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L. TO R: STRIVR; PAUL CROSBY; HOFFMANN ARCHITECTS; EMBR LABS

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FEATURES 27 MOVERS+SHAPERS 28 32 40 44 48

TT’s CORE studio Lean construction STRIVR Aditazz Tech office takeover

DEPARTMENTS 9 EDITORIAL 10 NEWS+TRENDS News about the death of retail stores might still be premature

14 THINK TANK Four keys to designing autistic

friendly spaces

22 TRENDSETTING PROJECTS Hotel will be world’s first energy positive resort above Arctic Circle

66

58 PRODUCT ROUNDUP Cladding and curtain wall systems

60 PRODUCT INNOVATIONS Wire mesh helps breed creativity at investment firm

66 GREAT SOLUTIONS Forget the wall thermostat: wear one on your wrist instead

AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION Accommodating Movement in Building Envelope Materials

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ON THE COVER: The Common Space at the Millwright Building in Minneapolis, Minn., features collaboration steps

2014–2017 JESSE H. NEAL AWARD WINNER

where occupants of the four-story, 174,000-sf development can meet, work, or relax. The project was designed and built by Ryan Companies, which also calls the building home. The firm’s Architecture and Engineering group designed its office space, which includes a vintage delivery truck, an interactive board highlighting the company’s history, and a scaled mockup of Minneapolis’ downtown buildings. PHOTO: PAUL CROSBY, COURTESY RYAN COMPANIES

BDCuniversity.com

| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 5

BDCnetwork.com

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

| E-CONTENTS |

Let’s Build America Together

The latest estimate of total losses in 2017 from major natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey is in the $300 billion range, which shatters the previous record of $215 billion (2005).

5 SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING UPTURN IN CONSTRUCTION The relatively steep slowdown in growth in construction spending in recent years might suggest that 2018 could witness a decline in overall spending. However, quite the contrary, writes AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, in his latest AIA Consensus Construction Forecast. Baker says that tax reform implications and rebuilding from natural disasters are among the reasons he’s optimistic for 2018 and 2019.

BDCnetwork.com/Kermit18

High R-value, water and air barrier:

CALL FOR RESEARCH PARTNERS: NEUROSCIENCE BEHIND DECISION MAKING

One high performance product.

The SMPS Foundation, the nonprofit research arm of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, is launching a research project that will explore the brain science behind client decision making behavior. That is, why do your clients—real estate developers,

building owners, healthcare operators, etc.—make the decisions they do? And how, as an AEC firm, can you better tailor your services, marketing, and communications to more effectively influence your clients and better meet their needs?

The Foundation has composed a formal FRP in search of research groups and neuroscience experts who are interesting in taking on this important study.

BDCnetwork.com/SMPSresearch

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 40 UNDER 40 AWARDS Calling all AEC superstars! If you are under the age of 40 as of August 31, 2018, it’s time to enter BD+C’s 13th annual 40 Under 40 competition. Each year since 2006, the editors of BD+C have honored 40 individuals in the AEC community as the next generation of rising stars. The 2018 40 Under 40 competition is now open for entries. Deadline: April 13.

BDCnetwork.com/U4018

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FOLLOW

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LEED: A LEGACY

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usgbc.org/LEED

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By Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor

BUILDING DESIGN +CONSTRUCTION

| EDITORIAL |

VOLUME 59, NO. 03

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | David Barista 847.954.7929; dbarista@sgcmail.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR | Robert Cassidy 847.391.1040; rcassidy@sgcmail.com

SENIOR EDITOR | John Caulfield 732.257.6319; jcaulfield@sgcmail.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR | David Malone 847.391.1057; dmalone@sgcmail.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS | Peter Fabris, Mike Plotnick, Adam Sullivan, C.C. Sullivan DESIGNER | Cathy LePenske WEB DESIGNER | Agnes Smolen

EDITORIAL ADVISORS DAVID P. CALLAN | PE, CEM, LEED AP, HBDP Senior Vice President, McGuire Engineers

PATRICK E. DUKE | CRE Managing Director, CBRE Healthcare

CAROLYN FERGUSON | FSMPS, CPSM President, WinMore Marketing Advisors

JOSH FLOWERS | AIA, LEED AP General Counsel, Hnedak Bobo Group

ARLEN SOLOCHEK | FAIA, Associate Vice Chancellor, Maricopa County CCD

PHILIP TOBEY | FAIA, FACHA Senior Vice President, SmithGroupJJR

PETER WEINGARTEN | AIA, LEED AP Director of the Architectural Practice, Gensler

BUSINESS STAFF GROUP DIRECTOR – PRINCIPAL | Tony Mancini

UNDOING 5 MYTHS OF IPD AND LEAN CONSTRUCTION

T

he Lean Construction Institute, one of this year’s Movers+Shapers, has been sponsoring valuable research recently. “Motivation and Means: How and Why IPD and Lean Lead to Success” (bit.ly/2nN6iGQ), cosponsored by the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, explodes several myths about Lean and IPD.

MYTH # 1. Delivery matters less than choosing the right people; behaviors can’t be dictated by a contract. You won’t get the A Team every time, but you can still foster positive behavior, says principal author Renée Chenn, PhD, AIA, Professor, School of Architecture, University of Minnesota.

Think through which players you want on your team, how to create the right culture, and how to get rid of nonperformers.

484.412.8686, tmancini@sgcmail.com

EVENTS MANAGER | Judy Brociek 847.954.7943; jbrociek@sgcmail.com

SENIOR AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER | Donna Heuberger For list rental information, contact Claude Marada at 402.836.6274; claude.marada@infogroup.com or Bart Piccirillo at 402.836.6283; bart.piccirillo@infogroup.com

CREATIVE SERVICES COORDINATOR | Dara Rubin

MYTH # 2. IPD contracts are too complicated, Lean tools are too rigid. IPD and Lean are “a lot more flexible than people think,” says Chenn. Investing the time up front for designing your IPD and Lean procedures can pay off in huge ROI. Teams also vary in how they use IPD and Lean. It’s not as rigid as commonly believed, she says.

MARKETING MANAGER | Nancy Lewis 847.391.1000; nlewis@sgcmail.com

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CHAIRMAN EMERITUS (1922-2003) | H.S. Gillette CHAIRPERSON | K.A. Gillette CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | E.S. Gillette PRESIDENT | Rick Schwer CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | David Shreiner SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT | Ann O’Neill SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING | Robert Haas VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOM MEDIA & CREATIVE SERVICES | Diane Vojcanin

MYTH # 3. IPD only works on large complex healthcare projects. Teams new to IPD and Lean are at a disadvantage.

Chenn says there’s no evidence that small projects cannot benefit from using an IPD and Lean. Moreover, you can have a team that’s new to IPD, or one that has half its team members experienced in IPD and Lean, and both can still work, she says.

For advertising contacts, see page 64.

MYTH # 4. Owners aren’t getting best value; or, owners are getting value but the team is not making a profit. Chenn says

it’s hard to get at “pure results” for owners because “it usually depends on how well the owner sets the cost and schedule targets.” The research did show that 100% of owners in the study said their IPD/Lean projects met or exceeded expectations.

In terms of meeting schedule, some teams were just a bit over, a number were under. Similarly, with regard to budgets, one project team went over, some were at budget, a number were under.

As for profitability, Chenn says some project teams have reported making 20-30% more in an IPD than under a non-IPD. “I did see teams working collectively with the owner to determine a target cost, and this drove the original allowable cost way below market, and the profit was distributed.”

‘THERE’S A LOT MORE TIME SPENT ON POSITIVE THINGS IN AN IPD. IT’S VERY POSITIVE AND COLLABORATIVE.’ RENÉE CHENN, PHD, AIA, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

MYTH #5. IPD and IPD-lite are essentially the same; financial incentives and release of liability are no big deal. Chenn says the behavior is “strikingly different” between those who have skin in the game and those who do not. “Those in the signatory pool behave much more collaboratively, there’s a lot more fluidity in how they’re willing to trade scope, and they’re much more willing to call out behavior that’s not productive.”

Finally, there’s a lot more “fun and enjoyment” in true IPD projects, says Chenn— “a lot more time being spent on positive things. It’s very positive and collaborative.”

3030 W. SALT CREEK LANE, SUITE 201 ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL 60005-5025 847.391.1000 • FAX: 847.390.0408

BDCuniversity.com

| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 9

| NEWS+TRENDS |

By John Caulfield, Senior Editor, and David Malone, Associate Editor

NEWS ABOUT THE DEATH OF RETAIL STORES MIGHT STILL BE PREMATURE

Despite weaker foot traffic, there was only a slight net decline in total U.S. retail stores last year, the first drop off since 2009, according to research and consulting firm Fung Global Retailing & Technology.

Retailers went through another tough year in 2017, during which store closings included 1,430 Radio Shacks, 808 Payless ShoeSource outlets, 667 Ascentas, and 600 Walgreens. That brick-and-mortar attrition continued in the first month of 2018, when Sears announced it would close another 103 Sears and Kmart outlets, and Toys ‘R’ Us said it would close up to 182 units.

Physical stores continue to get hammered by online shopping, which accounted for more than 9% of total U.S. retail sales last year. However, not every physical vestige of retailing is collapsing under the pressure from ecommerce. 7-Eleven in January made the biggest acquisition in its history when it paid $3.2 billion to buy 1,030 convenience stores in 17 states owned by Sunoco LP. That retailers come and go is hardly news to anyone who follows this sector. But

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the constant drumbeat about a “retail apocalypse” is still premature, according to a new report by research and consulting firm Fung Global Retailing & Technology (FGRT).

The report acknowledges that shopper traffic dropped off by 7.9% last year. And 6,995 stores closed in the U.S. in 2017, representing a net decline of 0.1%. But the store-count reduction was the first since 2009, and it hit the apparel, mass merchant, and electronics and appliance sectors the hardest.

The grocery and dollar-store sectors expanded significantly last year, with major dealers in those sectors opening a net 1,785 outlets. Other retailers, like the supermarket chain Aldi and the department store T. J. Maxx, are actively opening stores in off-mall and strip-mall locations.

Indeed, selling space for variety stores rose by 4.4% last year, by 1.3% for grocery

stores, and by 1.0% for warehouse clubs.

FGRT points out that while brick-and-mortar retailers are getting more business from online sales, their instore business continued to expand last year. Nearly 88% of all U.S. retail sales were transacted in physical stores in 2017, according Census Bureau data. Offline retail sales grew by about 2.5% and contributed to total U.S. retail sales increasing by 4.0%.

The study also notes that if online sales were taken out of the equation, the average sales per retail store rose 2.4%, to $3.13 million, and average sales per sf increased by 2.6%, to $353.

It’s been conventional wisdom for a while that regional malls are fast approaching

13 trillion

their expiration dates. But FGRT states that superregional malls—defined by having at least 800,000 sf of selling space—were the only major shopping center segment to grow its occupancy rates last year. FGRT also notes that open-air centers have proven to be a resilient real estate segment, primarily because they typically have few apparel tenants and often include a strong grocery component.

Mall owners are diversifying their mix to incorporate more premium tenants like Apple and Tesla. David Simon, CEO and Chairman of Simon Property Group, says his company sees “significant opportunity” in the densification of its shopping centers with mixeduse elements such as hotels, multifamily, and offices.

The number of individual GPS data points tracked by the fitness app Strava since 2009. In November 2017, the tech company made this data publicly available, stirring controversy around privacy and sensitive information. This includes exposing the location and staffing of military bases and spy outposts around the world. Pictured: a heat map of activity in Djibouti, Africa.

BDCnetwork.com/Strava

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COURTESY THYSSENKRUPP

| NEWS+TRENDS |

Measuring 33 inches wide, the delivery robots can travel on sidewalks and can carry payloads weighing up to 77 lbs.

THYSSENKRUPP TESTS SELF-DRIVING ROBOT FOR ‘LAST MILE’ DELIVERY OF PARTS In January, vertical transportation giant thyssenkrupp debuted a novel technology that could transform its parts and materials supply chain in dense urban environments.

As part of a U.S. Senate Field Hearing on automotive in-

novation in Washington, D.C., thyssenkrupp showcased its newly developed self-driving delivery robot. Co-developed by software maker TeleRetail, the system is designed to transport spare parts and materials to field technicians working in urban markets.

During elevator and escalator servicing, spare parts are needed quickly, and a technician either has to drive back to base or have the parts delivered by a colleague.

Increased traffic is putting pressure on this supply chain.

Measuring 33 inches wide, the robots can travel on sidewalks and can carry payloads weighing up to 77 lbs. An online logistics platform allows technicians to track the progress of deliveries in real time.

BDCnetwork.com/TKrobot

RSMEANS COST COMPARISONS: GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS JAIL ATLANTA BALTIMORE BOSTON CHICAGO CLEVELAND DALLAS DENVER DETROIT HOUSTON KANSAS CITY, MO. LOS ANGELES MIAMI MINNEAPOLIS NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK CITY PHILADELPHIA PHOENIX PITTSBURGH PORTLAND, ORE. ST. LOUIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE WASHINGTON, D.C. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

300.06 319.73 387.74 407.41 327.40 288.72 308.40 342.74 289.06 344.40 386.41 281.06 363.07 290.72 453.42 388.08 293.06 344.40 339.40 347.74 376.41 439.09 360.41 323.40 288.72

COSTS IN DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT FOR 2018

COURTHOUSE, POLICE STATION 2-3 STORIES 206.33 219.85 266.62 280.14 225.12 198.53 212.06 235.67 198.76 236.82 265.70 193.26 249.65 199.91 311.78 266.85 201.51 236.82 233.38 239.11 258.82 301.92 247.82 222.37 198.53

237.87 253.46 307.38 322.97 259.54 228.88 244.48 271.70 229.15 273.02 306.32 222.80 287.82 230.47 359.45 307.65 232.32 273.02 269.06 275.66 298.39 348.08 285.71 256.37 228.88

POST OFFICE 137.61 146.63 177.82 186.84 150.15 132.41 141.43 157.18 132.56 157.95 177.21 128.89 166.51 133.33 207.94 177.98 134.40 157.95 155.65 159.47 172.62 201.37 165.28 148.31 132.41

FOR MORE DATA, VISIT RSMEANS AT WWW.RSMEANS.COM, OR CALL (800) 448-8182.

