SCHOOLS & EDUCATION FACILITIES SUPPLEMENT CLIENT VIEWPOINT


The end-user viewpoint needs to be more integrated into the schools construction process


FRIENDLYUSER C


Commissioning teams need to take on the role of ‘intelligent client’ to ensure that projects are constructed to perform as they are meant to do, writes Gregory Keeling


ommissioning a new school building is a specialist procurement task best undertaken by suitably


qualifi ed professionals who are competent to assume the role of ‘intelligent client’ (IC). The engineering requirements of such buildings demand that building services engineers be part of that intelligent commissioning team, as they understand the balance that needs to be struck between complexity and performance. Critically, through working alongside project sponsors and the end-users over a period of time and multiple projects, BS engineers also understand what makes successful buildings tick from the user’s perspective. Understanding end-users’ requirements


and limitations, and ensuring that the engineering solution resolves the two, requires a well-defi ned brief with a clear set of target outcomes. The client should not be


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telling designers how to design, but should be clear on the technical objectives and outcomes for the project and how success will be measured. The focus is on setting the desired direction early and being able to communicate this in terms that the design team and constructor will grasp immediately. Ambiguities are thereby removed and unwelcome deviations minimised. An IC team understands risk, minimises


cost and enhances value by setting the technical parameters at the commissioning stage, performing the role of ‘critical friend’ by reviewing engineering solutions and sharing their own technical experience and knowledge with the design team. Continuous learning, through project evaluation and feedback, ensures that engineering successes are repeated and shared. A collaborative design approach, in


an environment of trust and openness, is key to achieve the client’s outcomes, as well as a reasonable fi nancial profi t for the consultants and constructors. In the current austere times, designers are having to respond to local authorities’ need to signifi cantly reduce costs while still delivering good quality solutions. The role of the IC is crucial in ensuring that the


March 2012 CIBSE Journal 11


Photo courtesy of www.shutterstock.com/capturefoto


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