2025 Design Guide for Operational Excellence .pdf

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Contents

Contents Introduction

Summary: The Lessons

Project Team

References

APPENDIX A

SNAPSHOTS OF BUILDINGS UNDERGOING POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATIONS, 2019 - 2023

Arthur J. Altmeyer Federal Office Building, Woodlawn, MD

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Austin Federal Court House, Austin, TX

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Richard Bolling Federal Office Building, Kansas City, MO

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port of Entry, Calexico, CA

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Cedar Rapids Federal Court House, Cedar Rapids, IA

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Thad Cochran Federal Court House, Jackson, MS

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port of Entry, Columbus, NM

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port of Entry, Derby Line, VT

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Marcelino Serna Land Port Of Entry, El Paso, TX

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Federal Research Center Building 75, White Oak, MD

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Benjamin P Grogan And Jerry L Dove Federal Office Building, Miramar, FL

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Convent Avenue (Laredo I) Land Port Of Entry, Laredo, TX

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Juarez-Lincoln (Laredo II) Land Port Of Entry, Laredo, TX

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Mickey Leland Federal Office Building, Houston, TX

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Mobile Federal Courthouse, Mobile, AL

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Douglas A. Munro US Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Oklahoma City Federal Office Building, Oklahoma City, OK

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port Of Entry, San Ysidro, CA

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Mary E. Switzer Federal Office Building, Washington, DC

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

50 United Nations Plaza Federal Office Building, San Francisco, CA

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port Of Entry, Van Buren, ME

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Robert S. Vance Federal Office Building and Courthouse, Birmingham, AL

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Land Port of Entry, Warroad, MN

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Robert A. Young Federal Office Building, St. Louis, MO

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

APPENDIX B

SNAPSHOTS OF BUILDINGS UNDERGOING POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATIONS, 2024 - 2025

Carroll A. Campbell Jr. U.S. Courthouse, Greenville, SC

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Alexandria Bay (NY) Land Port of Entry

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

San Juan FBI Field Office Building

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

FBI Central Records Complex, Winchester, VA

Snapshot

Outstanding Design Features Affecting O&M

Major Issues

Top Three Lessons Learned

Introduction This document updates the original GSA Design Guide for Operational Excellence, published in 2018, with Lessons Learned from the 25 Federal buildings for which Post Occupancy Evaluations were conducted from 2019 -2023. The initial Guide told us that “the lessons should change continually, as we incorporate old lessons into an ever-improving professional practice, and identify new, more nuanced lessons to add.” This version with its updated list of Lessons Learned bears this out, as the importance of designing for operational excellence moves toward a rightful place of importance in the total life-cycle-cost schema for Federal buildings. We share these lessons to turn them into successful practices that result in affordable, durable, and higher-performing buildings.

This document identifies lessons to effect a positive change in design outcomes. The National Institute of Building Sciences conducted the FY2019 – FY2023 Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) Program for the U.S. General Services Administration under the direction of Patrick Fee, Director of Facilities Operations, and Michael Malane, Facilities Management Specialist, Office of Facilities Management, Public Buildings Service, whose foresight and hands-on guidance made this project a reality. Each POE included a three-day site visit, during which the team observed and evaluated the facility’s spaces and systems from an O&M standpoint. Prior to the site visit, the team reviewed project documentation and questionnaires completed by facility staff and tenants. The team reviewed construction documentation and conducted interviews with GSA staff, operations and maintenance contractors, janitorial contractors, food service vendors, and building tenants.

Each year, the team compiled findings from each building into its own report, then condensed the six reports for that year into a “Lessons Learned” report for GSA use. The team then synopsized the 25 buildings’ worth of “Lessons Learned” over this five-year period into this document, designed specifically for use by GSA clients and contractors.

High speed, low velocity fans under land ports of entry canopies have proven to be an effective cooling strategy.

Over the years, the POE program has identified a number of design principles important to the functionality and ultimate success of the building, based on the most important operations-oriented successes and issues identified after the buildings had been occupied for several years. Over the last five years, the POE team has broadened its sight lines to give clear focus to what works well in the target buildings. The buildings evaluated in the POE program each offer great examples of design excellence, and identifying their O&M issues should not detract from that fact. It is our intention to offer common operations issues balanced with presentation of “what works well” in the spirit of moving the Lessons Learned forward.

That said, we all must do our part to continue to embrace the opportunities and avoid the problems that these Guides make foreseeable. Every Lesson Learned can be a success replicated, or a mistake avoided—before the very next building is built.

Operational Fundamentals

As the Lessons Learned evolve, it may be universally useful to consider building spaces and systems in terms of four major fundamentals:

● Accessibility

● Durability

● Reliability

● Maintainability/Cleanability.

