Integrated Design for Buildings
Integrated Design for Buildings
(OP)
Hi,
In my department we are supposedly doing integrated design with our building projects. However, I know our methods are not quite "book perfect", and as result we have glitches and delays -mostly due to poor communication and goodness knows what else. We do not do design in-house, but provide the RFP, and then monitor the consultant's dwgs and specs at several stages for compliance to the design parameters and to our (gov't) design standards. My section consists of technical specialists in various disciplines (I am mechanical)...I would be very interested to hear how HVAC designers, or those in similar position to my section (review and guidance), are enjoying working with integrated design method. (For us, it still seems like mechanical gets the tiny leftover spaces and then only after quite a bit of vying for room..) And even though we do energy modelling for life cycle costing, it is hard to get clients to see past the "capital" cost only.. Any comments? Thanks!
In my department we are supposedly doing integrated design with our building projects. However, I know our methods are not quite "book perfect", and as result we have glitches and delays -mostly due to poor communication and goodness knows what else. We do not do design in-house, but provide the RFP, and then monitor the consultant's dwgs and specs at several stages for compliance to the design parameters and to our (gov't) design standards. My section consists of technical specialists in various disciplines (I am mechanical)...I would be very interested to hear how HVAC designers, or those in similar position to my section (review and guidance), are enjoying working with integrated design method. (For us, it still seems like mechanical gets the tiny leftover spaces and then only after quite a bit of vying for room..) And even though we do energy modelling for life cycle costing, it is hard to get clients to see past the "capital" cost only.. Any comments? Thanks!





RE: Integrated Design for Buildings
It will take at least a generation or two to actually get towards better integrated building design, since the culture of building design and consulting has been so entrenched in "the usual way of doing things" for so long that it will take a lot of effort to chnage things around.
I agree that getting Clients educated around life-cycle costs vs capital costs is a long hard battle. The trick is to get better life cycle costs and mower energy for the same capital cost as a "conventional building", but that requires doing the design process much differently than we do it now.
RE: Integrated Design for Buildings
Part of our problem here as Govt dept, our clienst are Govt too and their budgets, it should be mentioned, come from separate "pots" for Capital and O&M..they are voted on quite separately in the legislature.. so no wonder these departemnts have no reason to reduce maintenance and operating expenses in the initial design.
Some of our jobs are Design Build. But I wish they could go out as "Design Build Maintain" , as I have heard happens in some places....
RE: Integrated Design for Buildings
RE: Integrated Design for Buildings
In actual fact, the owner may prefer a 9' ceiling that allows easy access to ceiling mounted mechancial equipment. They may have plans for expansion that mean large well designed server rooms. They may find multi-storey atria a pointless extravagence.
M/E/S/A are all used to fighting for space, but ultimately the Owner needs to decide what is important to them, and what they are willing to pay for.
RE: Integrated Design for Buildings