Glass Box Front Entrance
Glass Box Front Entrance
(OP)
Hello,
I am working on a new 2 storey front entrance to a hospital with large south facing windows (see attached sketch). The entrance will be used to connect people to the main hospital and a doctor's clinic. It will be equipped with seating along the south and east walls and include a water feature (not determined yet) in the middle. The existing cooling system in the hospital is maxed out and with a tight budget we looked at providing a new AHU to serve the new entrance. Cooling would be provided by a DX coil, while we could use the existing boiler plant for heating. I would like to get your thoughts on how to treat the south facing and east facing windows. I am not sure if air would be the best approach or if hydronic should be used. Air would be able to address both heating and cooling, where as hydronic would only allow for heating.
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
Thank you.
I am working on a new 2 storey front entrance to a hospital with large south facing windows (see attached sketch). The entrance will be used to connect people to the main hospital and a doctor's clinic. It will be equipped with seating along the south and east walls and include a water feature (not determined yet) in the middle. The existing cooling system in the hospital is maxed out and with a tight budget we looked at providing a new AHU to serve the new entrance. Cooling would be provided by a DX coil, while we could use the existing boiler plant for heating. I would like to get your thoughts on how to treat the south facing and east facing windows. I am not sure if air would be the best approach or if hydronic should be used. Air would be able to address both heating and cooling, where as hydronic would only allow for heating.
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
Thank you.





RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
The seating - can this move to the north side (assuming northern hemisphere here)? Sitting in the sun will always feel hot and the seating will need to be set out from the glass for airflow. Blinds will also help.
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
You'll definitely need double-paned, low-e windows, but some sort of shading, particularly for late afternoon needs to be considered. However, there are a variety of architectural artifices that can be applied to minimize the solar load into the area.
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RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
If you are in a cold climate I would go for underfloor heating, and if you install an underfloor heating system, using it for slab cooling also becomes an option which is very effective for atriums with extensive glazing and solar loads. The cool slab immediately absorbs any solar radiation that hits the floor, thus effectively reducing the space sensible load that the air needs to cool.
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
Also, what is outside the windows at the entry? are there lots of trees, buildings, something nearby that might cut down on the solar radiation into the space?
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
I was looking at using fintube at the base of the windows for heating in the winter, but I'm not sure of the best way to deal with air distribution in the summer. Top down is not an option (no drop ceiling provided), maybe jet nozzles placed along the west wall at approximately 10-12ft height discharging sideway?
Thank you for all your input please keep the discussion going.
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance
RE: Glass Box Front Entrance