Business of A/E/C « Noel's Green (make that SUSTAINABLE) Blog

How to Sustain the Energy Efficient Design

I am worried now. A new report just came out showing that 85% of CMMS (Computerized Management and Maintenance System) software being purchased is not being used. This is software that is supposed to be used by facilities managers to streamline their work, but apparently without much eagerness.

An excellent commentary in this [...]

Design firm uses a lot of technology (BIM and cloud computing)

BIM, IPD and “private” cloud computing at Little Diversified Architecture in Charlotte. This firm is on the top of the wave of change, being led by the author of the article, Chris France, CIO of the firm. This firm and its predecessors have always been very very good anyway. [...]

30 years versus a certain curriculum.

I want to clear the air about something that has been problematic for years. I do not have the standard degree in my field.

Recently I have been in close contact with many engineering, architecture, and construction hiring managers. The communication has revealed much and disappointed me on a number of occasions as [...]

Why is a BSME worth it and a BSCS not?

Stymied by details of education again!
I have devoted 30 years… to this field and still the issue of education comes up again and again.

Certain states will not approve my application for licensure, citing my education not being adequate. I do not have a BSME (BS Mechanical Engineering), and my degrees are not both [...]

THE LAST ENERGY CRISIS- 1970s and a B.S. Environmental Design

I have a BS ED, which is a science that encompasses the junction between engineering and architecture. My expertise is in buildings and how they work. I focused all my career on design of the built environment and building systems. I was educated in energy conservation, neighborhood [...]

BIM Adoption – There is a reason it is spreading fast

Money
Factoid heard at the recent Eco-Build conference in D.C.: “The number of contractors adopting Building Information Modeling has quadrupled in the past year. ” Coming from a very small core of early and aggressive users to a large cross section.

Another trend is that BIM is being used on larger projects by the [...]

The bottom line! Building commissioning today

I would like to share this 2006 excerpt from the Building Design and Construction magazine white paper on the bottom line of building commissioning.

To put some solid numbers on benefits of commissioning, Evan Mills, PhD, and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Portland Energy Conservation, and Texas A&M University (Energy Systems Laboratory) reviewed published [...]

Calculating the tax benefits

While I was thinking about how to calculate the tax benefits of upgrading and changing or upgrading HVAC systems, lighting and hot water heaters, I decided to see if anyone had made a calculator to analyze it already. Sure enough, General Electric had created this EPact calculator

I have not had the time [...]

Coordinating differing disciplines: Commitment and accountability?

A repeat/revisiting of The DEC 16, 2007 Blog entry. This one bears repeating because in this difficult economy, it is important to keep a perspective on the teamwork necessary to execute and implement a building.

Building design and construction requires cooperation between a dozen or more actors.
Design-Build-Operate Network Diagram

There is an architect designing the overall building. Another firm may do the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design. Another firm does the civil design and still another firm does the structural.

5 design disciplines by 5 different designers.

Each one working on a separate set of documents.

Theoretically in synch.

Continue reading Coordinating differing disciplines: Commitment and accountability?