pre-design phase schematic design phase construction documents phase design development phase construction phase occupancy phase
West Bend A Mutual Insurance Company: The Silver Lining

CASE STUDY: WEST BEND MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
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JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC


timeline | design development (apr 2006–sep 2006)



WEST BEND'S DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE

Some of the major design considerations included:

Building site: A major challenge was to provide adequate parking without detracting from the prairie ambiance of the site. The solution — a two-level parking garage sited near the main entrance that doesn’t call attention to itself.

Incorporating daylighting: To maximize access to daylight and views, the design team decided a three story building was necessary in order to avoid excessively deep spaces and blend with the design of the original building.

Maintaining continuity: The open office layout used in the existing building was extended to the new addition to maintain continuity and avoid old building/new building syndrome. Small private offices are located in the center of the building and open cubicles are arranged around the perimeter by the windows.

Energy modeling: The mechanical and electrical engineering firm for the project, Ring and Duchateau, Inc., worked with the Energy Center of Wisconsin to simulate the energy use of the proposed design and determine the most cost effective systems and strategies to incorporate in the final design. View details of the modeling process.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE

During the design development phase, the design team works together to refine the conceptual design. At this time, key decisions regarding daylighting and other strategies are incorporated into the building design.


DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STEPS:

  1. Refine lighting design
    Confirm the controls strategy for the lighting design with the engineering team. Check the illumination level with the goals and look for consistency and areas that are too bright or too dark. Outdoor lighting should be refined to ensure efficient sources are used, lighting glare and trespass are minimized, controls are specified and lighting levels are appropriate.
  2. Develop envelope details
    Document energy performance by showing thermal performance (R-value and U-factor) on the drawings and/or calling it out in the specifications.
  3. Refine glazing performance
    Include energy performance criteria in the window and glazed door schedule to better integrate energy efficiency into the documents.
  4. Review mechanical design
    Ask the mechanical consultant to document that the specified systems and equipment meet the performance goals for the project. Coordinate the building systems by reviewing locations of lighting, mechanical diffusers, distribution, thermostats, controls and other equipment.
  5. Review specifications
    Carefully check that the specifications include requirements for minimum indoor air quality performance, outdoor lighting, lighting controls, control systems for monitoring sensors and computer monitors, glazing performance, air barrier performance, insulation requirements, and mechanical efficiency requirements as determined during schematic phase of project.
  6. Document performance
    Gather information about the energy design so that all relevant features are available to the team member responsible for construction.
  7. Release for bid
    Action for general contractor or sub-contractor depending on the projects design and construction process.