Rapid Prototyping (RP): A Proven Means to Reduce Design Cost and Schedule, and Improve Quality

Clients continually strive to reduce their COSTS

– Clients expect same from design provider

– But Lean can run counter to the need for agility in early design stages

Competitive markets compel us to seek ways to

– Price services at market levels

– Reduce cost

– Improve quality of deliverables

A few caveats; RP

– Has multiple meanings

– Is dependent on attitude, skill, and dynamics of the project team

Why Rapid Prototyping?

LEAN AGILE

• Does not eliminate the need

for programming

• Preparation

– Initial modeling of individual

spaces in 3D perspective

How RP Works

• Initiate collaborative work sessions

– Place / locate spaces in real-time based on programming requirements

– Full participation of stakeholders; people with a voice/vote/decision making

capacity

February 11, 2014 4Client ConfidentialHershey Medical Center Data Center – CHP Feasibility Analysis FINAL

Front End Design is Critical

• Typically only 10% of effort, less than 10% of total project time

• Significant impact, early decisions critical (domino effect)

• Weak concept design effort results in– Rework of detailed design effort– Cost overruns

Basis of DesignProgramming Concept

DesignSchematic

DesignDesign

DevelopmentConstruction Documents

Tender and Award

Construction

Ability to Change Design

Cost to Change Design

Project Timeline

1 to 3 week schedule reduction

Highly visual - enabling participants to visually grasp spatial concepts– Real time 3D modeling accelerates generation of design solutions– Rapid generation of alternatives fuels creativity and teamwork

Thomas Edison: “To get a great idea, begin by generating many ideas”– One idea generates another idea, not the product of ‘individual genius’ working

in vacuum– The result of networking old ideas in new ways

Key Features of RP

Key Features of RP

• Active participation of project stakeholders generates and facilitates selection of design solutions

– Full participation builds ownership and consensus– Eliminates the ‘present, review, revise, re-present’ cycle that is not efficient

• Collaborative consensus-building results– Multiple concepts can be quickly generated and accepted or discarded– Significantly reduced occurrence of after-the-fact revisions – less rework

Spaces; block and stack– Rooms/circulation– Plenums/shafts

Object arrangement– Equipment– Tools– Furniture and fixtures

System layout and routes– Structural– Enclosure and partitioning– Mechanical, electrical, plumbing– Process

Simplify Visualizing Complex Buildings - Facilities are Collections of:

Data Center – Rapid Prototyping Case Study

9

Grainger Enterprise Data Center

Hundreds of thousands of gallons in water consumption saved per year

Confidential Location• Ist LEED v4 BD+C Gold• Total Power: 750 kW,

Expandable to 3 MW per Module

• Reliability: DX RTU’s with economizer’s, 2N UPS configuration, and bi-fuel generator, concurrently maintainable

• Scalability: Design for final IT load at 300 watts/SF

• Modularity: 50-300 Watts per SF Density

• Cost: Confidential• Size: 8,000 SF Raised Floor

Area• Built in 2014

Siting the Facility on the Campus

RP supports identifying a site layout solution that supports client goals

RP Supports Visualizing Building Envelope and Option Analysis of HVAC systems, snow abatement …

Exterior options can be analyzed visually for branding, blending with existing, maximizing cooling and light, and controlling heat gain

RP supports identifying interior layout solutions;

facilitated by stakeholder participation and

interaction

Interior Layout Evaluations, Options, and Solutions

• Innovation – more, and typically better, ideas earlier in design

• Schedule – reach concept/front end design milestones earlier

• Collaboration – cost effective means of incorporating client input and

seeing the results in a 3D model almost immediately

• Quality – less rework

• Change management - less “gray area” with respect to scope of work

• Client relationship - opportunity to develop stronger, deeper partnering

relationship

Realized Improvements