The Future. Built Smarter.

Industrial market challenges: Project pace, scramble for resources, ESG goals

This episode—part of a series of conversations with IMEG’s market leaders—features Kelly Altes, the firm’s industrial market leader. Kelly discusses the firm’s industrial teams’ areas of expertise— agriculture, aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, and general manufacturing—as well as challenges facing industrial clients. These include the pace of project delivery, the lengthy process of capital expenditure decisions, and the push to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. She also talks about the difficulty of meeting and funding ESG and corporate sustainability goals and the importance of master planning to help clients achieve those goals over manageable periods time. “I'm actively talking with clients about the importance of master planning,” she says. “As with any big problem, you break it down into small chunks. So, we've worked with a number of clients on yearly capital expenditures that we can look at over a five-, 10-, 15-, or 20-year period to try to help them with that decarbonization process.”  

Used as a ‘copilot,’ AI can positively assist designers

Note: In keeping with the topic of this episode—artificial intelligence—the following summary has been generated by ChatGPT using a transcription from the podcast.  

In this podcast episode, host Joe Payne and co-host Mike Lawless discuss the topic of AI and its impact on the design profession. Their guest, Michael Kilkelly, is a registered architect and member of IMEG’s internal Technical Operations team. He shares insights on how AI is being used in the field of architecture and engineering. 

They discuss the initial fears and concerns architects and engineers may have about AI taking over their jobs. However, as people start using AI tools like ChatGPT, they realize the practical applications and usefulness of these technologies. Michael highlights that while there may be some unfounded fears, there is also a recognition of the skill involved in effectively utilizing AI. 

The conversation dives into various areas where AI can enhance the design process. Michael mentions generative design tools like TestFit and ARK that help architects create optimal building layouts based on specific parameters. They also discuss the potential of AI in aiding visualization during client meetings, where AI tools can generate images based on spoken text, allowing clients to better understand and react to design concepts. 

The hosts explore the benefits of AI in terms of efficiency and productivity, as well as the potential for AI to assist with data analysis and historical data access. They emphasize the concept of "augmented intelligence" and the idea that AI tools can enhance human capabilities rather than replace them entirely. Michael introduces the concept of "prompt engineering" as the art of extracting useful information from AI systems, while maintaining contextual control to avoid generating false or fabricated data. 

Looking toward the future, the discussion touches on the possibility of personalized AI assistants or virtual copilots that can work alongside professionals, providing support and leveraging collective experience. They also anticipate advancements in querying databases with AI, allowing users to ask complex questions and receive accurate answers, leading to more informed decision-making. 

For related information, read Michael Kilkelly’s article, “AI and architecture and engineering: Programmed for success,” published by Smart Buildings Technology. 

Bridge market update: Many projects, higher construction costs

In a continuing series of conversations with IMEG’s market leaders, this episode of The Future Built Smarter features Bridge Market Leader Steve Myer. Steve discusses his background, the types of services that IMEG’s bridge engineering team provides, challenges facing the market, and often-heard questions from clients. “The common questions from our clients include how to extend the life of their bridges,” he says. “They also often ask for rough cost estimates for their bridges and what they can do to make their money go further. We provide quite a few estimates, either for rehabilitation of existing bridges or for replacing bridges.” Steve adds that over the past five years he and other engineers “have been going at a really fast pace and have designed many bridge projects—to the point that now one of the biggest challenges facing clients is there so many projects out there, the competitive bid process is somewhat going away because contractors can just go after the projects they want.” As for the future, Steve says, “I really don't see a slowdown coming in the bridge market. Hopefully it stabilizes a little bit and construction prices stop doubling every five years.”  

Transportation market update: Infrastructure bill projects ramp up

In a continuing series of conversations with IMEG market leaders and directors, Corey Stout discusses the transportation market with host Joe Payne. Corey touches on several topics, including the effects to date of the federal government’s massive infrastructure funding made available in late 2021.  

“Aside from repair and maintenance work, most of the projects have been in the planning stages and we’re seeing these projects go out for bid, two years later,” he says. Labor shortages have added to the slow-down of the process. “The state agencies have to assign the contracts and they're short-staffed; consultants have to do their work and they're short-staffed; and then the contractors have to get their work done and they’re short-staffed. But it’s coming around and we’re starting to see more and more construction going on everywhere.”  

Corey also talks about the importance of public engagement, the effectiveness of holding virtual community meetings, and the technology now being used to help motorists and pedestrians visualize and understand infrastructure projects. In one such project, IMEG created a 3D rendering and flyover video showing a combine easily moving through a proposed rural roundabout. This allayed farmers’ concerns by allowing them to “see that the intersection was going to function just fine with something as big as a combine going through it.” (Learn more.)  