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FIRST LARGE-SCALE USE OF PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS ON BUILDINGS SLATED FOR THIS YEAR Skanska’s commercial development business unit in Central Eastern Europe will be the first developer to cover office buildings with semitransparent perovskite solar cells on a commercial scale.

Perovskites are crystalline materials that have potential to replace silicon in solar power

generation. Skanska will apply the technology, developed by Saule Technologies, onto its projects in 2018.

This will be a significant milestone toward zero-energy and carbon-neutral office buildings, Skanska says.

The company says that the stability and water resistance of the modules makes them ideal for the construction industry.

NEWSBRIEFS THE U.S. MARKETS WITH THE largest hotel construction pipelines: New York (180 projects; 30,699 rooms), Dallas (149; 17,860), Houston (146; 15,714), Nashville, Tenn.

(116; 15,793), Los Angeles (110; 16,733), according to Lodging Econometrics.

BDCnetwork.com/Hotel18

BDCnetwork.com/SkanskaPero

FLYING A DRONE AFTER having too many drinks (0.08% bac) is now illegal in New Jersey. BDCnetwork.com/DroneNJ DURING THE 10 YEARS between 2006 and 2016, almost a quarter of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. shifted from owner- to rentermajority. BDCnetwork.com/Rental18

THE 158-ACRE ALYS BEACH community in Panama City Beach, Fla., now mandates resilience in construction, based on the Fortified program.

BDCnetwork.com/FortifiedFLA

THE ADVANCED ENERGY Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings – Achieving Zero Energy is the first in a series of guides tailored to the creation of zero-energy buildings.

BDCnetwork.com/NZEguide

THE U.S. ECONOMY GREW by 2.3% in 2017, while fixed investment increased at a annual rate of 7.9%, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors.

BDCnetwork.com/USecono17

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BDCuniversity.com

| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 13

| THINK TANK |

By Todd Ferking, AIA, Principal, DLR Group

MY DAY AS A KINDERGARTNER A few years ago, when the Mukilteo (Wash.) School District hired DLR Group to design a new, 600-student kindergarten center, I was excited and—honestly—a little terrified. Recognizing the growing needs for early learners, Mukilteo School District decided on the idea of the kindergarten center in tandem with the passage of new state laws for all-day kindergarten. In lieu of adding additional classrooms to each elementary school in the district, the district decided on a central, kindergartenonly school as the most efficient solution to their capacity challenges.

can educators manage this many young learners in one place? How do we maintain the sanity of the adults teaching all these little ones? We had a unique opportunity to design a facility for a single age group. What does a school look like if it is designed specifically for them?

We knew that a

‘MOVING A LARGE GROUP OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS CAN BE BOTH DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING. IN PARTICULAR, SHUTTLING STUDENTS TO WORK WITH SPECIALISTS CONSUMES A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.’ — TODD FERKING, AIA, DLR Group

Naturally, this idea of a kindergarten-only school presented both challenges and opportunities in regards to the design. To state the obvious challenges: How

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successful facility for these learners required us to “forget” what we thought we knew about traditional elementary school design. We needed

to fundamentally challenge everything. So, we began a process that attempted to reshape our existing paradigms.

In order to do this, we went through several empathetic exercises with the client. We asked people to genuinely connect with the specific needs of a kindergarten student. For instance, in our initial workshop together, everyone was asked to share pictures of themselves as a kindergartener and to introduce themselves as they were then. We also completed “day-inthe-life” exercises that asked participants to imagine a young learner of the future, considering their family, their unique needs, and learning styles.

Immediately following, the teams introduced and shared details about their students. It was then that we got our first glimpse of our future students.

The new Pathfinder Kindergarten Center, in Everett, Wash., is designed as four learning houses, each with an eating zone, indoor and outdoor play space, and a lending library.

Lesson Learned: Empathy is a critical element in the process of solving complex challenges. Using DLR Group’s intranet platform, I surveyed our entire firm of approximately 1,200 people to share their first memories of kindergarten. We then categorized their responses.

A high percentage of responses reflected on play and creativity, but surprisingly, equally as many were related to fear, anxiety, and rules.

Personally, I hadn’t thought about kindergarten that way, as much of my personal recollection centered around play.

By asking this simple question, the team began to consider how we could alleviate some of this childhood anxiety.

& T C E P R OT R M PERFO Lesson Learned: Ask the question, even if you think you know the answer. To expand upon those reflections of childhood, I decided that it had been way too long since I had been in kindergarten. As a result, the Director of Facilities for Mukilteo School District and I sat through two, half-day sessions of kindergarten to see what else would strike us about the daily activities of this unique age of learners.

First and foremost, we recognized that, although necessary, transitions take valuable time away from learning.

As you can imagine, moving a large group of kindergarten students can be both difficult and time consuming. In particular, shuttling students to work with specialists consumes a large amount of time during the school day.

I watched as students were gathered from a variety of classes, dressed in outer gear for the trek, and were guided to a small portable classroom across the campus where multiple specialists worked with small groups. The space was poorly designed, too noisy, and too small for effective intervention. After the sessions, students re-dressed in their outer gear and traveled single file back to their respective classrooms.

Knowing that this specific

group of students could gain the most from uninterrupted learning time, I asked myself, How does this situation help students?

I knew immediately that design could mitigate this scenario.

To reduce transition time, we introduced two concepts for the new Pathfinder Kindergarten Center in Everett, Wash.: push-in specialists and decentralization of services.

This child-centric approach would reduce daily transition time for students by up to 30 minutes in a six-hour day. When extrapolated across a full school year, that results in 90 hours (15 full days!) of learning recaptured.

PUSH-IN SPECIALISTS This concept revolves around a specialist traveling to the student to work inside the classroom or in an immediately adjacent space. Our design provides this break-out space in, or directly outside, every classroom. The time to transfer materials and supplies needed for each lesson is limited through use of cubbies in the classroom and cupboards in the shared areas.

Using windows and intentional views, supervision of groups is easier for all teachers working with or around a group of children.

Additionally, acoustic considerations given to

shared areas through a perforated dropped ceiling bring down the scale and provide a sense of intimacy for these young learners.

DECENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES The Pathfinder Kindergarten Center is designed as four learning houses.

Functionally, each learning house includes an eating zone to minimize travel time for meals and snacks. An indoor and outdoor play space shared by two houses is located immediately adjacent to each house.

This gives students easy access to play areas and the outdoors.

Each house also features a lending library that provides parents with materials to take home and continue reading with their child. Identified through color and a unique set of environmental graphics, each house assists with wayfinding through the nautilus-shaped building.

Every aspect of the school day—education, nutrition, and play—is within reach.

In addition to pushin specialists and decentralization of services, we focused on a variety of size-appropriate solutions to best serve these young students.

This project has affected my view of educational design. Its unique design, shaped by the synergy of age-specific students, brings me pride.

High R-value, water and air barrier:

ONE HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCT

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W W W. N C F I . C O M

| THINK TANK |

By Julie Troung, Designer, PDR Corp.

FOUR KEYS TO DESIGNING AUTISTIC-FRIENDLY SPACES Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurobehavioral condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in every 68 births has autism in the U.S. Individuals with this condition may experience hypersensitivity of the senses, difficulty understanding what others are thinking and feeling, and cognitive delays.

We have the potential to improve design quality for everyone by understanding how individuals with autism view the world. Autism, in part, gave us modern architecture, and making ASD inclusivity a priority in design is a necessary step that could encourage innovation and potentially propel us into a new era of architecture.

You might wonder how autism could have given us modern architecture. Well, the answer lies in the use of eye tracking software tools. As stated in a study in Common Edge, researchers have found

that individuals with autism respond to visual stimuli completely different from neuro-typical individuals.

A neuro-typical person focuses on the eyes, mouth, and nose of a face.

Those with ASD ignore the central face and instead focus on outer features.

Because a person with autism has brain connections in overdrive (hyperplasticity), they avoid details such as windows or eyes.

This is why architects who have autism, like Le Corbusier, who began his career in the 1930s, are attracted to simplicity. Some people credit Le Corbusier—and consequently autism—for the simplistic modern architecture movement.

There is a wide array of ways that we can design autism-friendly spaces.

As stated in an article, “Why Buildings for Autistic People Are Better for Everyone,” design teams can prioritize human health and welfare in their design routine by incorporating the

following points: 1. Acoustics. Individuals on the autism spectrum are extremely sensitive, and at times painfully sensitive, to sounds.

Providing better insulated spaces and allowing for manipulation of sound pressure levels would be beneficial. An example of acoustic manipulation is the addition of pink sound in interior spaces.

2. Lighting. Light and color affect a person’s mood and cognitive behavior. Just think, if you were to sit in a darkgrey room for an hour compared to a light-yellow room, would you feel a difference? Most autism friendly designs have small areas of bright color and light, unsaturated earth tones.

3. Spatial configuration.

Spaces that are orderly and defined are easier for the autistic mind to process. The use of sequential circulation, storage for non-essential items, sub-dividing rooms, and making spaces

reconfigurable can help individuals with autism to better focus.

4. Materials. Furniture has the potential to influence the function, privacy, and size of a space. For ASD, modular furniture and malleable spaces are preferable.

Easily sanitized finishes are also important because some people on the autism spectrum can have a compulsive-like need for cleanliness.

Designing for ASD does not just benefit those who have autism. These design focuses can create timeless, enjoyable, and multifunctional spaces for all. If we approach design through an autistic lens, we do not prioritize standardization in lieu of accommodation.

Acoustics, lighting, spatial configuration, and materials are essential in quality design. By understanding all human experience through research, we can create better spaces and serve all who inhabit.

‘BECAUSE A PERSON WITH AUTISM HAS BRAIN CONNECTIONS IN OVERDRIVE, THEY AVOID DETAILS SUCH AS WINDOWS OR EYES.’ — JULIE TROUNG, PDR Corp.

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| THINK TANK |

By Zhanting Gao, Advanced Simulation Specialist, HDR

HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS: THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THE ‘VISIT PER ROOM PER DAY’ METRIC Two years as a member of the HDR operations design team has allowed me to observe how our healthcare clients are scratching their heads every day to design the best dashboard metric as an indicator of operational efficiency across the board, regardless of specialty or provider.

Visit per room per day (VPRPD) has gained popularity from C-suite decision makers, physicians, and administrators. Of course, seeing quantitative metrics being calculated and referenced before making

how many visits occur in each exam room on a daily basis. This is exactly why the metric has been selected as the representative of exam room productivity. Without massive data analysis or analytical modeling, anyone with basic data literacy can calculate this metric with the function: Visit per room per day = Daily visit volume / Total number of exam rooms The Bad. However, as operational experts, we know that a system cannot be measured purely by throughput. Merely pursuing a high VPRPD metric may drive up other

‘MERELY PURSUING A HIGH VISIT PER ROOM PER DAY METRIC MAY DRIVE UP OTHER RESOURCE NEEDS AND, IN TURN, RAISE OPERATIONAL COSTS.’

— ZHANTING GAO, HDR

major decisions yields a proud feeling for a data geek like me. However, like selecting the right spice to cook your dinner, we need to ask ourselves: Is VPRPD the “correct” metric to meet our clients’ design goals?

The Good. VPRPD indicates, on average,

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March 2018

resource needs and, in turn, raise operational costs. For example, with a fixed number of exam rooms, by extending operational hours, a clinic will most likely see more patients each day, resulting in a higher VPRPD. But maintaining longer operational hours will

require appropriate staffing and scheduling, and ROI analysis may not favor the decision to extend working hours to support a limited increase in volume.

Often, VPRPD is referenced by C-suite decision makers to compare different specialties. Knowing that visit durations and operation hours can vary widely across clinics, this metric can be unfair and misleading. For instance, assuming two clinics— cancer and women’s— operate with the same clinic hours, cancer patients are scheduled for 60 minutes on average while primary care patients are scheduled for 30 minutes on average.

When comparing VPRPD, women’s is most likely going to have a “better” performance by having a quicker cadence of seeing patients.

Without addressing the difference in visit durations, decision makers may be misled by this comparison and decide to implement a similar operational model between women’s and other specialties.

Knowing VPRPD can be both good and bad, it is important for decision makers to use it properly.

It is especially important to avoid using it as an across-the-board metric.

Nevertheless, VPRPD can still be adopted for internal performance evaluation within a clinic.

For instance, weekly or monthly average VPRPD can be calculated to depict an increase or decrease of each clinic’s performance chronically.

A fair metric needs to be clearly defined in order to compare across the board. With HDR’s data-driven design, percent room utilization across any timeframe can be obtained through simulation modeling with appropriate data inputs and assumptions from the client, and can clearly describe how long the space is occupied by value-adding activities and non-value-adding activities. This can be easily translated by VPRPD in combination with visit durations and operation hours with the function: Room utilization = Average visit duration * Visit per room per day / Operation hours.

More insights from BD+C’s 36 AEC blog partners at BDCnetwork.com/Blogs

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| TRENDSETTING PROJECTS | By David Malone, Associate Editor

CREDIT

CIRCULAR HOTEL WILL BE WORLD’S FIRST ENERGY POSITIVE RESORT ABOVE ARCTIC CIRCLE

Snøhetta, in collaboration with Arctic Adventure of Norway and the Powerhouse Collaboration, is creating the first building in a northern climate to be built according to the energy positive Powerhouse standard.

The building, a circular hotel named Svart, will reduce its yearly energy consumption by approximately 85% compared to a traditional hotel and will produce its own energy. The hotel will be built in northern Norway, near the Svartisen glacier.

The hotel’s circular body will extend from the shoreline by the foot of the

22 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | March 2018

Almlifjellet Mountain and into the waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord. The design is inspired by a fiskehjell, a traditional A-shaped wooden structure used for drying fish, and a rorbu, a type of seasonal house used by local fisherman.

