2. 104 |104 | USBuildersReview Spring 2015 Edition II
SOUTHWEST
Founded in 1953, Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc.
(Jordan & Skala) is a leading national full-service
MEP and structural engineering firm. From Atlanta
to Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., to Charlotte,
Dallas to Houston and now Austin, Jordan & Skala’s
multidiscipline teams also offer expertise in energy
services backed by the foresight to plan ahead and
avoid pitfalls in the process of LEED-certfied design
and construction.
“Most building engineering firms don’t offer the
energy services component or LEED consulting
Jordan & Skala does, so they contract that out to a
third party, which in that case would be us,” explains
Mike Brown, mechanical and energy services
designer for the Atlanta-based firm. “We then step in
and do all of the LEED documentation, consulting
and other services they cannot provide.”
This model has been a means for rapid growth for
Jordan & Skala as the company now resides in seven
locations across the U.S. “Our expertise helps us
identify and resolve issues clients cross based on our
previous project experience in the energy services
side,” expands Brown. “We have the insight to see
particular conflicts between disciplines in the design
and construction phase and especially through the
commissioning process.”
The one-stop shop for architects and developers
Jordan & Skala offers extensive in-house services,
including the full scope of MEP engineering to
BIM and REVIT design, structural engineering,
communications systems design, audio-visual
systems design, as well as security systems. On
the energy front, Jordan & Skala specializes in
LEED management and coordination, building
commissioning, energy modeling and auditing and
sustainability consulting.
“The company really began to dive into the energy
services side in 2002 and 2003, starting in Dallas,”
details Brown. “The division came from clients
asking our design team to act as a resource in
understanding, energy codes, water consumption
standards and compliance.”
What started mainly with LEED guidelines, evolved
over the last decade into a plethora of specialized
certifications and understanding among Jordan
& Skala’s leading team. “We are now fluent with
standards, such as Green Globes, Austin Energy
Green Build [AEGB], Energy Star, the National
Green Building Standard [NGBS], International
Green Construction Code [IGCC], Earth Craft, as
well as local codes,” says Brown. “We currently have
about seven team members based in Dallas that work
in this department.”
This specialized team is so adept in green energy
standards across the board that Jordan & Skala now
Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc.
LEEDing measurement and performance
Produced by Ryan Fecteau & Written by Molly Shaw
3. 105
offers green-exam prep services and private consulting
for engineers seeking LEED-AP certification. “There
are not many firms out there doing this,” considers
Brown.
LEEDing performance
Close to home for Jordan & Skala’s specialized Dallas
energy services division, is the Dallas Museum of
Art (DMA), one of the company’s most significant
undertakings to date. “DMA is the first project in
the existing buildings category for Jordan & Skala
to earn LEED Silver certification by the USGBC,”
details Brown.
Established in 1903, DMA is among the 10 largest
art museums in the country located in one of the
nation’s largest arts districts. At the heart of the
museum and its programs is its global collection,
which encompasses more than 22,000 works and
spans 5,000 years of history. DMA welcomes more
than 650,000 guests annually and is a focal point
of community creativity, diverse programming,
lectures, literary events and more.
“Over its history DMA has performed retrofits to
conserve energy but this is the largest, by far,” says
Brown. As the prime LEED director for the Silver
certification process, Jordan & Skala was a driving
factor in sustainability consulting, management
and coordination between the facility manager and
owner. “Everything from upgrades to chillers to a
mass lighting retrofit and plans for maintenance –
everything needed to be tracked for LEED Silver
certification,” says Brown.
DMA achieved LEED Silver certification for energy
use, lighting, water, material use and more. On the
inside, DMA optimized energy performance, hitting
the 24th percentile, above the national median,
according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Energy Star portfolio manager.
The facility also took steps to reduce mercury in
lamps, reduce potable water consumption and high
performance green cleaning standards to reduce
the exposure of visitors and staff to hazardous
contaminants. Outside, DMA covered 94 percent of
parking area surfaces to reduce the heat island effect,
as well as a LEED compliant building exterior and
hardscape management plant.
The sky’s the limit
Jordan & Skala has also stepped up to the plate
as the lead sustainability consultant for a range of
residential projects designed to comply with Energy
Star’s new Skyhouse Multi-Family High-Rise
(MFHR) program.
“Thus far, there are four projects completed and
many more coming down the line, all 20-plus-
story multifamily, mixed-use buildings with retail
components,” reveals Brown. “For all of these
buildings, we’re delivering a performance path and
energy model, tracking the savings based on design
changes.”
