Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.’s (SSR) commissioning division, SSRCx, has been providing consulting services to clients across the United States and around the world for over two decades. During that time we’ve had the privilege of commissioning thousands of facilities, from healthcare to higher education, corrections to community facilities. While no two projects are ever alike, over the years we’ve encountered buildings that don’t fit any mold. Recently we spoke with our team of seasoned project managers about some of the unique buildings they’ve commissioned over the years.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital Helipad Relocation | Boston, MA: Located in the Longwood Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) decided to relocate their helipad due to adjacent high-rise construction. It was a challenging project with specific systems we don’t commission every day — a hot water snow melt system for the helipad, a foam fire suppression system (foam dumped all over helipad through spray nozzles in case of fire), and a helipad-specific lighting control system.

 

 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Cameron Hill Headquarters | Chattanooga, TN: The sheer size of the corporate headquarters — one million SF — made it a unique space. Couple that with the inhouse data center with backup systems required for data protection, like emergency power, Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC) units, and an underfloor Air Distribution (AFAD) system, and you have one of the more unique office buildings we’ve commissioned.

 

 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Holden Hall | Blacksburg, VA: Holden Hall, an academic building that houses the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Mining and Mineral Engineering, is undergoing an extensive renovation that will triple the size of the building. Included in the new space will be a 1,300 SF Center for Autonomous Mining and Robotics that will house a two-story mine where students will learn and work with advanced autonomous mining methods.

 

 

Marine Corps Air Station Medical/Dental Clinic | Iwakuni, Japan: The 145,000 SF facility was a unique project because we had to work through the commissioning process in a country that does not normally commission their buildings. The project goal was to meet the regulations for both the United States and Japan, and to provide a facility capable of receiving Joint Commission accreditation. One of the challenges that accompanied the project was the fundamental differences in codes and regulations between the two countries.

 

 

 

It’s clear there’s no building out there that doesn’t benefit from the commissioning process and there’s no facility that’s too different for our team of experienced engineers and consultants. In an upcoming post, we will go a step further and look at some of the unique systems that our team has had the opportunity commission over the years.