As for the future, Corey says to expect more electric vehicle charging stations popping up along the highways, and, someday, the rise of drones as a means of personal conveyance and commerce. “I don't know what that's going to do to the infrastructure, but it’ll be kind of exciting to see how it’s going to go.” 

Environmental issues, expanding specialization key topics in S&T market

In the first of a series of conversations with IMEG market leaders and directors, Brandon Fortier, Director of Science & Technology, joins podcast host Joe Payne and series co-host Steve Rhoades, Vice President of Market Development and Federal Solutions. This episode, like the others to come in the series, provides a high-level view of the trends, challenges, opportunities, and topics that are top-of-mind for IMEG’s clients and partners.

“Science and technology intersects many different vertical markets and a lot of our clients’ questions and needs are very specific to their program,” says Brandon. “But the continuity between them is environmental related—sustainability, resiliency, climate change, decarbonization—things that we hear about in a variety of markets are the same ones that science and technology clients are very focused on.” At the same time, adds Brandon, “we're seeing a lot of different opportunities with specialization in the market,” including cell gene therapies, life sciences, and healthcare in general. “These have provided many opportunities for new research, and we’re seeing many owners expanding the market.”

Communication is vital for engineers to provide successful solutions to S&T clients’ needs. This includes not only communicating with facility staff but also the end users—the researchers and industrial hygienists and safety and chemical experts. “We need to address the needs of all end users in the facility design,” says Brandon. “We don’t necessarily need to understand the research they're doing, but we need to understand what they need out of the building systems.”

Decarbonization in Healthcare: Why it’s needed, how to get started

Many in the healthcare industry have come to recognize the significant and symbolic role that healthcare organizations, their designers, and builders, can play in reducing the carbon emissions, or greenhouse gases, introduced by the built environment of their facilities. In this podcast episode, IMEG Senior Director of Healthcare Eric Vandenbroucke and Director of Sustainability Adam McMillen discuss why decarbonization is needed in healthcare, the challenges and opportunities that will be encountered along the way, and how organizations can start down the path. For additional information, listeners can read the free IMEG executive guide, “Decarbonization in Healthcare: A Practical Approach for the Built environment.” 

Data is the key to getting more help from your building

The amount of data available from multiple building systems continues to grow exponentially. What this data is and how to decide what to do with it is examined in this two-part episode of The Future Built Smarter. Our guest on these episodes is Brendon Buckley, IMEG Protect Executive for Building Intelligence and Integration. In Part 1, Brendon discusses building system data and the potential it presents to owners for not only improving their building’s operational performance but their business outcomes as well. “Even though it's an amazing thing to be able to maintain a comfortable, safe, sustainable environment, there's a lot more we should be expecting out of our buildings,” he says. “What processes or areas could be improved with a little additional help from the systems within the building? What outcome or what result could that drive? I think each individual owner needs to brainstorm about what kinds of benefits they are not getting that they probably should be getting.” In Part 2, Brendon talks about the use of a “digital twin” to model changes in operations using building system data before any actual changes are made. “A digital twin in the simplest term is a virtual representation, using collected data, of the systems that are running in a building,” he says. Still largely just beginning to emerge on the scene, a digital twin can be used to determine not only how a building will react under different scenarios but also how the scenarios will affect occupants, staff, and processes. While useful for many different building types and markets, a digital twin can be particularly beneficial for mission critical buildings and those that must operate 24/7, such as manufacturing and healthcare facilities. “Being able to model critical environments that have so many systems in play is really tremendous,” Brendon says. “Understanding the data and being able to leverage a digital twin in actual building utilization is really a big deal, and I think we're going to see the use of this expand.”

 

Digital twin uses building data to model effects of system changes

The amount of data available from multiple building systems continues to grow exponentially. What this data is and how to decide what to do with it is examined in this two-part episode of The Future Built Smarter. Our guest on these episodes is Brendon Buckley, IMEG Protect Executive for Building Intelligence and Integration. In Part 1, Brendon discusses building system data and the potential it presents to owners for not only improving their building’s operational performance but their business outcomes as well. “Even though it's an amazing thing to be able to maintain a comfortable, safe, sustainable environment, there's a lot more we should be expecting out of our buildings,” he says. “What processes or areas could be improved with a little additional help from the systems within the building? What outcome or what result could that drive? I think each individual owner needs to brainstorm about what kinds of benefits they are not getting that they probably should be getting.” In Part 2, Brendon talks about the use of a “digital twin” to model changes in operations using building system data before any actual changes are made. “A digital twin in the simplest term is a virtual representation, using collected data, of the systems that are running in a building,” he says. Still largely just beginning to emerge on the scene, a digital twin can be used to determine not only how a building will react under different scenarios but also how the scenarios will affect occupants, staff, and processes. While useful for many different building types and markets, a digital twin can be particularly beneficial for mission critical buildings and those that must operate 24/7, such as manufacturing and healthcare facilities. “Being able to model critical environments that have so many systems in play is really tremendous,” Brendon says. “Understanding the data and being able to leverage a digital twin in actual building utilization is really a big deal, and I think we're going to see the use of this expand.”

