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A Team Process from Programming to Commissioning
Chapter 3 A Team Process from Programming to Commissioning Robert E. Faith, Mark A. Corey and Rachel Nelan
I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.
I.
Introduction ................................................................. Programming ............................................................... Schematic Design ........................................................ Design Development .................................................... Construction Documents ............................................. Bidding and Construction ............................................ Commissioning ............................................................ Summary ......................................................................
INTRODUCTION
The architectural design process follows a number of phases or stages, which result in the production of a variety of documents along the way. Although this process can vary greatly from project to project pending the delivery strategy and facility requirements, for the purposes of this book we will describe a more traditional approach. The design team can be quite large, and often encompasses a wide variety of architects, engineers, planners, consultants, users, administration and facilities, and the owner’s operations staff. They each have their own set of goals and objectives and thoughts about a given project. It is the goal of the team to assemble this information into a cohesive set of criteria so that everyone on the team is engaged in the same way for the same PLANNING AND DESIGNING RESEARCH ANIMAL FACILITIES
13 13 14 14 15 15 15 15
objective. The actual process can be divided into the following traditional phases: programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and construction, and commissioning.
II.
PROGRAMMING
Programming is one of the most important activities in development of a new facility. This phase establishes the foundation upon which all planning, design and construction will rely. The programming effort should refine and clearly state the goals of the project. As the name implies, programming involves qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the programs and activities that need to be supported by the new Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
13
14
ROBERT E. FAITH, MARK A. COREY
facility. The program will define what goes into the facility, including many design features, so planners experienced in the design of animal research support facilities are a must. Information is gathered from the governing agencies and authorities having jurisdiction, such as zoning, planning, building and engineering. Concurrently, information is gathered from the institution or company itself that would affect the design and function of the facility. Often, institutions and companies have internal requirements for space allocations, engineering and architectural criteria, and specifications for materials used in construction. Information is also gathered from the administration that would outline the research and program needs, including any budget limitations. The design team will meet with the representatives of the institution/ company to create a set of requirements and criteria for the facility. These representatives would include animal facility management, investigative staff, department chairs, administration and facilities. It is very important that the stakeholders from the facility engage in this process and dedicate time to these meetings. Meetings could occur every 2–3 weeks and last several days, depending upon the size and complexity of the project. The programming document should provide a detailed description of the attributes and capabilities that the new facility must have to support the institutional requirements. This effort starts with understanding the species to be housed, the quantity of cages or animals, housing choices and type of research to be completed, and will result in a comprehensive list of functional rooms that the facility will need, such as holding, procedure, cage-wash, docks, offices, etc. This will result in a written program (list) of spaces with total net square feet (nsf). In addition to these spaces, the design team will identify other spaces, such as toilets, mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, shafts, etc., that are required. Room data sheets are created at this phase to document the physical criteria for each room. Often there is a written summary of each room type that describes the criteria and requirements, and the relationships of the spaces and how they interact with each other. Flow diagrams are created to examine adjacencies, relationships, and locations relative to flows within the facility. These are done for animals, personnel and equipment. At this phase a preliminary budget is usually established, along with the anticipated schedule to prepare the documents, construct the building, and allow for move-in and occupancy of the finished project. It is important that enough time be allowed for this phase, as it sets the scope of work for the rest of the project. Large changes can still be considered at this early stage that affect the scope of work, and which can’t be done in later stages without serious impacts to the project budget or schedule. It is critical that the stakeholders review these documents and provide comments and approval prior to moving into the next phase of design. It becomes increasingly harder to make adjustments to the project as each phase gets approved.
III.
AND RACHEL NELAN
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Using information gathered during the programming phase, conceptual or schematic design(s) are prepared. The design team will prepare floor plans (including options), building exterior elevations, and general layouts of major engineering systems, to confirm the function of the building and how it will integrate into the existing site and context of buildings. The building structural system and grids are established at this time. As schematic design takes form, it is regularly examined in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, and modified as required. A Basis of Design (BOD) document is produced which includes the project goals and objectives, program, room data sheets, code review, blocking/ stacking diagrams, building systems descriptions, and all drawings. This serves as the roadmap for all team members as the project moves forward. Meetings during this phase will continue to be every 2–3 weeks, and, depending upon the complexity of the project, of several days duration. The project may be estimated again, and adjustments to the design made if required to meet the budget requirements.
