So Jimmy, what is your position, and how long have you been at Brandt?
JH: I am the Vice President of Mechanical Operations-Houston and I am celebrating my 10^th year with Brandt.

Tell us about what you do on a day to day basis
JH: Typically it is the general oversight of the mechanical construction group in our Houston office. That being said we just opened the Houston office 8 months ago and we are in the process of relocating to a larger office, therefore I have had the pleasure of experiencing  a multitude of responsibilities.

What is your favorite thing about working for Brandt?
JH: If I have to pick one thing I would say it was the people I get to work with. I have had the opportunity to work in North Texas, South Texas and now Houston and in doing so have built some great relationships throughout.

After work, you would most likely find me…
JH: spending time with my family.

What is your favorite lunch place?
JH: I don’t really have a favorite lunch place, but a couple of my favorite restaurants are Perry’s Steakhouse and Pappasito’s.

What are your favorite hobbies?
JH: I am not sure I would call them hobbies as I don’t do them that frequently, but I enjoy golfing, hunting, shooting and most of all road trips with my family.

What is your favorite TV Show?
JH: There is only one right answer and it is whatever my wife is watching!

Tell us something that very few people know about you!
JH: I am adopted.

Design-build contracts have benefited clients in Texas for quite some time, most likely due to ease of execution combined with time and cost savings that truly make a difference on these types of project. The Brandt Companies has been the leading force behind some of the most successful design-build contracts in Texas.

Design Build Construction, Deconstructed

Design-build construction aims to use a single source to handle the entire scope of a project, from planning to execution. This kind of construction serves several purposes, the most important of which is ensuring that the project schedule is streamlined. Design-build contracts also ensure efficient use of people and dollars. Finally, the design-build approach minimizes risks and liability by using one  contractor.

Texas Design Build Contracts of Note

Brandt Companies sets the standard for design-build construction, particularly in its home state. Here is an overview of several successful projects:

• Oxane Materials. With the help of Brandt’s new industrial construction division, Houston-based Oxane Materials expanded its manufacturing power with a new facility in Arkansas. The process combined 3-D CAD renderings and a one-of-a-kind kiln system designed to work with local utilities to create a unique electrical distribution system to power the plant.
• San Antonio Military Center. As the Department of Defense’s first and only Level 1 trauma center in the country, the San Antonio Military Center needed a large, 700-plus bed facility with helipad access for quick transfer from a trauma situation to a trauma center. Two of the most important aspects of the design-build project were Brandt’s ability to create baseline project scheduling and successful preplanning of the project. The LEED-certified project took approximately 20 months to plan, execute and deliver.
• Sul Ross State University. Schools often face the challenge of balancing limited budgets with necessary building upgrades to ensure school facilities meet updated codes and environmental standards. Sul Ross State University recognized its need for energy-efficient retrofitting. Brandt Companies delivered, replacing the heating and cooling systems in the facilities and using old plumbing as conduits for the new, more energy-efficient plumbing system.
• Parkland Hospital. Located in Dallas, Parkland Hospital needed to change the face of its facility in order to provide customers and families with the most comprehensive, up-to-date patient care. This had to be done quickly, and Parkland picked Brandt Companies based on its outstanding track record for organizing, planning, designing and executing the construction and retrofitting of some parts of the building. Brandt delivered by providing integrated prefabrication, a process in which complicated, multitrade aspects of the project are built offsite.

Design-build contracts are a great choice for clients looking to save time and stay within a limited budget. Brandt has demonstrated itself to be that contractor for the state of Texas. For more information, call 972-360-9244 or visit www.brandt-companies.com today.

Religious building facilities such as churches, synagogues and other centers of worship  are often overlooked when it comes to the need for building sustainability and energy efficiency. Many times, the biggest challenge for buildings of this nature is balancing necessary retrofitting with historical preservation. For the managers in charge of making decisions regarding those buildings, the key is to find a retrofitting and design-build firm capable of understanding the complexities of upgrading such delicate structures while performing quickly and effectively.