Accessibility For operations and maintenance, accessibility usually pertains to building elements, heights, and clearances, often implemented to address the specific needs of people with disabilities. In terms of operations excellence, accessibility should be considered in terms of easily operating, servicing, and cleaning the exterior and interior of the building, as well as its systems and equipment—for installation, maintenance, and removal. Recognize the added burdens and maintenance costs of locating controls and distribution devices in places with difficult access or where normal schedules of users need to be interrupted. The lighting system is another system where accessibility is of prime concern: Luminaires located in high ceilings, especially atrium spaces, can prove difficult or impossible to re-lamp. O&M staff must be able to access the components within as well as external to the luminaire, so consider both aperture size and disconnect locations of drivers, ballasts, and light sources.

Servicing lights in this space is an accessibility challenge, as lifts are required that can damage floor finishes.

Durability When considering durability, remember that these structures are with us for 50, 75, or even 100 years.

Start at the top: Improper roof design, material selection, and construction can cause significant leaks, resulting in long-term maintenance and repair costs, potential health concerns, and mission disruption.

From procurement, checking product availability and manufacturer reliability in the local market can reduce increased replacement costs. For instance, the POEs found that custom-designed and –installed building entry canopies can become a source of major repair/replacement costs due to their customized design and installation. On the interior, properly selected and installed interior finishes can prevent significant maintenance, repair and replacement time and costs. Take care with the mechanicals, too;

motors should not be driven into their service factor tolerances to meet loads.

Reliability Reliability pertains to functional programming—spatial needs and requirements, system performance as well as durability and efficient maintenance of building elements. First, use reputable manufacturers that engineer quality products. Review industry standard test data for projected life of light source, driver, and/or ballast. Provide mock-ups and perform testing on relatively new engineered products, such as LED luminaires, which are constantly evolving. Reduce system designs and their various modes of controls to a simple baseline to streamline operations and decrease the optimization period (of energy consumption and occupant comfort), which can be years for today’s buildings. Finally, educate the operators. Simplified systems encourage proper and more complete training of operators, and put an ultimate goal of delivering consistent building performance year-after- year within reach. Operator training should cover all aspects that affect equipment reliability and longevity, as well as setpoints, operating patterns, and schedules for occupant comfort.

Maintainability/Cleanability The first rule of maintainability/cleanability is to consider the surfaces and finishes, both interior and exterior. Inside, avoiding white and light color finishes and floor tiles with numerous light-colored joints (which show dirt more easily and require more cleaning than dark-colored joints) can be an easy way to cut down on maintenance in areas that accumulate fingerprints or footprints. The costs and benefits of carpeting, in terms of maintenance, also should be carefully weighed. Glass and steel finishes for walls and rails also present a challenge for cleaning. Additionally, be generous in allocating storage space.

Many of the facilities evaluated during this POE cycle show limited or poorly located O&M storage, which can increase O&M staff time and costs for getting parts and supplies. Housekeeping closets on each floor typically are often too small to hold stock materials, requiring increased janitorial time to restock supplies.

Other Universal Considerations While O&M concerns can be characterized universally as attributes of accessibility, durability, reliability, and maintainability/cleanability, design of high-performance buildings also requires consideration of O&M in terms of:

● Energy and sustainability. For almost 50 years, reducing the amount of energy consumed in

Federal buildings has been a direct tactic in reducing the costs of long-term operations. It is also important for government facilities to demonstrate prudent energy stewardship and promote regional, national, and global community and environmental benefits.

● Wayfinding. Limited wayfinding, through architectural clues and signage can reduce occupant and visitor satisfaction. In general, greater consideration for presenting clear, familiar, and recognizable destinations from the entry lobby that carefully considers arrival and departure paths should be a priority for any public building lobby with a high volume of visitors.

● Circulation. Inadequate and ineffective circulation patterns can reduce the efficiency of the facility’s mission and decrease occupant and visitor satisfaction. For instance, when employing a large central atrium, carefully consider the location of the vertical circulation and restrooms or consider placing them in more than one location.

● Safety. Safety concerns can increase the time and costs to alleviate a hazard, in addition to dramatically increasing liability. For instance, atrium guardrails should not be of a height low enough to tempt people to set down drinks, phones, or even heavy boxes, even if the ledge cants inward to discourage seating.

● Occupant satisfaction. Increases in occupant satisfaction levels provide beneficial returns of increased worker productivity and promote customer satisfaction. ASHRAE Standard 55 on thermal comfort continues to provide guidance on managing the numerous contributing factors that promote customer satisfaction. Designers should demonstrate in the project Basis of Design documents that they understand the needs and characteristics of the space occupants for whom they are selecting systems, and that informed occupants with a means to

In this large office building, centralized custodial storage and staff lockers are accommodated in makeshift space in the basement corridor.

affect some control of their environments (air speed, air temperature, surface temperature, direct sunlight, glare and contrast) are generally more satisfied.

