Solutions for Tenants and Landlords
Below you will find real life problems Allen Consulting has solved for a number of its clients. You’ll also find services performed for Tenants and Landlords and a sample of completed projects.
SOLUTIONS
Nature of Service Provided
| Problem | Solution |
| “ We refitted a space for a restaurant tenant about a year ago. They have complained since that their staff is uncomfortable. The HVAC system repeatedly shuts down due to cooling coil icing. Would you take a look at the situation and recommend what to do to correct the problems?” | Engineering Counseling: Inspected the installation and reviewed the tenant fit out design. Increases in the exhaust from kitchen equipment, supply air to the food preparation area, and air filtration dirt capacity were needed. Provided design for the recommended changes. |
| “One or our researchers wants to build a laboratory with a specialized HVAC system. Would you work with the landlord and us to design something that meets our needs and works with the base building systems?” | Performance Requirements Definition: Interviewed researcher and assistant, documented requirements in their words, then translated them into design engineering terms. Design Engineering: Designed the specialized laboratory HVAC systems including laminar-flow clean-air equipment hoods and fume hood systems. Designed laboratory gases and equipment chilled water piping systems. |
| “One of our buildings seems to use a lot more electricity than others, would you take a look at it and see if there’s something we should do to reduce its power consumption?” | Performed an Energy Analysis to identify where energy was being used, and opportunities for improvement. Retro-commissioned the systems that consumed the most energy. |
| “One of our tenants has plans for fitting out their space. Would you take a look at their MEP plans and let us know whether they are compatible with the base building systems?” | Design Qualification: Reviewed the plans and recommended changes to safeguard neighboring tenants and base building systems. |
“Our offices are often uncomfortable. The landlord says the temperature is normal, and won’t do anything to help. Would you take a look at the situation, and talk with our landlord to see what can be done?” |
Problem Solving & Dispute Resolution: Confirmed that the tenant was correct, space temperature and humidity were not being maintained within the standard industry comfort range. Inspected the HVAC system. Worked with the landlord to get outdoor air and space airflow control problems corrected. Result was improved comfort for the tenant and reduced energy cost. |
| “A tenant recently vacated one of our buildings, and the property seems to be in disrepair. Would you inspect the facility and give us a report of its condition and recommended work before it is leased again?” | Situation Reports: Inspected the facility, assessed the condition of systems and equipment and prepared a report of conditions and actions required to restore good operation. |
“We have a high-rise renovation project nearing completion, and many in-project design changes have been made to reduce cost. We need someone we trust to look at the design changes and work in place, then tell us if we have what we need before we allow tenants to move in.” |
Engineering Counseling: Performed a peer review of the changes made from original A/E design to final contractor design/build design. Advised which changes were okay, which were not, and actions to take. Performed Construction Qualification inspection and provided report of needed corrections. |
| “We have a new 5MW standby generator system that is critical to meeting tenant expectations. The EPA won’t issue the permits and is barring us from using it.” | Regulatory Compliance & Dispute Resolution: The EPA had requested specific documents. The owner and contractor had sent the wrong documents because they did not understand what was needed. Conversations with all concerned resulted in the correct documents being submitted and the permit was issued. |
| “One of our tenants wants to start a manufacturing process that requires use of a flammable solvent. We are concerned about fire risk.” | Design Engineering: Designed a ventilation system, including process hoods, to remove the vapors from the building at the source, protecting workers and reducing the fire hazard. Performance Qualification: Worked with insurance representatives for both the tenant and landlord to ensure that the system performed as intended control health and safety risks. |
SERVICES
Commissioning (aka: Validation, retro-commissioning, re-commissioning, Performance Management):
The following steps make up this work.
You can read about each on the About Performance Management page.
- Performance Requirements Definition
- Design Qualification
- Construction Qualification
- Energy/Utility Analysis
- Performance Qualification
- Performance Maintenance
- Performance Improvement Planning
Solving Problems: getting things to work right, determining the cause of a problem, devising the correction, supporting building technicians, simplifying the complex and difficult, elegant solutions
Engineering Counseling: design qualification, peer reviews, general engineering advice, being your engineer
Economic/Financial Analysis: project value, payback, rate of return, scenario comparisons, ensuring your money is well spent
Regulatory Compliance: public safety, building departments, environmental
Project Management: leadership, management, results on time and budget
Design Engineering: mechanical, HVAC, piping, laboratory systems, specialized equipment, industrial ventilation
Maintenance Management: preventive maintenance procedures, procuring services, planning
Situation Reports: vacated space condition reports, pre-project due diligence reports, construction inspections, opportunity assessment
Dispute Resolution: listening, investigating, objective third party opinions
PROJECTS
Laboratories
8 St. Mary’s
Project Type: Laboratory fit-out
Use: Laser laboratory
Service provided: Mechanical design engineering
Major systems: VAV laboratory exhaust and make-up air, clean air system, process chilled water, laboratory gases.
32 Wiggins L-Labs
Project type: Laboratory fit-out
Use: Laboratory
Services provided: Mechanical design engineering.
Major systems: Flammable, noxious and corrosive fume exhaust systems.
