Kohler Ronan is pleased to announce that Pearl Odu has been named among this year’s Consulting-Specifying Engineers’ 40 Under 40. This list recognizes forty engineers under the age of forty who demonstrate incomparable dedication, leadership, and desire to improve their industry and their communities.
Serving as Senior Electrical Engineer and a Senior Associate of the firm, Pearl designs systems and provides services for some of the firm’s larger NYC projects and clients such as the New York Public Library, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and the Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library. She is a highly-focused and enthusiastic engineer who approaches her work with great care, consideration, and creativity.
You can read Pearl’s complete profile and the full list of 40 Under 40 winners here.
Kohler Ronan participated in AIA Connecticut’s NetZero School Webinar on April 22nd. Our very own, Craig Razza, PE*, will be presenting alongside Ryszard Szczypek, AIA, and Randall Luther, AIA, both of TSKP Studio. The complete panel is noted below. Speakers will discuss the first two NetZero schools being built in Mansfield and Manchester, CT. Among the learning objectives is how moving to NetZero allows schools to save money, while promoting health and comfort for students and educators. Additionally. Viewers will learn to access better funding and grant/incentive programs.
Panelists:
- Ryszard Szczypek, AIA NCARB, TSKP Studio
- Randall Luther, AIA NCARB, TSKP Studio
- Jess Farber, PE, WELL AP, CMTA
- Craig Razza, P.E., Kohler Ronan
- Angela Cahill, AIA, QA&M Architecture
- Jillian Winterkorn, Eversource
Craig F. Razza, PE, Kohler Ronan
*Practicing since 1988, Mr. Razza is a partner at Kohler Ronan where he oversees mechanical engineering design, building commissioning, and project management for a portfolio of diverse building types including academic, cultural, and corporate. His practical knowledge of all engineering disciplines enables him to successfully lead his team from the conceptual phase of a project through to design and, ultimately, construction.
At the secondary school level, Mr. Razza has completed over 50 public and independent schools across the state. Besides one of the first Net Zero public Schools to be constructed in Connecticut for the Town of Mansfield, he led the design on the first Net Zero School in Connecticut, The Kohler Environmental Center at Choate Rosemary Hall. He also led his team on the State of Connecticut’s first Net Zero building, the new Business School Instructional Facility at Southern Connecticut State University, scheduled to begin construction this summer. In his spare time, he is an adjunct professor at Yale University during the Spring semester.
Mr. Razza holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Building Commissioning Association (BCA).
You can read more about the presentation and register here.
Kohler Ronan is honored that Building Design + Construction’s has named KR 8th among the top 60 cultural engineering firms for 2020.
You can read the full list here.
Dave is an experienced energy management professional with expertise in energy auditing, building commissioning, building energy modeling, LEED consulting, energy procurement consulting, and energy reduction plan development. He has contributed to countless firm projects by delivering cost-effective, high-performance building solutions that exceed client expectations. Further, he is credited with building and managing our in-house energy modeling department over the last several years. For all his contributions, Kohler Ronan is pleased to elevate Dave to Principal of the firm.
Ron is an extremely dedicated technology consulting professional with nearly 20 years of experience in his field. Having extensive knowledge of technology standards and best practices, Ron creates detailed system designs based on the established needs of each project. His primary functions include the design and coordination of technology and security infrastructure and systems, as well as project management. Large-scale corporate headquarter relocations and New York-area cultural renovations are among his portfolio of projects. All at Kohler Ronan wish Ron continued success and look forward to working with him in his new role as Sr. Associate.
Kohler Ronan is pleased to announce that Katherine Pitz has been named among Engineered Systems 2021 Top 20 to Watch: Women in HVAC. Kat is a mechanical engineer at the firm, a mentor for the Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Mentor program, and an active member of the New York chapter of Professional Women in Construction (PWC). We’re proud of both Kat’s personal and professional growth as an engineer, as well as her dedication to the field, and we look forward to her continued success in her career and in all her future endeavors. Congratulations Kat!