One of such ultra-efficient high-rises is the 23-story
Skyhouse apartment building in Atlanta. “Located at
1084 West Peachtree Street, in the center of trendy
midtown and a short distance from the Old Forth
Ward District in Atlanta, the new, 23-story apartment
building offers 320 units, luxury amenities, a parking
deck and retail space on the ground floor,” details
Brown. “Designed to comply with the MFHR
Refreshingly
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4. 106 |106 | USBuildersReview Spring 2015 Edition II
SOUTHWEST
program, the building is at least 15 percent more
energy efficient than multifamily high-rise buildings
built to current, ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.”
Jordan & Skala designed the mechanical, electrical and
plumbing systems which feature the following energy
efficient components: high-performance exterior
windows and doors with thermally broken frames, a
high-performance building envelope using increased
continuous wall and roof insulation, high efficiency heat
pump HVAC systems, Energy Star appliances, low-flow
water-sense plumbing fixtures and premium efficiency
motors on domestic water pumps. Also, high efficiency
fluorescent-LED lighting was installed throughout the
building, occupancy lighting sensors in all public spaces
and continuous ventilation in all living units.
“To ensure designs and systems perform as specified,
the building’s systems and exterior envelope
underwent commissioning and testing conducted
by the energy services’ team to ensure the client’s
objectives were met,” explains Brown. “With units
ranging in size from 557-square-foot studios to
three-bedroom apartments, the building also offers a
rooftop pool, an amenity deck, spacious clubroom, a
first-class fitness center and breathtaking views.”
The Atlanta Skyhouse is just one of many in the
MFHR program; other projects from Houston to
Dallas and Orlando to Charlotte and Raleigh, North
Carolina, are in the works. Brown notes the company
also had the honor of participating in a special project
in October 2014 in New Orleans at the industry’s
largest convention –Greenbuild International
Conference and Expo. “We helped build a LEED-
certified learning center in New Orleans,” he tells.
“I’m involved locally with the Emerging Professionals
Chapter of the NTX USGBC and this was an event
for us to gather volunteers to put together a LEED
retrofit for a community center in the city.”
“It’s rewarding to not only see the energy savings in
a model, but also verify them out in the field and see
how it all comes together—full circle in a holistic
approach,” adds Brown.
That’s where Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc. shines,
bringing everything from Energy Star to LEED-
certifiedprojectsfullcircleincompleteMEP,structural
and energy consulting and commissioning. •
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![104 |104 | USBuildersReview Spring 2015 Edition II
SOUTHWEST
Founded in 1953, Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc.
(Jordan & Skala) is a leading national full-service
MEP and structural engineering firm. From Atlanta
to Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., to Charlotte,
Dallas to Houston and now Austin, Jordan & Skala’s
multidiscipline teams also offer expertise in energy
services backed by the foresight to plan ahead and
avoid pitfalls in the process of LEED-certfied design
and construction.
“Most building engineering firms don’t offer the
energy services component or LEED consulting
Jordan & Skala does, so they contract that out to a
third party, which in that case would be us,” explains
Mike Brown, mechanical and energy services
designer for the Atlanta-based firm. “We then step in
and do all of the LEED documentation, consulting
and other services they cannot provide.”
This model has been a means for rapid growth for
Jordan & Skala as the company now resides in seven
locations across the U.S. “Our expertise helps us
identify and resolve issues clients cross based on our
previous project experience in the energy services
side,” expands Brown. “We have the insight to see
particular conflicts between disciplines in the design
and construction phase and especially through the
commissioning process.”
The one-stop shop for architects and developers
Jordan & Skala offers extensive in-house services,
including the full scope of MEP engineering to
BIM and REVIT design, structural engineering,
communications systems design, audio-visual
systems design, as well as security systems. On
the energy front, Jordan & Skala specializes in
LEED management and coordination, building
commissioning, energy modeling and auditing and
sustainability consulting.
“The company really began to dive into the energy
services side in 2002 and 2003, starting in Dallas,”
details Brown. “The division came from clients
asking our design team to act as a resource in
understanding, energy codes, water consumption
standards and compliance.”
What started mainly with LEED guidelines, evolved
over the last decade into a plethora of specialized
certifications and understanding among Jordan
& Skala’s leading team. “We are now fluent with
standards, such as Green Globes, Austin Energy
Green Build [AEGB], Energy Star, the National
Green Building Standard [NGBS], International
Green Construction Code [IGCC], Earth Craft, as
well as local codes,” says Brown. “We currently have
about seven team members based in Dallas that work
in this department.”
This specialized team is so adept in green energy
standards across the board that Jordan & Skala now
Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc.
LEEDing measurement and performance
Produced by Ryan Fecteau & Written by Molly Shaw](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)