Publications + Whitepapers

Human Factor in Control Room Design with Brad Adams Walker

Pipeliners Podcast

Episode 280: Human Factor in Control Room Design with Brad Adams Walker

Brad Adams Walker joined Russel Treat as a guest on the Pipeliners Podcast to discuss the importance of Human Factors in Control Room Design. Listen now to learn more about the iterative design process, why human intervention is still necessary, and the future of control room design.

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Keys to a Successful Control and Data Center:

Keys to a Successful Control and Data Center: 10 Lessons Learned

Undertaking a complex project type such as a new Control & Data Center requires engaged leadership and the appropriate steps taken at the right time to ensure a successful project.

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Chemical Processing Magazine August 2021

Design Control Rooms Right

August 2, 2021 | By Brad A. Walker and Peggy Hewitt

We think there is a “right” approach.  We are not saying there is just one way – what we hope to convincingly portray is that there are a few things you really must do if you want a successful project.

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Reduce Risk in Control Building Design

December 2020 | By Brad Walker, Peggy Hewitt, MaryAnn Lane

Do things right in the beginning, and reap the rewards for decades to come.

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Control Magazine September 2020 Issue

Why you need an operations assessment—not an ergonomic study

Sep 25, 2020 | By Brad Walker and Peggy Hewitt

Follow the process properly. Cutting corners will only increase your risk.

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Control Magazine: The Dos and Don'ts of Control Room Design

Basic Rules to Minimize Risk in Control Building Design

April 2019 | By Brad A. Walker and Peggy Hewitt

The search for areas to cut costs and save time and money is expected on all projects. The challenge is to balance that search without compromising proper control building design processes.

Read the full article at ControlGlobal.com

Control Room Design: A Collaborative Creation

Successful control buildings demand collaboration between architects, human factors engineers, interior designers, contractors, operators and the owner in an iterative environment to realize the best design.

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Chemical Engineers in Control

August 2017 | By Brad Adams Walker and Peggy Hewitt

Chemical engineers bring many essential skills to the diverse teams required for successful control room design.

Read the full article at ChemEngOnline.com

Human Factors Engineering Delivers ROI

January 2017 | By Mary Ann Lane and Peggy Hewitt

Control magazine’s January issue contains an article written by BAW Architecture that outlines our user-centric, human-factor approach to designing control centers from the operator out.

Read the full article at ControlGlobal.com

Human Factors in the Chemical and Process Industries: Making it Work in Practice

by Janette Edmonds and The Keil Centre

Cited as a “world leading specialist in control building design,” BAW Architecture was acknowledged for providing figures and writing support for the two chapters in this book related to control room and workstation design. Purchase book

BAW Whitepaper Series

Integrating Human Factors Engineering Delivers Return On Investment

User centered work environments reduce human error, accidents and illness. Design it right the first time, utilizing the expertise of a human factors engineer and control room architect, to avoid costly redesign efforts.

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What Does Good Control Room Design Look Like?

July 2016 | By Mary Ann Lane and Peggy Hewitt

BAW Architecture employs user-centric, human-factor principles such as ISO 11064 to design control centers from the operator out.

Read the full article at ControlGlobal.com

BAW Whitepaper Series

What Does Good Control Room Design Look Like?

Champion a process that ensures good control room design for both new construction or renovation projects.

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BAW Whitepaper Series

The Industrial Internet of Things

A new era is upon us, one full of promise. This digital transformation will create more efficient and profitable ways for industries to operate.

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Denver Business Journal

Colorado Architects Seize Overseas Opportunity

June 2015 | By Doug McPherson

BAW Architecture was interviewed by the Denver Business Journal for the work they have done internationally, over its 25 year history of designing control rooms for mission-critical operations.

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Hydrocarbon Processing

Facility Siting–Balancing Risk vs. Cost

By Brad A. Walker

Companies should take a second look at identifying and analyzing hazards associated with temporary buildings. Previously, safety issues were considered to have little direct added value. The economic benefits of implementing safety are hard to measure. more...

Facility siting—the process of identifying hazards in a refinery, assessing the potential consequences of the hazards and managing the risk of those hazards—provides refineries with the information they need to better balance risk and cost.

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Chemical Engineering Process (CEP)

Optimize Control Room Communications

By Brad A. Walker, Karen D. Smith, James E Lenhart

Faced with more distractions than ever, operators need an environment that is conductive for dealing with abnormal, as well as normal situations. Effective control room design can help.

Request full article or read the article at AIChE.com

Chemical Engineering Process (CEP)

Limiting Shift-Work Fatigue in Process Control

By Brad A. Walker, Karen D. Smith, Milena D. Kekich

Disrupting normal sleep/wake cycles causes fatigue and reduces alertness. Here are some prevention measures that can improve the performance of employees in 24-hour operations.

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Best Wishes to Karen Smith

After 25 years of successfully leading BAW Architecture’s interior design team, Karen Smith has left the firm to start a new venture in which she will combine her years of experience in corporate interior design with her passion for health and wellness to provide interior design solutions for a wide range of businesses. more...

BAW Architecture would like to acknowledge the role Ms. Smith played in the company’s success over the years, and express our sincere thanks for her significant contributions. We wish her all the best in her new venture.

Our talented team of architects, interior designers, human factors engineers and multidisciplinary engineering subject matter experts, is as strong as ever and will continue BAW’s legacy of forward-thinking control building design. We are poised for success and excited for the future, with new projects underway in 2016.

Hydrocarbon Processing

Optimum Control Design Promotes Control Room Efficiency

By Karen D. Smith, Brad A. Walker

New features can enhance traditional functionality, reduce operating costs and foster worker safety. Revenue can be recouped by understanding the human-machine interface and by selecting tools that adequately support the operator’s needs.

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Hydrocarbon Processing

Challenges in Control Room Design

By Brad A. Walker, Karen D. Smith

Use these guidelines to reduce shiftwork fatigue and increase operator situational awareness. There are significant issues behind several of the most critical challenges facing control room design including lighting, communication and functionality, control room location, situational awareness, and shiftwork fatigue.

Request full article or read the article at HydrocarbonProcessing.com

InTech

Integrating Ergonomics and Console Selection

By Karen D. Smith, Brad A. Walker

Reduce costs of retrofitting a control room to comply with governmental regulations. By integrating ergonomics with the selection of consoles during the early stages of control room design can ultimately reduce a company’s operating costs and promote worker safety. more...

It introduces the concept of ergonomics and lists the most important principles as they relate to console design. Finally, this paper explores some new features available to control room designers that can enhance traditional console functionality.

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World Refining

Control Room Consolidation: It’s More Than Just a New Building

By Brad A. Walker, D.A. Strobhar

In the past, refineries were designed with each process unit having a spare control room. Current thinking has it that cost savings can be found by consolidating control rooms. While this may be the case, it is critical to have a global view of just what the change is all about. more...

If you think that your new control room is just a building, then you are missing the point. If, however you think about the new building as a tool for changing the way you do business, then you can show some real payback.

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