You can read the full article about Katherine Pitz here. Additionally, click here to watch Kat’s interview.
Centrally located on the university’s historic campus, the new Princeton University Art Museum will nearly double the available space for the exhibition, conservation, study, and interpretation of the museum’s expansive and diverse collections. Designed by Adjaye Associates on the site of the original museum, the new facility will provide ample gathering and social spaces as well as numerous visitor amenities. Outside terraces will accommodate approximately 2,000 people, while pedestrian “art walks” will flow into and through the museum blurring boundaries between the interior and the exterior. The Department of Art & Archaeology will make its new home in the building and the Marquand Library will remain.
While the new museum will allow much of the museum’s collection to be displayed on a single level, the building will span three stories and feature seven primary, interconnected pavilions. The pavilions will vary in size to accommodate large collections and offer intimate spaces as well. Four pavilions located at each corner of the building will incorporate grand, 18-foot-high ceilings, daylighting, hardwood floors, and a Glulam ceiling, covering many of the space’s systems. At the center of the museum, a double-height Grand Hall will serve as a lecture hall and performance space, appropriate for hosting special events and larger gatherings.
Kohler Ronan is designing the HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection systems in support of the museum’s unique collections and related programming. We are pleased to be working closely with the university’s sustainability and facilities team to ensure that our systems are both sensitive to the collections and in keeping with the campus’s sustainability goals. Kohler Ronan’s design will also allow for the necessary connection to campus utilities which is in the process of being converted from a steam-based cogeneration plant to a hot water-based geo-exchange.
The new museum is anticipated to open in 2024.
Guest post by: Becky Nichols of Pirie Associates
As our clients are preparing to reopen during the COVID Pandemic, we wanted to share these Six Tips For Re-Opening In-Person, Shared Places from one of our architectural partners, Pirie Associates, below:
1. Know Your Enemy
Understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted and how to reduce the rate of infection is the first step to establish a physical space re-occupancy plan. Our recent work and research has led us to use these guiding principles:
- The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. This is why physical distancing and mask wearing is so important!
- Though not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, it can spread from surface to person by a person touching a contaminated surface, then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes. This is one of the reasons why hand washing and cleaning surfaces, particularly those that are frequently touched like door handles, are important factors in reducing spread.
- Many organizations, such as the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have acknowledged the likelihood of airborne transmission in interior spaces.Infection is a factor of exposure and time. For example, speaking releases 200 particles/minute (sneezing can be 200 million!). You will be exposed to more particles the more time you spend around an infected person. An infectious dose of COVID-19 is thought to be in the high hundreds or low thousands of particles.
- Being outside is best. The odds of transmission in a closed environment are 18.7 times greater compared to an open-air environment!
2. Assess Rooms Individually.
Using a generalized square foot per person or percentage reduction in capacity DOES NOT WORK. We have experienced this ourselves by developing physically distant plan diagrams for a university and restaurant and have heard the same feedback from colleague after colleague. We cannot recommend enough that each space be assessed individually. Things such as fixed seating, accessibility, room proportions, ventilation, circulation through the space, etc. can drastically impact safe capacity. Also, consider how people will enter and exit the room and get to their seat or workspace while maintaining distancing.
You can continue reading the remainder of guidelines here.
Kohler Ronan has prepared a guideline for reoccupying your workplace post-Covid-19. We would be more than happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have as you attempt to safely reopen your office and welcome back your employees.
You can access the PDF here.
KR had a great evening at the annual 92NY Gala! It was an exciting night full of live music, good food, and friends and colleagues.
Thank you to 92NY for having us and congratulations to all the honorees!
#KohlerRonan #Engineering #92NYGala
Flashback Friday: Last month, our tech team enjoyed an afternoon at the Spring into Safety: Securing Skylines with A&E event hosted by Axis Communications.
Thank you to @AxisIPVideo for having us!
#KohlerRonan #Engineering #TechnologyDesign #FBF