Summary: The Lessons

The following 20 Lessons, updated from the 2018 Guide, represent the most commonly noted areas and systems where increased attention to O&M concerns during the planning and design processes show the greatest potential to save operations and maintenance time, labor, and costs, as well as increase user satisfaction and productivity.

For Site/Landscape O&M, consider the

1. Landscaping

2. Irrigation Systems

3. Hardscape

4. Access Gates and Barriers

For Envelope/Structure O&M, consider the

5. Exterior Facade

6. Exterior Glazing and Shading

7. Entrances and Canopies

For Architecture/Interiors O&M, consider the

8. Wayfinding and Signage

9. Interior Finishes

10. Atriums, Lobbies, and Vestibules

11. Loading Docks, Garages and Mailrooms

12. Building Storage

For Mechanical/Plumbing Systems O&M, consider the

13. O&M Contractor Skill Level

14. Thermal Comfort and Control

15. Equipment Accessibility

16. Plumbing and Restroom Fixtures

For Lighting/Electrical Systems O&M, consider the

17. Artificial Lighting Levels

18. Daylighting and Shades

19. Lighting Equipment Accessibility

20. Lighting Optimization and Controls

Lesson 1. Landscaping

Site landscaping can vary widely with geographic region, facility mission, and site context. Typically, however, successful installations require selection of native vegetation requiring minimal maintenance.

When selecting and designing landscaping:

DO:

● Select appropriate plants.

Inappropriate landscaping can cause long-term maintenance and replacement expenses.

Select plantings that are appropriate for the region and for the building site. Consider anticipated heat island effects and glare from the buildings.

● Account for maintenance.

Consider water demands and maintenance requirements, such as trimming and weeding. Also consider the durability of plants to foot traffic, particularly at urban sites where protests or social gatherings may occur.

● Plan ahead. Design landscaping based on the size of plantings at maturity to avoid premature replacement or the need for severe pruning.

AVOID:

● Choosing high-maintenance plantings. Do not choose lawns or other high maintenance ground covers. Also, avoid highly sculpted plants and hedges that require frequent maintenance and are prone to damage.

● Blocking the flow. Do not choose landscaping that can adversely impact pedestrian traffic flow at entrances and critical circulation points.

● Compromising security. Do not choose plants that reduce security by providing concealment opportunities or limiting visibility of security personnel.

● Allowing mulch to migrate. Make sure that mulch is contained in its designated area to avoid its washing onto sidewalks or into drains.

Lesson 2. Irrigation Systems

Exterior irrigation systems have a history of becoming inoperative or dysfunctional at GSA facilities. The use of retention ponds to store stormwater for absorption or irrigation can be problematic if not well designed and maintained. In addition, drip irrigation systems show a high failure rate due to broken pipe sections.

Failed landscaping

When selecting and designing irrigation systems:

DO:

● Keep it simple. If not designed, installed, and commissioned correctly, irrigation systems can cause long-term operational, maintenance, and repair expenses.

● Provide training. Include provisions for adequate training when using automated or BAS-driven irrigation systems, including training and documentation for landscape contractors.

● Provide adequate soil cover. Inadequate soil cover can expose irrigation piping, allowing pipe sections to be broken or severed.

● Ensure proper installation of irrigation systems. Provide appropriate robustness for expected site conditions to avoid in-line breakage, and to minimize maintenance of near-surface lines.

● Prepare routine maintenance plans. Include minimum routine maintenance requirements and potentially performance-based requirements (i.e., water usage) in vendor contracts to better delineate the system requirements and achieve better performance. Indicate that flow switches should be used to calculate water flow.

● Consider the implications of gray water. If using gray water for irrigation, consider the sensitivity level of plantings, as well as any effects of potential contamination or pollution of landscaping.

● Use a single controlling system. One of the innovations that has facilitated landscaping success in GSA projects has been the cloud-based irrigation control system, which allows O&M staff to monitor or adjust the irrigation remotely at any time through a cell phone application.

Broken drip irrigation pipe

AVOID:

● Maintenance-sensitive stormwater retention pond features. Interconnecting piping, culverts, and drain grates can increase maintenance requirements. If more complex or interconnected systems are necessary, the designer should provide a maintenance plan at facility turnover so that adequate O&M maintenance can be included in future facility budgets.

● Allowing the irrigation system to wet surrounding walking surfaces.

Lesson 3. Hardscape

Exterior hardscapes contribute to a public building’s sense of entrance, provide communal areas for occupants and visitors, and can provide space for public functions.

These exterior plazas and features can suffer from extreme environmental exposure and soiling, leading to the need for frequent cleaning and maintenance.

