If you’re with a full life-cycle Architectural, Engineering, & Construction (AEC) firm, you might view facility condition assessments (FCAs) as a boring but necessary evil.
Whether designing new structures to fit an existing campus, slogging through backlogs of deferred maintenance or planning capital budgets, full life-cycle engagements can’t be done correctly without an accurate, current assessment of existing assets. That’s where your FCA comes in.
Yet FCAs are no simple matter. While they start with tripod crews in visibility vests taking field elevations, there’s much more. They need to include all systems and components from HVAC to exterior facades to fire doors, drainage, and structure. These audit reports include detailed assessments of each asset’s condition and future replacement costs, on a room by room basis
There are three major challenges to FCAs. The first is that they don’t happen every day. While some organizations audit a portion of assets every year, FCAs are more often done on a reactive or episodic basis. The audits might be triggered as part of discovery for of a major new project, or the kickoff of a once-in-a-decade capital fundraising drive.