IV.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
In this phase the design is further developed in detail. The structure is developed, confirming beam and column sizes. Typical building components are addressed so that all aspects of the construction are identified. The exterior enclosure is designed and documented with elevations of the exterior, typical wall sections, and details. Materials and methods of construction are chosen and documented. Building sections are drawn to illustrate the structure and spatial relationships, and to understand the general construction. The major mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems of the building are documented in principle so that all major mechanical spaces are identified, equipment is located, and the distribution of these systems will work. Interior finishes and design are developed. All major research equipment is located. Typical hardware sets and door operations are identified, and typical ceiling plans are developed. The site plan is developed, showing entryways, parking areas, and access from the street. As the design development takes form, it is regularly examined with all project stakeholders in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, or to see if any modifications are needed. All design disciplines are coordinated with each other. A preliminary set of specifications is usually developed which outline the installation, type and quality of materials selected for the project. Although it is unusual for the stakeholders to review the specifications, the design team should present the specification information. This is the last phase where changes can be made without major compromise to the project in one way or another, so it is imperative that the stakeholders review
15
3. A TEAM PROCESS FROM PROGRAMMING TO COMMISSIONING
and sign-off on the design and details at this stage. From this point forward the project moves into a documentation phase, whereby changes have profound impacts on the project. Meetings during this phase will continue to take place regularly and can be very lengthy, given the amount of detail to review. The project may be estimated again, and if the cost exceeds the budget the administration may institute a value engineering session to bring the project back into budget. These sessions should be attended by the stakeholders, as value engineering choices can affect operational cost, quality of materials, and functionality.
V.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
During this phase the project is completely documented with a set of construction documents. This is the longest and most intensive phase in the process. All design decisions should have been made by the start of this phase, so there may only be a few meetings to review special or unique details. Drawings are dimensioned, noted and detailed, with references to details and specifications as required, and any outstanding issues are finalized. Final specifications for the materials and standards of construction are prepared. All the drawings and specifications are checked and coordinated to ensure that the project will be as correct as possible and has the necessary information for the successful completion of the construction. As the construction documents take form, they are regularly examined in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, or to see if any modifications are needed. Upon completion, the construction documents are submitted to the appropriate building officials for the purpose of obtaining a building permit. The project is often estimated for the final time, and final adjustments are made to the drawings. This may require another VE session, or alternative bidding strategies to be developed to make sure the project is on budget.
VI.
BIDDING AND CONSTRUCTION
Drawings can be prepared for the bidder after completion of the permit processing or, more likely, during the time the building department is examining documents. Bid documents
included all of the construction documents, instructions to bidders, general conditions, and other documents required to execute the project. There is generally a specific number of bidders, although for public work all qualified bidders are accepted. There are several methods of bidding and contracting; the two most common are general contractor hard bid, or construction management – which in itself has a diverse methodology of bidding. The most important thing for the stakeholders is to stay involved in the project during both the bidding and construction stages. Two aspects of involvement would be to review any substitutions of vivaria-related equipment and materials, and to attend the final walkthrough of the building. Substitution requests may need to be reviewed by the owner when it is determined that they will affect the budget or schedule, or the appearance or functionality of the finished building. The design team will periodically review the construction to ensure it complies with the construction documentation. At the end of the project, the design team will conduct a final “punch list” for the project. Often the owner attends these reviews, which can prove valuable and educational.
VII.
COMMISSIONING
Although it is worth a book on its own, owners should entertain the requirement to commission the facility. This can be done by an outside agent or by the design team. Given the complexity of vivaria design and the building systems, getting the building systems started up correctly and ensuring that they function as designed is extremely important prior to moving animals into the building (see Chapter 5 in this book).
VIII.
SUMMARY
The most important thing to understand about the design of animal facilities is that a team approach to design will result in a better facility. This team comprises a variety of members, including programmers, architects, engineers, owners, users and constructors. We should underscore the strong desire to include consultants with a great deal of experience in this field, since these are very unique facilities with special requirements. Successfully designed animal facilities are typically the result of a collaborative approach of all the team members.