When designing exterior hardscape features:

DO:

● Standardize concrete mix. Use standard mix designs for concrete paving (and/or purchase substantial attic stock if natural stone is used) to facilitate 100-year maintenance expectations while maintaining aesthetic consistency. Document the concrete paver mix design in the project’s O&M manual.

● Carefully monitor concrete mix design, placement, and cure. Drying shrinkage cracking typically results from high water content in the concrete mix or inadequate curing of the concrete once installed.

● Consider cleanability. Choose paving materials that are easily cleaned using standard pressure washing equipment and that can tolerate chemical cleaners without damage. Select low permeability and non-staining paving materials with slip-resistant surfaces.

● Consider paver size. Consider the size of pavers and their joint widths for ease of maintenance.

Larger pavers are difficult to remove or replace and grout in narrow joints is more likely to fail prematurely and require replacement.

● Consider pedestal paving. Evaluate pedestal paving systems as an alternate to traditional mortar-set systems to reduce durability concerns. The lack of joint material reduces joint maintenance, and the ease of paver removal reduces drain and waterproofing maintenance.

● Take deicing into account. Recognize that snowmelt procedures (use of deicing chemicals) can damage certain natural stone or concrete pavers, even though they would otherwise be considered durable.

● Weigh the use of snow melt systems. They can be prone to frequent repair and maintenance requirements.

Soiled hardscape detracts from a facility's appearance

● Educate clients. O&M staff should make sure that tenants understand snow removal contract conditions and limitations regarding priority areas for clearing and hours of operation.

● Selecting untried stone. Do not choose natural stone that does not have a track record of performance and availability in the local climate. Inappropriate stone selections can lead to substantial repaving costs over the lifecycle of the building.

● Selecting colored concrete, as it can be prone to fading over time due to UV exposure, show signs of wear faster in high-traffic areas and require more extensive maintenance, and is more difficult to match when patching.

Lesson 4. Access Gates and Barriers

Most GSA facilities incorporate large heavy access/parking gates and barriers into the site to provide front line of security to the building and/or to the site itself. These gates and barriers typically have recurring maintenance and repair issues due to climatic conditions such as rain, wind, or ice.

The maintenance and repair time required can put undue stress on the operation of the facility; in addition, many of the replacement or repair parts—as well as the skilled personnel needed to install them— must be special ordered and come from locations a significant distance from the facility, further delaying the operational capacity of the facility.

When selecting access gates and barriers:

DO:

● Select gates and barriers in accordance with the site’s existing climate conditions. Some types of gate and barrier equipment do not perform well in heavy winds, rainfall, or ice/snow, which suggests product selection and reliability do not reflect the given project requirements.

● Select horizontal or vertical gates depending on the amount of snow accumulations. Snow and ice can have significant effects on the movement of gates, especially horizontal gates.

● Ensure foundations are appropriate for the size and weight of gates. Large, wide gates that cantilever from each side of the road require significant foundations. Poor soil and undersized piers can make automatic gate operation difficult.

● Select barriers that meet cycling requirements. Barriers with motors specified for the number of repetitive cycle requirements should be selected.

● Bollards and pop-up barriers on sites with significant snow, ice and freezing temperatures. This type of equipment has a poor track record in extreme weather conditions.

● Gates and barriers that are difficult to replace or require skilled repair contractors. Equipment that is unique or custom designed is very difficult to repair, and parts are delayed causing major security concerns or disruption to the facility.

● Non-standardized gate sizes, which may be difficult to get replacement parts for.

Inoperative access gate

Lesson 5. Facades

The building facade is often the most striking element of a public building.

Façade staining and soiling create a significant problem that can affect building operations as well as life-cycle costs through its required maintenance levels and energy efficiency.

Serviceability and maintainability—as well as the visual attainment of an architectural vision—need to be fully optimized for a successful building envelope.

When designing the building facade:

● Select appropriate façade materials. Facade material selection has a significant influence on long-term staining. Water-permeable or absorptive facade materials (such as masonry) will be more likely to stain than impermeable materials (curtain wall, metal panels, etc.). Once water saturates a material, it can promote mold growth, differentially attract soiling, discolor the substrate, or dissolve components within the wall assembly, all of which can cause staining.

● Incorporate flashing over horizontal surfaces. Flashing will limit absorption of water into permeable substrates such as stone and clay masonry. Flashings will have a visual impact on the facade but can significantly reduce staining and associated long-term damage.

● Consider providing drip profiles at transitions. These will reduce the impact of water that collects on a horizontal surface from running back against the vertical building surface below.

● Minimize difficult-to-access conditions. Facilitate cleaning as part of the overall design by incorporating a permanent means of access to the facades.

● Include periodic cleaning of facades into the building’s maintenance plan. As part of a long-term maintenance plan, façade cleaning can be combined with other periodic maintenance tasks, such as window washing or sealant replacement.

