Engineered Systems - June 2008 - (Page 67)

They say that change is good. However, it certainly isn’t good later in the design/construction process, where inadequate planning or teamwork up front can eventually cost a lot of time and money to rectify. The author offers his ideas about integrated project planning and delivery, which range from maintaining a common knowledge base for smarter decisions to coordinating meetings effectively. With real-life successes in applications ranging from hospitals to a ballpark, the five-point approach can fit like a glove for complex projects. Maybe it’ll help you get a grip on your next challenge. BY PHILIP PATRICK SUN, AIA, ACHA rojects all seem to start with optimism and an acknowledgement that there may be a few bumps along the way. “Sunny, with a chance of showers,” is one way of putting it. Are your projects running smoothly and without question? Have the design and construction team and the owner developed a relationship based on trust and not just technical roles? Is the cost remaining stable or swaying from number to number, with the plan changing from week to week? How do we make project delivery more consistent and more reliable? Having worked on hundreds of health care projects over the years, lessons learned have become consistent. The impact of cost increases and delays has become more severe. Davis Langdon, a major cost planning organization, reported hospital construction costs were $330/sq ft in 2003 and increased to $550 in 2006. Currently the cost of construction for hospitals on the West Coast exceeds $900/sq ft. That is an average increase of 18.5% per annum. Peter Morris with Davis Langdon reports a continuing increase while Dinesh Ghia, vice president and a chief estimator for Gilbane Building Company, currently suggests an annual rate of increase of over 12%. Whether the rate of increase stops or slows down or not, changes cost time, and time costs money. P While I have presented papers over the years about planning and design processes which help stem delays and changes which seem to infect most projects, this article will hit at the symptoms of a building program going astray and common problems. We also need to recognize that the cost of operations in health care far exceeds the construction cost of the buildings over time. The cost of operations is based on many factors, including the functionality and layout of the facility. Poorly planned buildings result in poor continuing operational costs, and poor planning is usually accompanied by changes and delays. Changes contribute to wasted effort. Construction delays due to changes and poorly planned buildings, therefore, present the most vexing problems and the most waste. ANATOMY OF A PROBLEM Why and how do these changes take place? Common early symptoms of potential problems leading to potential changes: • The project starts without clarity regarding who is responsible for which decisions. • There was a desire to look at ways for the department to become w w w. esmag a zin e. c o m 67 www.esmagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Engineered Systems - June 2008

Engineered Systems - June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Letters To The Editor Back2Basics HVAC Challenge Case In Point Commissioning Efficiency Incentives HydroTech Building Automation Energy Wiz HVACR Designer Tips Notre Dame Tackles the Heat State Of The Arts Time For A Transplant? Project Delivery: What Can IPD Do For You? Issues & Events Computers & Software Products Application Checklist Glossary Classifieds Advertiser Index Tomorrow’s Engineer

Engineered Systems - June 2008

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