I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.
I.
Introduction ................................................................. Programming ............................................................... Schematic Design ........................................................ Design Development .................................................... Construction Documents ............................................. Bidding and Construction ............................................ Commissioning ............................................................ Summary ......................................................................
INTRODUCTION
The architectural design process follows a number of phases or stages, which result in the production of a variety of documents along the way. Although this process can vary greatly from project to project pending the delivery strategy and facility requirements, for the purposes of this book we will describe a more traditional approach. The design team can be quite large, and often encompasses a wide variety of architects, engineers, planners, consultants, users, administration and facilities, and the owner’s operations staff. They each have their own set of goals and objectives and thoughts about a given project. It is the goal of the team to assemble this information into a cohesive set of criteria so that everyone on the team is engaged in the same way for the same PLANNING AND DESIGNING RESEARCH ANIMAL FACILITIES
13 13 14 14 15 15 15 15
objective. The actual process can be divided into the following traditional phases: programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and construction, and commissioning.
II.
PROGRAMMING
Programming is one of the most important activities in development of a new facility. This phase establishes the foundation upon which all planning, design and construction will rely. The programming effort should refine and clearly state the goals of the project. As the name implies, programming involves qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the programs and activities that need to be supported by the new Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
13
14
ROBERT E. FAITH, MARK A. COREY
facility. The program will define what goes into the facility, including many design features, so planners experienced in the design of animal research support facilities are a must. Information is gathered from the governing agencies and authorities having jurisdiction, such as zoning, planning, building and engineering. Concurrently, information is gathered from the institution or company itself that would affect the design and function of the facility. Often, institutions and companies have internal requirements for space allocations, engineering and architectural criteria, and specifications for materials used in construction. Information is also gathered from the administration that would outline the research and program needs, including any budget limitations. The design team will meet with the representatives of the institution/ company to create a set of requirements and criteria for the facility. These representatives would include animal facility management, investigative staff, department chairs, administration and facilities. It is very important that the stakeholders from the facility engage in this process and dedicate time to these meetings. Meetings could occur every 2–3 weeks and last several days, depending upon the size and complexity of the project. The programming document should provide a detailed description of the attributes and capabilities that the new facility must have to support the institutional requirements. This effort starts with understanding the species to be housed, the quantity of cages or animals, housing choices and type of research to be completed, and will result in a comprehensive list of functional rooms that the facility will need, such as holding, procedure, cage-wash, docks, offices, etc. This will result in a written program (list) of spaces with total net square feet (nsf). In addition to these spaces, the design team will identify other spaces, such as toilets, mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, shafts, etc., that are required. Room data sheets are created at this phase to document the physical criteria for each room. Often there is a written summary of each room type that describes the criteria and requirements, and the relationships of the spaces and how they interact with each other. Flow diagrams are created to examine adjacencies, relationships, and locations relative to flows within the facility. These are done for animals, personnel and equipment. At this phase a preliminary budget is usually established, along with the anticipated schedule to prepare the documents, construct the building, and allow for move-in and occupancy of the finished project. It is important that enough time be allowed for this phase, as it sets the scope of work for the rest of the project. Large changes can still be considered at this early stage that affect the scope of work, and which can’t be done in later stages without serious impacts to the project budget or schedule. It is critical that the stakeholders review these documents and provide comments and approval prior to moving into the next phase of design. It becomes increasingly harder to make adjustments to the project as each phase gets approved.
III.
AND RACHEL NELAN
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Using information gathered during the programming phase, conceptual or schematic design(s) are prepared. The design team will prepare floor plans (including options), building exterior elevations, and general layouts of major engineering systems, to confirm the function of the building and how it will integrate into the existing site and context of buildings. The building structural system and grids are established at this time. As schematic design takes form, it is regularly examined in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, and modified as required. A Basis of Design (BOD) document is produced which includes the project goals and objectives, program, room data sheets, code review, blocking/ stacking diagrams, building systems descriptions, and all drawings. This serves as the roadmap for all team members as the project moves forward. Meetings during this phase will continue to be every 2–3 weeks, and, depending upon the complexity of the project, of several days duration. The project may be estimated again, and adjustments to the design made if required to meet the budget requirements.
