Cindy Cogil is director of engineering at the Chicago office of SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and planning firms. She is a licensed professional engineer with over 16 years of experience in the design and analysis of HVAC systems with a special focus on sustainable design and higher education facilities. Accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council as LEED AP BD+C, Cogil has designed over 10 projects that are pursuing or have achieved LEED-certified status, including the world’s first LEED Platinum building, Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center. She is cur-rently involved in the design of CBF’s Brock Environmental Center, which is seeking Living Building Challenge certification. Over the last seven years, Cogil has held various committee chair, board member, and officer positions with the National Capital Chapter of ASHRAE, and most recently, served on the Society’s Professional Development Committee. Email her at cindy.cogil@smithgroupjjr.com or visit http://www.smithgroupjjr.com/people/cindy-cogil.
Engineers are rethinking the standard engineering design paradigm, using lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) to compare system alternatives that fulfill the same functional requirements but differ in terms of initial and operating costs.
