Building System Investigations

A good building provides its occupants with a level of comfort, convenience, and safety appropriate to the tasks being performed within.  When people are safe and comfortable, they are happier and more productive.  When the building no longer provides this kind of environment, we can provide services to help correct some common problems using the following procedure:

Step 1:  Examine the existing system in order to develop an understanding of its operation and interaction with other systems and with the building's occupants.

Step 2:  Analyze the system to determine the cause of the problem.

Step 3:  Identify possible solutions to the problem and evaluate the benefits and liabilities of each option.

Step 4:  Determine and implement the best solution for the owner and the occupants.

Step 5:  Evaluate the performance of the solution.

The following are a few of the more common building investigations we have performed.

Thermal Comfort Evaluation

There is probably no more obvious problem in a building than the thermal comfort of its occupants.  Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity have a great impact on how we feel and perform tasks, and each person has their own idea of what is comfortable.  Using standards and practices recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), we can evaluate the performance of the HVAC system and help correct any deficiencies.

Visual Comfort Evaluation

Proper lighting is critical to performing a task effectively.  Using standards and practices recommended by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), we can evaluate the quality of a lighting system to determine its effect on the occupants.  We can then work to eliminate problems like glare, reflections, low light levels, and poor color rendering and design a more visually comfortable environment that yields more productive occupants.

Indoor Air Quality Evaluation

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Building Related Illness (BRI) are among the most problematic issues facing building owners today.  A building's indoor air quality (IAQ) is critical to the health and safety of its occupants.  We can investigate IAQ problems and develop a method to alleviate or eliminate those problems.

Acoustical Evaluation

Sound can be a significant factor in the productivity of a building's occupants.  Different buildings or different rooms within the same building will have their own unique requirements for how sound interacts with its occupants.  Whether it is a library, an office, a classroom, or a concert hall, we can work within the design team to analyze the acoustic requirements of a space and provide an appropriate solution using room geometry, architectural finishes, mechanical sound dampening, or electronic amplification.

Architectural Evaluation

As the function of a building changes, the internal space requirements may change as well.  Sometimes it is necessary to move walls, doors, windows, and even ceilings in order to more effectively accomplish as task.  We can work with the building's owner and occupants to revise the layout of a space and make any modifications to the building's MEP systems to accommodate the architectural changes.