KNOWHAUS

February 14, 2020 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Future Architects and Engineers Visit Warehaus for Career Exploration

On Wednesday, February 12th, Warehaus partnered with the York County Alliance for Learning to host the first ever Architectural & Civil Engineering Career Exploration Program. Twenty-two students from 8 different schools across York County visited our studio to hear first-hand advice regarding the pursuit of architectural and engineering careers.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, within 3 years of initial enrollment, about 30% of undergraduates who had declared a major had changed their major at least once. Programs like YCAL’s Career Exploration Program give students exposure to the joys and challenges of careers in advance, to help them make more informed decisions when it comes time to choose a college and declare a major.

Warehaus’ CEO Troy Bankert and CCO Jonathan Wehri, both AIA registered architects, began the day with an overview of Warehaus’ history and a tour of our adaptive reuse office. Warehaus’ team of architects, civil engineers and designers, and structural and MEP engineers work collaboratively in our open-office studio, and students got a real-time look at the day to day workings of a studio. No tour at Warehaus is complete without a peek at our 2nd floor compositing toilets – just another unique contributor to our office’s LEED Platinum-certified status.

 

 

 

Another highlight of the day involved hands-on activities.

Spaghetti Marshmallow Challenge

This activity reinforces the concept of design thinking – a key skill for both architects and engineers. Students use spaghetti, masking tape, string and one marshmallow to build the tallest freestanding tower in 10 minutes.

Lesson plans are available online.

 

 

 

 

Augmented Reality Sandbox

Members of our civil team built an Augmented Reality Sandbox, using a special projector, a custom built sandbox and software developed by UC Davis. This tool allows users to create topography models by shaping real sand, which is then augmented in real time by an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water.

 

 

 

 

Insights into Internships and Interviews

Students asked insightful questions about their career pursuits.

Do most of our employees live in York? Are most of our employees native to York?

The majority of our employees live within 20-30 minutes of our office. And while many are originally from York, like our CEO who has been with the company for more than 30 years, we also have team members who grew up all over the world – Seattle, Detroit and even Nigeria. We celebrate the unique perspectives that come from our diverse team and encourage students in their junior year to pursue internships with us – we traditionally have 2-5 interns every summer.

 

 

What is more important to employers when hiring new grads – grades or talent?

At Warehaus, we are proud of our culture and hire employees that reflect the values we champion – like resourcefulness and trust.  Many of those values are built through an outstanding work ethic. An excellent work ethic and good grades often go hand in hand. Students who are serious about their studies learn to manage their time and be accountable for their own decisions. Our employees are given autonomy to manage their own time and many team members rely on them to do so. Therefore, accountability is key to success here. That said, confidence, passion and drive go a long way as well. Students who interview with an outstanding portfolio easily showcase their talent by making eye contact and speaking with confidence. When interviewing, remember to show your true self with professionalism and assurance.

 

 

Career Resources

Both our architectural and engineering teams presented insights on their respective career opportunities.

The following resources are helpful to students pursuing a career as a registered architect:

https://www.ncarb.org/

https://www.aia.org/

https://www.naab.org/

For those interested in engineering licenses, FE and PE exams are offered through National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES).

https://ncees.org/

Thank you to Kevin Appnel, Executive Director at the York County Alliance for Learning, for working with Warehaus to make this event possible. 


November 12, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Adopting Lean as an Owner

Attendees at a recent Lean Workshop held at the headquarters of Warehaus, in York, PA had mixed levels of Lean experience from zero to advanced. But clearly the beginners outweighed the advanced.[1] It illustrates the point that Lean in the design and construction industry, though not a new concept, is slow-growing by its nature. Lean is hard work that makes everything easier. While a hard habit to form, the effort is well worth it.

Warehaus Lean Workshop 

I had the opportunity to speak at the Warehaus Lean Workshop, representing Penn State, but count me in as one of the beginners. I was introduced to Lean in 2015 when I joined Penn State. I admit, I never heard of it before then. I was more informed about Lean in 2016 at the Lean Construction Institute’s 18th Annual Congress. I went back to the 19th Congress in 2017 and plan to return for the 21st Congress in 2019. But, I still do not fully exploit Lean on my projects. Why not? Like a language, unless everyone is speaking the same one, communication will suffer. Project teams carry a mixture of Lean experience much like the workshop audience and implementation is a new hard-to-form habit.

One of the ways Penn State Office of Physical Plant (OPP) is making serious progress with Lean is by including it in our contracts. However, large scale buy-in is required to create a true Lean culture. That is what the Warehaus Lean Workshop was all about. It is what the LCI Congress is all about. It’s about spreading the message and getting more and more people to understand Lean when it’s used. There’s no doubt, Lean has ascended on Penn State design and construction projects because fundamentally Lean is about forming great relationships and respect for people and that is the culture we want within Penn State’s OPP Design & Construction Division.

The Challenge of Implementation 

Karen Martin was one of the Keynote speakers at the 2017 LCI Congress. She was promoting her new book called Clarity First.[2] She said boldly, “Being unclear robs us. It’s everywhere.” Lean, when mis-understood can quickly get unclear, confounding and more complex than it should. Karen also said, “Lean is the greatest advantage to date. Its implementation is the greatest challenge.” So true.

