ABSTRACT
Performance specifications are an old idea finally coming of age. The industry fragments design, manufacturing, costing, procurement, and construction into an unimaginable number of pieces that are related by circumstance more than by rational process. The construction industry builds for human habitation offers few tests to determine whether the occupant's human needs are met. The user is a broad term that covers a lot of people with different interests: the building occupant's, the manager, the owner, and the visitors. Conditioned air, illumination and acoustics describes the environmental conditions to which humans respond. "Stabiilty/durabiilty" and "health and safety" reflects social concern for the occupant's safety and security. "Maintenance" and "planning" reflects the concern of the owner or manager in assuring that the facility is easy to maintain and that the functional space arrangement can be changed easily. Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning had to meet comfort and health performance.
