Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/844521
Appendix A: Project Planning and Project Planning There are key steps during the building upgrade process that can provide opportunities to reduce costs and leverage synergies or, if not addressed adequately, can increase costs and lead to future challenges. These steps are outlined in Table A1: Table A1: Project Planning Developing a Project Team Project Planning, and are detailed in Section 2: Assessment Protocols and Recommended Actions of the Energy Savings Plus Health Guide. These key planning steps can dramatically influence a project's direction, cost and outcomes and help maximize the impact of the Guide to help ensure a smooth project delivery. Table A1: Project Planning Integrated Design Collaboration during building improvement projects can allow teams to solve problems creatively and with better outcomes for the building and for occupants than the traditional design and construction process. In an integrated process, project teams define the goals from the earliest stages of the project planning and carry these goals through to building occupancy and the operations and maintenance phases. Early engagement of all responsible parties avoids problems that occur when IAQ is treated as an afterthought and allows for consideration of alternative design concepts that improve IAQ and energy performance. Include an integrated design approach in the contract requirements for all design, construction and commissioning teams. Refer to Priority Issue 1.0 Project Planning/Integrated Design for more information. Develop a Project Team Create a strong project team that is committed to protecting IAQ throughout all phases of the project, from pre-design through building occupancy and use. Establishing a multidisciplinary team at the beginning is important to reduce design errors and provide opportunities for collaboration. A collaborative team will save the project time and money, as well as ensuring that energy consumption and IAQ goals are addressed from the beginning. Schedule regular full-team meetings to review design goals and collaboratively discuss challenges. Ensure that a school representative is always present during project meetings to ensure the overall project goals are guiding factors in discussion and to answer any operations and maintenance questions of the project team. Refer to Table A2: Developing a Project Team for more details. Conceptualize the Project As outlined in the Introduction of this Guide, IAQ is a critical component of school building upgrades because air quality can seriously affect the health of building occupants, especially children. During each energy upgrade or building renovation project, consider ways IAQ can be improved and ways that the upgrades under consideration could positively or negatively affect IAQ. Energy Savings Plus Health | INDOOR AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL BUILDING UPGRADES 75