GLUMAC - Engineers for a sustainable future

by Andee Clark, Sacramento Associate Office Manager

As a leader in building commissioning and sustainable design, Glumac is making a commitment to keep the industry educated and informed on sustainability issues and trends. One of the most important topics related to sustainability is building commissioning. Bradley Brooks, Ed.D., has made several presentations on building commissioning to various architectural firms, companies and organizations including the San Francisco Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Sacramento Chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) detailing the requirements, documentation, and costs involved with commissioning.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has invited Bradley to speak at the 2007 National Convention & Design Exposition in San Antonio, Texas. To follow the convention theme of "Growing Beyond Green," Bradley's presentation is titled "Build it Green, Keep it Green," and is focused on the fact that green and sustainable buildings may be ineffective unless the facilities staff is trained to optimize performance of the systems. As building designs evolve, the operation of buildings must transform to retain the low environmental impacts of the design. The design and construction industry needs to address the proper training of building operators to ensure that green buildings are operated in a sustainable manner.

In addition to his position at Glumac as a Commissioning Agent in the Sacramento office, Dr. Brooks is an instructor for University of Davis Extension, and recently started teaching a course on Building Commissioning.

Recently, Bradley gave a presentation at the Building Commissioning Association (BCA) Expo in Austin, Texas on the importance of proper training methods for verification of training as part of the commissioning process. He addressed the requirements for proper training of adult learners, development of the proper training materials, and continuing training for building operators after commissioning.

In June 2007, Bradley will be speaking at the 51^st Annual Construction Specification Institute Convention in Baltimore, MD. He will discuss the importance of specifying performance criteria for training facility staff, and specific requirements for ensuring that the facility staff has the skills necessary to operate and maintain buildings as they are designed.