Understanding the Design Process (Control Room Remodel or Greenfield Design)
You may have more than one control room located in different locations. The thought of combining them into a centralized control center may be on your radar. Many of our customers ask the same questions at the beginning of every control room design project. Is this a good location? How much would it cost to build? How long does it take? The simple answer is we need to visit the location, provide guidance and cost estimates, but most importantly we need to involve the users of the space and get them involved during the planning stages so they can provide insight and ensure no detail is forgotten. Operator involvement is just as important as cost. In most cases, if you design the control room correctly, you only need to get it right one time to make it last. Unfortunately, you only get one shot at it so you must look at user space requirements, future expansion, traffic flow, sub user requirements, health, fitness, ergonomics, human factors, technology, furniture, lighting, acoustics, and the entire HMI as an interconnected and interactive system. Below, I have broken down each phase and provided some detail to help you understand how a new control room takes shape and how long it takes to design it right the first time.
The first phase is the conceptual design where the vision for the control room is developed, ergonomics, human factors, and situational awareness techniques are applied, and the design begins to take shape. UCDS provides a conceptual design where we work closely with the users to develop a remodel or new design concept that will help you contextualize the vision and estimate costs as the plan takes shape. During this phase, most of our clients include a console specification where we define the requirements for the work desks, consoles, screens, and complete specification for the design of the control room furniture. This is a critical step which will help in the design of the layout, traffic flow pathways, screen technology, and placement of the entire HMI. Be sure to include the console specification during phase one. This takes about 4 weeks after the onsite meeting.
During the second phase we develop construction documents for the design, including the details and documentation required by your local licensed architect who will provide a licensed stamp of approval once this phase is complete. This phase incorporates the design decisions from the first phase, as well as 60% of the architecture design work. This is called: Detailed to 60. Our architect identifies the user requirements, incorporates the ISO 11064 guidelines into the design, and develops a written report with the design documents required by the local architect or EPC. This phase does not include HVAC, Plumbing, or Electrical, which requires locally licensed contractors. During this phase we can help you estimate costs for the furniture, finishings, and help make the final decisions. We work closely with your local contractors to ensure that the design documents comply with code specifications, ISO guidelines, and we will provide construction planning support. The phase is usually 3 weeks after the concept drawing is agreed upon.
If the control room is located in Colorado, Texas, or Utah our architect can finalize the design specifications and provide the licensed architectural stamp to complete the design. This does not include HVAC, Plumbing, or Electrical, which requires locally licensed contractors.
Phase three is when we move into the presentation phase. UCDS develops 3-D renderings to bring the vision to life and show the final design. Our architect develops unique three-dimensional angles showing entry locations, specific site lines, operator views, traffic flows, designated work areas, meeting rooms, break or exercise areas, and provides a bird’s eye view of the entire space. We call this the 3D Option and it takes about two weeks to complete.
Final Phase: UCDS provides owners representation throughout the entire project. We will provide guidance to all the contractors. We will provide support during the construction phase, installation of the consoles, and ensure that any changes will not impact operator performance, health, or ergonomics throughout the build. We call this the Owners Rep Option. This may take a while to start but once the walls are up and furniture is installed, things move fairly quick after that.
For more information on Control Room Design visit www.mycontrolroom.com or call Steve Maddox at (512) 630-3401.
