Structured Learning and Development covering all levels and all areas of our business

Degree Apprenticeships, with part time university leading to full professional qualifications

Technician Apprenticeships, with part time college, leading to technician professional qualifications and subsequent university entrance

On the job supported learning in all aspects of our business

An allocated personal mentor and regular reviews

Specialist training from our in-house experts in a broad range of aspects including:

•   Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health Engineering
•   Sustainability Consultancy
•   CAD and BIM services
•   Software and Technology
•   Finance
•   Business Development
•   Marketing
•   Communication, presentation and report writing skills
•   Digital Engineering & Quality Management
•   Construction and contract law
•   People and team management
•   Social responsibility
•   Environmental responsibility
•   Site based experience with our Main Contractor and MEP Contractor partners
•   Complementary professional experience with Architect, C&S and QS partners
•   Involvement in STEM outreach activities and supporting others
•   Varied social activities at office and company level

Our WW:Academy also provides career long continued professional learning and development opportunities to support every aspect of career progression for all our staff, and comprises four levels as outlined below:

•    Level 1 – All staff
•    Level 2 – Junior / Graduate staff
•    Level 3 – Aspiring staff
•    Level 4 – Next generation staff

Levels 1 and 2 are as described, with levels 3 and 4 being focused on the mentoring and development of our current mid-level engineers and management to evolve into future management and business leaders and winners.

Wallace Whittle are proud to be involved in the Dagenham Green project for Dagenham Dock Limited/Peabody, which has recently received approval for an outline planning permission for a mixed use development of up to 3502 new homes, of which a minimum of 47% will be affordable.

Wallace Whittle have provided Energy, Utilities, MEP and Vertical Transportation services for both the masterplan and the first phase of the development which Dagenham Dock Limited/Peabody are looking to bring forward in the coming months.

We are delighted to be working on this exciting project with a vision to create a new sustainable neighbourhood with placemaking and the local community at the heart of the design development.

The mixed-use development will also provide:

• Over 10 acres of public realm and landscaping, including a central 5-acre urban park and 15,000 sqm of playspace
• New local shops and restaurants
• 5 acres of land for a new Secondary School
• A Heritage Trail that will signpost visitors to different aspects of the area’s history including the 1968 Sewing Machinists Strike and the biodiverse Thames Marshland.

Paul Dean, Director at Wallace Whittle “We share Peabody’s principles to provide a housing development for a connected community comprising open space with sustainable homes for the future.  It is a great opportunity for Wallace Whittle to help design and be part of creating Peabody’s great estates for the future, delivering the principles of the masterplan for Barking and Dagenham”.

The optimum design and installation of MEP services is essential to the smooth operation of any building however in the 365/24/7 data centre environment it is even more vital that the MEP design incorporates robust and reliable solutions that fulfil business objectives. The infrastructure also impacts on energy efficiency and operating costs so we must explore every opportunity to be energy efficient and considerate of the environment.

Our Stephen Phimister, as an Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer, is a recognised leader in the design of data centre MEP. We asked Stephen to share some of his current thoughts on Date Centre MEP design.

Resilience of every service within a data centre is fundamental. Over the past two years this need has been brought into sharp focus as the Covid-19 pandemic saw organisations move rapidly from centralised to decentralised working. Many companies whom had previously resisted cloud services found themselves deploying them very quickly to enable remote working. This was observed by data centre operators who saw increased demand right from the initial few weeks of lockdown as services were modified to cope with the changing environment. As businesses continue to adapt to new ways of working there will be increased global demand for data centre space.

Data centre demands

The demands of a data centre MEP design are considerably greater than those required for a standard building and normal pressures on designers are intensified. For example, physical space is always a key factor to take into consideration with each rack having a rental value attached to it. Obtaining more rack space can make a considerable difference to revenue levels over the lifetime of a data centre therefore optimising plant space is a critical aspect of design.

Data centres can have a particularly high energy density. Consequently, the sheer amount of power and critical nature of the loads being served require significant expertise in the design and delivery of the solution. This is not just to support the immediate power needs of the IT systems. Multiple voltages levels, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), large standby generators, fuel storage, transformers, metering and power usage effectiveness are just a few of the multidimensional electrical design considerations. However, of equally critical importance is the cooling solution and although significant improvements have been made in recent years designers still strive to reduce energy demand. The challenges of targeting Net Zero Carbon apply to data centres as well!

As energy efficiency of the electrical and mechanical systems is critical, from both an environmental and commercial perspective, innovative design can minimise the power required to run a data centre. In view of the energy density, small improvements in design efficiency can have dramatic effects in reducing carbon footprint and running costs.

From compressor free cooling, to hot/cold aisle containment solutions, to increased server operating temperatures, no stone should be left unturned when it comes to reducing energy consumption. However, all these good design measures can be ineffective if the operator cannot monitor, and therefore control, the energy use in operation. Metering is therefore vitally important, and this is delivered through a comprehensive metering solution or may be combined into an Integrated Data Centre Infrastructure Management (IDCIM) system, which combines the MEP and IT operating conditions of the facility.

In terms of site selection, from an engineering perspective power and communications are key. Some clients may try to manage risk through geographical remoteness however, without network capacity, what may seem like an ideal site may render it impracticable for data centre use. It is therefore vital that early feasibility and investigations are commissioned prior to a data centre build project commencing, to mitigate or minimise the risk associated with these potentially expensive fixes.

Setting the standard

There are many different standards that clients may choose to follow. For example, the Uptime Institute is one that is recognised globally for the creation and administration of data centre design, construction, and operational sustainability certification. Its Tier rating, which defines the standards required for different resilience levels, is probably the most quoted (and often misquoted) reference in data centre design. There is also a plethora of further specialist standards which must also be considered by the MEP design team.

Local and National legislation can introduce complexities, and the designers must be skilled at juggling the sometimes diverging business, build and regulatory requirements. In terms of meeting client expectations, it is vital to identify early on any gaps between their aspirations and regulatory or design restrictions. Of course, every client has unique requirements for their data centre facility. So, to deliver a successful project, the MEP design team must be skilled in extracting this information and harnessing a client’s knowledge about their business operations.

For any building services project, effective communication is the key element as this will highlight potential issues early on in a project, saving costly changes further down the line. Due to the levels of resilience demanded by a data centre, effective project communication is even more vital. Given the importance of MEP services within the operation of a data centre it is therefore imperative that building services engineers are involved from the earliest stages of design to help inform a successful final building layout and configuration.

We will be delighted to offer our considerable expertise in any of your Data Centre or business critical MEP design requirements.