The rorbu inspiration can be seen in the hotel’s supporting structure, which is built from weather-resistant wooden poles that rise from several meters below the surface of the fjord. The poles ensure the building creates a minimal footprint. The poles also create a wooden boardwalk for

visitors that can be used to store boats and kayaks, reducing the need for other storage structures.

Hotel rooms, restaurants, and terraces have been specifically placed to maximize use of the sun’s energy throughout the day and the seasons. The hotel’s façades protect against insolation from the sun in the summer, while large windows allow for maximum insolation during the winter.

This eliminates the need for artificial cooling in the summer and drastically reduces the need for artificial heating in the winter. The

roof also makes use of the sun’s energy as it is clad with Norwegian solar panels produced with clean hydro energy.

In order to be considered a Powerhouse plus structure, over the course of a 60-day period a building must generate more renewable energy than the total amount of energy it would require to sustain daily operations and to build, produce materials, and demolish the building. Powerhouse is a collaboration between Snøhetta, Entra, Skanska, Zero Emission Resource Organization, and Asplan Viak.

FRANK GEHRYDESIGNED MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT HOPES TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN L.A.’S CIVIC CORE

A new mixed-use development, The Grand, is set to rise across from The Broad museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The 209,000-sf Frank Gehry-designed development will feature a mix of retail, hotel, dining, entertainment, and residential spaces anchored by a central public plaza above five levels of parking. A 20-story, 314-room Equinox Hotel will make up the hotel component, while the residential aspect will comprise a 436-unit, 39-story tower.

Restaurants, shopping, and a movie theater complex will be spread among a series of landscaped open terraces. The goal is to position The Grand to revitalize Downtown L.A.’s cultural and civic core. AECOM was recently announced as the construction manager for the project, which will begin construction this fall. The project is slated for completion in 2021.

SURF PARK WILL ANCHOR VIRGINIA BEACH LIVE-WORK-PLAY DEVELOPMENT A decades-vacant parcel in Virginia Beach, Va., is set to become a 10-acre live-work-play development that is designed to transform the coastal city into a year-round tourist destination. The centerpiece of the project is a Wavegarden Cove surf park—one of 20 planned or in the works across the U.S.—that will be capable of delivering 1,000 ocean-like waves per hour, for both advanced and beginning surfers.

Surrounding the surf park will be a 3,500-seat entertainment venue, office space, urban residential units, and retail/ restaurants—all connected by a walkable, park-like atmosphere. Virginia Beach is a fitting spot for the surf park; East Coast surfing was born there in 1912, when James Jordan, Jr. took his first ride on a massive redwood surfboard. The

site is being developed by Venture Reality Group, with support from Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams. Hanbury is the lead architect/designer of the overall project, in association with Oppenheim Architecture and Clark Nexsen.

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| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 23

JEREMY BITTERMAN

| TRENDSETTING PROJECTS |

ONE OF THE LARGEST ART RESEARCH LIBRARIES IN THE SOUTHEAST COMPLETES CONSTRUCTION At 50,000 sf, the new Alfred R. Goldstein College Library on the Ringling College of Art and Design campus is one of the largest art research libraries in the Southeast. Designed

by Shepley Bulfinch, the $20 million, three-story structure stands directly

at the center of the Sarasota, Fla., campus, on the edge of the Whitaker Bayou. Shepley Bulfinch collaborated with students and other library users to gather insight about how the new library would be most useful. The resulting building quadruples the size of the existing library and allows for the school’s entire 75,000-piece collection to be housed on site, with the ability to hold up to 123,000 pieces.

The library is organized by layers of activity and includes flexible classroom space, a series of group study spaces, maker spaces, project space, a print room, a special collections center with a glass display reading room, a 24-hour learning laboratory equipped with computers and large-format displays, a café, and a room outfitted for students studying gaming. The library’s three floors are connected via an open

staircase and become quieter with more private study space as one ascends.

Four terraces are included throughout the building: one on the ground floor, two on the second floor, and one on the third floor.

Also on the Building Team: Sweet Sparkman (assoc. architect), David W. Johnston Associates (landscape), Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SE), TLC Engineering (MEP), George F. Young (CE), Willis Smith Construction (GC).

LEED PLATINUM FOR MEMPHIS INDUSTRIAL REUSE PROJECT The 1.5 million-sf Crosstown Concourse in Memphis, Tenn., has earned LEED Platinum certification, making it the world’s largest adaptive reuse project to earn LEED’s highest rating. Looney Ricks Kiss and DIALOG teamed to design the $200 million project, which involved converting the historic Sears Crosstown building into a vertical urban village, complete with office and retail tenant spaces, as well as a high school. Memphis-based engineering firm OGCB and contractor Grinder Tabor Grinder led the removal of 54 million lb of concrete and 10 million lb of metal to create robust atriums of natural light permeating throughout the community spaces and stairwells.

24 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | March 2018

The project is also seeking WELL certification through the International WELL Building Institute.

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MOVERS

SHAPERS

T tthirdd installment The t m t of BD+C’s B annual a u M Movers+Shapers e S p s report p ddelves e into n the h lessons e o from r 20 years y s of LLeann construction; n u ; the h dramatic r a rise r of o a Stanford n d University i y VVR startup; monetizingg its R&D Silicon s up; an a engineering ng e ng giant g tthat is m D efforts; f ;aS o Valley-based a y- s firm that h is i automating u g design; g ; andd thee tech c boom’s o ’ impact mp t on urban a real e eestate. e

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Thornton Th t n Tomasetti’s T m etti’ CORE R studio t di sparks rk p product du t spinoffs pi ff f

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Lean construction n u o ushers in an n era a of ‘continuous i u improvement’ mp v e

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| BUILDING | 27 N DESIGNN+CONSTRUCTION T

LEFT: BESS ADLER/THORNTON TOMASETTI; RIGHT: BD+C

MOVERS+SHAPERS | By Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor MOVERS+SHAPERS | By John Caulfield, Senior Editor

CREDIT

Pictured above (l. to r.): Robert Otani, Pawel Woelke, and Elisabeth Malsch comprise an internal committee within Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio that evaluates and then helps guide employee proposals to develop new products and business opportunities. At left, CORE team members gather to discuss a project design (l. to r.): Leland Jobson, Computational Designer; David Mans, Associate Software Developer; Margaret Wang, Applications Engineer; and Dan Reynolds, Senior Engineer, CORE studio and Specialty Structures.

MONETIZING

R&D Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio generates ideas that lead to product spinoffs.

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L

ast November, Thornton Tomasetti partnered with RWDI, an engineering firm whose specialties include wind damping for supertall buildings. The duo established a new company called Hummingbird Kinetics, which offers affordable and flexible tuned mass damping solutions that reduce the impact of wind motion on tall structures.

Hummingbird Kinetics is one of several spinoff companies that have emerged from a unique nexus of innovation and commerce at Thornton Tomasetti, which combines internally funded research with product development, and provides an interdisciplinary collaborative platform for the firm’s 1,200-plus employees.

“Our goal is to change the culture of the firm and contribute to innovation in our industry,” says Robert Otani, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Principal and Special Structures leader with the 62-year-old firm.

Otani was one of the founders, in 2011, of CORE studio, Thornton Tomasetti’s virtual incubator that encourages interaction among the firm’s

CORPORATE SUITE SUPPORT In the first phase of the proposal review process, a submitting team must come up with a work plan and be willing to share its ideas with other practices within the firm. Malsch recalls that, initially, too few ideas were getting out of the gate because CORE had been too quick to “skunk” them.

Now, the process gives an idea a little more breathing room, and more time for teams to see what’s feasible.

“CORE encourages employees to think beyond their own work, and gives them access to the company’s resources,” says Woelke. A key element in any proposal is how the team plans to work with other practices and departments within the company. “Innovation starts with multidisciplinary thinking,” he says.

The internal committee evaluates proposals three times a year and chooses the best ones to receive initial funding intended to deliver a proof of concept. Malsch, Otani, and Woelke manage each approved project, based on their expertise (structures for Otani, forensics and advanced analytics for Malsch, and applied science and defense for Woelke).

Projects that make it to the second phase receive additional funding. The firm declined to reveal on the record

Hummingbird Kinetics offers a patented high-performance fluid harmonic mass damping solution that reduces the impact of wind motion on supertall buildings. The startup is one of several products spawned from Thornton Tomasetti’s virtual incubator, CORE studio.

PIERRE GHISBAIN/THORNTON TOMASETTI

design and construction teams. He is also one of three associates—with Elisabeth Malsch, PhD, PE, Principal in the Forensics practice, and Pawel Woelke, PhD, PE, Associate Principal in the Weidlinger Applied Sciences practice—who serve on an internal committee within CORE that evaluates employee proposals for new products and business opportunities.

CORE comprises two components: CORE lab, which manages and nurtures internal R&D; and CORE studio, which has its own staff, and focuses on projects and applications. Malsch says CORE is now integrated into Thornton Tomasetti’s five-year business plan.

After CORE launched, Woelke took a page from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to initiate innovation tournaments to generate employee engagement and proposals. “It’s a great way to pull ideas out of people,” says Otani. And over the years, CORE studio has developed solutions for a host of projects, such as parametric modeling and high-level workflow guidance for the 178,000-sf Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Student Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. A number of analytical and visualization tools have also sprung from CORE, which publishes papers on the results from its research and projects.

‘INNOVATION STARTS WITH MULTIDISCIPLINARY THINKING. CORE ENCOURAGES EMPLOYEES TO THINK BEYOND THEIR OWN WORK, AND GIVES THEM ACCESS TO THE COMPANY’S RESOURCES.’ — PAWEL WOELKE, PHD, PE, THORNTON TOMASETTI

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Weidlinger Associates, a deal that brought together companies with reputations for developing new products and services for the AEC industry.

TTWiiN initially showcased several products that were already in various stages of development. These included: Q PZFlex: cloud-based simulation software for the design and development of piezoelectric and ultrasonic devices Q VistaMat Suite: a trio of software tools for advanced material failure modeling Q Pumpkin Mounts: shock and vibration isolation mount technology for the defense, industrial, and transportation sectors Q Hummingbird Kinetics: products that mitigate structural vibrations for tall buildings and To encourage innovative thinking and creative problem solving among its 1,200 employees, Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio long-span structures organizes and hosts innovation tournaments and hackathons.

Q Konstru: a 3D model automaPictured: Team-based exercises at the CORE-hosted AEC tion and collaboration platform Technology Symposium and Hackathon, October 20-22, 2017, at Thornton Tomasetti’s New York headquarters. that enables project contributors to exchange data among widely used building design and analysis software packages.

One of CORE lab’s mandates, says Otani, Daddazio, Managing Principals Michael Squaris to funnel potential products to TTWiiN, at zini and Gary Panariello, and Director Grant which point the company might bring in outside McCullagh. The final review—where Thornton experts to drive the idea to commercialization, Tomasetti decides whether the idea is comas it did with RWDI for Hummingbird. And CORE mercially or strategically viable enough to merit is definitely in “growth mode,” says Malsch, to further development—can involve as many as encourage more of Thornton Tomasetti’s associ60 people. ates to submit proposals and be willing to put in the work to see them through.

IDEAS COMMERCIALIZED Ultimately, Thornton Tomasetti wants to exOtani says CORE is definitely “a talent draw,” pand its portfolio as a go-to solutions provider because it offers enterprising associates a beyond its traditional practices. For example, place to spread their wings. “It gives employthe firm recently completed the fabrication drawees an outlet outside of their daily grind to try ings for One Vanderbilt, a 1,400-foot skyscraper something different, to engage in a pet project,” under construction in New York, even though it’s says Woelke. not the SE on that project.

On a corporate level, CORE is a critical cog in “It just made sense to the client for us to do Thornton Tomasetti’s long-range growth engine. them” because of the firm’s growing brand for In May 2016, the firm launched TTWiiN, a innovation, explains Otani. Woelke adds, “Our privately held company formed to commercialgoal is to get ahead of the curve, and to drive ize new technology. The launch occurred eight change by example.”+ months after Thornton Tomasetti merged with how much, but confirmed that projects in the second phase get about double the funding of the first.

Throughout that second stage, feedback to each team comes from an oversight committee, which includes Thornton Tomasetti’s Chairman and CEO Thomas Scarangello, its President Ray

THORNTON TOMASETTI

30 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION |

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MOVERS+SHAPERS |

By Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor

LEANAND MEAN For more than two decades, the Lean Construction Institute has been championing the efforts of a growing contingent of design and construction firms committed to the mantra of ‘continuous improvement.’

T

he Lean construction movement is on the march. Its parent organization, the Lean Construction Institute, celebrated its 20th anniversary last year.

LCI now has 218 corporate members, 38 owner members, and 31 active Communities of Practice. Its 2017 conference attracted more than 1,500 attendees, from 125 countries.

There’s also been a noticeable bump in client interest in Lean lately. “Over the last year or so we’ve been seeing a lot of RFPs from clients, mostly healthcare and tech companies, asking for our Lean skills,” says Skanska USA Building’s Kevin McCain.

Brasfield & Gorrie’s Katie Wells concurs: “We’re seeing an increase in client requests for Lean applications, especially in large healthcare work, but Last Planner”—the core system for

Lean planning—“and other Lean tools can be used even for small projects.”

Lean enthusiasts like Felipe Engineer-Manriquez, Corporate Lean Manager at McCarthy Building Cos., believe Lean can work everywhere.

“Every single project, no matter the size, can be Lean,” he says.

For many GC firms, tangible results from implementing Lean can vary from project to project, depending on a lot of factors. JE Dunn’s experience is typical. “We have seen as much as a 25% schedule savings, and we have regularly returned contingency dollars to the client,” says Rebecca Snelling, JE Dunn’s National Director of Lean Construction. More important to many firms are the intangibles, such as “cultural change” and “enhanced work/life balance” that they see coming from adopting Lean into their processes.

