Design and construction for operability

Management of the constructed facility has often been an afterthought among the professions and disciplines in the real estate and construction industries. Consequently, too many facilities fail to meet their operational requirements to the full. Briefing has been defined as the process of identifying and analysing the needs, aims and constraints (i.e. the resources and the context) of the client (owner) and relevant parties, and of formulating any resulting problems that the designer is required to solve. The resultant brief is a working document that specifies those needs and the aims, resources of the owner, operator and users, the context of the project and any appropriate design requirements. Requirements in general can be considered and measured in terms of environmental, social and economic performance, which together represent the practical face of sustainability, i.e. the triple bottom line and should be used to guide design, construction, commissioning and handover into steady-state operation and use through flawless start-up of the facility.