Two Melbourne Quarter (2MQ) has been designed to provide next-generation commercial office space, high-end residential living, and a good mix of retail, food, lifestyle and wellbeing facilities.  Targeting a 6-Star Green Star rating and 5-star NABERS Rating, this development sustains a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency.

Louvreclad was contracted by Lingyun (façade contractor) to design, engineer supply and install all mechanical ventilation and screening louvres on the building. Louvreclad Ellenborough Series® was installed in horizontal configuration where good air flow and Class B rain defence (96% effective) was required, and Meridian Series® single stage louvres were utilized for roof top screening where rain defence was not a concern.

The specification for louvres was tight and the performance provided by each louvre profile was crucial. Louvreclad worked closely with Lingyun and Lendlease through the design to ensure the right louvres were selected for the project.

Despite a well-considered selection of louvres, the mechanical contractor in charge of supplying the diesel generators for the plant room, suddenly had very specific pressure drop requirements just before installation of the Ellenborough Series® Louvres.  At this point the louvre size and orientation had been set, denying the possibility to simply make the louvre bigger or change the louvre profile to reduce the pressure drop.

This resulted in delays on site and ignited a blame game amongst those involved.

It is not uncommon for this type of issue to occur, especially on these larger developments and is typically due to the unavailability of project specific mechanical requirements at design stage.  Ultimately, if there is more communication and coordination between the mechanical consultant, architect, and louvre contractor at design stage, these issues can be avoided.

The ideal design phase for selecting the right louvre is:

• Mechanical engineer defines the required volume flow rate (m ³/s) for mechanical plant or passive ventilation.
• Mechanical engineer defines the maximum allowable pressure drop across a louvre before fan performance suffers.
• The architect and engineer then balance the louvre façade area (m²) against the effective aerodynamic area of any louvre selections, and the required rain resistance rating, and aesthetics to get a mutually workable outcome.
• The louvre is then specified utilising the Australian Standard AS4740:2000 classification system. For example: Jupiter 2 Stage Louvre – Class A3 (Example schedule available on draft specification)

Please Note: Louvre performance is proportional to the design air flow. For example, the higher the air velocity the lower the rain defence.
Also, if project specific mechanical requirements are available at design stage, Louvreclad welcomes early contractor involvement and are more than happy to assist with your selection.

Thankfully, our team were able to provide adequate calculations and integrate Louvreclad Jupiter Series® standard into the screens where more airflow and lower pressure drops were required.

Louvreclad was pleased to be able to provide a workable solution that met the mechanical, architectural, and head contractors’ requirements, creating a successful outcome for all!