Recent LCI-sponsored research studies make a compelling case for employing Lean principles in building design and construction. One study of 162 projects found that those with high Lean intensity were three times more likely to be completed ahead of schedule than

‘HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A PROJECT IS LEAN? IF THE PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.’ — FELIPE ENGINEER-MANRIQUEZ, MCCARTHY BUILDING COS.

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low-Lean-intensity projects and were twice as likely to come in under budget than projects with lesser Lean involvement.

An LCI/AIA-sponsored study of 310 designers across 610 projects compared those projects with “very high Lean intensity” to those with “low Lean intensity.” More than half (53%) of the “very high” projects came in under budget, vs. only 7% of “lowintensity” projects; one-third (33%) of the “very high Lean” group also beat the original schedule, compared to only 7% of “low-intensity” projects.

More telling is that 36% of the “very high Lean” projects reported opportunities for design innovation, high levels of sustainability, and “progressive aesthetics,” versus 10% for low Lean projects. In other words, intense use of Lean not only saved time and money, it often produced greener, more beautiful buildings. (For more on LCI research, and to view video interviews with four owners—T. Rowe Price, Rocky

Mountain Institute, UC San A project team in Skanska’s Seattle offi ce works with design Francisco, and Sutter Health— partners in a Lean pull planning go to: bit.ly/2o6BLUN.) session for a development in The basic ingredients of Lean downtown Seattle. “We use pull scheduling to get collaboration design and construction go on projects, and it also gives us back more than 40 years, when greater reliability on the schedToyota, guided by the writings ule,” says Kevin McCain, Seattle offi ce head and chair of the of “total quality” advocate W. fi rm’s National Lean Committee.

Edwards Deming (1900-1993), implemented “continuous improvement” in its plants—and crushed the U.S. automotive industry.

In the U.S., a core group of pioneers spent the better part of two decades adapting the principles of Lean from the manufacturing plant to the construction site—pioneers like LCI co-founders H. Glenn Ballard, PhD, now Research Director, Project Productivity Systems Lab, UC Berkeley, and Gregory A. Howell; Victor Sanvido, PhD, now Senior Vice President, Southland

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Industries; Lauri Koskela, PhD, now Professor of Construction and Project Management, University of Huddersfield (UK), and a founder of the International Lean Construction Institute; and lawyer Will Lichtig, now with The Boldt Company, who wrote the definitive Integrated Form of Agreement (IFOA) for Lean Project Delivery.

Today, the Lean construction garden is dotted with a robust bloom of abbreviations (LPS, PDCA, 5S, 3P, TPM, TVD); exotic terms of Japanese origin (Kaizen, Kanban, Andon, and muri—not to be confused with muda or mura); and even some phrases with a comic twist: “Poke Yoke,” “Fishbone Diagram,” and the ominous “Last Responsible Moment.”

We talked to experts at eight GC firms to get a reading on their Lean construction agendas.

GILBANE

Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie, architect HGA, and subcontractors conduct a Lean pull plan session in a Big Room for United Health System’s Spring Valley Hospital, Las Vegas. The IPD partners made a profit and returned $2.5 million to the client.

A DECADE OF LEAN PROGRESS

Gilbane Building Company has been using Lean methods since 2007. “Our A players serve as mentors to identify constraints, plan for handoffs, and eliminate gaps, so that our young project engineers can learn and grow, and the whole project team becomes a unified entity,” says Susan S. Klawans, Senior Vice President and Director of Operational Excellence and Planning.

Gilbane uses its own version of Last Planner (“Gilbane Advanced Planning & Scheduling”) for pull planning, milestone scheduling, and weekly

work planning to create “a whole thought/work process,” says Klawans. She’s in charge of the firm’s Quality in Construction program, which assures quality planning and verification on projects like the award-winning $98.3 million, 203-bed buildout (with Albert Kahn Associates) at the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care & Discovery (bit.ly/2ne8wOy).

The 2,688-member firm is using Lean methods in its safety program to measure not just lost time and recordable incidents, but near misses as well. “It might mean walking up to a laborer who’s cutting masonry and making sure there’s respiratory equipment and water,” she says.

“That might prevent a near miss.”

Gilbane gathers client feedback after 90 days to take the customer’s “pulse” and determine what actions the project team should take for improvement. “We’ve always surveyed at the end, but now we’re not waiting till then to get feedback,” says Klawans, who joined Gilbane in 1984.

PPC (Plan Percent Complete—the number of assignments completed that day divided by total assignments for the week) is another Lean metric Gilbane is using. “How many of the commitments we made last week actually were fulfilled?” she asks. “Did all six laborers show up to do the taping? No? Why not? We’re posting that data on our internal website.”

Klawans is leading Gilbane on an updated three-pronged Lean strategy: 1) developing Lean practitioners across the company—in accounting, administration, etc.—not just for building projects; 2) advancing project teams to help owners, designers, and contractors be more effective, and 3) creating “playbooks” of effective enterprise-wide policies and procedures. “Lean comes from the bottom up, and these playbooks will give everyone ‘principle-based guidance’ to make smart decisions and get results,” says Klawans.

BRASFIELD & GORRIE

RESPECT FOR PEOPLE

Katie Wells, LEED AP, Director of Lean Construction, traces Brasfield & Gorrie’s entry into Lean to 2008 and the Texoma Medical Center, a 252bed Greenfield replacement hospital in Denison, Texas. “It was a design-build contract that was halfway through design,” she says. Executives from the client, Universal Health Services (UHS), had gone to an LCI congress, and they wanted to explore Lean and integrated project delivery (IPD).

34 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION |

March 2018

Brasfield and design partner HKS couldn’t convert the contract to an IPD, but they did bring in Lean consultants to implement Lean pull planning. “The project paved the way for us” into Lean and IPD, says Wells.

The firm currently has more than 25 IPD projects completed or in the works; 15 or so are using Last Planner. “There’s a buzz about what Lean cultural change can do from a quality, scheduling, and budget standpoint,” says Wells.

The 2,500-person firm’s most successful Integrated Lean Project Delivery has been a new four-story patient tower and 15,000-sf renovation for UHS’s Spring Valley Hospital, Las Vegas.

Brasfield & Gorrie and design partner HGA got all their major trade partners into a Big Room three months before construction started and used A3 learning (“A3” refers to the single 11x17-inch sheet of paper that contains the handwritten Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA, process for analyzing a problem). “We coupled that with Target Value Design to get all the stakeholders”—including the hospital CEO and COO—“working together,” says Wells. As a result, she says, “We didn’t have the traditional issues you have of making a decision and then having it reworked.”

The partners hit their profit goal and returned $2.5 million to the hospital.

Brasfield & Gorrie’s latest Lean venture is “retrospectives,” where “learning teams” visit a project in progress to examine problems, fix them, and make recommendations for future projects.

“Our safety team does it extremely well,” says Wells.

“Lean sets a cultural mantra—respect for people—that our company really embraces,” says Wells.

SUNDT CONSTRUCTION

MAKING LEAN PROCESSES A ‘CONTINUOUS FLOW’

A Big Room at Sundt. The Sundt Management System (SMS) is the firm’s version of Lean 5S: 1) Sort: Remove clutter, make information less confusing; 2) Straighten: Organize the information, eliminate duplication; 3) Shine: Clean up the interface, make it more intuitive; 4) Standardize: Align project management and other business practices with recognized industry standards; 5) Sustain: Create a formal structure to develop and maintain the SMS, integrate the teaching of the system with staff career development, and measure its effectiveness within the firm.

Sundt’s introduction to Lean dates to 2005, when the company, under then-CEO J. Doug Pruitt, joined LCI and took on its first Lean project, an office building for the University of Phoenix. A consultant helped the team implement Last Planner, which improved the firm’s scheduling and collaboration with subcontractors.

Pruitt charged a group of staff leaders to become Lean experts and train others to use Last Planner, but early results were spotty. “Standardization depended a lot on who was doing the mentoring and training,” says Melissa FIVE KEY LEAN Moreno, CPC, CM-Lean.

PRINCIPLES Five years ago, Pruitt’s successor, Dave Crawford (who retired last 1 ] Respect for people October), named Moreno Corporate 2 ] Deliver value to the customer Director of Continuous Improvement.

Her brief: incorporate Lean methods not only in the field but also in administration—for payroll documentation, software development, “all our internal processes,” she says.

3 ] Improve flow of value 4 ] Eliminate waste 5 ] Continuous improvement

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To date, 45 Sundt professionals have earned the CM-Lean credential. Moreno, a 12-year Sundt veteran, has implemented a “second push” to incorporate such Lean tools as Daily Huddles and Gemba walks—site walkarounds to get to the root causes of potential problems and generate solutions. (Gemba means “go to where the work takes place.”)

Moreno says the payoff for Sundt is that Lean provides “continuous flow” between members of the project team. “Lean engages our employees,” she says. (Sundt, with 2,000 staff, is employee-owned.)

“Using their expertise and involvement, you get buy-in, collaboration, ideas. It’s not us [management] versus them.”

‘LEAN HELPS OUR SUBS MAKE THEIR MARGINS’ A team from McCarthy Building Cos. meets in a Last Planner session on a TSA baggagehandling project at Las Vegas airport. The use of Lean principles saved $500,000 in overtime waste on the job, says McCarthy's Felipe Engineer-Manriquez.

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Felipe Engineer-Manriquez, PMP, LEED AP BD+C, McCarthy Building Cos.’ Corporate Lean Manager, knows that, at the very least, Lean methods can save money. Using the A3 Process, his firm avoided spending $300,000 on a vendor payment system that wouldn’t have done the job.

In Fresno, Calif., a McCarthy team building a seven-story parking garage for Community Medical Regional Center hired a Kaizen consultant to train 28 McCarthy craft workers in Lean. After only two weeks of training, they were able to identify enough time wasters to cut the concrete pour cycle from 11 days to seven—just by doing simple things like moving job boxes closer to where trade workers were actually working. Total savings: $700,000 in overtime costs. “No one had to speed up their work,” says Engineer-Manriquez. “Just by doing it right, efficiency came as a positive side effect.”

McCarthy, an employee-owned firm of about 1,900 persons, has engaged in 60 Lean-based projects since 2014. Engineer-Manriquez, a Certified ScrumMaster (Scrum is a Lean technique that “gets twice the work done in half the time”) and an LCI-certified instructor for Last Planner and Lean Project Delivery, says, “Our subcontractors love

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Lean, because it produces more reliable project delivery, so they can plan their work more effectively and make their margins.”

SKANSKA

DOWN TO THE CRAFT LEVEL

Kevin McCain, Senior Vice President of Skanska’s Seattle office, summarizes the giant contractor’s approach to Lean: “If we can make our employees’ lives easier by eliminating internal processes that are less value-added, then it gives our people more time for the value-add.”

Skanska jumped into Lean in 2007. McCain’s office was building a patient tower for Seattle’s Virginia Mason Hospital, whose entire management team had been trained in Lean principles in Japan. Says McCain, “They were using Lean to improve the patient experience,” for example, by cutting patient waiting time in the emergency department to six minutes. “We watched how they worked, and we were impressed.”

The hospital’s Lean experts trained Skanska professionals in “Rapid Process Improvement Workshop,” which helps teams identify waste and produce real change. “We now have 17 RPIWs around the country,” says McCain. “A lot of companies use pull schedules and Last Planner, but not many are implementing RPIW.” RPIW has enabled Skanska’s Seattle office to trim the time needed to set up a project—getting insurance approvals, hiring subcontractors, etc.—from 31 days, down to 6-9 days. RPIW has also been used to connect accounting data with the company’s forecasting software. “It was taking our project managers 15 minutes to handenter the data into our forecasting reports,” says McCain. “Now it’s saving time for everyone in our offices around the country.”

Lean methods proved a godsend on the new Burke Museum at the University of Washington.

“There was going to be a six-week delay on the building permit,” says Robert Penney, Continuous Improvement Director in the Seattle office.

“We used that time to bring everyone in—the designers from Olson Kundig, subcontractors, our PMs, the field ops team—and we pull planned and resequenced how we would build the foundation, erect the structural steel, and so on. We shaved six weeks off the final schedule and came in on time.”

Under President/CEO Richard Kennedy, Skanska’s National Lean Committee (which

McCain chairs) is promoting RPIWs throughout the 4,265-member firm, creating Lean education modules (such as how to use BIM 360 Plan to document pull plans), standardizing Last Planner training, and training employees to become CMLean certified.

“We want to bring Lean culture down to the craft level,” says McCain. “If they see something’s not working, they can stop an operation”—that’s called “pulling the Andon cord” in Leanspeak— “and take a few minutes to replan how they’re doing their work. That eliminates waste, and that’s where significant money can be saved.”

BALFOUR BEATTY

AIDING WORKER SAFETY

Balfour Beatty’s Lean roots go back 10+ years, following its acquisition of Centex in 2007.

Back then, Bevan Mace, PhD, who came to Balfour from Centex, was applying Lean thinking on several mission critical, healthcare, and public assembly projects. Subsequently, he would implement Lean methods in the firm’s business acquisition and preconstruction activities.

Currently, Balfour’s Lean projects include The Pavilion for Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, a 17-story hospital of 500 beds and 47 ORs, with healthcare designer HDR, architect Foster+Partners, BR+A and Southland Industries (engineering), and co-CM L.F. Driscoll, using Daily Huddles, co-location, A3, Last Planner, and IPD; and Park District, a 20-story office tower and 228-unit residential tower in Dallas for Trammell Crow and Met Life, employing pull planning, Daily Huddles, and top-down construction.

Steve Smithgall, Senior Vice President, National Operations & Safety, has been applying Lean thinking to the firm’s safety initiative.

“Balfour Beatty challenged us with achieving zero harm, how to engineer out the risk,” he says. “We focused on asking why accidents happened—not just the surface causes, but the root causes. That information is shared during a weekly national leadership call on safety where we ask, What happened last week, and what did we learn from it?”

Last year, Mace, now Balfour’s Vice President, National Operations & Lean, and other Lean experts at Balfour trained all of the firm’s executives in pull planning and improving alignment with the Last Planner System. “We needed them to understand what Lean was all about

from a production perspective,” he says.

