Publications + Whitepapers
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
What Does Good Control Room Design Look Like?
Champion a process that ensures good control room design for both new construction or renovation projects.
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.
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.
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.
Request full article or read the article at HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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
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.
Request full article or read the article at AIChE.com
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.
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.
Request full article or read the article at HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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
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.
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...
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