● Consider façade cleanability and maintenance up front. Consideration of the impact of enclosure complexity should lead to successful harmony among aesthetics, shading, and cleaning concerns.

● Evaluate color and texture. The color and texture of façade materials should be evaluated in the context of the local environment for cleaning demands. Light-colored buildings in urban environments may require more frequent cleaning.

● Anticipate rundown staining. Evaluate the potential for staining facade elements, adjacent systems, or objects at grade due to water rundown staining or component corrosion.

A stained facade significantly detracts from the building's presence

● Weigh the use of ledges and recesses. Ledges, niches, and other recesses should be avoided or at least their depth and slope should be critically evaluated, due to their propensity for staining from water rundown and bird roosting.

● Consider making parts of the façade removable. For veneer cladding systems, consider requiring that the façade be removable in discrete segments or regions to access and repair the weather-resistive barrier (WRB) system without extensive façade disassembly.

AVOID:

● Poorly fabricated façade systems or poorly installed materials. Careful selection and quality control of facade materials during construction can reduce the risk of future staining and the associated costs for remediation.

● Designing non-redundant enclosure systems. Don’t specify non-redundant enclosure systems that do not include a drainage layer and rely solely on exterior layer integrity for air- and water-tightness.

● Encouraging streaks. Don’t choose highly polished exterior surfaces that can streak or spot and are otherwise difficult to keep clean.

● Allowing roosting sites. Don’t create inviting places on the facade for birds to nest. They will.

Lesson 6. Exterior Glazing and Shading

Building fenestration systems provide positive attributes—such as views to the outside and daylighting—and negative elements—such as thermal transfer and solar radiation, which can be mitigated through exterior shading devices. Problems associated with glazing assemblies include fracturing of the glass and impediments to window washing from the shading devices.

A major concern at many of the land ports of entry is the cracking of the ballistic-resistant glazing (BRG) found in the inspection booths as well as the buildings. The cracking in much of the ballistic glazing limits visibility and potentially compromises the safety of US Customs and Border Control (CBP) officers. The glass is expensive to replace, so most of the damaged glazing remains unrepaired in the ports, especially on the southern border. Further investigation of this issue is strongly recommended, along with an assessment of glazing in all ports of entry.

When selecting the exterior glazing and shading:

● Minimize difficult-to-access conditions. Facilitate facade cleaning as part of the overall design by incorporating a permanent means of access.

● Include periodic cleaning of windows in the maintenance plan. As part of a long-term maintenance plan, window cleaning can be combined with other periodic maintenance tasks.

● Carefully consider the effects of exterior shading devices. Exterior sunshades need close scrutiny, as they can generate wind noise and complicate cleaning and other exterior wall maintenance. Architectural vertical extensions and cantilevered “fly-bys” designed to hide air intakes can cause air recirculation and entrapment, allowing odors to be drawn back into the building

● Include the infrastructure. During the enclosure design process, incorporate infrastructure (engineered roof anchors, safety line tiebacks, window-washing equipment, etc.) at the roof for the more intensive aspects of facade maintenance (such as sealant replacement or glazing replacement) that involves swing stages or lifts.

Poor selection of exterior shading system inhibits window cleaning and allows ice dams to form

● Long-term costs associated with specialized equipment and contractor expertise for window washing and façade maintenance. Complicated and customized window washing and maintenance systems will dramatically increase the life cycle cost of the building envelope.

Lesson 7. Entrances and Canopies

Building entrances are a major element of “presence” in Federal buildings. They can have large doors entering into vestibules or directly to the lobby. Canopies over the entrance provide useful shade and shelter at the entrance; however, they may conflict with functionality and increase maintenance and cleaning requirements.

When designing building entrances and canopies:

DO:

● Keep it simple. Avoid complex materials and assemblies as well as corrosion-prone materials. Recognize the extreme exposure requirements for the entrance/canopy materials and assemblies (such as excessive heat, snow load, wind uplift, etc.).

● Anticipate drips. Review drip lines and patterns to avoid slip risks and rundown staining.

● Plan for access. Consider means of access to the canopies for repairs and maintenance. As non-critical elements, they may receive minimal preventive maintenance or attention until a severe problem occurs.

AVOID:

● Proprietary specifications. Product availability and manufacturer reliability in the local market should be considered as part of the procurement process, greatly reducing increased replacement costs. Custom-designed and –installed building entrances and canopies can become a source of major repair/replacement costs.

This canopy, while protective, has proven difficult to clean

Lesson 8. Wayfinding and Signage

Interior wayfinding and signage can be a significant issue in Federal buildings that are accessed by the public. As visitors enter and move through the building vertically and horizontally, the layout of the building can create confusion if wayfinding is not adequately designed.

