The conditioning system for a multifunctional Forum space, in a modern museum building is currently under design. The multifunctional space serves as a gallery that can exhibit art, a lecture theater or a reception area. The Forum has many glazed surfaces which are transparent as requested by architects. As the space is multifunctional there is no predetermined strategy as to when the space will operate in a certain mode. The occupancy and time of use of the Forum is also varied. The case occupancies are approximately 50 in the early mornings, 360 for a lecture and 500 people for a reception. The combination of glass and the variations in occupancy provided a challenge to the designers of the Forum. Multiple design options were considered and this paper contains the critical designs that were studied and why certain design solutions were pursued.

Occupant comfort is expressed in terms of PMV/PPD as described in the ASHRAE standard 55-2004. Therefore the radiant heat exchange in the space and radiant balancing components such as radiant floors and ceilings have been investigated to see if the required conditions can be maintained. The air supply systems have been critically assessed to ensure the draft rating is not exceeded. The energy consumption of the different systems has also been assessed and the performance of the space and its conditioning systems were analyzed.

Units: SI