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Building physics

Optimal use of the building

When it comes to the development of buildings, more and more attention is paid to health and productivity. But sustainability and zero energy are also recurrent themes. What is it that results in pleasant living, working or learning? How do you integrate actual themes in a building? And how do you make a combination that complies with the requested quality? By starting with the user in mind and making optimal use of the building.

An optimally functioning building

DGMR’s consultants consider the options with you, and translate these to achieve an optimally functioning building. Daylight, acoustics, ventilation, thermal indoor environment, sun shading, use of material and for instance EPC are focus areas for new construction and renovation. In façade and climate concepts we combine these elements to realise comfort and sustainability. Do you aim at sustainability or health? We follow the latest developments and give shape to your ambitions with instruments such as BREEAM, LEED and GPR, but also take you to circularity, nearly zero energy building and WELL.

From one-off calculations to large projects

You can turn to DGMR for larger projects aimed at Green Deal schools, sustainable offices, high tech labs, zero energy universities and even entire campuses. But just as well for a one-off daylight calculation of a residential building.

 

Our consultants Building physics

More information about building physics

  • Building acoustics

    For an occupied space to be comfortable, it requires sound insulation. DGMR’s consultants determine which wall or façade provides sufficient silence and rest, measure the levels of sound insulation and offer the architectural solution. Does it, for instance, concern a cinema or an installation space? Then considering the position of the spaces in a building in an early stage of the process is important to the creation of an efficient design.

  • Room acoustics

    Influenced by the New Way of Working, more and more open plan offices emerge. In existing, often long shaped office buildings this causes the occurrence of sound reflections over long distances that become clearly and disturbingly audible. This is the case for larger spaces as well, such as swimming pools, atriums and gyms. Reverberation time and reflections, together, are deciding factors for pleasant acoustics. We assess the reverberation time and reflections with our calculation models to provide our clients with the right solutions, as detailed as possible.

  • Dutch Building Decree review

    Do your building plans for new construction or renovation comply with the Dutch Building Decree? By including the right information in your designs, you create clarity. Not only for the permit process, but also for the project team. With our Building Decree review, you can be sure that you haven’t forgotten anything and that the components are aligned. This prevents discussions about interpretation and adjustments during construction. Also important: it saves time and additional costs.

    A Building Decree assessment for your building plans has various areas of attention: architectural, building physics, fire safety and installations. We clearly bring all aspects together, so you can see at a glance where you stand. Our format is practical; the architect can use it and clearly articulate how the design can meet the requirements.

  • Auditorium acoustics

    The quality of acoustics is decisive when it comes to an optimal sound experience in a theatre or cinema. Due to our experience in theatre construction, DGMR knows what qualities an auditorium should have. We start with the client’s wishes and make these concrete with objective parameters. In our consultancy we do not merely focus on auditorium acoustics, but also consider the overall (theatre) technical design of an auditorium.

     

  • Indoor environment

    What results in a building with a comfortable environment? Critically assessing the thermal indoor environment and air quality. Our consultants make use of simulations to predict the indoor environment of new construction before it is built. Our consultancy is the combination of the practical translation of analyses and our years of experience. Sometimes complaints in an existing building lead to the analysis of its indoor environment. We make use of measuring instruments for the analysis of temperature, draught, air quality, CO2 and particulate matter. We can then test the results with simulation calculations that support the options for improvement.

    To make the thermal indoor environment or the air quality visible, DGMR developed the ComfortMonitor. These aspects also appear in DGMR’s ProductiveBuilding app, because they affect employees’ productivity.

  • Daylight

    Glass in the right places in a building saves artificial light and consequently energy. And it helps in meeting the demands of EPC, nZEB, BREEAM and WELL. DGMR’s consultants actively involve daylight in their design tasks. We know the possibilities because DGMR, as member of the NEN norm committee, drafted the assessment method for daylight and is also actively involved with the new European norm that sets the bar for daylight much higher. And with our tools we can swiftly provide insight in the quality of daylight of buildings by performing lighting research.

    Based on a simplified NEN 2057:2011, DGMR developed the Daylight-app. When users punch in space and window measurements and buildings across the street, the app calculates the quality of daylight.

  • Sustainability

    The wish to keep the ecological footprint as small as possible, makes sustainable solutions more and more important. BREEAM, GPR, LEED and WELL are all methods that help materialise sustainable ambitions. DGMR’s consultants go about this with the most practical and innovative approach. We can rely on our extensive experience in sustainability consultancy. We also give presentations on this subject at meetings and trainings.

    For more information, please see our advisory service Sustainability and health.

  • Energy and nZEB

    How do we contain energy consumption as much as possible? This is a question asked not only by construction businesses but also by the government. As no other, DGMR’s consultants can answer this for the government, contractors and designers. Ever since the early nineties, we have been working on energy performance. We know EPC, nZEB and energy labels inside out. This is because we are part of the NEN committee with respect to energy performance, and we develop energy models for the future.

    We support clients by creating concepts that combine low energy consumption with a comfortable building, while taking future regulations into account. We also predict buildings’ energy consumption with dynamic energy simulations.

  • Urban development

    What effect does a high tower have on wind nuisance? And on the number of hours of sunlight and daylight at the neighbours? Do you have to take heat stress in the city into account? And isn’t it better to solve the energy issue on a regional level? DGMR’s consultants offer tailored consultancy. We can also research the air quality and external safety in advance. When it comes to noise-exposed locations, we regard the area within the limits of the Dutch Noise Abatement Act and the ‘Hogere GrensWaardebeleid (HWG)’ (‘Higher Value Procedure’). And by integrating measures against for example wind nuisance into the design, expensive measures afterwards can be prevented.

    Gaining insight into the consequences of design choices? We work with computer simulations so that we can compare concepts. Not only are we familiar with noise, lighting, insolation, wind and air, we also know municipal policy and procedures to help with the urban argumentation for an environmental permit.

DGMR advises clients in these markets

Business advisory services

Together, we work on a responsible corporate and living climate within the boundaries of government policy.
Gerard van Kempen
gke@dgmr.nl

Industry

We know the specific approach that distribution centres, data centres and tank storage need for custom-made solutions.
Michael Haas
mha@dgmr.nl

Office buildings

We help our clients make their buildings above all: distinctive, healthy, productive, comfortable and safe.
Antwan van Haaren
hr@dgmr.nl

Laboratories

Our unique experience with vibration technology combined with building physics and fire safety makes the difference.
Ronald Oldengarm
ol@dgmr.nl

Leisure

Creating an optimal experience for visitors of concert halls, gym complexes, amusement parks and for example cinemas, is something we do together.
Peter Bijvoet
bv@dgmr.nl

Education

We help schools and universities in choosing an environment that increases learning achievements.
Gertjan Verbaan
vb@dgmr.nl

Retail

To alter shopping so that it becomes a new experience, we change shops and ‘shopping malls’ into comfortable buildings.
Ronald Oldengarm
ol@dgmr.nl

Residential development

We are happy to contribute to healthy and pleasant living environments, mostly mixed-use developments and stacked residential building complexes.
Hendrik-Jan Doevendans
hdo@dgmr.nl

Health care and hotels

We create an environment for hospitals and hotels in which people can properly recover and relax.
Björn Peters
bpe@dgmr.nl

A healthy building with WELL

Healthy Building with WELL

Do you want to ensure that your building is healthy? The WELL Building Standard is a powerful tool for creating a healthy work environment. With the purpose of stimulating the health and productivity of those who work there. DGMR is the first WELL Performance Testing Organization in Europe.

More about WELL Our WELL advisor
Healthy Building with WELL

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