In the last year, we’ve been inundated with information related to the design of pandemic-ready HVAC systems. Some of it has contributed positively to the design process, but much of it has deepened the morass of conflicting information engineers encounter as they navigate through a project.
Don’t despair. Tools exist to help you through this process. Last year, John Varley discussed lean design methodology as it relates to waste in the design process. Project teams using lean methods often use a decision-making technique well-suited for ferreting out the best solution to the pandemic puzzle called Choosing by Advantages (CBA). Dr. Paz Arroyo has studied and implemented CBA for different applications, including choosing HVAC systems for a net-zero energy building (NZEB). In this article, both will collaborate to tackle this contingent and relevant decision that many offices, schools, and public buildings will need to make.