Presentations + Papers
Throughout the year, presentations, technical papers, and other articles written by our staff will be posted here. Interesting reading and insights on the key issues of today, and tomorrow.
As an AIA CES credit provider, many of our courses count towards continuing education credits. Contact us if you’d like us to present one of the programs below at your office.
Mass Notification Systems: Net-Centric Alerting Systems
Net-Centric Alerting Systems are enterprise-class systems for the management and mass distribution of emergency notification messages. Joe Ripp, Senior Fire Alarm Designer, expands on his previous presentation topic, Mass Notification Systems, by delving deeper into NCAS, how to tackle recent industry changes, and where regulatory codes and standards are headed.
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What is up with the #@#$ Lights? A Primer on Lighting Controls
Compared to digital HVAC control systems, automatic lighting control systems appear simple — on/off functions with occasional dimming thrown in. However, the last ten years have taught the design community that the exact opposite is true. Using data from real projects, David Chesley’s primer presentation addresses frequently occurring problems, their root causes, and proposed steps forward.
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An Introduction to Fire Protection and Fire Sprinklers: The Systems Everyone Loves to Hate
Fire protection systems can be costly to install and maintain, and will hopefully never be needed. But when the unthinkable happens — and lives and property hang in the balance — they need to work flawlessly. Kathleen Roach’s recent program reviews these systems, as well as the prescriptive codes that drive them. It also discusses how fire protection systems can be effectively integrated into the architecture of the building while still maintaining aesthetics and value.
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Mass Notification Systems
Mass Notification Systems provide a means to alert people in emergency situations. Joe Ripp’s presentation explores the system design process for a common university campus setting, and highlights lessons learned from a recent project. His program also provides an overview of applicable codes, standards, and commonly used methods of notification.
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Achieving Net-Zero Water
Jon Gray’s latest presentation reviews net-zero water design and the Living Building Challenge. Using the Oregon Sustainability Center as a guide, Jon calculates what it would take to construct a net-zero water office building in downtown San Francisco. He also discusses regulatory hurdles, plumbing systems schematics, and design strategies for sewage treatment, rainwater harvesting and water treatment.