Design
When the owner’s conceptual design and programming are complete and
the contractual relationships among all parties established the detailed design
of the building begins. The design will proceed through a two- or three-
stage process. The three-stage process consists of schematic design, design
development and construction documents. The two-stage process includes
preliminary design and final design, leaving construction documents as a sep-
arate step. It is typically during this phase that a designer of building tech-
nology systems interacts and collaborates with many of the architects and
other technical design professionals. The following sections describe some
examples.
Architects
Typically, architects lead the design team. Many of the interactions that
designers of building technology systems have with architects involve spaces
for equipment rooms, and end-user devices and related cabling that may need
to be coordinated with finishes, millwork, furniture and so on.
Civil Engineers
The civil engineer is interested in telecommunication service entrances into a
building and coordination of those pathways with other utilities.
Considerations for these pathways may include multiple telecommunications
carriers, multiple entrances, connectivity to other buildings, among others. It
may also be necessary to consider items such as pads for satellite dishes
or antennas in site planning.
Mechanical Engineers
These engineers will be designing the HVAC system while the building technol-
ogy systems designer is concerned with the automation system that monitors
and manages the HVAC system. Thus, close coordination is required.
In addition, the mechanical engineer’s design must consider the heat loads
and cooling needs of the technology equipment. These needs are most acute
in data or network centers and telecommunications or equipment rooms where
technology equipment is dense.
In many jurisdictions the mechanical engineer will supervise a plumbing
engineer. The plumbing engineer may be involved in a water-based fire suppres-
sion system, irrigation system, domestic/potable water system and plumbing
fixtures, such systems that are integral to life safety and resource management.
142 Smart Building Systems for Architects, Owners, and Builders