Exterior signage, especially at land ports of entry, provides directional wayfinding. Signs posted include notifications, warnings, and other clarifications posted to be read, however;

if the text is small, it is extremely difficult or impossible to read, particularly from vehicles. Minimal bilingual signage has been observed at various facilities.

When designing wayfinding and signage:

DO:

● Consider the formation of a wayfinding committee. A committee of building tenants can be formed to provide information to the design team in terms of the building’s wayfinding and signage needs.

● Develop a comprehensive wayfinding plan. A plan should be developed to show assumptions and solutions for providing a comprehensive and simple wayfinding schema for the entire facility both inside and outside.

● Provide large and clear text on signage. All signage, both interior and exterior, should be readable from a distance and clearly express directions and room location.

● Locate signage at visible and appropriate places. Signage should be located at appropriately visible places both inside the building and outside.

AVOID:

● Relying on temporary signage and security officers in the lobby to provide direction.

Overreliance on temporary signs and staff assistance to alleviate wayfinding inadequacies should be discontinued and new solutions designed and implemented.

Use of temporary signage

Lesson 9. Interior Finishes

Selection of appropriate interior finishes for a building is key to its success, the quality of its workplace, and its ability to project a positive impression. To enhance these positive conditions, consider durability and ease of maintenance carefully when selecting all interior finishes.

When selecting the interior finishes:

DO:

● Consider neutral carpet colors. Light-colored carpet or carpet with a regular geometric pattern shows stains easily and is challenging to maintain.

Give preference to darker, neutral colors and irregular patterns that conceal incidental stains, particularly in high-traffic areas.

● Use larger tiles on floors and walls. The use

● of large tiles, especially in restrooms, reduces grout joints, which are difficult to keep clean.

● Design to avoid glare. In spaces that use natural light, recognize the potential for glare from reflective floor finishes such as polished stone and terrazzo. Note also that excessive glare can make security camera images difficult to read and can present a hazard for people with vision impairments.

● Use tested floor materials. Select materials with a proven track record for durability and maintenance, and steer away from unusual or untested flooring materials.

AVOID:

● Installing finishes in an unconditioned space. Construction sequencing that allowed this condition may be responsible for persistent splitting that has occurred on the surface of wood finishes and furniture.

● Choosing light color finishes. Avoid floor tiles with numerous grout joints (especially with white or light-colored grout) as well as painted floors in areas of high pedestrian traffic or wet locations.

● Specifying unique, specialty wall finishes. As with floor finishes, the selection of unusual or untested wall finish materials should be avoided. Choose only materials with a proven track record for durability, maintainability, and continued availability.

● Using oversized acoustic ceiling tiles. Systems with tiles larger than 2-feet by 4-feet are difficult to handle for above-ceiling access, and a supply of replacement materials is more difficult to guarantee for the life of a facility.

Typical corner damage

Lesson 10. Atriums, Lobbies, and Vestibules

The aesthetic value and sense of identity created by atriums, lobbies, and vestibules can be an expression of the building’s mission and merit additional costs in design, construction, and maintenance;

however, it is important to consider the increased O&M requirements to maintain these building features.

Screening visitors and employees is an integral process for gaining access to Federal buildings. In planning to accommodate this activity, designers should consider the typical peak hour, as well as the normal hourly and daily totals of people who enter through the screening areas, both at the primary and service entrances.

Ample space should be provided for security personnel and equipment, as well as space for unscreened individuals to queue and space for individuals to collect their belongings after the process. Location within the lobby and positioning of security staff should consider vulnerabilities from all sides, including those from above if located in an open atrium. The security staff should have clear lines of sight, unobstructed from building elements, landscaping, queue lines, or sun glare.

Tall buildings, and particularly those with multistory atriums that include direct connections to the outdoors, struggle with pressurization control at their main entries. Adding to this, not only can there be a significant stack-effect inducing infiltration at the main lobby, but surface winds can prevent operation of the doors.

When designing atrium, lobbies, and vestibules:

DO:

● Consider all equipment needed. As part of the overall design, consider equipment and details required to access high ceilings, upper portions of walls, and art for cleaning and maintenance. Include consideration of clearances to walls and fixed installations (benches, furniture, etc.), clearances at doors, floor loading, and the specifications of readily available equipment. Note also that this in-house equipment will require dedicated storage areas.

● Reduce heat gain and glare. Reduce heat gain and glare with window treatments, fenestration, or well-designed external shading.

● Simplify circulation. Consider the location of the vertical circulation and restrooms or consider placing them in more than one location. Present clear, familiar, and recognizable destinations from the lobby that carefully consider arrival and departure paths. Inadequate and ineffective circulation patterns can decrease occupant and visitor satisfaction as well as reduce the efficiency of the facility mission.

● Consider users with low vision. Lobby stairs with no tread delineation and translucent floor panels, with or without uplights, present challenges to low-vision occupants and visitors.

