Members of the Building Commissioning Community,

Generally speaking, efforts to create intelligent or “smart” buildings, neighborhoods and cities have focused on data and technological solutions. Philosophically, you could enter into an extended dialogue as to how we should define “intelligent” in this context – the fact remains that the amount of information available for providing feedback and optimizing our built environment has never been greater than it is today. And yet, with this plethora of data & analytics, our Facility Managers continue to struggle with achieving their end goal – continual optimization of their environment.

Although it is true that our buildings are getting smarter, our focus must continue to shift towards the indoor environment, and the creation of buildings that are capable of adapting to needs of the Occupant, rather than the Occupant adapting to the needs of the building.

We need a radical shift in how we commission and, more importantly, support our Facility Managers in the ongoing operation of their built environment. The data and technology should be treated as enablers to make this happen – not as the end goal.

The opportunity for the commissioning provider to drive and influence change has never been greater. With that comes a need to adapt how we, as an organization, support the continued education and development of the commissioning provider.

For those of you who are currently providers, I encourage you to continue to develop your skills and maintain your ANAB-accredited and Better Buildings-recognized Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) designation; for those of you entering the industry, our Associate Commissioning Professional (ACP) program has undergone a complete refresh, and is the perfect starting point for launching your career in the commissioning practice. These certifications are not simply intended to provide you with a designation – they are created to support you on your path towards transforming the built environment and supporting your clients.

On behalf of the BCCB, I would like to thank you for your continued support and patronage. Our infrastructure is strong, and the active engagement of our certificants is what will continue to drive the organization forward. As such, I encourage you to reach out and share your insights as to how we are doing, and let us know what else we can be doing to support your career objectives.

Many hands make light work… and while there is always work to be done, together we can drive the change necessary to advance the commissioning practice to the next level.

After all – it’s about the people.