 

Team Commissioning Part 2: Applying the concept to federal projects

The concept of team commissioning, the benefits it can bring to any large project with multiple stakeholders, and its application in the federal sector are examined in this two-part episode of The Future Built Smarter. Our guests are Thom Kurmel, President of TDK Consulting—a VA Certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business specializing in health systems design, organizational performance, business and operational planning, and infrastructure strategies—and Armand Harpin, IMEG Director of Federal Healthcare.  

Similar in some respects to building commissioning—in which a third-party consultant verifies that a building is operating to its fullest potential as designed—team commissioning involves ensuring that multiple project stakeholders work together in the most efficient manner “to really use the power of the team to get the job done,” says Kurmel. As a partnering consultant, he applies “tried and true methods” to commission a team, including accountability, proper alignment, governance, management expectations, risk management, and identification of roles and responsibilities. “You want to understand all of this at the beginning, and team commissioning allows that conversation to happen so people understand that they're part of the solution,” he says.  

With the structure and expectations in place, it is imperative to maintain constant communication among the team and to have access to a representative from each stakeholder—including the owner—who can say “yes” or “no” as issues arise. “This shortens the amount of time for decision making, which is essential in a construction project,” Kurmel says. “If you can't answer those questions quickly, especially during an active acquisition, you're going to delay the project and it's going to cost more money. That vexes a lot of teams because they haven't set themselves up for success by providing the forum for discussion, discernment, decision, and then action.”  

Kurmel holds a Doctorate in Design from Harvard University, a BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska, is a registered architect, certified design-build professional, and a Fellow in the Health Facility Institute. He also is currently a member of the DBIA Federal Committee and on the National Board of Directors for DBIA. He founded TDK Consultants after serving 30 years on active duty with the U.S. Army, where he was a platoon leader for the Combat Heavy Construction engineer battalion; served as commander, director, and chief of project management with the U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency; and was Senior Military Advisor and Chief of Staff, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.  

“Every single day we worked to provide facilities for active-duty soldiers and their families worldwide. So, I got a big dose of how to do this kind of work at a very large scale. I opened a consulting practice to try to continue to support facilities and missions, both in the federal space and the commercial world.” 

Team Commissioning, Part 1: Maximizing the ‘Power of the Team’

The concept of team commissioning, the benefits it can bring to any large project with multiple stakeholders, and its application in the federal sector are examined in this two-part episode of The Future Built Smarter. Our guests are Thom Kurmel, President of TDK Consulting—a VA Certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business specializing in health systems design, organizational performance, business and operational planning, and infrastructure strategies—and Armand Harpin, IMEG Director of Federal Healthcare.  

Similar in some respects to building commissioning—in which a third-party consultant verifies that a building is operating to its fullest potential as designed—team commissioning involves ensuring that multiple project stakeholders work together in the most efficient manner “to really use the power of the team to get the job done,” says Kurmel. As a partnering consultant, he applies “tried and true methods” to commission a team, including accountability, proper alignment, governance, management expectations, risk management, and identification of roles and responsibilities. “You want to understand all of this at the beginning, and team commissioning allows that conversation to happen so people understand that they're part of the solution,” he says.  

With the structure and expectations in place, it is imperative to maintain constant communication among the team and to have access to a representative from each stakeholder—including the owner—who can say “yes” or “no” as issues arise. “This shortens the amount of time for decision making, which is essential in a construction project,” Kurmel says. “If you can't answer those questions quickly, especially during an active acquisition, you're going to delay the project and it's going to cost more money. That vexes a lot of teams because they haven't set themselves up for success by providing the forum for discussion, discernment, decision, and then action.”  

Kurmel holds a Doctorate in Design from Harvard University, a BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska, is a registered architect, certified design-build professional, and a Fellow in the Health Facility Institute. He also is currently a member of the DBIA Federal Committee and on the National Board of Directors for DBIA. He founded TDK Consultants after serving 30 years on active duty with the U.S. Army, where he was a platoon leader for the Combat Heavy Construction engineer battalion; served as commander, director, and chief of project management with the U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency; and was Senior Military Advisor and Chief of Staff, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.  

“Every single day we worked to provide facilities for active-duty soldiers and their families worldwide. So, I got a big dose of how to do this kind of work at a very large scale. I opened a consulting practice to try to continue to support facilities and missions, both in the federal space and the commercial world.”