An interesting narrative about the development of a project that includes and highlights the importance of air conditioning
by Eng. Fabio Clavijo*
History repeats itself every day in our region and in every city in the world. The team of designers, architects and engineers is once again ready to attend the invitation to integrate the needs and requirements of this new building.
So, during the presentation of the project and by the hand of the architect in charge, each one reads between the lines the particular characteristics and opportunities for improvement that can be incorporated. In this way, stitches begin to be given to begin to articulate the solutions that best fit towards the structuring of the final solution for the building.
All the specialists welcome the objectives and functionalities that must be incorporated into the project, so each one presents the observations and suggestions that will provide the solutions formulated with sufficiency. Design work will need to be woven between many hands and minds. After the presentation, everyone returns to their base with quite clear ideas of the criteria and times that will be integrated along the way.
Oppsss!! Wait for a tantico. And is it that way in this quasi-magical way the projects are integrated? Is there anything special? I think that with my years of experience I already know the outcome.
Uhmm... Let me then go back a little bit to understand what this is all about. Indeed, each project has its own story and everyone with their story tells their projects.
Look, the story begins several months ago in the middle of the pandemic. The project had been convened by our star client, who proposed to develop this building with compliance with some international standards, which were mandatory for its headquarters abroad, in addition to some other precisions on environmental and energy performance.
So once again we called our engineer friends with whom we had developed projects over the last few years. The project in its evolution and design was not much different from others we had already done in the past, so we ended up delivering the entire project within the agreed deadline.
On the day of delivery we reviewed with the client the commitments and requirements of the project and that is how in its verification evidence appeared on how several standards and norms were not referred to or attended to in various issues. Hell!! How so? Was it not understood that everyone understood the scope of these commitments?
Watch as the cob begins to peel off. It turns out that several members of our team were both designers and contractors, and in the understanding that they were all expert professionals in these topics, each one was given a free letter, being just enough a quick review of the list in question.
So in the end, the project was returned without approval and our team with their tails between their legs just trying to understand, this whole bitter situation.
Weeks ago the architecture team has indeed gone through the way back and forth reviewing and adjusting each space, each stroke and requirement to ensure that the objectives and requirements of the owner are reflected on the way to the final solution.
The last week, running with the clock in hand has been a bit crazy, but finally a couple of days ago the plans have been presented for the second time to the approval of the owner, which surely with last-minute adjustments will serve to summon the specialists of the different technical areas and develop the functional infrastructure and services that must be articulated in the building.
A while ago several of the invited specialists who are known for old time have arrived at the virtual table, while a couple of new faces appear on the scene, who with the due presentation and welcome complete the work team. Now yes, to work was said.
The presentation of the project with its plans allows you to link questions as you interpret the mission, requirements and standards to be met in the project. It may be another project but the proposed scope gives to think that this is a nice opportunity to bet on criteria that in addition to meeting the essentials, exceed conventional levels of performance, so everyone seems to welcome this opportunity with enthusiasm. This time we will all comply in everything!
The HVAC specialist before the close of the meeting presents some questions that need to be answered in the course of the next few days. These are the orientation of the building, levels of sealing of the façade and observations on the high sun exposure that occurs in the morning hours and the same on the west face. Other considerations are mentioned without the group understanding much of their importance, so everyone goes hand in hand with their experience and their level of knowledge to date.
The following days provide the expected information that is supported with ideas and solutions by the Air Conditioning Consultant. The case points to the recommendation to reduce glazed areas that have East-West exposure while considering shade elements that reduce the effects of sunlight on those sides. Calculations confirm that 29% of the total internal thermal load enters through the windows. Other considerations for reducing sources of heat gain through walls and ceilings are brought to the attention of the architectural team.
The figures provided indicate that if these recommendations are implemented, annual energy consumption will be reduced by 18%, while the initial investment can benefit from savings of up to 11%.
Of course, the energy consumption of air conditioning systems can represent 55% or 60% of the building's energy bill, so the proposal is welcomed and although the deadlines are tight, the space is opened to make these adjustments and incorporate such modifications with the support of a couple of suppliers that lend them support at the moment.
A week later the entire team meets again to analyze the advances in the calculations and designs of each specialist. The meeting allows to weave the solutions with the presentation of plans and solution sketches that each one is presenting, leaving annotated the observations, adjustments and changes that must be made in the coming days to advance in an integrated way towards the final stage of detailed engineering and preparation of plans.
Just during the week, mail crosses appear in the group by members of the professional team. Indeed, opinions, verifications and recommendations that serve as a reference to close the final designs will open the way towards the elaboration of the technical specifications, specifications and final support of the project.
To the extent that these decisions are incorporated into the plans and specifications of each specialty, the project begins to be strengthened by the hand of the built-in benefits that will give the project an energy and environmental performance line that will be a reference for other projects.
The adjustments and recommendations that the consultant has provided are far from the work that was done years ago accepting the proposed architectural design as the only point of departure and arrival for the management of engineering, and it is precisely here where the designs proposed by the contracting companies differ from those that have been enriched and benefited with the management of the consulting engineers.
The results are obvious and the project is approved with a congratulatory letter.
* Fabio Clavijo is a Member: CIC-LAC, Consejo de Ingenieros Consultores – Latinoamérica y el Caribe, ASHRAE, ACAIRE, AEE,. You can contact him in the email: [email protected]