I think the challenge of its implementation is from the attempts to make a direct translation of Lean as an ideology most notably from the Toyota manufacturing plant in Japan to the design and construction industry. Any beginner who is introduced to Lean by “A3 thinking”, “pull planning”, and “choosing by advantages” is attempting to make a huge leap and could easily become puzzled. That direct approach is deficient because it bypasses learning Lean in its essence first. Lean from the outset is personal and it should reach the mind (and heart) first before jumping to the methodologies.

The “a-ha moment” for me came from listening to the audio book called 2 Second Lean by Paul Akers read very enthusiastically by the author[3]. The book should be a litmus test to see if Lean is for you – if you get it or if you don’t. I think it is a prerequisite for anyone’s Lean journey. If the chapter called “Do It in the Bathroom” doesn’t bother you (after understanding its meaning) then you’re on your way. This book for me was infectious and establishes the framework for how to implement Lean in all aspects of life. In fact, other subsequent books by Paul Akers are titled Lean Health, Lean Travel, and his latest called Lean Life.

If you are serious about Lean, the book 2-Second Lean should inspire you to start the journey by the astounding results Lean produced for Paul personally and professionally with his company called Fastcap. The book is Lean in a nutshell, which is all about eliminating waste and continuous improvement. What underlies those two things is respect for people. From there you should see that Lean is personal and those things can be applied to everything – steadily over time. No one person, group, or business suddenly becomes Lean overnight by simply choosing to adopt it.

To further make the point, the Japanese word for the culture of continuous improvement is Kaizen. I’ve learned at an LCI Congress that the Japanese symbols for Kai (change) and Zen (good) are written with symbols representing “self”, “whip”, “sheep”, and “altar”. The translation meaning “self-sacrifice” so you can make a change for the better… for everybody.

It becomes clearer to see by learning from its Japanese source that Lean defines waste as disrespectful, and continuous improvement is about making change for the better, for all. But it starts within each person and requires each person to participate. It is not something to be delegated downstream from top level management or transferred to a consultant. It doesn’t work that way, so its implementation is indeed a challenge as well as a journey.

Those of us in the design and construction business have most likely experienced, if we have not been told or read, that the industry is “broken.”[4] Applying “Lean”, (i.e. the ideological culture of eliminating waste, continuous improvement, respect for people) to the industry’s problems created “Lean Design and Construction.” Penn State OPP (not to imply the entire University) has adopted Lean Design and Construction thus creating “PSU OPP Lean Design & Construction.” Without properly connecting the dots Lean implementation can appear to be just a mish-mash.

PSU OPP Lean Adoption 

PSU OPP Lean Design & Construction is adopted precisely from The Lean Construction Institute (LCI). The LCI was formed in 1997 and will host the 21st Annual LCI Congress in October 2019. Since it has been around twenty-one years it’s really not new, but it started very small and grew steadily but slowly. For many – especially architects (of which I am one) it is a very new and eyebrow-raising concept. I was the only architect in the Introduction to Lean seminar at the 18th Annual LCI Congress in 2016. However, many Construction Managers and Contractors have embraced it and are out ahead of Owners and Architects.

Leaders in Lean Construction Management I have spoken to say the number one factor of a successful project is without a doubt when the Owner (like Penn State) is fully on-board and committed to Lean. This points back to the analogy of speaking the same language. John Bechtel, the Assistant Director of Design & Construction at Penn State OPP is having much success in this arena, communicating very publicly, at COAA events and elsewhere, that PSU wants Lean and our teaming partners need to bring it. Like it or not, consultants who want to do future business with Penn State will have to be Lean.

The bible of Lean for Penn State OPP is the book called Transforming Design and Construction – A Framework for Change and also Target Value Delivery: Practitioner Guidebook to Implementation – both available from the LCI.

The mission of Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant is to provide excellent facilities services to Penn State. Unlike many business owners, design and construction is what we do daily. It is our purpose. We invest hundreds of millions of dollars annually toward construction. In an industry that is broken, we have too often become the referee on projects. Contract arrangements that make it easy to point the finger at others is waste. Lean will help us to become like a conductor, instead of a referee, and therefore add value to the project delivery process.

Lean has been defined as a “culture of respect and continuous improvement aimed at creating more value for the customer while identifying and eliminating waste.” The customer here is everybody. Everyone on the team is a customer to somebody else on the team – co-worker, vendor, supplier, designer, builder, owner – the whole vast array of people required are included. As the saying goes, processes don’t design and build buildings, people do.

Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant adopts the definition of a Lean Project Delivery System as, “an organized implementation of Lean Principles and Tools combined to allow a team to operate in unison to create flow.” How have we begun to do that? Selected straight from the book Transforming Design and Construction – A Framework for Change we include the following “big 10” in our Requests for Proposals and contracts:

      1. A3 Thinking

     2. Clusters Groups and Target Value Delivery (TVD)

     3. Early Stakeholder Involvement

     4. Last Planner® System of Production Control

     5. Plus/ Delta Retrospectives

     6. Project Conditions of Satisfaction

     7. Reliable Promising

     8. Risk & Opportunity Register

     9. The Mindset of an Effective Big Room

     10. Visual Management & Communication

Please refer to the book for more insight on each of these principles and tools. Also remember, it’s about continuous improvement so how they are carried out is always a work in progress. These Lean principles and tools are used in a manner not to guarantee success, but to give a higher probability of:

     • Good Outcomes

     • Improving Communication

     • Creating High Performing Teams

     • Establishing a Learning Organization

     • Respect and Trust

PSU projects delivered with CM At-Risk/ GMP using Lean have achieved all of the above. We have done one Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) project as of this writing and many Design-Build projects with varying Lean success. Lean can be scaled and incorporated into any delivery method fitting to the project given the proper team dynamics. We endeavor to implement as much as possible even under Design-Bid-Build projects funded by the PA Department of General Services. Lean works because respect and continuous improvement aimed at creating more value for the customer while identifying and eliminating waste is a culture and not a contract clause.

In closing, two quotes from Paul Akers are worth noting. One for the skeptical: “If you think you have your life or your business pretty well dialed-in, you’re clueless. Toyota™ still makes millions of improvements worldwide to their processes and they have been thinking Lean for over 50 years.” And one for encouragement: “Can you imagine every day everything getting a little bit better? Not dramatically, but consistently getting better? When you become a Lean thinker this is what happens and it is a massively fulfilling way to live!”

 

[1] September 26, 2019 attendees experience with Lean: Zero 21%, Basic 44%, Intermediate 29%, Advanced 6%.

[2] Download the first chapter of Clarity First for free at tkmg.com/books/

[3] A PDF download of the book as well as the audio book are available for free at paulakers.net

[4] Lean Construction Institute, Transforming Design and Construction, A Framework for Change, page 15.

Brian Hayes is a Facilities Project Manager in the Design and Construction Division at Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant (OPP) and is responsible for leading major capital projects from conception to completion. Brian believes the Lean principals of respecting people, eliminating waste, and continuous improvement applies everywhere – personally and professionally – where people work intentionally to make life flow smoothly and efficiently and create environments that allow everyone to be their best.


October 21, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Optimized Project Success Through Successful Communications

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

How many conversations have you had with individuals or a group where you feel that you made your point and that you both or all had the same understanding about the point or topic, only to find out later that it was not the case? Verbal communications can be tricky, as they are often conducted in a private one-on-one setting or phone call and the others in the conversation may be distracted and not fully engaged.

When having verbal communications, a key skill is “active listening.” Conversations are meant to be a two-way street—otherwise, it would just be you talking and hoping that the other party or parties are truly engaged and understand what has been communicated. Google the term “active listening” and learn more about what it means. A few key points are listed below.

Avoid Evaluative Listening

  • Hold off forming opinions until the speaker’s message is complete.
  • Don’t obsess with or focus on emotional words or phrases.
  • Concentrate on the speaker, not on your intended rebuttal.

Steps to Ensure Active Listening

  • Truly listen by providing the speaker with your undivided attention.
  • Reduce or eliminate noise or other distractions.
  • Organize the message you hear.
  • Check your understanding of what has been said by repeating it back in your own words.

The paragraphs above were taken from an article written by Walt Sparling titled Communication Management, published by AUGI and is one in a series of articles written by Mr. Sparling on the topic of Project Management. If you are currently not an AUGI member, I suggest signing up. Their free membership offers valuable resources beyond simply Autodesk specific topics.

AUGI articles are just one source of knowledge on the topic. The Project Management Institute is an organization dedicated to the expansion of the field of project management. PMI has developed tools, trainings and compiled knowledge in this field for professional development. One of those collections of knowledge is the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBOK. The PMBOK is a baseline for project management agreed upon by project managers and used as source material for this article. I would also suggest using the templates provided on the website projectmanagementdocs.com. Their templates easily walk the user through creating the document and understanding its purpose.

The PMBOK states “Communication is the exchange of information, intended or involuntary. The information exchanged can be in the form of ideas, instructions, or emotions. The mechanisms by which information is exchanged can be in”:

  • Written form. Either physical or electronic.
  • Either face to face or remote.
  • Formal or informal (as in formal papers or social media).
  • Through gestures. Tone of voice and facial expressions.
  • Through media. Pictures, actions, or even just the choice of words.
  • Choice of words. There is often ore than on word to express an idea; there can be subtle differences in the meaning of each of these words and phrases.

If communications can be perceived differently based on a host of variables and involuntarily transmitted, then how can we as design professionals, project managers, contractors and stakeholders navigate the sometimes tricky waters of communication to achieve optimized project success. The earlier excerpt from Mr. Sparling’s article emphasizes the continued development of soft skills like active listening that are paramount to mutually beneficial exchanges. Another aspect is the creation of artifacts and implementation of activities designed to achieve effective information exchange.

Know your audience

I have heard on more than one occasion “I told the designer what I wanted, and they just keep giving me what I don’t want. They are not listening to what I want”. Identifying the stakeholders should be done early on and if the you have worked with a stakeholder in the past, use historical data to understand which communication method works best for them. If, a stakeholder has had trouble in the past with misinterpreting verbal communications and the transverse being you misinterpreting a stakeholder, then you should follow-up verbal communications with written or communicate design intent through visual means.

Identify the logistics of communication among the stakeholders. Do all design team members physically work in the same area or share the same language? Are some “stakeholders on-the-go” most of the time? Who are the knowledge experts on the project and are they assigned to other projects (though this may technically fall under resource management, it will affect your communications)?