Next up: a new emphasis on “visual management” in sales and operations—“knowing visually where we are against plan, where we have variances, and what we need to do.”

SKENDER

PUTTING ‘RAPID’ INTO ACTION

Thirteen years ago, CEO Mark Skender came back from an LCI conference convinced he wanted to implement Lean at the firm. He formed a core group of supervisors and project managers that met after work to learn Last Planner.

Their initial stab at a Lean project was Eastgate Village, an apartment complex near Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center. “At first we were just using Last Planner and Lean principles without the measurement tools,” says Afshan Barshan, then an Assistant PM. Within a short period of time, they were adding components like Plan Percent Complete—and seeing the payoff. “Our schedules were coming 20-30% early, and we were getting better pricing and more negotiated and repeat work from clients,” says Barshan, now Executive Vice President/Partner. “The more collaborative, more productive subs wanted to work with us.” The firm’s safety rating (expressed as its Experience Modification Rate) dropped from 1.38, to 0.72.

(Anything below 1.00 is better than average.)

Skender’s latest foray into Lean tools is its deployment of Rapid Action Teams. With RATs, says Barshan, “you have 90 days to figure out your current process, Value Stream it, and make recommendations for improvement.”

Their first RAT attacked the firm’s document

Afshan Barshan at the LEAN COFFEE board at Skender Construction’s “Hub,” where Skender staff can hold informal huddles to discuss improvements to their Lean processes. "We're embracing Last Planner as a process, whether or not the client asks us to use it," he says.

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control system. “The team eliminated several redundancies and came up with a mostly electronic filing system.” The contractor is now on its eighth RAT. The latest will help it choose the best software for performing Lean operations.

Mark Skender’s vision for Lean has been fully adopted by the 226-member staff. Says Barshan, “We’re embracing Last Planner, whether or not the client asks us to use it.”

JE DUNN

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• Defects • Overproduction • Waiting • Nonutilized talent • Transport • Inventory • Motion • Excess processing

TAKING THE PLUNGE

JE Dunn’s first Lean project was a complete leap of faith. Five years ago, the firm took on a $6.1 million, 52,000-sf renovation of two residence halls at Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas. The initial work plan called for a 28-week schedule that would have displaced 196 students during the school year and cost as much as $300,000 in lost housing fees—dollars the historically African-American institution could hardly afford.

Despite having no previous experience in Lean-based work, JE Dunn quickly implemented a Last Planner training program for its Houston office and its subcontractors, 90% of whom had never heard of Lean.

Working with Austin firm CasaBella Architects, the GC used Last Planner and Daily Huddles to cut the schedule to 12 weeks in the summer—meaning no disruption to students, no lost housing fees for the university, and better pedestrian safety during construction. They even sidestepped four months of General Conditions costs.

Since then, JE Dunn has developed several specific Lean-related techniques. “We use Strategyzer’s Value Proposition Canvas to build team clarity around the value of projects,” says Rebecca Snelling, the firm’s National Director of Lean Construction. “We use that as the baseline to create Conditions of Satisfaction, while converting the project’s Value Proposition into a Graphic Master Schedule for the project.” The firm has also developed a proprietary platform, Lens, for rapid conceptual estimating.

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LEAN’S 8 WASTES

The 3,100-person firm is taking Lean into its internal business processes. It’s using Last Planner to respond to RFPs, Value Stream Mapping to increase diversity, and Kanban to enhance its communications. It’s holding 15-minute standups in its IT, Quality, and Marketing units.

Says Snelling, who chairs the Lean Construction Institute Education Committee, “Lean is not just for [building] projects.”

Dan C. Heinemeier, CAE, LCI’s Executive Director, says a number of LCI member firms are doing what JE Dunn, Gilbane, Balfour Beatty, Sundt, and other AEC firms are doing—implementing Lean on an “enterprise” basis. “It’s a new direction, getting Lean into everything they do in their business and getting everybody in the firm to be much more Lean,” he says.

MOVING ON: LEAN’S THIRD DECADE “Lean is about change across organizations, not just your organization,” says Balfour’s Bevan Mace. “In construction, you create a different culture on every job.” The industry has to “get better at improving the speed at which we create good Lean cultures on each project.”

Still, achieving “continuous improvement” is “not as easy as you think,” says Sundt’s Melissa Moreno. “You’re talking about changing the culture, changing behavior, and getting people committed to the idea. But when people can see the value in their work and in their daily lives, when we reduce wasted time and help them go home early and go home safe, that increases engagement.”+

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Experience.

Innovation.

Photo: Dan Arnold

Exit Hatches Add Vital Safety Component on Major Rail Project Underground construction is especially dangerous, particularly in large urban areas with pipes, wires and infrastructure that keep a city connected. When Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors started to build a long rail line in Los Angeles, Calif. that included underground stations, one of its first objectives was to plan for emergency egress for underground workers.

The 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project rail line includes six emergency exit hatches and four large doors to access underground control systems. The hatches and doors, manufactured by The BILCO Company in New Haven, Conn., provide code-compliant egress for underground workers, and eventually, subway riders.

“Even before there were any designs, the engineering team knew that they needed doors that would provide safe and reliable emergency egress’’ said Dave Pebley of Specialty Building Components, the sales representative for The BILCO Company in Pico Rivera, Calif. “The doors had to meet code requirements, but also stand up to the demands of the job.”

BILCO’s specially designed access doors provide code-compliant egress for underground construction workers and eventually subway riders.

Installed at stops along the entire length of the line, the doors are equipped with many custom features that make them ideal for use in this application. Each is equipped with engineered lift assistance and a two-point panic locking mechanism that allow the doors to open with less than 30-pounds of force, a critical requirement for safe egress in an emergency. Additional features will also be added at the ground level where the doors will be installed in sidewalks to ensure reliability and enhanced safety.

Photo: Dan Arnold

specifications, but are also light enough to be opened easily by one person. which is an engineering challenge.”

To prevent structural damage, the doors are reinforced for vehicular loading to withstand the weight of an occasional car or truck that may drive onto the sidewalk. They also feature a slip resistant coating on the walking surface to ensure safety in these high pedestrian traffic areas.

There are two emergency doors at the Expo/Crenshaw, Martin Luther King, and Leimert Park underground stations. The stations at Hyde Park, Fairview Heights, Downtown Inglewood and Westchester/ Veterans are at-grade and the Aviation/Century stop is elevated, so emergency evacuation doors are not required.

“These doors are located on the sidewalk and had to be tested by the fire department.” Pebley said. “They meet H-20 wheel loading

Planning for this $2.058 billion project started in 1992 and the extension is designed to better serve transit-dependent residents in the corridor and provide economic stimulus in the region. The project will be the first rail line to serve Crenshaw Boulevard and the city of Inglewood since streetcars of the Los Angeles Rail Line stopped running in 1955. The new light rail line will use the alignment of the streetcars in some instances.

It is expected to be operational in 2019.

Los Angeles is amid a major infrastructure update in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Besides the new Crenshaw line, Los Angeles is also building a nine-mile extension to a Westside subway line and an automated people mover that will serve people on the Crenshaw Line and help them connect to the broader Metro rail network.

For over 90 years, The BILCO Company has been a building industry pioneer in the design and development of specialty access products. Over these years, the company has built a reputation among architects, and engineers for products that are unequaled in design and workmanship. BILCO – an ISO 9001 certified company – offers commercial and residential specialty access products.

BILCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of AmesburyTruth, a division of Tyman Plc. For more information, visit www.bilco.com.

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By John Caulfield, Senior Editor

VR’S NEXT SHIFT: EXPLORING VIRTUAL BEHAVIOR A Stanford University startup is taking the VR industry by storm through virtual performance training and human behavioral study.

STRIVR’s VR-based immersive learning and training projects include construction site safety simulations. The startup is working with a host of clients, from the National Football League to Walmart to Emily Griffith Technical College, on custom VR programs.

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his spring, Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver, one of the country’s oldest such institutions, will take another step into the 21st century by offering courses in its Construction Careers Now program that incorporate virtual reality to train students how to work in highcitation safety areas on construction sites. The school will also use VR in its nursing program to simulate real-life healthcare and emergency situations.

Emily Griffith is collaborating with STRIVR, a three-year-old company based in Menlo Park, Calif., that deploys virtual reality software to create personalized and repeatable training experiences for users to hone their skills.

STRIVR is best known for the immersive VR training programs it has developed for college and professional sports teams. More recently, it has

March 2018

diversified its client base to include companies like Walmart, with which it created VR programs for the retail giant’s employees to improve its stores’ security, customer service, and operational efficiency.

Another new client, the financial services firm Fidelity, has been testing VR-enhanced empathy training for its call center associates.

“Learning by doing is the best form of learning,” says Derek Belch, STRIVR’s CEO. “Our mission is to empower people to perform at their best.”

STRIVR is spreading its wings at a time when more AEC firms are taking a closer look at how they might use VR to produce better buildings.

The startup’s technology, say its executives, takes VR users beyond the parameters of design into the realm of immersive behavioral training that can help companies elevate the mechanical or managerial proficiencies of any employee, from a plumber to a practice leader.

STRIVR

Belch co-founded STRIVR in 2015 with Jeremy Bailenson, a leading expert on VR and Thomas More Storke Professor in the Department of Communications at Stanford University. There, Bailenson is also Faculty Director of its Digital Learning Forum and the Founding Director of the university’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL).

VHIL’s mission, says Bailenson, is to understand the dynamics and implications of interactions among people in immersive VR simulations. “Our work is centered on using empirical, behavioral science methodologies to explore people as they interact in these digital worlds,” he says. The goal is to apply VR as a basic research tool to improve everyday life, such as conversation, empathy, and communication systems.

Its projects have used VR to examine, among other things, racism, childhood development, and empathy, often by creating avatars that allow users to understand how being “someone else”—for example, a caucasian male seeing himself as a minority female—changes how one thinks and feels in the real world.

VHIL has researched how VR can help patients recover from injuries faster by placing them in an immersive and aspirational environment where their bodies perform beyond their current physical limitations.

In 2014, prior to launching STRIVR, Bailenson and Belch—a Stanford alumnus and former kicker on the school’s football team—tested their technology by developing a virtual training regimen that recreated game-like situations for the team’s quarterback, Kevin Hogan.

Hogan’s training included donning a VR headset for about 12 minutes before each game. The results were remarkable: after the VR-based training, Hogan’s pass-completion rate shot up to 76%, compared to 64% before VR. The team’s total offense improved to 38 points per game, from 24. And its red-zone scoring proficiency rose to 100%, from 50%.

“So, for simulations where you get to embody someone else (or something else), or simulations where — DEREK BELCH, STRIVR movement is especially impactful (training, therapy, etc.), VR is a game changer,” says Bailenson.

‘LEARNING BY DOING IS THE BEST FORM OF LEARNING.’

VR ATTRACTS AEC INTEREST FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COORDINATION Notwithstanding critics who carp that his research sidesteps possible negative uses of VR, Bailenson optimistically foresees VR’s future focusing on training and “experience on demand.” He sees no reason why VR can’t benefit the AEC industry. “The overall feeling of ‘being’ in a new place without having to build it to test the design principals is a great application,” he suggests.

Dozens of AEC firms—including Gensler, Ennead Architects, Arup, and SHoP Architects—already incorporate VR into their practices’ work and collaborations. And the industry’s interest is growing.

In January, representatives from firms that included Stantec and Robert A.M. Stern Architects attended a presentation in New York City set up by Microdesk to show how different design software, game engines, and VR platforms work together.

A year ago, Stephen Paul, Visualization Manager in AECOM’s Minneapolis, Minn., office, was having

Walmart’s training academies across the country have incorporated VR into a curriculum produced by STRIVR. The program asks employees to make simple choices based on real-world scenarios they experience through an Oculus Rift. The retail giant has plans to expand the program to all of its stores.

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COURTESY WALMART

SIMULATING REAL LIFE TO TRAIN OR HEAL

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architects and contractors who want to see things “in the right spatial context, and make decisions accordingly.”

But when asked what’s holding back VR from wider application by the AEC community, Casale acknowledges that the equipment is still clunky, and interactions and movement within VR environments “are still pretty limited.”

Belch thinks a bigger impediment is organizational.

AEC firms, he asserts, “need to embrace VR training as the future and adjust their routines and activities around it, rather than trying to make VR fit into what they currently do.”

That being said, the appetite for VR is piqued. International Data Corporation recently forecast that worldwide spending for VR and Left: STRIVR Co-founder Jeremy Bailenson is also the augmented reality products and Founding Director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human services would double in each of Interaction Lab. Here, he walks a VR user through one of the next four years, to $215 billion the lab’s custom interactive programs. Above: Derek Belch, STRIVR’s Co-founder and CEO, demonstrates the firm’s in 2021. In the U.S. alone, VR/AR technology to Stanford University students. spending is projected to increase at a compound annual rate of 120%.

STRIVR plans this year to expand its platform to more business sectors. Casale eogame that it ran through Vive, a VR platform, as a believes VR could be particularly helpful in managetool whose functions allowed users to “adjust” the ment leadership training. And he points to STRIVR’s pipes. Paul says his Viz Studio is also working on relationship with Emily Griffith Technical College as “slip, trip, and fall” training with virtual obstacles on evidence of VR’s applicability to the construction field. a construction site.

Jeff Barratt, the college’s Executive Director, tells Paul has written about using VR to give people—parBD+C that the virtual construction site for its courses ticularly doubters—a better appreciation of the potential would place students in situations where they must damage from climate change, by placing them in a navigate such potential dangers as open trenches or virtual environment washed away by a 100- or 500-year impalement objects. To create this environment, Emflood. (One of VHIL’s landmark studies involved creating ily Griffith connected STRIVR with contractors doing a VR environment to inform users about deforestation.) work near Denver’s airport, where STRIVR captured its Vive is a product of HTC Corp., with which AECOM imagery. The videography, software, and hardware cost recently entered into a long-term partnership to develop north of $100,000, of which the college contributed and extend the reach of VR to benefit the AEC indus$10,000. The school’s Foundation raised the balance try. “Virtual reality has the potential to be the biggest from donors. paradigm shift in history for architects, engineers, and The college also runs a high school, and Barratt designers,” M. Sean Chiao, AECOM’s President–Asia says VR can give younger students a “taste” of a Pacific, said when the deal was announced. construction site before they turn 18 and are legally allowed to be on one.