Narrow rails invite placement of objects that can fall to the floor below.

● Consider safety and security concerns. Safety concerns can increase the time and costs to alleviate a hazard in addition to dramatically increasing liability. For instance, some atrium guardrails are placed low or narrow enough to tempt children to climb and people to set down drinks, phones, and heavy boxes, which can fall to the lobby below.

● Consider vestibules, even for smaller buildings. In buildings without vestibules, extra attention and adjustments to both air systems and door hardware were found to be ongoing activities even after years of operation. For all buildings, architectural compartmentalization (separate spaces) at exterior doors and active pressure control measuring across each building exterior door would enhance the reliability of pressurization control and reduce commissioning and retuning efforts.

AVOID:

● Relying on custom equipment. Avoid the need for unique or custom-built access maintenance equipment that cannot be readily acquired or rented, or that may require specialized maintenance and operation.

● Choosing shades with hard-to-reach motors. Do not use mechanical or operable shades in large lobby or atrium areas that will require motor maintenance at elevated or difficult-to-reach locations, or that are prone to breakage.

Lesson 11. Loading Docks, Garages, and Mailrooms

Limited or poorly designed loading dock areas can dramatically increase the inefficiency of delivering packages, supplies, and other materials to the facility. The lack of freight elevators and direct transfer routes can exacerbate these inefficiencies, increasing staff time and resources required for movement of incoming and outgoing materials. Large, customized overhead doors and horizontal gates found in garages, loading docks, and secure parking areas are prone to racking and breaking down, requiring long delays in terms of acquiring skilled, out-of-town repair contractors and parts from overseas.

Garages, such as secondary inspection garages at land ports of entry, tend to get extremely hot and are not conditioned like repair garages. There is a small amount of vehicle emission exhaust, but no air motion for officer comfort. These inspection garages often have large, roll-up doors that have little or no shade from overhangs or site plantings. The doors can transfer heat to the interior beyond the ability of the mechanical systems to compensate.

Although the volume of mail received in Federal buildings has been substantially reduced over the last decade, the mailroom remains a key part of the successful operation of most Federal facilities.

The potential threat that insufficiently screened mail represents has made security a central concern associated with the design of mail rooms.

When designing loading docks, garages, and mailrooms:

DO:

● Secure access. In no case should unscreened vehicles or pedestrians be afforded access to loading docks and areas.

● Consider acoustics. Consider acoustic requirements for any building program located adjacent to or above the loading dock.

● Size matters. Make sure the dock is adequately sized to accommodate trash and recycling storage and collection. Provide enough space for security personnel and security screening equipment, including a security booth, magnetometer, and x-ray scanner for packages.

● Consider improving conditioned space in garages. Garages, although not considered fulltime occupied space, should have proper cooling, heating, and air circulation working at all times.

● Provide a clear line of sight. Maintain a clear line of sight between the security area and the loading dock entrance, as well as to ancillary equipment, such as dumpsters and compactors.

● Provide optimal turning room for vehicles. Provide clear space for turning radii. Additional space for maneuvering vehicles substantially reduces delivery and departure times, improves operations in enclosed loading docks, and reduces the risk of accidents.

Loading dock requiring almost 180-degree turn

● Provide restrooms for drivers. Restrooms within the loading dock but outside the facility’s secure perimeter permit drivers to use restrooms without the need to pass through security screening. This can speed up delivery and departure schedules substantially and improve loading dock efficiency.

● Design to accommodate efficient and secure mail screening. Provide a security screening area immediately accessible to the mailroom that allows x-ray of large packages. The mailroom should accommodate glove boxes and ventilated hoods for handling suspicious packages, as well as space for carts to pass one another to reduce the likelihood that a cart ready for deliveries will be trapped by a cart that is parked or being filled.

● Include emergency showers. Provide emergency showers that include a floor drain and seamless floor finish.

AVOID:

● Encouraging excess noise. Don’t locate the loading dock next to acoustically sensitive activities.

● Using proprietary specifications. To greatly reduce replacement costs, product availability and manufacturer reliability in the local market should be considered as part of the procurement process.

● Designing custom garage doors. Nonstandard sizes, custom designs, or other issues affect replacement part availability. When a door goes out of service due to unscheduled maintenance, it can directly impact operations and security of a facility, especially if replacement parts or service technicians are not readily available.

Lesson 12. Building Storage

The long-term success of any facility depends on the implementation of a thorough operations and maintenance program, and one of the keys to the long-term success for operations and maintenance is providing sufficient areas in the building to efficiently store spare materials, replacement parts, and the equipment that is necessary to keep the building functioning with optimal efficiency. When buildings fail to accommodate these storage requirements adequately, makeshift storage areas appear in spaces intended for other functions, most frequently mechanical and electrical rooms. In these instances, the stored materials quickly can become a hindrance to equipment access, a fire hazard, and a potential obstacle to safe egress.

