Robert J. Garra Jr., PE
Robert J. Garra Jr. is a member of CannonDesign‘s engineering leadership team, serves as the office engineering leader for the Buffalo, N.Y., and Denver offices, and serves on the project management team for the Bayhealth Health Campus Project. He is a member of the Consulting-Specifying Engineering editorial advisory board and was a 40 Under 40 award winner.
Articles
Designing lighting systems and lighting controls
Lighting designers must consider many factors when specifying lighting systems and lighting controls for their designs. In addition to considering the type of lighting fixture, they must also take into account daylighting, lighting controls, codes and standards, and other factors. To ensure these systems work as efficiently and effectively as possible, commissioning new systems (along with ongoing commissioning) is vital for success.
Case Study: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gilbert, Ariz.
Challenge: Provide exceptional illumination within energy-consumption limits and dark-sky guidelines.
Reinforcing the engineer’s role in the IPD method
Integrated project delivery (IPD) requires a team approach and buy-in from all players, including the architect, engineer, contractor, and owner. The consulting engineer plays a significant role in the IPD process.
Case study: Harnessing IPD to fast-track a replacement hospital
Bayhealth is central and southern Delaware's largest health care system. The new health care campus anchors its services by hosting an inpatient acute care hospital as well as an adjoining ambulatory care center to create a community-focused health village (see Figure 3). At the onset of the project, Bayhealth made its goal clear: deliver the hospital at least 3 months earlier than comparable health care projects. Integrated project delivery (IPD) helped the team deliver a high-quality hospital below cost and ahead of traditional schedules.