Challenges and Opportunities with Religious Facilities

Building facilities that cater to the spiritual sector of a community vary from the modern, house-like structures that can be seen today, to the older, historical landmarks that adorn many cities. Regardless of the building style, many churches and other religious structures face familiar problems:

• Weak lighting. Over time, lighting can progressively dim and become an energy drain, creating poor visibility and costing more than it should.
• Subpar acoustics. Sound, an important component for houses of worship, can be stifled by bad acoustics from malfunctioning HVAC systems and a deteriorating building envelope.
• Inefficient HVAC systems. With older buildings come older HVAC systems—systems that drain energy and power from large building facilities and cost religious institutions thousands in monthly utility bills.

In cases like these, the solution is simple, but the execution of it isn’t necessarily so. While it may be easy to find a firm that will fix the problems, it’s important to find a group that can balance updates and repairs with the history of the building.

Brandt Companies: Balanced Retrofitting

The Brandt Companies understands how crucial it is for religious building facilities to achieve energy efficiency and building sustainability while preserving the historical significance of the building. Through careful planning and design, Brandt can help worship and meditation centers achieve sustainability and cost-effectiveness without compromising atmosphere or comfort.

• Utility systems specifically designed to reduce power and increase monitoringcan be retrofitted into new and existing structures, all while improving acoustics and building integrity.
• Improved cooling and heating through newer, more energy-friendly HVAC systems bring comfort and reliability while drastically improving air quality.
• Renewable and alternative sources of power, such as solar electricity systems, combined with energy-efficient lighting systems and solar water heating sources, dramatically reduce consumption costs and increase overall sustainability.

To learn more about religious facilities maintenance and how retrofitting for energy efficiency can improve sustainability for your building, visit our website or call 972-360-9244 today.

When it comes to upgrading facilities, either through new construction or renovations, institutions of higher learning must balance time and budget constraints by finding energy-efficient solutions that will bring facilities back in line with today’s standards.. Design-build construction is the ideal long-term solution to this challenge.

Success Story: Sul Ross State University

As home to more than 2,000 undergraduate students, Sul Ross State University needed to find energy-efficient solutions to their aging buildings, which meant extensive renovations of their facilities.

The Brandt Companies understands the challenges of an extensive renovation compounded by the need to work within a tight budget, which is why the university picked Brandt as the integrated design build contractor to find and implement energy-efficient solutions at the school located in Alpine, Texas.

Brandt successfully updated the university’s heating and cooling systems with energy-efficient systems that greatly reduce consumption and bring the buildings up to today’s standards. In addition, Brandt reused already-installed pipes as conduit for new plumbing systems throughout the school, making efficient use of materials and saving money in the process.

Unique Challenges and Educational Facilities

Institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to both students and faculty to provide a safe and healthy environment for all involved. Finding energy-efficient solutions to many of the problems facing educational facilities, however, comes at a cost—sometimes a cost too high to pay.

The challenge is to find a general contractor that understands the importance of working effectively and efficiently within a tight time frame and within  a limited budget. Brandt meets and exceeds those challenges every day, as evidenced by their work with Sul Ross State.

Design-build construction is the most efficient choice for any client looking for a way to save time and stay within budget while using a single source. Brandt  understands these challenges. For more information, call 972-360-9244 or visit www.brandt-companies.com today.

The Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic is the largest VA outpatient clinic in the US. When they needed to expand the project of building facilities, Brandt was hired on to assist the project developer in completing the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical aspects of the project. By hiring a single contractor in the facilities building process, they were able to save time and money to complete the project. To work with Brandt on your next design build project, contact Brandt at (972) 360-9244 or visit our website at http://www.brandt-companies.com.

The design-build contracting process is a unique approach for both renovations and new buildings, regardless of the nature of the project. Whether you’re seeking to build a hospital from the ground up, or considering the retrofit of an existing facility to today’s standards, understanding the design-build contracting process is the best way to ensure that a design-build approach is the most effective one for you.

