Building Design and Construction Handbook - Merritt - Ventech!

1.4 SECTION ONE
and performance of the system as a whole. The investigation should answer such
questions as:
What does each component (or subsystem) do?
What does the component do it to?
How does the component serve its function?
What else does the component do?
Why does the component do the things it does?
What must the component really do?
Can it be eliminated because it is not essential or because another component
can assume its tasks?
See also Art. 1.8.
1.3 TRADITIONAL DESIGN PROCEDURES
Systems design of buildings requires a different approach to design and construction
than that used in traditional design (Art. 1.9). Because traditional design and construction
procedures are still widely used, however, it is desirable to incorporate as
much of those procedures in systems design as is feasible without destroying its
effectiveness. This will make the transition from traditional design to systems design
easier. Also, those trained in systems design of buildings will then be capable
of practicing in traditional ways, if necessary.
There are several variations of traditional design and construction. These are
described throughout this book. For the purpose of illustrating how they may be
modified for systems design, however, one widely used variation, which will be
called basic traditional design and construction, is described in the following and
in Art. 1.4.
In the basic traditional design procedure, design usually starts when a client
recognizes the need for and economic feasibility of a building and engages an
architect, a professional with a broad background in building design. The architect,
in turn, engages consulting engineers and other consultants.
For most buildings, structural, mechanical, and electrical consulting engineers
are required. A structural engineer is a specialist trained in the application of scientific
principles to the design of load-bearing walls, floors, roofs, foundations, and
skeleton framing needed for the support of buildings and building components. A
mechanical engineer is a specialist trained in the application of scientific principles
to the design of plumbing, elevators, escalators, horizontal walkways, dumbwaiters,
conveyors, installed machinery, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. An
electrical engineer is a specialist trained in the application of scientific principles
to the design of electric circuits, electric controls and safety devices, electric motors
and generators, electric lighting, and other electric equipment.
For buildings on a large site, the architect may engage a landscape architect as
a consultant. For a concert hall, an acoustics consultant may be engaged; for a
hospital, a hospital specialist; for a school, a school specialist.
The architect does the overall planning of the building and incorporates the
output of the consultants into the contract documents. The architect determines what
internal and external spaces the client needs, the sizes of these spaces, their relative