IV.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
In this phase the design is further developed in detail. The structure is developed, confirming beam and column sizes. Typical building components are addressed so that all aspects of the construction are identified. The exterior enclosure is designed and documented with elevations of the exterior, typical wall sections, and details. Materials and methods of construction are chosen and documented. Building sections are drawn to illustrate the structure and spatial relationships, and to understand the general construction. The major mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems of the building are documented in principle so that all major mechanical spaces are identified, equipment is located, and the distribution of these systems will work. Interior finishes and design are developed. All major research equipment is located. Typical hardware sets and door operations are identified, and typical ceiling plans are developed. The site plan is developed, showing entryways, parking areas, and access from the street. As the design development takes form, it is regularly examined with all project stakeholders in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, or to see if any modifications are needed. All design disciplines are coordinated with each other. A preliminary set of specifications is usually developed which outline the installation, type and quality of materials selected for the project. Although it is unusual for the stakeholders to review the specifications, the design team should present the specification information. This is the last phase where changes can be made without major compromise to the project in one way or another, so it is imperative that the stakeholders review
15
3. A TEAM PROCESS FROM PROGRAMMING TO COMMISSIONING
and sign-off on the design and details at this stage. From this point forward the project moves into a documentation phase, whereby changes have profound impacts on the project. Meetings during this phase will continue to take place regularly and can be very lengthy, given the amount of detail to review. The project may be estimated again, and if the cost exceeds the budget the administration may institute a value engineering session to bring the project back into budget. These sessions should be attended by the stakeholders, as value engineering choices can affect operational cost, quality of materials, and functionality.
V.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
During this phase the project is completely documented with a set of construction documents. This is the longest and most intensive phase in the process. All design decisions should have been made by the start of this phase, so there may only be a few meetings to review special or unique details. Drawings are dimensioned, noted and detailed, with references to details and specifications as required, and any outstanding issues are finalized. Final specifications for the materials and standards of construction are prepared. All the drawings and specifications are checked and coordinated to ensure that the project will be as correct as possible and has the necessary information for the successful completion of the construction. As the construction documents take form, they are regularly examined in relation to the program, schedule and budget to insure compliance, or to see if any modifications are needed. Upon completion, the construction documents are submitted to the appropriate building officials for the purpose of obtaining a building permit. The project is often estimated for the final time, and final adjustments are made to the drawings. This may require another VE session, or alternative bidding strategies to be developed to make sure the project is on budget.
VI.
BIDDING AND CONSTRUCTION
Drawings can be prepared for the bidder after completion of the permit processing or, more likely, during the time the building department is examining documents. Bid documents
included all of the construction documents, instructions to bidders, general conditions, and other documents required to execute the project. There is generally a specific number of bidders, although for public work all qualified bidders are accepted. There are several methods of bidding and contracting; the two most common are general contractor hard bid, or construction management – which in itself has a diverse methodology of bidding. The most important thing for the stakeholders is to stay involved in the project during both the bidding and construction stages. Two aspects of involvement would be to review any substitutions of vivaria-related equipment and materials, and to attend the final walkthrough of the building. Substitution requests may need to be reviewed by the owner when it is determined that they will affect the budget or schedule, or the appearance or functionality of the finished building. The design team will periodically review the construction to ensure it complies with the construction documentation. At the end of the project, the design team will conduct a final “punch list” for the project. Often the owner attends these reviews, which can prove valuable and educational.
VII.
COMMISSIONING
Although it is worth a book on its own, owners should entertain the requirement to commission the facility. This can be done by an outside agent or by the design team. Given the complexity of vivaria design and the building systems, getting the building systems started up correctly and ensuring that they function as designed is extremely important prior to moving animals into the building (see Chapter 5 in this book).
VIII.
SUMMARY
The most important thing to understand about the design of animal facilities is that a team approach to design will result in a better facility. This team comprises a variety of members, including programmers, architects, engineers, owners, users and constructors. We should underscore the strong desire to include consultants with a great deal of experience in this field, since these are very unique facilities with special requirements. Successfully designed animal facilities are typically the result of a collaborative approach of all the team members.