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BUSINESS
s the mechanical and electrical (M&E)
business of Laing O’Rourke, Crown
House Technologies (CHt) has been at
the forefront of some of the most exciting
projects in the world. From high-grade laboratories
and hospitals to sophisticated office developments and
data centres, a collaborative and innovative approach
is helping the business deliver buildings that meet and
surpass the expectations of clients.
As part of Laing O’Rourke’s integrated offering, CHt
provides its expertise and advice at the earliest stage in the
process and is working with all our in-house companies
to produce integrated designs that reap the benefits of our
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach,
providing a much greater level of certainty.
Business unit leader Mike Lewis says: “The M&E world
is about so much more than just making sure the lights
come on, particularly these days as
technological advances open up all
sorts of new possibilities for what can
be achieved in terms of environmental
and building performance.
“With our unique expertise and
experience, we’re pioneering the use
of ground-breaking building and
infrastructure technology, while also
revolutionising the construction
process itself by manufacturing,
assembling and commissioning
As construction projects become more complex, Crown House Technologies is leading
the way and using its expertise to turn technological challenges into opportunities to
change the face of the mechanical and electrical industry
Technical prowess
more and more M&E components off site in a safe, quality
controlled environment.”
The power of DfMA
CHt’s manufacturing facility in Oldbury is a key factor in
the business’s success and its future strategy, as the demand
for DfMA service modules rises. Tim Pugh, operations
leader for manufacturing, logistics and plant, says: “A large
proportion of our M&E systems are now modularised and
pre-assembled, meaning we can install equipment such as
air conditioning, modular wiring, variable refrigerant flow
systems, fire alarms and pipework in environmentally stable
conditions and can complete testing and commissioning
before getting to site.
“We’re really raising the bar when it comes to DfMA.
Our clients and projects are seeing improved efficiency
rates and quality outcomes as well as reduced health and
safety risks as a result.”
On a recent project, CHt provided
over 280 mechanical, electrical and
plant (MEP) modules – each packed
with components and services they
had never installed at the factory
before. In total, 70% of the M&E
services were manufactured and
assembled off site. “This enabled the
onsite CHt project team to nearly
double their fit out rate from 800 sq m
to 1200 sq m per week,” says Tim.
A
Advanced technology:
CHt’s manufacturing
facility in Oldbury is key
to their success and
future strategy

2. 34 / Infoworks 2015/16 Issue 4
Strategic partnerships, sophisticated services
With an impressive breadth of service, interacting
with its clients throughout the lifecycle of the build,
CHt collaborates closely with clients. It forms strategic
partnerships, supporting them from conception to
commissioning and beyond, ensuring that the building
is operating correctly.
Steve Wignall, CHt operations director (North), explains:
“Clients are demanding more technology-enabled buildings,
both with regards to energy efficiency and in terms of
ease of operation.
“Buildings are becoming increasingly complex places and
we have a responsibility to help our clients cut their carbon
BMS AT THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE
emissions and hand over buildings
that perform efficiently.”
CHt is installing sophisticated
computer software to help clients
run their buildings once complete.
Technology such as occupancy
sensors, lighting controls, security and
facial recognition are all being utilised.
“Many of these systems used to be
standalone, but now integration is key.
In the ‘information age’ we have the
ability to connect disparate systems
to communicate with one another and work together to
produce useful, valuable management information.”
In demand
CHt is constantly growing and developing. The core of
the business is its direct workforce that allows the company
to be in complete control of what it does.
“CHt prefers not to sub-contract work,” Mike says. “We
use our own highly skilled, highly technically qualified
employees. This vertical integration of specialisms
differentiates us from our competitors.”
The company self-delivers building services primarily
in the construction sector, but is now expanding into the
industrial market. “While CHt’s core business is within the
built environment, we’re looking into new areas such as rail
and industrial. We’re also very keen to stay in the critical
facilities market, such as data centres. The demand on the
technical compliance of working on data centres allows us
to showcase our building services skills. It’s these sorts of
skills that are rare, but in high demand.”
The Francis Crick Institute in
London represented a flagship
project for CHt, showcasing the
complete range of capabilities
it has as an industry leading
building and infrastructure
technology services provider.
An example of the scale and
complexity of the facility is the
building management system
(BMS), critical to ensure the
correct operational state of the
building and maintain the strictly
controlled environmental conditions
required in high-grade laboratories.
The complexity of the landmark
building was compounded by the
construction access constraints and
the sheer number, size and integrity
requirements of the MEP systems
and equipment.
“The influence of CHt’s engineers
in the early stages of the project
has been instrumental in achieving
a successful outcome,” says CHt
technical leader Clive Charnock.
“The team has developed innovative
technical solutions such as wireless
technology and the deployment
of an integrated DfMA design
that comprises 4,000-plus pre-
assembled MEP modules, plus
a further 2,000-plus prefabricated
elements.” Incorporating in excess
of 25,000 datapoints, the Francis
Crick Institute is now the largest
BMS system in Europe.
Early development of the
commissioning strategy and
the subsequent integrated plan,
combined with maximising the level
of off-site pre-commissioning tests,
were key to delivering success. “The
utilisation of digital engineering by
CHt to co-ordinate the MEP design
into the overall multi-discipline
design in a virtual world, prior
to actual construction, has been
fundamental in ensuring the integrity
of the design and a key enabler in
achieving successful installation,”
adds Clive.
GO ONLINE
For more articles, visit Infoworks online.
infoworks.laingorourke.com
Engineering icons:
CHt has been involved
in exciting projects across
the world, including the
Leadenhall Building in
central London
BUILDINGS
ARE BECOMING
INCREASINGLY
COMPLEX PLACES
Clive Charnock