NTD Architecture

Sustainable┬ábusiness┬áNTD Architecture is a $50 million company that employs close to 300 architects, engineers, interior designers and support staff. COO Jay Whisenant tells John OÔÇÖHanlon about its truly innovative approach to client satisfaction. NTD Architecture specializes in the design and project management of institutional projects, and the firm has become well known for best practices in the design of hospitals, schools, higher-education institutions and civic buildings. Based in California and Arizona, NTD Architecture has active projects throughout the US and has completed projects in Ohio, Montana, Florida and Texas. The firm has recently moved into the international arena with contracts in the Middle East.It has been said that the first person who takes care of you when you go into a hospital, or to educate you when you go to school, is the architect. NTDÔÇÖs chief operating officer Jay Whisenant, AIA, wholeheartedly agrees with this view. ÔÇ£NTD is focused on considering the end userÔÇöitÔÇÖs a part of our companyÔÇÖs culture.ÔÇØ To achieve this goal, NTD has developed techniques to advance its clientsÔÇÖ high expectations for environmental performance, operational excellence and client participation.NTD recognizes that there are challenges to maintaining its workload under the current economic conditions. One thing is certain: next year and beyond will be characterized by the need to make every dollar count. ItÔÇÖs a situation that ought to favor a practice that uses technology and advanced building programming techniques to deliver the best value for the client, Whisenant says.NTD has focused on harnessing the use of certain technologies for the benefit of its clients, he continues. A good example is NTDÔÇÖs focus on AutodeskÔÇÖs Revit Building Information Modeling (BIM) system. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a 3D software approach to architectural design that integrates the input of our clients, the contractor, the engineering consultants and our staff.ÔÇØ From the early stages of the project, BIM affords the opportunity to evaluate the performance and ÔÇ£constructabilityÔÇØ of the project, allowing the design team to incorporate all the known parameters, whether that is the function of the building spaces, regulatory constraints such as the size of the classrooms, construction sequence requirements, or energy efficiency and environmental factors such as wind or solar exposure.BIM works in real time, so as contractors and designers make changes, these are immediately visible to everyone else working on the project, saving time and effort. By using Autodesk Navisworks, the software can detect potential conflicts or mismatches before construction begins, saving the cost and delay of fixing them afterward. And instead of having to interpret construction drawings, clients can be given a virtual tour of the building and see exactly how it will work. Again, if they need to make changes, they can do so without costly redesign during construction.The system has proved itself on several NTD projects, such as the Bed Tower expansion project for Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona, awarded to NTD Architecture in early 2006. Encouraged by the client, the 370,000-square-foot bed tower presented an opportunity to use a ÔÇ£design-assistÔÇØ process, blending the input from the design team and contractor in developing the construction documents. For example, the mechanical HVAC documents were completed on an accelerated schedule, resulting in concurrent permit and shop drawings. This collaborative effort generated considerable savings in time and almost eliminated the usual waste material associated with a large ductwork installation, and the RFIs (requests for information) from the HVAC contractor were reduced to just four. These tools also afford the opportunity to achieve significant sustainable design goals. The Del Sur Elementary School completed this year for Poway Unified School District illustrates NTDÔÇÖs success in returning funds to its clients through evaluating design solutions using BIM and energy analysis software applications such as Integrated Energy Solutions. The result: the project beat CaliforniaÔÇÖs energy code requirements by 42 percent. Another example is the Murrietta Mesa High School for the Murrietta Valley Unified School District. This project received an additional $500,000 in California High Performance Schools construction funding based on NTDÔÇÖs demonstrated benefit of design solutions reducing energy use. NTDÔÇÖs use of these applications and design methods demonstrates the effectiveness of energy-efficient design and systems, and it often results in additional funding for NTD clients from state funding agencies.┬áÔÇ£Our clients appreciate working with a strong and trusted advisor,ÔÇØ says Whisenant. ÔÇ£NTD is committed to asking the necessary questions to ensure an in-depth understanding of the client and user needs. At Del Sur Elementary, NTD led a week-long collaborative planning process with the client and community, including students and their families and teachers. The end result wasÔÇöand this is something we always aim to achieveÔÇöthat the whole community gets the benefit of having a building they had a hand in designing.ÔÇØ Whisenant notes that most firms engage in some form of programming. However, NTD has established the Esquisse program to formalize it. Esquisse is a programming and validation process where the NTD project team (including sub-consultants and funding specialists) sets up a mini design studio on the clientsÔÇÖ site. The clients and the people who will use the proposed facility work directly with the project team on deciding what they want out of the project, and then actively participate in the early design process, testing and evaluating schemes to ultimately arrive at the one that best balances client needs, budget and physical parameters. ÔÇ£One of the key benefits of this intense user interaction through Esquisse is that it accelerates solutions,ÔÇØ says Whisenant. ÔÇ£When linked to BIM software, itÔÇÖs a powerful tool for making sure the finished building achieves the detailed needs for all the stakeholders.ÔÇØSince 1953, NTD Architecture has focused on the needs of educational and healthcare clients. The development of these integrated design tools is a natural evolution in searching for ways to achieve lasting value and success for its projects. This is sustainable business in more ways than one.┬á