Architects are responsible for ensuring that all building systems, including technology systems, are coordinated and documented in the construction documents (CDs). On commercial building projects, the technology scope extends well beyond what an MEP electrical engineer typically covers, and when it isn't assigned to someone who can define it, the gaps surface during construction as RFIs and change orders.
That's why architects bring in a technology consultant. A technology consultant for architects handles this scope by defining each system, coordinating its physical requirements with the architectural and MEP design, and producing the T-layer drawings and specifications for the bid set.
Read on to learn which architectural technology design systems a consultant should cover.
We can break down the technology scope an architect needs to coordinate during a commercial building project into five systems:
Structured cabling and low-voltage telecommunications infrastructure are the physical backbone of every other technology system in the building. The cabling runs through the ceiling plenum and conduit, terminates in telecom rooms and work area outlets, and requires equipment rooms with specific power and cooling requirements.
Getting the structured cabling design into the CDs during schematic design (SD) and design development (DD) means coordinating conduit routes, telecom room locations, and equipment room sizing with the architectural and MEP engineers before they’re locked in.
Audiovisual (AV) systems typically include:
Each of these carries physical requirements that must be addressed early – such as structural backing for displays, coordinated ceiling pathways, dedicated power circuits, and equipment room space. On AV-heavy projects, the AV design should begin during SD and be fully coordinated throughout DD.
Distributed antenna systems (DAS) provide cellular and wireless signal coverage throughout the building. A DAS requires antenna placement coordinated with the ceiling design, a head-end equipment rack in the main telecommunications room, and cable pathways that run from the entrance facility through vertical risers to each floor. For larger buildings, DAS design is coordinated with the structured cabling design so the two can share the pathway and equipment room infrastructure.
These fall under Division 28 and include card readers, electronic door hardware, cameras, and intrusion detection. These systems connect via the structured cabling backbone and require coordination with door and frame specifications, ceiling-mounted locations, and equipment room co-location.
Access-control hardware integration, including electrified strikes, request-to-exit devices, and magnetic locks, needs to be coordinated with the architectural door hardware schedule during DD.
Network infrastructure includes active equipment – core switching, wireless access points, and firewall architecture – that sits on top of the structured cabling backbone. Network infrastructure design makes sure the physical cabling and the network architecture are compatible, and that the structured cabling design supports the active equipment the project requires.
The roles of an MEP engineer and a technology consultant for architects are complementary, not redundant. The MEP electrical engineer covers power distribution, conduit rough-in, and lighting, while the technology consultant covers the technology that runs through that conduit. Both are needed for your construction documents to be complete.
Reach out today to learn how TMC coordinates technology systems for architectural projects.