Features
Why Building Commissioning Matters
By Drake Wauters, AIA
Commissioning of the building design and the construction process has been a hot topic in many circles for some time with the greatest surge in interest driven by the leading sustainable building programs. According to the online Oxford Dictionary, the definition of the term commissioning that applies to the building delivery process is the verb meaning to “Bring (something newly produced, such as a factory or machine) into working condition”. So why is commissioning becoming so important if all building design and construction programs result in a functioning building?
Cx Report from the Field
By Pamela Sams AIA, LEED BD+C
Building Commissioning is becoming an increasingly larger part of the design and construction process as the industry demands higher performing buildings and Design Teams in order to keep pace, need to become more sophisticated in setting goals and measuring results. This article will give an overview of Building Commissioning (Cx) and its impact on a traditional Design, Bid, Build project delivery processes and highlight some of the specific benefits and pitfalls that may be encountered during the procurement and construction period based on my observations during the Design and Construction Administration phases for a new laboratory building still under construction.
What Might an Owner's Project Requirements (OPR) Look Like for Whole Building Commissioning
By Micheal Lough, AIA, CSI, CxA+BE, BECxP
With ASHRAE, NIBS, ASTM, USGBC and ICC all engaged in the development of guidelines, standards, codes and references; and with these organizations attempting in some form to coordinate efforts this article will be outdated in its references soon after the publication of this article. Have fun in keeping up with everything or stay tuned to the TDBP as we try to stay current.
Cx Specs
By Joseph Berchenko AIA, CSI, CCS
"It is a growing field," says Rick Casault of Casault Engineering, a firm that specializes in building commissioning. "We've seen tremendous increase in the volume of commissioning largely as a result of the sustainability rating systems…. I've just seen an article in ASHRAE's High Performing Buildings Magazine that quoted [that] 13.8 percent of projects in the 50 largest markets in the United States include commissioning…. Even through the downturn of 2008-2009, every company doing commissioning that I'm aware of was still looking for more people. It's growing so fast that we're not able to fill the demand."
New! AIAU Courses on Technical Design and Building Performance
Our desire to continue learning is what keeps us sharp and our profession relevant. Now with AIAU, the AIA’s new online education platform, anyone in the world with an Internet connection has access to top courses on the importance of commissioning and the latest analysis of effective modeling techniques for high performance design by industry-leading experts in science, engineering, and architecture.
Courses are carefully curated and cover the latest strategies for integrating net zero performance into a project, including maintaining a budget and achieving sustained building performance.
Check out these great courses:
AIA and the Importance of Energy Codes: National Adoption and Compliance Support Programs│ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Building Enclosure Commissioning: What, Why, Who, When and How? │ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Deep Energy Retrofits and the Architect’s Role in This Emerging Opportunity│ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Integrated Window and Lighting Systems Can Help Meet Challenging New Building Codes│ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Net Zero Energy Buildings (NEZB) in 7 Climate Zones: an Analysis of How to Design NZEBs in Varied Climates│ Earns 1 LU /HSW/ GBCI / RIBA
Net-Positive Design: Creating Regenerative Buildings and Communities│ Earns 1. LU / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
The Four Stages of Energy Modeling in the Life Cycle of Building Design│ Earns 1 LU / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Timber Structures & Sustainable City Design│ Earns 1 LU / GBCI / RIBA
High Performance Design and Optimization │ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Implementing Behavioral Change: Energy, Efficiency, and Environment│ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA
Individual courses are $25 for AIA members and $40 for non-members. Buy four or more courses and save 15%, no promo code needed.
Check out more great courses on AIAU >
Archived KC Webinars
A New Concept in Practice: Leading the Delivery Process
Sponsored by the AIA Project Delivery Knowledge Community
This live webinar was held on November 13, 2014. A recording of the webinar as well as a copy of the presentation and Q&A are are now available.
Presenters demonstrated through a current project case study how architects have an opportunity to participate in this collaborative project orchestration, potentially differentiating themselves in today’s competitive project climate.
The Business Case for the 2030 Challenge
Sponsored by the AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community
In case you missed this webinar, a PDF handout of the presentation is now available.
Look for more information to follow about a similar session to be featured at 2015 Convention in Atlanta.
This session outlined how engaging the 2030 Commitment allows your firm to be more competitive in the market.