45 & 75 Sidney
Project Type: Laboratory fit-out
Use: Animal care facilities, pharmaceutical R&D laboratories (drug discovery & biology), autoclave and rack wash facilities,
Building: 2 buildings, both 5 stories, 275,000 sf.
Service provided: Construction Qualification (MEP/FP)
Major systems: Barrier animal care facility HVAC, VAV laboratory exhaust and make-up air, high and low pressure steam, flammable materials storage spaces, laboratory waste handling and pretreatment, chilled water, hot water, laboratory plumbing, comfort HVAC, lighting and power, RODI water, gray water recycling.
306 Belmont
Project type: Purchase
Use: Biological laboratories and offices
Building size: 1.5 stories, 93,000 sf.
Services provided: MEP/FP systems assessment
Major systems: VAV roof-top DX cooled, gas heated air-handlers, typical fire protection sprinklers, fire alarm, lighting, power, and domestic plumbing.
350 Plantation
Project type: Assessment
Use: Biological laboratories and offices
Building size: single story, 11,000 sf.
Services provided: MEP/FP systems survey
Major systems: Roof-top DX cooled, gas heated air-handler, typical fire protection sprinklers, fire alarm, lighting, power, and domestic plumbing.
PROJECTS
Commercial
361 East Broad
Project Type: High rise historic hotel renovation
Use: Mixed - residence and retail
Building: 3 buildings, 2, 4 & 10 stories, 137,000 sf.
Service provided: Design Qualification & Construction Qualification
Major systems: Split AC systems, fire protection sprinklers, fire alarm, lighting, power, domestic plumbing, high rise smoke control, and emergency power generator
500 Atlantic
Project type: New high-rise building
Use: Mixed - luxury hotel, restaurants, retail, indoor pool, health club, residences & parking
Building: 20 stories up, 3 stories down, 700,000 sf.
Service provided: Construction Qualification (MEP/FP)
Major building systems: energy recovery dedicated outdoor air & exhaust units, steam absorption chillers, domestic plumbing, fire alarm, lighting, power, high-medium-low pressure steam systems, hot & chilled water heating and cooling, fire protection sprinklers, steam domestic & HVAC water heating
701 Edgewater
Project type: New office core & shell
Use: offices
Building size: 5 stories up, 172,500 sf
Services provided: Design Qualification
Major systems: VAV roof-top DX cooled, gas heated air-handlers, typical fire protection sprinklers, fire alarm, lighting, power, and domestic plumbing.
525 Okeechobee
Project Type: New high-rise building
Use: Mixed - offices, parking, retail
Building: 16 stories, 325,000 sf.
Service provided: Construction Qualification (MEP/FP) Commissioning protocols for life-safety systems.
Major systems: water cooled packaged AC units on each office floor and related condenser water system, high rise smoke control systems, fire protection sprinklers, fire alarm, lighting, power, domestic plumbing, and whole building standby power generation system
599 Harrisburg
Project Type: New mid-rise commercial buildings
Use: Mixed – residence & retail.
Building: 3 buildings, 1, 5 & 6 stories, 244,000 sf.
Service provided: Construction Qualification (MEP/FP)
Major systems: air cooled packaged dedicated outdoor air units, split AC units w/ electric heat, fire alarm, lighting, power, and domestic plumbing, emergency power generation system, fire protection sprinklers w/ diesel fire pump
25 Buick
Project Type: Renovation
Use: Offices
Building: 2 stories, 17,000 sf. (project area)
Service provided: Mechanical design engineering
Major building systems: VAV DX cooled, steam heated packaged air handling unit for one floor, VAV air distribution systems for both floors, exhaust systems.
PROJECTS
Industrial
3 Borinsky
Project Type: Manufacturing capacity expansion and improvement, existing building.
Use: Industrial - pharmaceutical product manufacturing and offices.
Services provided: Project management, Mechanical design engineering, building commissioning & process validation management.
Major systems: Proprietary manufacturing process equipment; dust collection, fume extraction & scrubber, process wastewater pre-treatment
Highland Bunker
Project type: Assessment
Use: explosive material storage
Building size: 1 story
Services provided: Systems survey
Major systems: Ventilation, grounding, security
186 Middlesex
Project type: Renovation of existing warehouse
Use: distribution warehouse and offices
Building: Single story, 109,000 sf.
Services provided: Project management, conveying systems design, commissioning and validation.
Major systems: automated conveyor system, cold storage, roof-top DX cooled, gas fired air handling unit, warehouse workflow enhancements.
4467 Park
Project type: New heavy industrial building
Use: Metal processing, metrology laboratory and offices.
Building: Single story, 50,000 sf.
Services provided: Project management, heavy equipment installation management, scrap handling systems.
Major systems: NBS compliant metrology laboratory, flexible manufacturing equipment lines, specialized process equipment exhaust systems, roof-top DX cooled, gas fired air handling units, manufacturing work cell development.
What would
you like to do?
- Learn more about CIPD
- Learn more about Commissioning & Building Performance Management
- Get help with a problem
- Get an answer to a question
- Learn about Allen Consulting, LLC.
For additional information, call or write to Allen Consulting.
