Michael F. Cooper, PE, LEED AP, Managing Principal of Harley Ellis Devereaux’s Detroit office, presented his paper on high performance building design at the October 2011 Tradeline Conference on College and University Science Facilities in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Cooper’s presentation, “HVAC Decisions That Slash Operating Costs and Raise Space Utilization,” focused on the importance of a fully integrated architecture and engineering building design team, strategies to drive early decision making, and the opportunities that exist to drastically reduce operating costs and maximize a building’s usable square footage.

“Our experience, coupled with the application of new technology, allows us to design spaces today that use only a fraction of the energy that a comparable facility of 20 years ago would require,” said Cooper.  “Optimization projects often pay for themselves in a matter of a few short years, and boost the owner’s operating profits for the remaining life of the building.”  He went on to say, “Even though we are focusing on science facilities, there isn’t a building type out there that wouldn’t benefit from a proactive approach to high performance design.”