Discussed in more depth in Mr. Sparling’s article and the PMBOK, you should develop a RACI chart to organize who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who needs to be Consulted, and who needs to simply be Informed. Once you develop a RACI chart you can see individual stakeholder roles and by knowing the roles of people on your project, you can determine the methods used to communicate with them.

Project efficiency will go down if you are sharing too much technical information with those that simply need to be informed or not enough technical information with those who are responsible for the design.

Say what you mean and repeat it back

Understand that differences in communication styles can arise from differences in working methods, age, nationality, professional discipline, ethnicity, race, or gender and be mindful of your tone and body langue. I often re-read a text message or email several times to discern the tone of the message. I have a personal bias to read emails from clients and agency reviewers in a harsh tone, since we are at times placed on opposing sides of a problem. I acknowledge my short comings by re-reading the message to see if I come to the same truth.

Make the receiver of your message acknowledge the message by repeating it back to you. I have said in the past “do you know what I mean” which often gets the response ”yes” even if the receiver does not understand the design intent. This has led to rework and frustration between the designer and me.

Moving forward I plan to choose my words wisely by asking the designer something along the lines of “Based on our conversation regarding the design intent, briefly explain to me your design approach”. I should get a response that acknowledges that the designer understands the design intent by requiring a more in-depth response than “yes”.

There are several methods to generate acknowledgment of messages. I had the privilege to attend the Lean Principles workshop hosted by Warehaus, RMF Engineering Inc., and JEM Construction Group on Sept. 28th. I was particularly interested in the method of using post-it notes to identify tasks and who is responsible for those tasks and then the ability to see those tasks move along a large (publicly displayed) board from backlog to assigned to completed.

I like that it showcases what and who in a public manor. It is a strong visual communicator. The downside to this communications tool is that all stakeholders must be in the same working environment. I will continue to look for a web-based equivalent.

Technology is not the great divide

Though recent news reports describe the rise of technology as the fall in our youth’s social skills, technology can aid in communication. Whether it is Newforma, Deltek’s Kona, Basecamp, or simply Microsoft office 365 apps, invest in software that will help to execute communication tasks. At Warehaus, we utilize Newforma software to share documents with internal and external stakeholders, record/ organize meeting minutes, control RFI’s and Submittals, and so much more.

Newforma Product Spotlight: Realtime Collaboration

I am sure the cost of licensing and maintaining project management software seems cost prohibitive to some smaller organizations. The cost of not having a collaborative, organized, and monitored space can be even costlier.

Most organizations regardless of size uses Microsoft office 365 products. Microsoft Planner is a useful tool for communications.

 

Final Thoughts

Communications will always be a struggle but with sound project management strategies in place, you should be able to mitigate some of that strain.

Warehaus has developed its own project management methodology, briefly described here.

Our Design Delivery Process or DDP is an integrated methodology that allows its design team to work collaboratively with all stakeholders. We define the problem statement, share it with the stakeholders and use this shared knowledge to guide not only the design but the communications.


October 1, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
The Noise We Perceive: Notes from a Project Manager

In this article, I review some of the basics about construction noise criteria, how we measure noise, a brief review of noise ordinances, and a review of the DHL project as a case study.

Construction Noise Criteria

 The Federal Highway Administration has published the Construction Noise Handbook, which outlines the effect of construction noise, construction noise criteria, measurement of construction noise, prediction of construction noise, and mitigation of construction noises.

“Construction noise in the community may not pose a health risk or damage peoples’ sense of hearing, but it can adversely affect peoples’ quality of life. To some degree, construction noise can be a contributing factor to the degradation of someone’s health in that it can cause people to be irritated and stressed and can interrupt their ability to sleep – all of which may lead to higher blood pressure, anxiety, and feelings of animosity toward the people or agencies responsible for producing the noise.”

 Currently, no standardized criteria have been established in the United States or Canada. In most instances, local government have developed noise ordinances that contain restrictions associated with several noise pollution sources.

Although OSHA criteria focuses on occupational noise’s Section three, Chapter five, Subsection “B” of the Technical Manual describes sound quality.  Local governments generally have developed noise ordinance criterion based on sound pressure levels. These levels are typically measured in decibels and frequency bands, both described in the OSHA technical manual.

You can also find a video describing the decibel scale on youtube, by Khan Academy.

Since there are no standardized criteria set on the federal level, local governments are left to set these criteria. This is can lead to undesired outcomes.

 

A brief review of noise ordinances

Noise ordinances fall into the category of nuisance laws. Per an article published on Huffpost.com, dated 2017, the traditional definition of nuisance is an unreasonable interference with public rights or conduct that interferes with an individual’s use and enjoyment of her or his land (private nuisances).

The article briefly discussed Texas Supreme Court case in which “The Texas case involved noise coming from a natural gas compressor station located on a ranch. A trial jury determined that the noise and resulting nuisance was negligently created, was permanent, and caused the ranch’s fair market value to decline by some $2 million.”

