False fire alarms cost lives and students are often the worst offenders because of their less than silky cooking skills. HAC reveals how an 'allergy' to washing up liquid led to an innovative demand ventilation solution at Nottingham Trent University.          

This Update discusses how various factors affect the fire resistance of floors in multi-family dwellings. The information is based on results from a major industry/government research project carried out by the National Research Council's Institute for Research in Construction (IRC). 

The present paper aims to investigate, in a systematic way, and by using both experimental and theoretical tools, the potential of night ventilation techniques when applied to full scale buildings, under different structure, design, ventilation, and climatic characteristics. Also, to investigate the impact and the limitations of night ventilation techniques regarding the thermal behavior of various types of buildings. Real scale measurements in three buildings operating under free-floating and air conditioning conditions have been performed.

Hampshire County Council has a deservedly high reputation for imaginative, low energy educational buildings. In 1995, County Architect Sir Colin Stansfield-Smith worked his magic for Portsmouth University. Has the mixed mode solution for the Portland Building done the trick?