"The Flexible Space System was ideal for this project," explains Andrew Gardiner, Projects Engineer at principal building services contractor, Heating and Cooling Services Ltd. "The underfloor approach has enabled us to create top quality, flexible air-conditioned offices and maximise the sense of available space within the building, by concealing all cabling, services and even air-conditioning terminal units beneath the raised access floor."

With a limited, compact floor-to-ceiling height, compounded by the lack of space to extend upwards because of the Westway above, AET's Flexible Space technology has proved the perfect solution. The system utilises the plenum under a new raised access floor as a duct in itself with the area divided into four distinct zones determined by use and occupancy density.

Each zone is supplied with chilled or warmed air by a conditioned air module (CAM). The underfloor void is divided into supply and return air plena using easily relocatable, airtight baffles. Supply air is drawn up into the occupied space by fan assisted terminal units (FTU450), which are recessed into the floor, plug into an underfloor power source and are connected by data cabling for intelligent control. These fan tile units feature individual controls to provide variable speed and temperature adjusted for maximum user comfort.

Air travels back to the CAM via return grilles located over the return channel for re-conditioning and is mixed with fresh air at that point to achieve high standards of indoor air quality.

Since they are not restricted by duct or pipe connections, FTU's are easily interchangeable with floor panels and movable carpet tiles, allowing easy reconfiguration of the system to accommodate any alterations to the office layout with minimum cost and disruption. Office IT and telecoms cabling as well as power points are also concealed beneath AET's raised access floor, minimising workspace congestion and making any subsequent reconfiguration a straightforward task.

The system at the Monsoon Building was commissioned in June 2003.