Advantages of the Design Build Process

Design-build projects are advantageous for several reasons, regardless of the type of project. But why is design build so effective?

• It simplifies construction or renovation plans by streamlining the design, construction, and inspection phases of a project.
• It minimizes the points of contact in a project, improving communication and clarity.
• It helps keep the project on track by relying on one key contractor who then delegates and supervises.
• It ensures each step of the process is compatible with all other steps by ensuring that everyone understands the goals and objectives of the project from the onset.
• It saves time by fast-tracking project scheduling, and controls budgeted expenses by minimizing risk.

Design Build, Step By Step

During the design-build contracting process, the client’s role is to:

1. Present project details to design-build firms in a concise, brief, and effective manner. This actively engages them and encourages them to participate.
2. Receive requests for qualifications from qualified firms interested in the project.
3. Choose a firm based on qualifications, credentials, and best value for the project.

Once a design-build contractor is chosen, the real work begins.

1. Design-build teams create a plan for the project. Designers and builders work together to create drawings for each phase of the project. This team considers challenges and opportunities that might arise in the construction process, and determines how best to handle them.
2. Builders get to work putting the project together based on information acquired from drawings, client descriptions, and design determinations.
3. As they complete each facet of the project, builders and designers review the work done. The team ensures that their work coincides with tasks previously designed and discussed, and also look ahead to the next phase of the project about to be done.

The design-build process, which starts with the contracting phase, is the most essential consideration to evaluate when an idea turns into a potential project. As one of the leading design-build firms in the U.S., Brandt Companies understands the design-build contracting process, making it simpler for clients to choose them as their contractor, and saving time and money in the process. To learn more about Brandt, call 972-360-9244 today.

Brandt Companies has long been a reliable, expert leader in energy efficiency and facility sustainability through design-build projects for new and existing  buildings. Now, Brandt launches a new website highlighting another one of its successful ventures: industrial construction. In fact, Brandt is poised to become a leader in industrial construction services, making a difference through leading-edge technologies, safe and reliable manufacturing techniques, and the productive, professional workforce that Brandt is known for.

Brandt: Leading the Way in Industrial Construction

As new leaders in the field of industrial construction, Brandt specializes in the Engineering-Procurement-Construction method. Using EPC along with the highest quality fabrication services in the field, Brandt delivers simple to complicated turnkey projects with ease and thoroughness. With project managers, designers, and engineers working together to deliver safe, efficient solutions to various levels of industrial construction projects, Brandt Companies takes great pride in understanding a client’s needs and delivering great results, from planning to execution.

Oxane: An Industrial Construction Project Win

One of Brandt’s industrial construction recent success stories is Oxane Materials, a Houston-based company that decided to expand its manufacturing facility in Arkansas. Presented with a few obstacles, Brandt’s approach helped them turn those challenges into opportunities:

• Needing CAD drawings of the entire operation, Brandt laser scanned the facility to create 3-D CAD renderings of the Oxane facility, making it easier for the Brandt team to understand the scope of the project.
• Installing a one-of-a-kind kiln system and developing road maps for the various processes it would involve was another challenge. By doing all of these things successfully, Brandt carried out the installation as the first of its kind in that industry.
• Developing a unique electrical distribution system for the entire facility was achieved through Brandt’s work with local utility companies as they created a system that would effectively power Oxane’s operation.

Oxane’s facility challenges were effectively solved as a result of this successful industrial construction project, proving that Brandt’s industrial construction division is  an essential part of Brandt’s overall operations.

To learn more about Brandt’s new division, visit the new site at http://www.brandt-companies.com.

Oxane finalizes a major new production facility after working with the industrial construction experts at Brandt Companies. Brandt Companies have a strong history of design and build projects, and has launched a new division focusing industrial contracting projects. For more information on working with Brandt, please visit call us at 972-360-9244.

