School today feels more like the workplace of tomorrow. The growing trend is to design education facilities that mirror occupational reality, which helps students better prepare for their future careers. Medical education programs are simulating emergency situations, culinary programs are engraining kitchen safety, and even high schools are striving to recreate the corporate workplace environment….
Adaptability is a common term in today’s construction climate as more building spaces are becoming multi-functional. Instead of creating various rooms for specialty functions, schools are now incorporating educational spaces that can serve many needs. This helps districts future-proof with adaptable spaces that can be repurposed as needs change in the future. ADAPTABLE SYSTEMS FOR…
The goal of educational institutions has always been to create an optimal environment for learning. With the list of needs often exceeding the capital budget’s available balance, achieving that goal can seem impossible. Many facility managers are forced to find quick solutions to everyday issues just to keep things running. As a result, they are…
Fires today burn faster and create greater heat release than they did just a few decades ago, due in part to the evolution of building materials and construction techniques. This not only leads to greater property damage and more rapid structural collapse, but the time to escape a burning residential structure prior to flashover has…
Last week, #TeamHenderson made our way to Seattle, WA for the SCUP 2019 Annual Conference with some of higher education’s finest college and professional planners. Together, we discussed key trends and lessons learned – basically, all things higher ed. In case you missed it, here are some themes we took away: Evaluate, Formulate, Implement Learning…
One of the greatest things about being an engineer is designing systems that impact people and enhance their experiences within a space — which is why our work on the recently completed B.E. Smith Family Center was so rewarding. From the project’s inception, the design team collaborated with educators, therapists, and hospital staff to understand…
Extreme cold spells across the country this winter made it difficult for many buildings to maintain comfortable temperatures. Many street-level tenants of high-rise buildings found it nearly impossible to keep occupants warm despite having thermostats set to maintain comfortable temperatures. In many cases the problem, while fairly common, is not widely understood — it’s known…
Last week, #TeamHenderson attended the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Midwest Great Lakes and Southwest regional conferences. A common theme among education conferences is an exploration into what we can do as design partners, facility managers, district leaders, educators, etc. to continuously improve the learning experience for students. They’re all about how we can all…
The impact of environmental noise like construction, traffic, and even weather is an important, though often forgotten, part of the design process. At Henderson Engineers, we have a team of dedicated acoustics professionals who recognize the impacts of environmental noise and help our clients achieve comfortable sound levels in their buildings. We’ve compiled some general…
Building commissioning has experienced a rise and fall in terms of reputation, understanding, and value. In the 80s and 90s, the introduction of computerized, direct digital controls (DDC), brought new complexities to the built environment and energized the buzz around building commissioning. The unprecedented technology advancements of the last three decades have only made the…
Since the expansion of the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) requirements to include single-phase receptacles up to 50A and three-phase receptacles up to 100A, we’ve seen a trend of increased GFCI nuisance tripping. While these trips can be frustrating, it’s important to not create a code violation or put personnel…
After attending the DBIA annual conference in early November, our team took some time to discuss the key takeaways we believe will have the most impact in the design-build community. Below are the top five trends we’re keeping our eyes on. There must be an enhanced focus on performance-based design as opposed to prescriptive design….
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