Interior of modern building atrium .
use . Such applications for sprinkler systems and wet riser systems have become well established in recent years and are excellent contributions to the global sustainability agenda without incurring any fire safety concerns .
Atria - Natural Lighting & Natural Ventilation
In green buildings , atria are a common method of allowing natural light and air-distribution , sometimes in conjunction with natural ventilation , to assist the air-distribution system in overcoming the stack effect . Smoke control is often required when an atrium is planned . Also , atria generally are required to be served by sprinkler systems that are separate from the remainder of the floors . Other fire-protection issues , such as an atrium ’ s size and arrangement , including the location of walking surfaces and exit paths , need to be discussed early in a design process . These issues , in conjunction with design fire size , will affect a smoke-control ventilation system .
Supply and exhaust air requirements also need to be established . These determine the amount
of equipment required and the size of the airshaft serving the space . Supply air velocity is important in smoke-control systems as it affects grill sizing and location . These issues are best determined early in the design process for space requirements and power consumption ( normal and emergency ) to be established for smoke-control system equipment .
Natural ventilation is sometimes used to supplement or provide supply air to an atrium , both normal and in smoke-control mode . In the event natural ventilation is used , the wind effect may need to be addressed , in the design of a smoke-control system . In some cases , natural ventilation and the stack effect may be suitable to ventilate an atrium during normal conditions and during a fire .
A popular approach in sustainable design is harvesting the use of natural light . Natural light may be brought to a building ’ s interior through the use of skylights , light tubes , light wells , and atria . A light well is a shaft located in an interior area of a building , with windows located in the shaft to allow light to filter from the roof level to interior areas . Light wells designed to bring natural light through a building to lower levels may impact
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