Opinion
Team effort
We must accept that good design alone will not deliver
sustainable buildings. It is the practitioners and operators
who hold the keys, says young engineer Morwenna Wilson
W
hy is it that so many of our buildings are we hand them over – and that means an increased role

disappointing? Every project team comes for the post-occupancy evaluation engineer, whether
together with the best of intentions, but an FM or independent consultant. Post-occupancy
too often the outcome is a letdown. I evaluation has the potential to inform not only the
believe much of this is due to the way that projects maintenance, but the delivery of a building. It is only
are delivered. through monitoring the performance of a building
A recent report produced by the Specialist when it is in use that we can determine whether it is
Engineering Alliance (SEA) and launched at the truly performing as intended
House of Lords highlighted the fact that the inability of and meeting sustainability
the industry to work in integrated teams was making targets. And, perhaps more
it almost impossible for us to deliver sustainable importantly, post-occupancy
Most young
buildings. data can help engineers
engineers are
Often, from the day our teams are put together, we establish whether their design
face an uphill struggle because the design process assumptions were correct and
excited by the opportunity
is not adequately inclusive. Every profession in the inform future design choices.
of working towards
chain has a critical role to play and, unless we are all We must also look even
working together from day one, the implementation further back into the process.
sustainable solutions and
will not match the design intent. Japan, for example, has long
see the ‘front end’, where
However, most young engineers attracted to the had a tradition of building
building services profession seem to be inspired by services design engineers
the decisions are made,
design work. They are excited by the opportunity of working for manufacturers
as the best
working towards sustainable solutions and see the – if you are aiming for
‘front end’, where the decisions are made, as the best long-term sustainability,
place to be.
place to be. This has led to a traditional ‘front loading’ that makes perfect sense.
of the industry, with installation and commissioning Without the recruitment of
skills given secondary billing. However, the intelligent young engineers into the building services
sustainability agenda has actually increased the manufacturing sector, the future innovation and
opportunity for engineers working on the later stages development of new and existing technologies will
of projects to make their mark. decline. We should be aiming for passive design
We at the design end must keep our feet on the wherever possible, but our ability to source and apply
ground and make sure the building systems we design efficient plant and renewable technologies will be
are easy to install, commission, operate and maintain central to achieving our sustainability aspirations.
– and the best way to make sure that happens is to I understand there used to be an air of the
work in close collaboration with the contracting old English ‘class system’ about the structure of
teams, which have to implement our designs, and engineering teams and everyone was expected to
the facilities managers who must keep them going ‘know their place’. In today’s context, that is nonsense.
for years to come. The new membership grades within CIBSE reflect
To meet our goals, we will have to engage the technical how our profession is becoming more inclusive and
knowledge and practical application skills of FMs much our goal now must be to use this to broaden our
earlier in the design process, which should make this appeal to potential recruits. l
profession more attractive to potential recruits.
We also need to dramatically improve our
Morwenna Wilson works for Arup and chairs the CIBSE
understanding of what happens to our designs once
Young Engineers’ Network London Centre
24 CIBSE Journal June 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEjun09 pp24 opinionMW.indd 24 29/5/09 12:19:45
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