Articles

Los Angeles Unified School District Shenandoah Elementary School’s modular buildings were removed and replaced with a new two-story classroom building. The building is solar-ready with photovoltaic supports, integrated lighting systems connected to the building automation system, a large outdoor play area and high CHPS rating. Courtesy: Cannon Design

Electrical and Power

How to design resilient power systems for K-12 schools

Perkins School for the Blind. Courtesy: Fitzemeyer & Tocci Associates Inc.

Codes and Standards

Know the latest codes and standards for K-12 building design

Accommodating up to 550 PreK-12 students, the Julius E. Sprauve campus on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, combines a light building footprint, resiliency and innovative building systems to create a flexible and forward-thinking learning environment for students, faculty and the St. John community. Courtesy: DLR Group

Automation, Controls

Designing K-12 school buildings with smart automation in mind

Voting is open for the 2026 Consulting-Specifying Engineer Product of the Year Program

Figure 1: AI model structures can be categorized by function and capability. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Building Automation and Controls

See how AI can transform MEP design decisions

Figure 1: A 1,000 hp, 460 V motor driven by a variable frequency drive. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Case study: Tips for replacing a motor or drive

2026 MEP Giants - sponsored by Eaton

Is your firm among the MEP Giants? Submit to find out

Figure 1: A graph displaying the harmonics caused by a variable frequency drive and the resulting waveform. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Motors and Drives

Know the common design considerations regarding motors and VFDs

Figure 3: Diagram detailing digital twins. Courtesy: Arup

Building Integration System

Identify how to achieve a smart building with planning

Figure 4: Example of single-ended secondary unit substation arrangement with secondary bus ties for partial redundancy. Courtesy: CannonDesign

Case study: Mission critical lab achieves power redundancy and resiliency