VR WILL FAMILIARIZE STUDENTS WITH JOBSITES Barratt says the college and STRIVR have been talk“Great training can happen at a moment’s notice” ing about developing a revenue-sharing model for future within virtual reality, proclaims Michael Casale, PhD, VR-enhanced training programs, which might include STRIVR’s Chief Science Officer. And as the software skills training for construction and culinary students. becomes more sophisticated, users will have even “VR would let them learn before and after an actual more control over their virtual experiences. demonstration,” says Barratt.+ Casale is convinced VR can be a useful tool for trouble getting coworkers at his firm excited about VR. “Now I have people lined up outside my door,” he says. Paul attributes the change in mindset at AECOM, in part, to the introduction of easier-to-use VR instruments, like Rift and Google Cardboard, “that put everything within the consumer’s reach.”

He says AECOM is finding new ways to use VR every day. It recently built a module for hydrostatic testing of pipelines in Canada, and used a VR vid-

LINDA A. CICERO / STANFORD

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March 2018

Sherwin-Williams.

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By John Caulfield, Senior Editor

AUTOMATING

BUILDING DESIGN Aditazz asks why a building’s design can’t be automated the same way computer chips are made.

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or the first several weeks of 2018, Deepak Aatresh was in India working with a client on a one million-sf-plus healthcare network that is being designed with technology developed

by Aditazz, which Aatresh co-founded in 2010 and is its CEO. The Brisbane, Calif.-based firm is attempting to bring building design to a new frontier with computational software that uses algorithms to help clients complete largescale and complex projects in less time, at lower cost, and with more efficient operations.

“Our vision is to fully automate the design delivery process,” says Agnessa Todorova, AIA, NCARB, Aditazz’s Senior Director of Product Management.

Chuck Han, the firm’s Vice President of Technology Solutions, adds, “What we’re trying

Brisbane, Calif.-based Aditazz has raised some $40 million in venture capital since its founding in 2010. Pictured (l. to r.): Deepak Aatresh, Founder and CEO; Mabel Tse, AIA, NCARB; Sungmin Kim, Member of Technical Staff (facing camera); and Zigmund Rubel, AIA, Co-founder and Chief of Building Sciences and Design Services.

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ADITAZZ

to do to design is what spreadsheets did for accounting: we’re getting rid of the mundane, and providing higher value.”

Since its launch, Aditazz has raised about $40 million in venture capital. Its technology has been used to help complete three projects, with another six under construction, 18 in design, and nearly 50 in the early stages of design.

Based on its work so far, Aditazz claims that its technology can improve design and construction productivity by 30%, reduce upfront costs by 10%, and provide clients with 10% operational savings.

The India project—which “is putting our technology through its paces,” Aatresh says—is critical to his company’s ability to back up those performance claims and to demonstrate how its products can optimize a building’s functionality.

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Aditazz recently joined forces with Atkins, a global design, engineering, and project management firm, to use Aditazz’s technology to plan and design offshore wind farms more efficiently.

By codifying this organizational knowledge, Aditazz’s software can optimize different complex scenarios, choose which one works best for the client’s purposes, and then elevate the value of the project through continuous design improvements.

“The final output is not only a BIM model that can be further processed and modified with standard software, but also a set of metrics for the building, including likely capital expenditure and operational expenditure, required quantities of building materials, and operational performance,” wrote Boston Consulting Group in a 2016 paper on the company it prepared for the World Economic Forum.

In one of its early design projects, Shantou University Cancer Hospital, in China, Aditazz’s platform lowered that project’s CAPEX by $10 million by improving the hospital’s operational efficiency and rightsizing the layout in its surgery and oncology departments. The number of beds was reduced to 540 from the 900 originally proposed, linear accelerators to eight from 11, and operating theaters to 10 from 17. The project is scheduled for completion in 2019.

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS Aditazz is unique among design services providers, says Rubel, because it maintains a nearly 1:1 ratio of in-house software developers and what he calls “domain experts”—architects, medical planners, engineers, and builders.

Winning the hearts and minds of the broader AEC community in favor of Aditazz’s products has been an uphill climb. It has been stymied by three fundamental obstacles, says Rubel: cultural resistance

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March 2018

among designers beholden to current methods and wary of new ideas; the lack of a clear path to monetizing investment in computational designing; and the lack of standardization to use computers for design thinking.

“AEC firms often don’t have time to explore new technologies,” says Todorova. “Budgets are tight and it’s just about meeting deadlines.”

But Todorova also thinks that designers’ fears about automation threatening their livelihoods and creativity are misplaced. “A lot of what designers do these days is draw and redraw, make mistakes and correct them. Why not automate at least some of this process?”

Han acknowledges that because the industry remains “fragmented,” it lacks a centralized core of data. To that end, Aditazz now offers a Webbased app that allows designers to bring information into their own applications via an API (application program interface). “We can get data to people in the form they are most comfortable with,” says Aatresh.

OPPORTUNITIES IN SEVERAL SECTORS Rubel is optimistic about the power of computation and automation to change the course of building design. He thinks it’s only a matter of time before “we will be able to ask a computer a question and it will find the answer”—ala Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.

Right now, Aditazz is focusing on Asia to expand its platform. Its growth objectives will require more capital, says Aatresh. And the company remains open to potential business alliances such as that which Aditazz struck a year ago with Atkins—a global design, engineering, and project management consultant—to use Aditazz’s technology to optimize the planning and design of offshore wind farms.

“The Aditazz platform gives us a unique way of bringing together all the disparate information that you get when designing an offshore wind farm, and combining that data in a manageable way,” says Martin Grant, CEO of Atkins’ Energy business. “Ultimately, this leads to better, faster decision making, helping to reduce cost and risk.”

Beyond healthcare, Aditazz sees opportunities to become a leading technology provider for the energy and industrial sectors. Longer term, it is looking to expand its reach into hospitality, large-scale multifamily, mixed-use retail, and office construction.

“This is not the time to be pulling back on growth,” says Aatresh.+

Bring clients energy saving solutions, build the foundation for high-performing projects.

Learn more at ngrid.com/newconstruction That’s business on the grid.

FOR ELIGIBLE PROJECTS within National Grid’s electric and/or gas service territories in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid does not guarantee savings. Savings and energy efficiency experiences may vary. Terms and conditions apply. In Rhode Island: These programs are funded by the energy efficiency charge on all customers’ utility bills, in accordance with Rhode Island law. ©2018 National Grid USA Service Company, Inc.

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By John Caulfield, Senior Editor

TECH TAKEOVER Ryan Companies’ headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn., features a large open area where employees in different departments work as teams and individually at sit-stand workstations (above). Ryan’s Architecture and Engineering group designed the office space, which includes a vintage delivery truck, an interactive board highlighting the company’s history, and a scaled mockup of Minneapolis’ downtown buildings. Top: A glass-walled conference room overlooks the atrium, which incorporates seating for the company’s cafeteria.

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From Chicago to Charlotte, the tech boom is transforming urban real estate markets and redefining workplace design.

he developer Sterling Bay has proposed adding a combined 1.7 million sf of office space within Chicago’s West Loop by replacing several surface parking lots with three office towers ranging from 19 to 21 stories, along with a nine-story building with retail and an eight-screen movie theater.

These buildings, whose proposals went before the Chicago Plan Commission for approval in February, would be located in the Fulton Market neighborhood, a former meatpacking district that has become one of the Windy City’s hottest real estate submarkets. More than three million sf of office space are under construction or proposed for Fulton Market, along with 3,500 residential units scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.

That neighborhood’s new office space will likely

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become a magnet for expansion-minded tech companies, if recent history is any barometer. Last November, Sterling Bay opened Fulton West, a ninestory, 290,000-sf office building with ground-floor retail. Its tenants include Uber, Glassdoor (a companyreview website for jobseekers), Drive Automation (whose technology helps transact auto sales via a mobile app), and Interactive Health (which provides flexible wellness solutions).

Tech companies are the most voracious consumers of office real estate in the U.S., and they are expanding. CBRE’s 2018 Real Estate Outlook estimates that the tech sector—which is increasing at about twice the rate of overall job growth—has been responsible for nearly one-fifth of the major office leasing activity in recent years, and will likely be a primary driver this year.

©NBBJ/SEAN AIRHART

PAUL CROSBY, COURTESY RYAN COMPANIES

Philadelphia—are often where tech hubs have coalesced. But this trend now seems boundless.

“It’s an economic revolution, a complete shift in our economy toward innovation, technology, mobility, and agility,” JLL stated in its report. “The proof is in the industry’s permeation into markets across the country, not just major tech hubs.”

‘TECH IS EVERYWHERE’

In its latest Tech Office Trends Report, JLL lists tech companies that, through the third quarter of 2017, had added significantly to their leased office space, including Facebook (436,000 sf), Lyft (91,000 sf), Infosys (60,000 sf), and Yelp (54,000 sf). “It doesn’t seem to be slowing down, either,” observes Julia Georgules, JLL’s Senior Vice President and Director of Research.

Apple is planning to build a new campus as part of its larger strategy to invest more than $30 billion in capital expenditures over the next five years and create more than 20,000 new jobs. And the recent beauty contest that pitted 238 cities in North America vying to land Amazon’s new headquarters—which expects to hire up to 50,000 employees and have a $5 billion CAPEX over the next 10 to 15 years—accentuates the importance that metros place on luring tech companies to bolster their economies.

The impact of tech company expansion on the office sector is palpable across the country, no more so than in Midtown Atlanta, where nearly two million sf of office space are under construction. Seventeen major corporations have innovation centers in Midtown Atlanta, spurred by the presence of Georgia Tech, which has one of the nation’s top graduate engineering programs. Cities whose universities tout strong STEM curricula—such as Baltimore and

That permeation is evident in the design of offices in general, as businesses in most every sector—even straitlaced legal and financial services firms—now want their workplaces to present a look and feel that’s collaborative and Millennial friendly. Jacqueline Dompe, Northwest region Director of JLL’s Project and Development Services Group, observes, too, that more businesses accept co-working as a necessary part of how their offices must function.

“Tech is everywhere,” says Lance Leighton, Co-founder of TechOfficeSpace. com, an online network for tech and creative workspaces. He’s not exaggerating, either: 86% of respondents to CRBE’s 2017 Americas Occupier Survey said they were either reinventing or adapting workplace standards to meet employee demand for more amenity-focused,

Employers like Amazon are reinventing workplace standards to meet employee demand for more amenity-focused, flexible, and tech-driven environments. Its Seattle HQ, designed by NBBJ, incorporates a unique respite space: glass-enclosed spheres housing plants from around the world.

‘IT’S AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, A COMPLETE SHIFT IN OUR ECONOMY TOWARD INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY, MOBILITY, AND AGILITY.’ — JULIA GEORGULES, JLL

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| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 49

MOVERS+SHAPERS |

flexible, and technology driven environments.

These shifts are manifesting themselves in unexpected places, including the construction arena.

Last summer, the supplier Western Window Systems moved into its new 170,000-sf headquarters and assembly plant, located in an industrial park near Phoenix’s airport. That building includes a two-story office whose open floor plan features wall murals, foosball and pool tables, shuffleboard, and a putting green.

Every Friday after 3 p.m. there’s a happy hour where

As part of its move to Sterling Bay’s Fulton West building in Chicago, Skender Construction ditched private offices for a modern, open-plan environment, with zero individual offices and 18 conference and breakout spaces across 38,000 sf.

SKENDER CONSTRUCTION

employees choose the food and games.

Western Window’s office, designed by Ware Malcomb and built by Layton Construction, practically shouts “teamwork,” with conference and “huddle” rooms scattered throughout, decorated to convey various themes.

Last September, Skender Construction moved its headquarters and 105 employees into 38,000 sf in Fulton West, in Chicago. Skender went from having multiple private offices and three conference rooms in its old digs to zero individual offices and 18 conference and breakout spaces in the new space, all on one floor.

“Since the move, it’s been working great, and we’ve had more collaboration than we ever thought possible,” says Clay Edwards, a Vice President at Skender.

About a year ago, Ryan Companies moved its headquarters into 65,000 sf on the first two floors of the new Millwright Building in Minneapolis, Minn., where 300 of its 1,200 employees now work. The design of the building, done by Ryan’s architecture and engineering group, “needed to be authentic and reinforce our brand,” says Josh Ekstrand, AIA, NCARB, the company’s Director of Design. Its precast brick exterior gives the appearance of being weathered.

Inside, a building-length mezzanine overlooks an

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March 2018

open floor plan that organizes various departments into partitioned sections, each with its own collaborative area and separate sit-stand workstations.

Amenities include a dining area, access to nearby light rail service, and an indoor skyway that connects the entire downtown.

DESIGNING FOR FUTURE CHANGES Not everyone thinks all of this genuflection to the tech gods is a good idea. The Atlantic, for one, recently questioned the wisdom of cities and states “forfeiting enormous amounts of tax revenue” to lure tech companies with tax breaks and subsidies to build new facilities, especially when Corporate America has “a long history of reneging on promised jobs and development,” wrote Brian Alexander, the article’s author.

Tech companies have also changed the dynamics for office space supply and demand. While some tech companies have shown a willingness to consider smaller markets for growth, like Charlotte, Austin, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix, the tech sector still prefers large metros like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle that have ample bases of highly educated and qualified employees. “Clustering is very important for the concentration of talent,” says Georgules.

Consequently, businesses that don’t have the tech giants’ deep pockets could be priced out of urban job centers, and find themselves looking for space in the suburbs, where it’s tougher to attract younger workers who prefer the amenities of city living.