When designing building storage spaces:

DO:

● Consider storage needs early. Develop an equipment list as early as possible in the planning and programming stages of the project and dedicate space in the O&M and janitorial storage areas for storing the equipment. Anticipate and dedicate storage requirements for maintenance materials, the total amount of attic stock material called for by the specifications, and dedicated space for oversized equipment such as lifts and ladders. Include storage for outdoor equipment, such as snow blowers.

● Include a workspace. O&M staff a workspace for a stand-alone BAS workstation, a work bench, tools and equipment, and O&M manuals.

● Consider adjacencies. The O&M storage space should be easily accessible from a freight elevator. The location should consider minimizing the acoustic impact for adjacent spaces. The location should discourage the potential for the O&M storage area to be annexed for a different programmatic function.

● Right-size freight elevators. Use the equipment list for sizing freight elevators.

● Provide janitor’s closets on every floor. Custodial closets should include a dedicated area for local storage of supplies and cleaning materials on standardized shelving. The location of these closets should be uniform on every floor.

● Plan the paths. Consider routes and the clear paths for all equipment for the entire facility in the planning process. Selection of finishes, especially floor finishes, should also take into account the planned routes for heavy equipment.

● Include shelving. The layout for the O&M storage should be able to accommodate standard shelving units in a manner that maximizes both linear feet of shelving and ease of access.

Small storage space

● Overlooking space requirements for large equipment. Don’t forget storage space requirements for lifts, scaffolds, and bulky equipment such as floor buffers.

● Designating off-site storage. Don’t designate storage for materials off site, even in an adjacent facility.

Lesson 13. O&M Contractor Skill Level

In certain GSA buildings, the O&M vendors struggle to operate the building in the way it was specifically designed as a SMART or high-performance building to leverage sophisticated control and monitoring systems intended to significantly increase energy efficiency. The skill set of the O&M vendor is general at best and procuring the required vendor level of expertise in a local marketplace tends to be substantially above the labor rates GSA is accustomed to.

This leads to a conundrum: If the O&M vendor service requirements for operating such specialized buildings cannot be procured, due to open competition or service delivery cost restrictions, what are the true environmental/energy benefits of designing such sophisticated buildings? In other words, is achieving the first costs/operating costs paradigm for these buildings being accomplished, if you consider O&M vendor financial and contractual restrictions?

GSA seems to have a recurring issue of designing SMART and sophisticated buildings in remote parts of the country, where the workers with the skill sets needed to operate these buildings effectively are particularly hard to find.

When requiring O&M services for a SMART or high-performance building:

DO:

● Require skilled contractors. O&M contracts should require prerequisite training; a checklist of mandatory conveyance procedures, including updated O&M practices and training of the incoming staff: a stated reasonable transition; and a pre-established process for accounting and invoicing for O&M transition services at the end of the contract period.

● Contractors need documentation. Documentation must be assembled completely, clearly, and logically with a mindset that the people using it most likely will be those not familiar with the initial design, construction, testing, and training. This includes photos during construction to document concealed piping, conduit, and equipment.

● Provide specialized training. Training is the best opportunity to aid first-generation O&M success. Training in complex systems should be conducted by both a factory-authorized representative and the commissioning agent. Effective training requires hands-on practice.

● Provide access to system information. Links to service videos, videos of the specific site training segment, datasheets, and equipment suppliers should be affixed to each piece of equipment;

QR code, or barcode.

This water-source VRF system has significant operational issues

● Educate building occupants. The onboarding process for occupants should include a review of workplace systems (all user MEP, lighting, and fire) to educate on functionality, adjustments, and expectations.

Lesson 14. Equipment Accessibility

To achieve maximum utility and life of installed equipment and increase total value through reductions in maintenance task labor, provide: unobstructed clearances, access to those clearance spaces, prompt availability and convenient location of spare parts, and provisions to expedite inspections. Suspended equipment, concealed equipment, equipment in occupied spaces, equipment located outdoors, and equipment housed in confined, or below-grade spaces are all likely to experience neglect, reduced performance, and potentially shortened service lives—as well as increased labor maintaining and repairing the equipment.

DO:

● Plan ahead. Plan for maintenance, operations, workshops, and proximities of spare parts storage early in the programming and design phases of a project.

● Know the O&M staff’s capabilities. Understand the current and potential maintenance capabilities of staff. This is essential to designing a system that will meet the performance goals of the project in both the short- and long-term.

● Loop management in. Inform the property management team , including the OE representative, of maintenance and operations implications, as well as service-enhancing and labor-reducing features during exploration of design alternatives.

● Provide access for immediate operational adjustments.