ibse.hk (Building Services Engineering)

Imagine yourself in the most fabulous building in the world. Now take away the lighting, heating and ventilation, the lifts and escalators, acoustics, plumbing, power supply and energy management systems, the security and safety systems...and you are left with a cold, dark, uninhabitable shell.
Everything inside a building which makes it safe and comfortable to be in comes under the title of 'Building Services'. A building must do what it was designed to do - not just provide shelter but also be an environment where people can live, work and achieve.

What BSE is about?

It is about designing, installing & servicing everything that is needed to make buildings comfortable, safe & convenient
It is an engineering stream concerning with the design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and maintenance of mechanical and electrical services in buildings
BSE is multidisciplinary by nature!
Building services engineers are responsible for ensuring the cost-effective, environmentally sound and sustainable design and maintenance of engineering services in buildings. With the current emphasis on sustainability, building services engineers are at the cutting-edge of designing, developing and managing new technologies that integrate into existing systems and services.
So what does a building services engineer do, exactly? [Guardian Careers] http://www.theguardian.com/careers/building-services-engineer

Significance

Building & construction industry is an important sector in every society and it shapes the built environment in which we live
Building services installations are essential provisions for every building and could account for 20-40% of total building cost
BSE affects people's comfort, health & productivity
BSE influences the building's performance, local & global environment (e.g. energy, water resources & air pollution)

Main objectives of BSE design

Hygiene (prevent disease & ensure health)
Safety (protect against risks)
Comfort (physio- & psycho- well-beings)
Convenience (efficiency & productivity)

Aspects of BSE work

Main Aspects

Understanding and using physics
Using mathematics to solve technical or scientific problems
Learning about buildings, roads etc and how they are built
Analytical ability to understand and solve challenging problems

Secondary Aspects

Learning how machines work
Understanding technical drawings and diagrams
Improving or managing the environment
Understanding the scientific uses and properties of materials
Planning how work is to be carried out
Problem solving by seeking new ideas
Travelling around locally from place to place
Learning about the uses of computers
Explaining ideas and information to people

Related areas/disciplines

HVAC+R (heating, ventilating & air-conditioning + refrigeration)
Fire services
Water supply & drainage
Public health
Gas & steam supply
Electrical services
Lighting systems
Security
Facade engineering
Communication
Acoustics
Vertical transportation (e.g. lifts & escalators)
Building management & control system
Refuse disposal system

Work activities

Building services engineers design building services systems. They also supervise their installation and operation. Certain types of buildings need complex building services. For example, computer rooms need precise controls of temperature and humidity, hospital operating theatres must be completely sterile and factories must prevent any harmful fumes from going into the atmosphere. Office buildings, swimming pools, cold stores, museums and leisure centres also have particular requirements that building services engineers need to meet.
Some building services engineers are mainly office based as they specialise in design work. They work closely with the architect, the customer and other members of the design team to prepare a design for a building project. This includes all drawings and detailed specifications for use by the contractor. They often use computer-aided design (CAD) packages for this work.
Designs must meet environmental needs, use energy efficiently and meet the budget set by the customer. Engineers need overall knowledge of the full range of building services, although they usually specialise in either mechanical services or lighting/electrical services.
Building services engineers maintain close links with other professionals such as the construction manager and the surveyor to decide how many staff are needed and to work out costs. They supervise the installation of the building services and inspect the quality of the work, dealing with any problems that arise.
BSE career opportunities also arise in the fields of Construction Project Management and Facilities Management particularly in the area of modern industrial facilities involving clean room manufacturing, such as in pharmaceutical and electronics production.
Typical works of building services consulting firms include:

Feasibility, inspection, technical reports, estimating
Design, specification, drawings, tender procurement
Contract management, site supervision, cost control

Activities vary according to the specialist area of work and employer (for example, client/end-user, building contractor or engineering consultancy). However, tasks typically involve:

negotiating and developing project contracts and agreeing these with clients, if working in consultancy, and putting out tenders;
commissioning, organising and assessing the work of contractors;
working with detailed diagrams, plans and drawings;
using specialist computer-aided design (CAD) software and other resources to design the systems required for the project;
managing and forecasting spend, using whole life cycle costing techniques, ensuring that work is kept to budget;
designing site-specific equipment as required;
overseeing and supervising the installation of building systems and specifying maintenance and operating procedures;
monitoring building systems and processes;
making decisions about expired systems equipment and the appropriate location of new equipment;
facilities management;
liaising closely with other professionals, including structural engineers, builders, architects and surveyors, and in-house project teams;
attending a range of project group and technical meetings;
ensuring that the design and maintenance of building systems meets legislative and health and safety requirements;
advising clients and architects on energy use and conservation in a range of buildings and sites, aiming to minimise the environmental impact and reduce the carbon footprint;
working on a variety of projects within a short period of time.

Personal qualities and skills

As a Building Services Engineer, you should be a good teamworker as you will work closely with various construction professionals such as Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Structural Engineers. You should also be a good communicator as you have to explain ideas and designs to other members of the team. You also need a creative and enquiring mind and an ability to solve problems.
Building Services Engineers are concerned primarily with the progress of technology through innovation, creativity and change. They develop and apply new technologies; promote advanced designs and design methods; introduce new and more efficient production techniques and marketing and construction concepts; and pioneer new engineering services and management methods. They may be involved with the management and direction of high-risk and resource intensive projects. Professional judgement is a key feature of their role, allied to the assumption of responsibility for the direction of important tasks, including the profitable management of industrial and commercial enterprises.

Career opportunities

CareerJet.hk: building service engineer jobs in Hong Kong

Building Services Engineers are in high demand by industry and employment prospects are very good. Our programme provides the academic base for a professional career with various types of private and public employers, including consulting and contracting firms, construction companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, building developers and owners, facility and property management companies, power and utilities companies, and government departments. The analytical and problem solving skills learnt are also useful in other areas like finance and business management. Some graduates may consider further study through master or doctoral degree programmes in local or overseas institutions. The knowledge and skills from this programme will enable our graduates to pursue broader career interests and become highly adaptable.

Nowadays, the building services professionals are not only engaged by consulting firms, contractors, developers, architectural and building firms, and various government departments for the design, installation, maintenance and repairing work of the building services systems, their engineering knowledge can also be applied to other fields like manufacturing and marketing of engineering products. They may also take up various teaching posts in tertiary education and vocational training institutions. The building services professionals of the electrical discipline may also register as an electrical worker under the Electricity Ordinance provided that he possesses the qualifications as stipulated in the Electricity (Registration) Regulations.

Examples of relevant jobs include:

Consulting or design engineer
M/E contracting engineer
Main/Civil contracting firm building services co-ordinator
Project Manager/BSE for developers
Government engineer (e.g. ArchSD, EMSD, Housing Authority)
BSE for quasi-government bodies, e.g. MTRC, Towngas, power companies
Sales engineer of M/E equipment suppliers
Facility management or maintenance engineer
Teaching/research in universities and educational institutions

Related Info

A portrait of building services engineers in Hong Kong https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/09699981311288682
About Building Services [CIBSE] http://www.cibse.org/aboutbs

CIBSE Careers: Making a difference [PDF]
What's so special about Building Services Engineering?
Building Services Engineers Bring Buildings to Life
Building Services Careers Factsheets

BCA Singapore

Building Careers, http://www.buildingcareers.sg/
The Six Professionals in the Construction Value Chain (6:28), http://youtu.be/chl5_z-gkWg
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (Part 1) (8:59), http://youtu.be/Fd7Puc0wRWY
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (Part 2) (7:18), http://youtu.be/4RBMb1M-CAc