The article went on to describe that “…The Court emphasized that the focus should be on the unreasonable impact and not on whether or not the conduct was unreasonable. The Court listed ten specific non-exclusive factors to consider in determining if interference is unreasonable or substantial:

  • the character and nature of the neighborhood, each party’s land usage, and social expectations;
  • the location of each party’s land and the nature of that locality;
  • the extent to which others in the vicinity are engaging in similar conduct in the use and enjoyment of their land;
  • the social utility of each property’s usage;
  • the tendency or likelihood that the defendant’s conduct will cause interference with the plaintiff’s use and enjoyment of their land;
  • the magnitude, extent, degree, frequency, or duration of the interference and resulting harm;
  • the relative capacity of each party to bear the burden of ceasing or mitigating the usage of the land;
  • the timing of each party’s conduct or usage that creates the conflict;
  • the defendant’s motive in causing the interference; and
  • the interests of the community and the public at large.”

Aside from the complex topic of nuisance law briefly described in the Huffpost article, local governments develop their own noise ordinances and enforcement guidelines. One example of this can be seen in the common-sense judgements afforded to police officers in the city of Pittsburgh. This 2015 article, published in the  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, documents a local councilman claiming that relying on a decibel level is just not working.

It should be noted that article went on to state that “properly permitted construction” was exempt from the new noise ordinance. It would be interesting to know, since the passing of the new city ordinance, how many construction sites have been cited under these common-sense judgements? Have city police developed some best practices? Do city police consider factors like the ten factors listed by the Texas Supreme Court?

 

Measurement of construction noise

Most local governments set acceptable decibel levels for each source of noise pollution outlined in the noise ordinance and acceptable was to measure. Section 137-6(b) of the East Manchester Township, PA codes reads:

The sound pressure level shall be measured with a sound level meter and associated octave bank analyzer conforming to standards prescribed by the American Standards Association. (American Standard Sound Level Meters for Measurement of Noise and Other Sounds Z24, 3-1954, American Standard Specifications for an Octave-Bank Filter Set for the Analysis of Noise and Other Sounds Z24, 10-1953, American Standards Association Inc., New York, New York, shall be used.)

Sound level meters are commonly used in noise pollution studies for the quantification of different kinds of noise, especially for industrial, environmental, mining and aircraft noise. The current international standard that specifies sound level meter functionality and performances is the IEC 61672-1:2013.

However, the reading from a sound level meter does not correlate well to human-perceived loudness, which is better measured by a loudness meter. Specific loudness is a compressive nonlinearity that depends on level and also frequency, which can be calculated in a number of different ways.

 

Case Study: DHL Project

The project included the construction of a million square foot warehouse, associated parking and associated utilities. The project described on the contractor’s website is as follows:

“The ARCO team is making great progress on our latest project for repeat client DHL – a 1,000,000+ SF multi-tenant pharmaceutical distribution facility located in East Manchester Township, Pennsylvania. Despite adverse weather conditions, including an atypical amount of rainfall and multiple snowfalls, construction is on pace to meet the aggressive schedule – 11 months from project start to completion. The pharma-grade facility will be home to three global pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare product companies and will feature multiple temperature zones, office space for each tenant and high hazard storage. Once complete, this project will add to a portfolio of more than 30 successful projects that DHL and ARCO have partnered to complete.”

Considerable attention should be paid the aggressive eleven-month schedule. To meet this aggressive schedule, the contractor had to increase the resources for this project. Imagine the multiple pieces of equipment running at the same time. Road construction for widening and utility installation was being performed at the same time as the site work. Although the site is in an industrial zone, it is surrounded by residential uses to the south, west, north, and agricultural/residential uses to the east.

In this instance, the contractor spent time meeting with the adjoining property owners to review/ address their concerns. As the project progressed, the relationship with the adjoining property owners soured. Neighbors began calling local police, requiring the contractor to measure sound levels at the property lines to log compliance with East Manchester Township’s ordinance.

One example of this discourse is the issue of electric service. The local energy provider was not able to provide electricity to the site in the timeframe required for the project, so DHL chose to install temporary generators. The noise produced by the generators was measured and found to be within acceptable limits, however neighbors voiced concerns that the noise from the generators was disrupting. DHL made the decision to replace the temporary diesel generators with smaller, quieter units.

In this instance, the prima facie evidence of a noise disturbance as defined in section 137-5 of the Township Code was disproven through the sound level meter log conducted by ARCO. Still, DHL chose to replace the temporary generators with quieter ones to appease community concerns.

 

Lessons Learned

As design professionals, Warehaus’ team is not often faced with addressing noise ordinances. It is assumed that these issues are better suited for the contractors since they have the “boots on the ground”. Rather, I think it is a combined effort between the design professional and the contractor to mitigate construction impacts. As with most non-technical issues, I think the lesson to be learned is how project management on the part of the contractor/ client/ and the design professionals helped to mitigate the impacts of an aggressive construction schedule for a sizable project.

