
This is only a high-level list. In reality, these services cannot simply be added to a drawing. They must be carefully coordinated within the available space, routed around the building structure, integrated with the architectural design and planned to support both the day-to-day operation and future maintenance of the facility.
Our M&E Coordinators help identify service requirements early, coordinate specialist equipment, review utility capacities and liaise with statutory authorities where upgrades to electrical supplies, water services or other infrastructure may be required. Their involvement ensures that engineering requirements are considered from the earliest stages of a project, helping to reduce the risk of clashes, redesign, programme delays and costly changes later in the process.
Depending on the scale and complexity of your project, our involvement may range from coordinating service requirements and producing performance specifications, through to producing fully coordinated designs. The level of service required will always be discussed and agreed as part of your project brief and fee proposal.