Despite these caveats, the “tech” office is here to stay—for a while at least. What businesses value most about this office evolution, says JLL’s Georgules, is how it has engendered “random encounters” among employees that can lead to inspiration. And because tech-like offices minimize private office count in favor of common areas, hard costs and materials are, on average, 21% lower than for traditional offices, estimates JLL. As a hedge against shifting tides, some developers are trying to “future proof” their office buildings. The Wall Street Journal recently reported how Gensler had designed the new headquarters in Cincinnati for 84.51º, a data analytics firm, with three floors of above-ground parking that can be converted to office space if driverless cars that wouldn’t require parking catch on.

That kind of flexibility, says Leighton, will be much sought after by office tenants, tech or not, going forward.+

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From Micro Schools to Tiny Apartments: What’s Driving the Downsizing Economy?

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Can Blockchain Revolutionize AEC Teaming?

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| THE BUILDING ENVELOPE | By Richard P. Kadlubowski, AIA, and Christopher M. DeRosa, AIA, PE, Hoffmann Architects

Richard P. Kadlubowski, AIA, is Senior Vice President and Director, Architecture with Hoffmann Architects. He manages the firm’s Virginia office, where he diagnoses and treats distress in building enclosures.

Christopher M. DeRosa, AIA, PE, is Project Architect with Hoffmann Architects. He brings both architecture and structural engineering to the issues of building movement.

COURTESY HOFFMANN ARCHITECTS

ACCOMMODATING MOVEMENT IN BUILDING ENVELOPE MATERIALS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this article, you should be able to:

+ IDENTIFY causes of dimensional changes in building envelope elements.

DESCRIBE strategies for ac+ commodating movement in the building enclosure.

Credittypes DISTINGUISH among + of movement joints, including construction joints, control joints, and expansion joints.

EXPLAIN the effects of + differential movement in building envelope materials and discuss methods for permitting independent movement.

52 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION |

March 2018

Shear cracks riddle the exterior wall of this urban parking structure.

W

e may think of the building envelope as an inanimate object, but in reality its components can be quite mobile. Building materials grow, shrink, shift, bulge, deform, and elongate in response to stresses and fluctuations in the environment, and these dimensional changes often impose strain on adjacent elements.

Where the forces of movement are not foreseen during design and construction, evidence of the struggle will emerge, in the form of cracks, spalls, displacement, broken glass, warped metal, and, eventually, breakdown of the assembly.

Failure to anticipate and allow for movement in building materials compels imparted stresses to find their own path to release, which is nearly always an undesirable one. Not only are cracks unsightly, they also open pathways for moisture penetration into the building enclosure, which compounds the problem as materials swell or corrode, placing further outward pressure on adjoining components.

To design for movement in the building envelope is to identify the properties of the materials used in construction, as well as the environmental and siting conditions of the building, and to develop a design that either minimizes or allows for such movement. For instance,

DESIGN OF MOVEMENT JOINTS

where dimensional changes are anticipated, the design should accommodate each material’s propensity for expansion and contraction, and the building enclosure must allow for differing—and, often opposing—movement of adjoining materials.

Calculations and detailing for seemingly small movements in the building envelope may seem cumbersome and time-consuming, however, the forces that develop from these deformations can be immense. Neglecting to include adequate expansion joints, control joints, bond breaks, flexible anchorage, slip planes, and other means to allow for changes in dimension will ultimately expend more time and money in remediation than a prudent approach would require at the outset.

Where a building owner is faced with the unfortunate discovery that such practices were not employed at the time of construction, all is not lost. There are rehabilitative measures that can be taken after the fact, but unless the underlying issue of restrained movement is addressed, cosmetic fixes to cracked masonry or displaced stone will do little to keep ahead of the problem.

With attention to the causes of movement, including fluctuations in ambient temperature and moisture, applied loads, chemical interactions, and materials’ propensity to expand or shrink over time, the general behavior of each element in relation to others can be predicted. To allow for factors that might impact as-built conditions, a conservative approach to incorporating fluidity in the building envelope design should limit movement if possible and accommodate material movement, without imposing restraint.

TYPES OF MOVEMENT When designing for movement of building enclosure materials, architects and engineers must consider dimensional changes that can arise from the effects of the environment, including temperature and moisture variations, as well as elastic and inelastic deformation from applied loads and volume changes due to chemical interaction.

Designers should also take into account the tendency of a given material to shrink or expand over its service life, and the ways in which neighboring materials with opposing volume changes might pull or push against each other.

Movement joints must not only allow for dimensional changes, but also act integrally with the building enclosure to support necessary floor loads, maintain fire separations, protect against noise, thermal transfer, and air and moisture infiltration, and, in the case of plazas and garages, minimize tripping hazards and carry traffic. Joints must do all this and be durable and maintainable, withstanding season after season of use without premature degradation or wear.

Some joints function only in a push-and-pull manner, along one plane, while others accommodate shear motion. Joints must be of sufficient size to handle movement, without being so large they are difficult to weatherproof or compromise the building aesthetic. The anticipated direction and extent of movement will guide joint design, as will climate, location, and building geometry.

Placement. Typically, building movement joints are located: Q At periodic intervals along a continuous wall Q At changes in wall direction, including building corners and set backs Q At wall openings, such as windows and doors Q At changes in building height Q At junctions between areas subjected to differing climactic conditions Q Between adjoining buildings Q Between dissimilar materials Q At penetrations Q Below shelf angles Q Between panels in a veneer assembly Q At structural slab intersections in a concrete parking garage Q Between sheets of metal roofing.

At the exterior side of movement joints, sealants typically provide protection from air and water infiltration. For longevity, it is important to select only sealants with high expansion and compression capabilities, taking into consideration adhesion to the substrate and resistance to weathering.

Vertical joints. To allow for horizontal expansion and contraction along an exterior wall, vertical expansion joints should be positioned to break the wall area into sections that share the same support conditions, exposure, and construction. Joint spacing should take into consideration the amount of expected movement, compressibility of joint materials, and the size of the joint. While no single recommendation can apply to all structures, a general rule of thumb for brick masonry cavity walls suggests placing vertical expansion joints at approximately 20-foot intervals along a horizontal run of brick.

Horizontal joints. Throughout the height of a wall, brick expands and contracts vertically. If the masonry were supported only at the bottom of the wall, not only would the multi-story stack crush the brick at the bottom, the top of the wall would rise and fall during thermal cycles, ultimately increasing in height as the brick absorbs moisture. To account for expansion and prevent cracking, brick masonry is typically supported by horizontal relieving angles (shelf angles) at regular intervals. These steel, L-shaped members are attached to the floor slab or structural frame, typically at each floor. Horizontal expansion joints below relieving angles provide space for vertical expansion of the brick and allow for deformation of the metal on which the brick bears.

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| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 53

| THE BUILDING ENVELOPE |

Temperature Movement Changes in temperature cause most building materials to expand and contract. Unless the movement is restrained, the changes are generally reversible.

As the temperature rises, materials tend to expand, then contract again as the temperature drops. How great these volume changes are depends on the type of material and may be expressed in terms of coefficient of thermal expansion.

Projected thermal movement is the product of the coefficient of thermal expansion, the overall temperature change, and the length of the component. As an example, take a 10-foot sheet of copper roofing at a building site with a temperature swing of up to 100 F, for which the panel would increase in length 0.0000098 in./in./°F x 120 in. x 100 F, which is 0.1176 in., or just under 1/8 in. Although this number might seem small enough to be negligible, restraining the copper sheet by hard fastening it at both ends would lead to bowing and buckling

Q

FAILURE TO ANTICIPATE AND ALLOW FOR MOVEMENT IN BUILDING MATERIALS COMPELS IMPARTED STRESSES TO FIND THEIR OWN PATH TO RELEASE, WHICH IS NEARLY ALWAYS AN UNDESIRABLE ONE. as the temperature rises and the copper expands, and, as the temperature drops, the shrinking metal would strain at the fastening points, potentially tearing itself apart.

Q Moisture Movement Porous building materials such as brick and concrete expand as they absorb water and contract as they dry. Like temperature movement, moisture deformation is generally reversible, except in the case of the initial shrinkage or expansion that takes place with some building materials. Often considerably greater than subsequent reversible moisture-related dimension changes, expansion or contraction due to natural aging can yield significant internal stresses that may manifest as cracks, spalls, open joints, and leaks as restrained elements struggle to release built-up pressure.

• Brick is smallest in size after exiting the kiln, when it is the driest it will ever be. From then on, it expands as it absorbs moisture from the

54 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION |

March 2018

atmosphere and precipitation. Drying the brick at normal temperatures will not reverse this expansion process, which is greatest in the first few weeks after firing but continues at a slower rate for years. Just how much a given brick will expand depends mainly on raw materials, but firing temperature is also a factor. A brick fired at lower temperatures will expand more than the same brick fired at higher temperatures.

• Concrete shrinks as it cures, due to the natural moisture loss that occurs soon after the concrete is cast. As with brick, the initial dimensional change of concrete is irreversible and tends to be significantly greater than any ensuing moisture-related volume fluctuations. The degree to which concrete will shrink during curing depends on the properties of the concrete mix, including water-cement ratio, cement composition, and aggregate type, as well as the size of the concrete unit, curing conditions, and size and placement of embedded reinforcing steel.

• Wood is the building material most subject to dimensional changes due to moisture. As part of the commercial seasoning process, the wood shrinks as moisture content diminishes from the initial fiber saturation point, until reaching equilibrium with the environment. After this initial shrinkage, changing moisture content in the wood will continue to cause the wood to swell and shrink. The degree of shrinkage differs in the radial, tangential, and longitudinal directions, with the latter typically so small as to be considered negligible from a design standpoint. This swelling and shrinkage can ultimately cause the lumber to crack.

Q Chemical Action In the presence of moisture, chemical reactions can take place within or between building materials that impact the volume and integrity of the component.

• Corrosion occurs when ferrous metals are exposed to moisture, whether through direct contact with liquid water or via the condensation of ambient humidity. As steel corrodes, it expands; the volume of rust is greater than that of the original steel from which it formed. The pressure of the swelling steel is then transferred to the surrounding concrete, brick masonry, glazing, or other material, causing movement and cracking.

• Carbonation takes place when hydrated Portland cement in concrete reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. Although the reaction leads to an increase in the mass of the concrete, it also causes a reduction in volume. Not only does carbonation lead to concrete shrinkage, it also reduces the alkalinity of concrete, making the embedded reinforcing more

susceptible to corrosion.

• Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR), characterized by fine patterns of cracking in concrete, is an expansive reaction between minerals in some aggregates and alkali hydroxides in the cement. The reaction forms a gel that absorbs water and expands, exerting tremendous outward pressure on the concrete.

A variety of other chemical reactions can also cause dimensional changes and deformation in building materials, which place sufficient strain on the components to cause cracking and threaten the structural integrity of the assembly.

Q Structural Deflection In response to the variety of forces acting on the building envelope, the components will undergo deformation and movement. In addition to the dead loads (forces that remain relatively constant, i.e., the self-weight of the building envelope) and live loads (changing forces related to building usage) that should be considered as part of the design of a building, environmental forces that can cause structural deflection include wind, soil settlement, snow loads, and the seismic forces of earthquakes.

Vertical dead and live loads, including the weight of the building element itself, cause horizontal members like beams and lintels to deflect vertically, while columns, bearing walls, and building frames tend to shift horizontally from the lateral forces of wind and seismic events. The building envelope needs to be adaptable to these changing forces.

Sustained, excessive loading may lead to irreversible deformation known as creep or plastic flow, from which the material does not fully recover even if the load is removed. Once a load is applied during erection of the structure, wood and concrete members begin to sag permanently by a small amount, eventually stabilizing after the first several years of the life of the building. Concrete, a seemingly solid mass, has some fluid properties, which cause deck slabs to thin and expand in length.

Other building materials, like brick, exhibit only negligible creep in response to applied loads. However, if attached rigidly to a wood or concrete frame, masonry may sustain stresses from movement of the adjoining member.

Q Settlement When the soil beneath a building shifts, expands, or contracts, foundation settlement can cause displacement and cracking of the façade, especially where settlement is nonuniform and one portion of the building settles more than another. Proper site preparation and appropriate foundation design can prevent differential movement and limit uniform

settlement to within an acceptable range.

Q Other Causes of Movement Displacement and deformation of building elements is a complex topic, and much remains to be researched regarding the interrelationship among the dimensional stability characteristics of materials, the external forces impingent on a built structure, and the interaction between dissimilar components.

Therefore, precise prediction of building element movements is not usually achievable. Factors such as temperature at installation, age of materials, ambient humidity, and individual variation in composition even among relatively uniform materials, as well as a range of other variables, make exact calculations impossible.

Fortunately, enough is known about the most common mechanisms of building movement that conservative estimates can guide design in accommodating typical anticipated dimensional changes. To avoid over- or underestimating movement, design professionals should use the discretion born of experience to select appropriate tolerances.

ACCOMMODATING MOVEMENT

Top: Restrained movement and unforeseen dimensional changes can lead to hazardous displacement conditions. Middle: Cracks at foundation-cladding interfaces. Bottom: Brick expansion leads to vertical and step cracking as forces seek pathways to relief.

Imagining that a brick façade could expand by several inches flies in the face of object permanence— the idea that objects remain constant over time.

Despite evidence to the contrary, it may be reassuring to persist in thinking that the concrete poured today will remain dimensionally stable a year from now, as opposed to facing the discomforting fact that a solid material can shrink, distort, and flow.

The tendency to disregard changes in building materials notwithstanding, it is advantageous to avoid inadvertently constraining forces of movement, which can become so great under restraint

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| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 55

| THE BUILDING ENVELOPE |

Top: Displaced stone or masonry point to insufďŹ cient provisions for material movement. Bottom: Metal cladding displacement and exposure of underlying structural steel.

56 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION |

that they rip the building apart. To prevent the adverse effects of restrained movement, the design professional has two main strategies: strengthen building materials to resist stress and limit movement, and incorporate movement joints to provide flexibility for buildings to move according to their natural tendencies.

Q Material Strengthening To enable materials to better resist the stress of anticipated movement, strengthening is common practice in building design and construction. For example, manufacturers aim to limit shrinkage in concrete by using the smallest amount of water that still affords the requisite strength and workability, along with adequate moist curing.