There will always be a level of disruption in relationship to construction projects on the surrounding neighborhood. How this level of disruption is prioritized and mitigated will define the success of the project in the eyes of its community. A scientific response to a community’s complaints often falls short of addressing the issue. I have outlined the areas of success and areas of improvements as follows:

  • Know the community. Warehaus’s extensive experience working in East Manchester Township allowed us to identify key stakeholders and the areas of most importance to those stakeholders. Warehaus identified that screening the site would be of high importance to the stakeholders, so an earthen berm with an average height of 15ft-20ft was proposed. The earthen berm served as a visual screen as well as an audible disruption to the sound waves leaving the site.
  • Be pro-active. Warehaus meets with its construction partner early in the project to review the construction sequence. Reviewing the construction sequence with a contractor allows Warehaus to better understand the logistics of a large construction project.
  • Respond quickly. ARCO was quick to respond to neighbors’ issues when they voiced them.
  • Measured response. DHL acknowledged the community’s complaints, and although they where not required to address them, they made concession to be good neighbors.

 


September 18, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Defining Your Acoustical Needs – Do You Need a Brick or a Sponge?

Is this ‘acoustical’ product right for my project?

The answer is often difficult to determine.  The term ‘acoustical’ is applied to a wide variety of products, materials, and systems that promise to solve problems ranging from privacy to occupant discomfort.  But what makes for a good acoustical solution?  As with most questions in building design, the answer depends on multiple factors specific to the facility, its users, and the design intent.  In this article, we clarify some of these factors and provide a few tips on how to assess the options for your next acoustical conundrum.

First, let’s define ‘acoustical’

Firstly, we must clarify some terminology.  Being labeled ‘acoustical’ means only that a product is designed to achieve some goal related to acoustics.  Depending on the product and its use, it could be just what your project needs, or just the opposite.  For example, acoustical vinyl is a material often used to block sound transmission through ceiling plenums.  It is acoustical because it is engineered to block sound.  Acoustical fabric, on the other hand, is used in performance spaces because it is considered acoustically-transparent.  It is acoustical because it is engineered to not block any sound at all.  To really understand a product’s acoustical values, one must look beyond the sales literature and delve into the performance metrics.

Sound Transmission vs Noice Reduction

There are literally hundreds of ways to measure the acoustical performance of building elements.  In this discussion we will only look at two – sound transmission and noise reduction.  In product literature, these factors are by far the most common measures of acoustical performance.

Sound transmission deals with limiting sound ‘trespass’ from one space to another.  Or from outdoors to indoors.  The most common metric is Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC).  The higher the STC, the better the material is at blocking sound.  Ceiling assemblies use a related metric called Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC).  There are many factors that contribute to blocking sound but, in general, materials and assemblies with greater mass have higher STC ratings.  The ideal material for blocking sound will be heavy, dense, and solid.  We can visualize an ideal sound barrier as a brick.

Noise reduction deals with the propagation of sound within a space.  In spaces dominated by smooth, hard surfaces, excessive reverberation creates distracting levels of noise and causes problems with both speech privacy and intelligibility.  Noise reduction is achieved by introducing surfaces that effectively absorb sound.  The most common metric is Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), which measures how much sound reflects from a given surface.  The ideal material for noise reduction will be porous, soft, and highly textured.  We can visualize this ideal sound absorber as a sponge.

With these visualizations in place, we can start to see why an acoustical product aimed at noise reduction often makes a poor sound barrier.  A sponge doesn’t make a very good brick.

Acoustical ceiling panels provide an example where product selection must balance both noise reduction (NRC) and sound transmission (measured using CAC for ceilings).  One of the highest CAC values available in a lay-in ceiling panel is essentially a piece of drywall.  It makes a great sound barrier, and a terrible sound-absorber.  It’s all brick and no sponge.  On the other end of the spectrum, the highest NRC panels have only mediocre CAC ratings.  In each case, the specific needs at hand must be weighed before making the right choice.  In a lively open office space prone to excessive levels of noise, NRC may be the most important factor.  In the adjacent office used for focused work, it may be more important to block out unwanted sounds, and CAC may take priority.  A drywall panel could be the right answer in a room rarely used by personnel that houses a noisy piece of equipment.  The best solution is highly dependent on the context in which it is applied.

The first and most important step in solving your next acoustical problem is – as always – clearly defining the problem.  Only then can one determine the right solution.  Is it a sound transmission problem?  Or a noise reduction problem?  Do you need a sponge?  Or a brick?


August 14, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Making Sense of Accessibility Requirements

Is your facility accessible?

It’s a trick question.

It’s a trick question.  The answer depends on what is meant by the term ‘accessible’.  It’s a common misconception that accessibility requirements are the same for everyone, everywhere.  They are not.  The legal requirements for accessibility vary depending on the project locale, public/private funding structure, and whether the building is new or existing.

What are the requirements? 

To understand the legal obligations, it is important to draw the distinction between two very different (but overlapping) levels of jurisdiction.  At the federal level, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the civil rights of individuals with disabilities.  At the state and local level, officials enforce accessibility requirements through the building codes.

The ADA and its associated federal standards provide the criteria by which the courts determine if a facility (or policy) infringes on the civil rights of individuals with disabilities.  It’s important to note that this is largely a corrective function.  There is no federal agency reviewing plans for ADA-compliance prior to construction (except for federally-funded projects).

At the state and local levels, officials enforce accessibility requirements specific to their jurisdictions’ adopted building codes, which are usually dictated by the state.  These officials provide the preventive function – reviewing and approving plans for accessibility prior to awarding permits and certificates of occupancy.  The good news is that widespread adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) has limited the number of standards in circulation.  The bad news is that these standards don’t always align with their federal counterparts.

