The Square One Training Programme covers the diverse range of concepts and practical skills required for the effective application of building performance analysis within the architectural design process. The program delineates this diversity of knowledge and techniques into a series of discrete topic areas and sets out five accredited achievement levels that building designers can progress through in each area.

For a list of topic areas, see the Training Packages page.

Achievement levels are designed to give structure to the process of learning different aspects of building performance and analysis, helping designers understand the steps they need to take to progress their development and what each step will enable them to do. Table 1 shows a summary of the different levels within the programme. For a more detailed description of the aims, titles and capabilities at each level, see the Achievement Levels topic.

This system of accredited achievement levels within each topic area has three major advantages:

• It allows both new and experienced users to quickly assess their overall levels of skill and understanding in each area and provides a clear path for improving both their knowledge and effectiveness in design projects requiring performance analysis support.
• It breaks up the required knowledge base into a series of discrete and achievable chunks, linked together by a clear logic so as not to overwhelm new users.
• It provides an effective means by which design firms can objectively rate, deploy and manage the range of capabilities of different team members within each project.

Why Does This Apply to Me ?

Whether we like it or not, every single design decision has some impact on at least one aspect of a building's performance - very often all aspects. Whilst there is no substitute for a lifetime of design experience, many new building materials, advanced technologies and contemporary occupancy patterns can sometimes result in unexpected effects or a performance that is quite counter-intuitive. It is therefore increasingly necessary for architects and designers at every stage in the design process to have a greater understanding of many different areas of building physics as well as some detailed analytical and investigative skills.

By going back to Square One, designers can achieve industry-wide recognition for developing and improving both their knowledge and skills base by simply progressing through the different assessments required to obtain each achievement level.

Many designers may only see immediate relevance in the first few levels in a couple of very specific areas, depending on their role on projects and responsibilities within a firm. However, to be successful, design projects need team members with a range of different skill levels: some able to devise and manage schedules of what needs to be done; some able to produce or assist in the production of the required analysis models; some who can view and incorporate the results into documentation that keeps the project moving forward; and some who can be turned to for an innovative approach that goes beyond standard practices.

Acknowledgements

This system owes much to the work of Benjamin Ferrer at CUH2A Architects and the BIM training programs he has initiated in their offices. His system of training and rating staff based on their capacity to contribute to project work is the innovative thinking that has allowed Square One to break up and organize the complex and diverse skill sets required to effectively operate and apply analysis tools like ECOTECT.