However, despite these precautions, some shrinkage will still occur. Weak in tension, concrete that is rigidly fixed to other parts of the structure will crack when subjected to the tensile stress from shrinkage or temperature-induced contraction.

Incorporating temperature reinforcement, typically steel bars or welded-wire fabric, into the slab provides resistance to compressive forces and reduces shrinkage cracking. This practice is commonly employed for parking garage decks, which are subject to large temperature swings, as well as for building floor slabs.

Design professionals can manipulate those characteristics of materials that contribute to movement. Specifying light colors or shading devices reduces temperature range at the building exterior. Allowing materials with high irreversible initial shrinkage, like concrete or cast stone, to mature before use cuts down on movement after installation. Seasoning of wood limits moisture-related expansion and contraction.

Q Movement Joints Despite construction practices that limit shrinkage, expansion, bowing, and heaving, buildings will still move. Under restraint, the stress of tension or compression builds until it is released in the form

March 2018

of cracks, displacement, or breakage. Provisions should be made that allow the building to readily adapt to dimensional changes and the effects of variable environmental conditions.

Movement joints divide the building into discrete segments and allow each section to move relatively independently. Used in combination across the exterior envelope, the various types of movement joints include construction joints, control joints, expansion joints, isolation joints, and sliding joints. Especially for large buildings or those with a complex geometry, joints are critical to creating simpler units that can respond to tensile or compressive forces without placing stress on adjacent building areas.

Construction joints are used where construction work must be interrupted, primarily in concrete construction. Positioned where they are least likely to impair structural strength, construction joints must allow some displacement caused by thermal and shrinkage movement, while transferring flexural stresses from external loads across the joint.

Control joints (also called contraction joints) create a plane of weakness in concrete or other brittle materials that tend to shrink, allowing cracks to form at predetermined locations, rather than randomly throughout the material. Typically, control joints are gaps or grooves that are designed to open as the concrete shrinks. As with construction joints, these must be located such that the structural integrity of the concrete is not adversely affected.

Expansion joints separate large surfaces of materials, such as brick masonry façades, glazed curtain walls, or plaza terraces, into discrete segments, releasing stresses from changes in temperature, elastic deformation, moisture expansion, settlement, chemical action, creep, and other forces. Expansion and shrinkage are cumulative, so regularly spaced expansion joints reduce the amount of movement that any one joint must accommodate. At corners, offsets, and setbacks in the façade, cladding materials like brick masonry will expand horizontally toward the corner, forming long, vertical cracks and displacement if expansion joints are not provided.

Building expansion joints are to the whole building what expansion joints are to a single building element: they divide the building into sections, so that stresses from one portion do not compromise the integrity of the entire structure. These wide, flexible joints extend through the building to create smaller units that move autonomously.

Isolation joints allow for movement between dissimilar materials or between old and new construction. For example, building frames constructed of

concrete or steel will move differently than will brick veneer, leading to spalling and bowing if not accommodated. Similarly, concrete slabs adjoining walls, columns, or pipes will crack under restraint unless isolation joints are provided at the material interface.

Sliding joints are typical of traditional wood detailing and allow components to slip past one another as they expand and contract. Standing seam copper roofs use this principle to allow the sheets to slide, while still being secure.

Each type of movement joint is intended to serve a specific function, so they may not be used interchangeably. Some, such as control joints, may be little more than score marks in the material, or they may be filled with an inelastic compound. Others, like expansion joints, contain flexible foam or pads.

Selecting the appropriate type, size, spacing, and location of joints can make the difference between a building that weathers the seasons and one that succumbs to premature cracking and deterioration.

DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT Many brick masonry cavity walls use concrete block as back-up, a situation that leads to differential movement problems. After installation, brick tends to expand, while concrete shrinks. If the two are tied together rigidly, the wall will bow, deflect, and crack as brick and concrete pull against one another.

Eventually, the ties binding face brick to concrete backup can break under strain, rendering the brick veneer structurally unsound and liable to fall from the building. Flexible anchors that can accommodate differential movement, in conjunction with sufficient cavity clearance, provide support while allowing for dimensional changes.

Where floor slabs and foundations adjoin cladding, or at intersections between banded wall materials, bond breaks, often in the form of building paper or flashing, allow independent movement of the different elements. Differences in temperature or moisture between the top and bottom of a concrete slab may cause deflection of the concrete called curling, which can crack façade materials directly supported by or bonded to the slab. In addition to construction practices that minimize concrete shrinkage, such as limiting water content and increasing the size and proportion of course aggregate, separating the structural slab from the exterior wall with a bond break can prevent the façade from cracking. Bond breaks may also prove useful to isolate bands of different cladding materials.

The main consideration for materials with different movement properties, whether they be exterior wall

components, roofing materials, or plaza and terrace elements, is to provide structural support while allowing independent movement. Connectors that permit movement in one direction (e.g., along the plane of a wall) and resist movement in another (e.g., perpendicular to the wall) and flashings that create slip planes along lintels and angles are strategies that allow for certain types of movement while holding the envelope system stable.

PLANNING FOR MOVEMENT IN MODERN CONSTRUCTION As advances in material technology have allowed for thinner and higher-strength building enclosure materials, the science of building movement has become central to the successful implementation of these new exterior assemblies. While innovations in extraction, fabrication, and structural framing allow for cost-effective enclosure systems, the downside is that the beneficial qualities of these new materials come at the expense of other properties. Brick masonry that is brittle and thin stone that tends to distort and bow demand more aggressive strategies for managing movement than did the stolid mass walls of the past.

Historic loadbearing mass walls were not built with expansion joints, but the compression from dead and live loads tended to offset the effects of movement.

For modern structures, judicious use of movement joints, isolation of materials with differing movement properties, and careful selection of materials appropriate to the exposure and stress conditions are critical considerations in the design process. Rehabilitation of contemporary existing buildings often involves remediation of movement-related distress, in the form of cracking, displacement, spalling, and, even, structural failure.

Periodic evaluation should aim to identify early warning signs of restrained movement, from longitudinal cracks at building corners to shifting of parapet walls, with a rehabilitation plan to rectify the condition before it becomes hazardous. For new construction, design should consider the anticipated behavior of all proposed materials in relationship to one another and to the environment, anticipating and allowing for dimensional and volume changes without compromising building integrity.+

+EDITOR’S NOTE This completes the reading for this course. To earn 1.0 AIA CES HSW learning units, study the article carefully and take the exam posted at

BDCnetwork.com/EnvelopeMaterials

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| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 57

| PRODUCT ROUNDUP |

By David Barista, Editorial Director

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OLDCASTLE ARCHITECTURAL

BDCuniversity.com

| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 59

| PRODUCT INNOVATIONS |

By David Malone, Associate Editor

WIRE MESH HELPS BREED CREATIVITY AT NYC INVESTMENT FIRM HQ

The investment firm Blackstone recently moved its Innovations & Infrastructure team to a new office in Midtown Manhattan. Before the move, the company discovered through the use of employee surveys and focus groups that its staff had a strong desire for collaboration, quiet personal workspace, access to new technology, and a non-corporate design

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March 2018

feel. In an effort to achieve that final point, M Moser, the project architect, used Banker Wire’s S-12 architectural wire mesh throughout the hallways, breakout areas, and meeting spaces to create an industrial-inspired design element. The 2-12 pattern was woven in plain steel with a blackened finish to create decorative wall panels and partitions. The metallic transparency of the product allows only a small amount of light to diffuse through the mesh.

BANKER WIRE|CIRCLE NO. 880

ULTRA-THIN SHOWERHEAD PRODUCES RAIN-LIKE DRENCHING SPRAY New Ultra-Thin Showerheads measure just 5/16 inch thick, offering a clean, minimalistic aesthetic. The round and square showerheads (six-, eight-, 10-, or 12-inch sizes) are among the thinnest on the market and deliver a robust, rain-like drenching spray. Each fitting features 80 to 120 self-cleaning rubber jets with a maximum flow rate from 1.5 to 2.5 gpm, depending on the model. The showerheads are constructed of solid brass and are available in more than 30 finishes, including 15 PVD finishes with a lifetime warranty against tarnishing. Each has a ½-inch swivel inlet and can be mounted on the wall or ceiling.

CALIFORNIA FAUCETS| CIRCLE NO. 881

LOUVER COMBINES IMPACT AND WIND-DRIVEN RAIN PROTECTION The XP500WD wind-driven rain FEMA louver is described by Ruskin as the first louver to provide both FEMA impact protection and Class A wind-driven rain protection. The louver is tested to FEMA standard 361 for impact protection and AMCA tested for wind-driven rain protection. The XP500WD can save time and first costs compared to installing a traditional FEMA louver and a secondary wind-driven rain louver.

RUSKIN| CIRCLE NO. 882

BDCuniversity.com

| BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | 61

| PRODUCT INNOVATIONS |

RESTROOM PARTITIONS OFFER ENHANCED PRIVACY, DESIGN STYLE

IN-WALL IN WALL DEHUMIDIFIER FITS IN TIGHT SPACES Designed for multifamily dwellings, adaptivereuse buildings, hotels, and senior and student housing units, the Ultra-Aire MD33 in-wall dehumidifier features a slim, 5¾-deep profile, allowing it to fit inside 2x6-inch stud walls. The system offers a compact moisture control solution and an alternative to overcooling to control relative humidity. The Energy Star-certified system runs independent of the HVAC system and removes up to 33 pints of water a day.

THERMA-STOR| CIRCLE NO. 884

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March 2018

Developed for added privacy and design style in commercial restrooms, the new Aria Partitions line from Scranton Products includes 17 door designs, seven panel designs, and 27 colors and textures. In addition to removing

sightlines, the collection is designed with a continuous edge-mounted hinge, which provides increased privacy and improved aesthetics, with no facemounted hardware. It features a shoeless pilaster, which eases cleaning and offers an elegant design. Options include engraved doors and side panels.

SCRANTON PRODUCTS| CIRCLE NO. 885

PTAC SYSTEM IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR LODGING, MULTIFAMILY Friedrich’s new FreshAire PTAC system combines an energy efficient inverter compressor with the ability to bring in conditioned make-up air—the first PTAC to do so on the market, according to the maker. The system meets ASHRAE 62.1-2013 standards that require the unit to bring in a specific amount of outdoor air and provide MERV 8 filtration.

It incorporates a MERV 8 filter for outdoor air,

which greatly reduces air particles, allergens, and other air impurities.

The Precision Inverter compressor with variable speed functionality allows the unit to deliver only the

amount of cooling or heating needed for the room at any given time. This helps save energy while maintaining even, consistent temperatures.

FRIEDRICH| CIRCLE NO. 883

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BUILDING DESIGN +CONSTRUCTION VOLUME 59, NO. 03

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MARCH 2018

| GREAT SOLUTIONS | By David Malone, Associate Editor

FORGET THE WALL THERMOSTAT: WEAR ONE ON YOUR WRIST INSTEAD EMBR LABS

The Embr Wave Wristband acts like a personal thermostat and could become a user-friendly component in building energy-saving strategies.

THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT ARE CERTAIN IN LIFE: death, taxes, and employees being uncomfortable with the ambient temperature of their offices. While some reach for Sherpa-lined blankets and cups of hot tea, others work up a lather that would give Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke” a run for his money. Not only is it difficult to find a temperature where everyone is comfortable, heating and cooling a building is also costly.

But what if you could heat the individual building occupants instead of the building itself? Not only would everyone be more comfortable, but it would

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March 2018

New wearable occupant-comfort technology, such as the Embr Wave from Embr Labs (pictured), could be a game changer for workplace design firms.

also present an opportunity to conserve energy.

New wearable technology from Embr Labs, known as the Embr Wave, gives each wearer direct control over their own temperature. It utilizes the human body’s

natural response to temperature to provide thermal relief by warming and cooling the user’s wrist.

Founded at MIT, the Embr Wave uses a cooling and warming thermoelectric module to help a user feel more comfortable. The temperature is controlled via a light bar located on a nickel-free anodized aluminum body.

Say a user is feeling a bit on the warm side. All they need to do is press the left side of the Embr Wave, and a cooling sensation will begin to spread across their wrist. As the Embr Wave is cooling, the aluminum heat sink warms up to dissipate heat. Press the right side and the Embr Wave will turn up the heat to warm a cold user. Because the device uses conduction heating and cooling, it can be more efficient, precise, and immediate than traditional air-conditioning or heaters.

EYP Architecture and Engineering recently equipped some of its employees with the Embr Wave and embarked on a five-week pilot study to collect product feedback and data. Nearly

three-quarters (72%) of the participants said they felt more in control of their own thermal comfort while using the Embr Wave. Factors such as environmental space metrics, temperature, humidity, and other thermal data were collected and analyzed against participant surveys throughout the duration of the study.

EYP’s main goals of the study were to discover if the Embr Wave could improve human comfort, fuel productivity, and present opportunities to conserve officewide energy consumption. With the vast majority of participants saying they felt more in control of their own thermal comfort while wearing the device, EYP believes there is a potential opportunity to incorporate personal comfort devices, such as the Embr Wave, in building design planning.

EYP's participation in this study showcases how many architecture and design firms are taking an interest in their buildings long after construction has been completed in order to gain insight into how to plan more comfortable, energyefficient, and sustainable spaces in the future.

IS YOUR FIRM AN AEC GIANT? The “call for surveys” is now open for Building Design+Construction’s annual Giants 300 Report. For more than 40 years, the BD+C Giants Report has ranked the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms across two dozen building sectors and specialty categories.

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IT’S NOT A TREND. IT’S A REVOLUTION. Visit ZIPRevolution.com to learn how easy it is to make the switch.

© 2017 Huber Engineered Woods LLC. ZIP System, the accompanying ZIP System logo and design are trademarks of Huber Engineered Woods LLC. Huber Engineered Woods’ ZIP System® products are covered by various patents. Please see ZIPSystem.com/patents for details. HUB 17804 07/17

CIRCLE 775