Chapter 11 of the International Building Code spells out the scope for where and when accessible elements are required and refers to another document – ICC/ANSI A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities – to define the technical requirements for each element.  At the federal level, the current standard for most public facilities is the 2010 edition of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design (ADASAD).  The two standards are so similar (they even have similar graphics and typeface), that many designers believe them to be identical.  But discrepancies exist.  Most notably, the ADASAD contains a more thorough explanation of exactly which facilities are required to be accessible, which are exempt, and how those requirements apply differently to alterations vs. new construction.  In general, the ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard tends to be more current, since it is updated more frequently than the slow-moving federal guidelines.  Current codes in Pennsylvania enforce the 2009 edition of ICC/ANSI A117.1, whereas the ADASAD guidelines for the most part haven’t been updated since 2004.  A few things have changed in the interim.

Further changes appear to be coming soon.  The 2017 edition of ICC/ANSI A117.1 re-defines some long-standing building blocks and adds some completely new requirements.  Many of these changes were driven by data from a wheeled mobility study sponsored by the US Access Board.  To better serve users of motorized wheelchairs and scooters, basic building blocks have increased in size.  The familiar 5-foot turning circle, for example, is expanded to 67 inches in diameter.  Though this latest edition is not yet in force in most jurisdictions, it probably provides a good preview of things to come.

So, which set of requirements should be met? 

The answer is both.  Meeting the federal requirements provides no guarantee that a project will receive a building permit or a certificate of occupancy from the local authority.  In fact, the building codes’ accessibility requirements are usually more current and more stringent than their federal counterparts.  By the same token, approvals at the state and local levels offer little protection from discrimination suits filed in federal court.  The court reviewing such cases may not agree with the interpretations or rulings of the Building Code Official.

In summary, it’s important to remember that accessibility comprises multiple, overlapping levels of jurisdiction, and each comes with its own standard of care.  A thorough assessment of accessibility should include all these perspectives.

 

 

 


July 1, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
Conquer Your Leaky Basement with Tips from a Civil Designer

If you are like me and live in an older home, you may have issues with a leaky basement. As we head into the wettest months for Pennsylvania as identified by US Climate Data.com, I have been thinking about my sources of water and how I might best remedy these issues. A quick search online lead me to two articles, Wet Basements by Albert Jerrett, PH.D. and How-Water-Gets-Into-Your-Basement by Kevin Bralser, that I found informative. Since my source of water occurs during the high watertable season and storm events, my focus is on surface waters and ground water sources.

Surface Water

In Pennsylvania, average annual precipitation ranges from 37 inches to more than 45 inches per year, according to PA’s BMP Manual, which used data from the early 2000’s. It is important to understand the volume of water that runs off your roof and towards your foundation because this water must go somewhere. Both articles discuss that surface water enters the basement along the foundation walls and summarize here, due to poorly graded lawns exacerbated by poorly installed landscaping and poorly installed downspouts.

To solve surface runoff issues, redirect the runoff.

In new residential development, I grade two to five percent for the first five feet from the foundation walls and a max of ten percent for the next ten feet. I direct all runoff around the foundation to storm drains in the public right-of-way by local swales, keeping them a minimum fifteen feet away from the foundation when possible.

For existing homes, if regrading your site is not feasible, I suggest installing yard inlets, surface trenches or some other structure that will capture the surface runoff and allow you to redirect it underground. You will have to evaluate which solution is appropriate.

In both new or existing homes, confirm that your roof gutters are properly installed and directing runoff at least five feet away from your home. You can purchase various piping and connections from your local hardware store to achieve this. In most cases a standard four inch pvc pipe will be sufficient to handle the discharge from your downspout. For larger homes or homes where you wish to connect multiple downspouts to a single roof leader, consult a professional to ensure that your pipes are appropriately sized.

 

Ground Water

At our recent Warehaus ‘Sharehaus’ lunch-n-learn, the George Spangler Farm project was presented studio-wide. I particularly was interested in the anecdote regarding the basement remediation. A spring was discovered along a basement wall.

Though you will typically only find these situations in historic homes that have been built around well houses, springs may be a source of your leaky basement. If your home was constructed along the toe of a slope, there is the potential to experience groundwater influence from a spring.

If your source of a leaky basement is due to a high watertable or a spring, you will have to install a drain either inside or outside the foundation wall and direct the groundwater away from your foundation.

In most cases, it is impracticable to daylight the drain within the boundaries of your site. In these cases, you will have to include a pump in your design, to lift the groundwater from the elevation below your basement floor to an elevation that will allow you to daylight the drain within your site boundary.

 

Final Thoughts

Assess your source of leaky basement using the references provided here or from your own research. From that research, try some small economic solutions first and incrementally increase solutions as needed until a solution is found.

If you can’t find a solution on your own or don’t feel comfortable with a self-evaluation, find a professional to provide you with alternatives.

With Warehaus’ team of expert architects and engineers, we would be pleased to help you find a solution to your issues.

