Integration of building system planning on agenda for ASHRAE annual meeting
By Staff -- Plant Engineering, 12/1/2005
In designing buildings, professionals should work together to determine points of integration between various building systems, architecture and the environment.
Only when this integrated design is achieved will buildings become truly sustainable, according to Kirk Mescher, chair of ASHRAE's Program Committee.
Several sessions relating to integrated or sustainable design will be presented at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' 2006 Winter Meeting, Jan. 21-25, Chicago, at the Palmer House Hilton. There will be 104 sessions presented as part of the technical program. The complete technical program can be found at www.ashrae.org/chicago.
Integrated design is an all-encompassing design strategy that should integrate architecture, engineering, building use, location and utilities into a building form that meets or exceeds the requirements of the integrated components, according to Mescher.
"Green building design has grabbed headlines," he said. "As a subcomponent of integrated building design, green building design has become the marketing measure of forward thinking for engineering professionals. As a minimum, design teams should be asking: 'Why can a building not recognize when the occupants arrive and turn on the necessary building functions to support occupants? Can the heating and cooling system be integrated with the building architecture to minimize the need for mechanical support? Can the building control system be integrated with communication, alarm, security and other electronic systems???
Among the sessions is a symposium on creating low-energy buildings through integrated design. It includes case studies of low-energy, sustainability and integrated design in residential and commercial buildings.
A seminar focuses on HVAC&R buildings systems and how they interact with the local environment, including discussion on cooling tower water, district energy and acoustic concerns.
For-profit entities are just beginning to examine green in operating strategies and projects. A seminar examines how green is good for business and the environment.
Held with the ASHRAE Winter Meeting is the ASHRAE co-sponsored International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition, Jan. 23-25, at McCormick Place. For more information, contact International Exposition Company at (203) 221-9232, info@ahrexpo.com, www.ahrexpo.com.
For more information or to register, visit www.ashrae.org/chicago.
