June 2006
Glossary
Adaptability: The ability to respond to, or be readily adjusted to, changing conditions.
Assembly:
● A group of attached components considered collectively (e.g., a pre-hung door).
● A design configuration composed of a specific arrangement of service modules.
Bedroom Zone: A plan zone at the building perimeter sized to accommodate patient bed-
rooms.
BGSF: Building gross square foot, a unit of total floor area including building service spaces
and shafts, common horizontal and vertical circulation systems, structure, and exterior enclo-
sure systems; but excluding interstitial service zones.
Building Subsystem: One of the coordinated groups of components, each performing a major
function, which combine to form a building system.
Building System:
● Any specific building production process or method.
● Any set of coordinated building components intended for application as a group.
Ceiling:
● Finish system at the top of a functional zone, usually suspended from underside of intersti-
tial platform (e.g. acoustical, or GWB or plaster ceiling).
● A combination interstitial platform/ finished ceiling at the top of a functional zone (obsolete).
Compatibility: The state of functional, economic, and aesthetic coordination between two or
more systems or components.
Component: A part, or assembly of parts, in a system.
tion, and/or some service bays are completely internal.
Conventional Design and Construction: Existing, traditional building methods are they are
currently applied.
CPM: Critical Path Method.
Critical Path: The particular sequence or path through a work schedule determining the short-
est time within which all work can be completed.
Critical Path Method: A scheduling technique for the identification and control of work activi-
ties on the critical path.
Design Configuration: A general building plan type, illustrated by a diagrammatic plan.
Design Criteria: Various performance requirements, dimensional rules, descriptions of typical
and special conditions, and the like, serving as guidelines in the development of a detailed de-
sign from the basic system design.
Design Determinant: An independent variable, or general class of such variables, encoun-
tered in a design problem, which influences the selection of alternative solutions or the charac-
teristics of a particular solution (e.g. program, site, budget, codes).
SUPPLEMENT TO RESEARCH STUDY REPORT
VA HOSPITAL BUILDING SYSTEM
SECTION 1-5
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