 


June 19, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
The Cannabis Industry’s Explosive Growth Warrants New Building Safety Concerns

In addition to land use and zoning issues, the cannabis industry has brought about unforeseen building safety concerns.  And these concerns aren’t going away any time soon.  Some forecasts estimate that legal cannabis will be a $16 billion industry in the US by the end of 2019.  The rapid growth of new markets and new investors is driving a flurry of innovation.  Growers, processors, and retailers are rapidly developing methods that aren’t always addressed by the building code.  Recognizing the problem, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) introduced a new chapter in the 2018 edition of NFPA 1 Fire Code.  Chapter 38 addresses marijuana growing, processing, and extraction facilities.

A New Chapter 

The new chapter is the first regulation to deal with the unique hazards involved in the cannabis industry.  In addition to familiar hazards such as grow lights and fumigation of indoor grow facilities, Chapter 38 addresses extraction processes that are less widely known.  Extraction processes often use flammable or combustible solvents, hazardous chemicals, high pressure, extreme heat or cold, and un-tested equipment to strip chemicals – most often THC and CBD – from plant material.  The resulting concentrate is the base component in a rapidly growing range of non-smokable cannabis products including edibles, oils, lotions, and drinks.

While the new chapter provides a valuable resource for fire fighters, code officials, and building owners alike, it is hardly the end of the story.  In The New Face of Pot, the NFPA explores emerging safety concerns in Denver, Colorado – arguably capitol of the legal cannabis industry.  Innovation, research, and development continually introduce new hazards – and the Denver fire department develops new ways to mitigate the risks.

As the industry continues to see rapid growth in the coming years, Warehaus is prepared to address these new challenges.


April 19, 2019 /  KNOWHAUS  /  News
The Rapidly Growing Industry Poised to Disrupt Zoning Guidelines

House Bill HB50 seeks to legalize adult-use of marijuana in the State of Pennsylvania, which would expand the cannabis industry currently developing here through the 2016 Act 16 – Medical Marijuana Act. With the possibility of rapid growth in this industry, special attention should be paid to how new zoning ordinances and land-use law associated with growing, processing, and distribution are implemented.

 

Land Development through Special Exceptions

A Temple University article from 2017 discusses the possible zoning hurdles that could occur after the passage of Act 16. The article states that some municipalities’ local ordinances require the grow/process facility or dispensary to obtain approval by special exception. This would require applicants to obtain approval from the local Zoning Hearing Board, presenting a potential for biases to be applied through restrictive regulations.

Such a case occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD as reported by the Capital Gazette. Since the State of Maryland approved cannabis sale in 2014, a former county executive sought a ban on medical marijuana. The path to banning medical marijuana wasn’t legally feasible, so the county council crafted legislation containing some of the strictest rules in the state.

Moving forward, developers and entrepreneurs must navigate political waters and educate both themselves and stakeholders. Through our strong ties to the South Central Pennsylvania market, community engagement, and design delivery process, Warehaus is able to identify stakeholder needs and provide solutions. We have a long history of obtaining special exceptions for clients on projects with community resistance.

 

Potential for Economic Growth

A 2016 University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development article claims commercial property values are expected to rise because of high demand for retail space and the fact that growers usually look for older industrial areas to set up their grow sites. The article describes a case in the Town of Hancock, Washington County, MD who supported a resolution for a 45,000 sf grow facility for a 5 percent no-voting stake in the company, creating up to 125 jobs and potentially redeveloping an old Fleetwood RV factory. The author concludes that local municipalities need to strike a balance between onerous regulations and the large demand for medical cannabis.

 

Environmental and Land-Use Impacts of Cannabis Cultivation

A 2018 UC Davis article explores the impacts of cultivation on environment, zoning, and current federal laws on public and private lands. The article sought to answer complex questions about cultivation:

  • Rapid expansion of industries can lead to environmental and land-use problems, and in this context, explosion of cannabis cultivation is no different. What are the environmental implications of converting a mature stone fruit orchard to a row crop? Indoor grows specifically demand a great deal of energy for lighting, dehumidification, temperature control, and irrigation.
  • Do we see reduced growing on federal land if we legalize the growing on private land? Illegal grows will remain profitable as farmers can save money by not complying with environmental and land-use laws.
  • If there is a moral aspect to land conservation, does marijuana make us feel like we are getting our hands dirty? Those opposing the marijuana farm in Palisade, Colorado, argued that growing pot is unethical.

At the time of publication, the article concludes that land trusts should not enter into agreements. The article notes, “States passed laws regarding marijuana without also thinking about regulations for cultivation. This is unsurprising when many laws came about as the result of voter initiatives. Even in the wake of legalization, legislation and regulations focused on regulating the business ends of the venture and collecting taxes. If communities have not done so already, they need to now take the time to consider the environmental and land-use implications of these legal changes.”

 

Final Thoughts

If the Pennsylvania State legislature does not mandate the allowance of this industry within their borders, developers, engineers, and planners seeking development rights through special exceptions will be left to negotiate with the municipalities and the communities that they serve. These communities may request that potential sites demonstrate any or all of the following:

  • Economic Benefit to the community
  • Environmental security
  • Life safety

One possible approach is to destigmatize production and consumption of cannabis and allow this industry by right and not through special exceptions. Some municipalities have indeed taken this approach. Would a community deny or require additional processes for other manufacturing industries?

Either through special exception or use by-right, this industry will see rapid growth in the coming years. Warehaus is prepared address these challenges.

When you’re ready to get started, we are here to help.