Today’s businesses have more reasons than ever to invest in the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of their facilities. As more measures are taken to ensure energy reduction as well as building code and regulation compliance, it becomes more crucial than ever to examine the needs of a current facility and how those needs can translate into energy efficiency tax incentives for a client.

Types of Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency

There are several incentives for companies to invest in greater energy efficiency for their facilities. The Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction, for instance, is a federal tax incentive given to businesses that decide to improve the facilities’ lighting, building envelope and HVAC systems. In order for the deduction to pay off for a client, at least one of the three specifications listed above must be upgraded.

To receive the maximum deduction with the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction, the retrofit must bring performance of all three specifications to at least 50 percent better than industry standards dictate. Deduction payoff is $0.60 per square foot for retrofits that address one of the areas mentioned above, while $1.80 per square foot is paid for projects addressing all three of the above issues.

Local incentives according to states guidelines can provide energy efficiency tax incentives while allowing for the types of improvements in construction and design that will eventually lead to efficient, cost-effective functionality. For instance, in Texas, CPS Energy offers a new commercial construction incentive for companies whose new commercial construction makes them at least 15 percent more efficient than the city of San Antonio’s Building Code requires. There are many other similar incentives and rebates listed by state at Energy.gov.

Brandt Can Help with Energy Efficient Tax Credit

As a design-build firm committed to helping new and existing companies achieve sustainability as well as energy efficiency, Brandt Companies has helped many companies understand tax incentives for energy efficiency that may apply to a particular project. In fact, Brandt has have helped clients attain their sustainability and efficiency goals for decades. Learn more about Brandt’s role in helping facilities reach compliance and tax incentive goals by calling (972) 360-9244 today or by visiting Brandt Companies online at www.brandt-companies.com.

It’s important for owners or managers of any facility, from hospitals to commercial buildings, to examine the pros and cons of renovation vs. new construction. This is especially true as emerging technologies and ongoing environmental challenges leave many companies struggling to remain relevant and, more importantly, compliant with state and industry regulations. When considering renovation vs. new construction, it’s important to remember that each has its pros and cons. Comparing the merits and challenges of each against the needs of a specific project  is a crucial step in determining the best course of action.

Things to Consider: Remodel or New Construction?

The pros and cons of renovation vs. new construction depend on the following factors:

• Budget. The amount of money a company can afford to spend for their remodel or new building should be carefully measured against end goals of the project. A remodel that involves relatively few updates will be considerably less expensive than a new build. Also, budget considerations are important to know in order to effectively search for a general contractor.
• Condition of current structure. If the current structure needs only a few minor updates, retrofitting the building to achieve greater energy efficiency might be the better option. However, if those few changes are significantly large—like the HVAC needs to be replaced because it no longer meets industry standards, or if there are too many problems with the structure—then a new construction may result in less cost. This savings should be measured not only during the actual project, but also in projected savings over time once the project is complete.
• Technologies requiring update. Updating a facility’s technologies as part of a renovation might  be more expensive than meets the eye. A general contractor who is well versed in both new builds and retrofitting should consult with the client regarding the company’s needs and the most effective, cost-saving solutions available. For instance, LEED for new construction requirements may fare differently than in a renovation, so the general contractor must educate clients regarding the requirements and standards for LEED certified buildings, new and older.
• Time challenges. Depending on the type of project, the number of general contractors needed and the overall time constraints will be significantly different. This is especially true in situations when there will be multiple general contractors working on various aspects of the project.
• Overall efficiency of the project. The project’s efficiency will be determined by the extent of the improvements needed and by the general contractors hired to achieve the end result. While in many instances renovation may appear to be the best choice, construction management may conclude that a new construction may be the most efficient choice for your needs.

Brandt Companies: Pros at Both

As a leader in sustainability and compliance for efficient buildings, Brandt Companies is experienced in both retrocommissioning and new construction of buildings that meet or exceed energy efficiency standards. To learn more about design build and energy efficiency, call (972) 360-9244 or visit www.brandt-companies.com today.