• SmithGroup VPs Receive CxA Certification

    June 23, 2009
    Design firm has 31 LEED® projects under its belt

    Robert Fagg, P.E., LEED AP, and Curtis Songer, P.E., vice presidents at SmithGroup, a leading architecture and engineering firm, have been named Certified Commissioning Authorities (CxA) from the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG), a nonprofit association of certified commissioning authorities.

    A Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) leads the commissioning team and is responsible for planning, organizing, and facilitating the completion of the commissioning process. Building commissioning ensures that owners and occupants move into fully functioning buildings that meet the systems requirements established by the U. S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®).

    As Director of Engineering in SmithGroup’s Washington, DC, office, Fagg has more than 38 years of experience in providing engineering and project management services for multiple markets including healthcare, federal, state and local government, university research and development, and commercial projects. His recent experience includes serving as commissioning agent for the new School of Dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as projects for Steven Institute of Technology and the National Institutes of Health. Fagg has served as lead mechanical engineer for one of Washington’s largest office renovation projects, Constitution Center, as well as projects for the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech.

    Songer joined SmithGroup in 1975. He serves as director of mechanical special services and director of commissioning for the Detroit office of SmithGroup. Songer has substantial expertise in providing systems designs for museum environments which require conservation environment humidity and temperature control, specialized exhibits and archival space designs, as well as the unique needs of medical and health facilities. His project experience includes commissioning agent for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Department of Defense, Detroit Institute or Arts, Michigan State University, Biophysical Sciences Building, and Madonna University New Science and Media Building.

    SmithGroup was ranked as the nation's 9th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2008) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the learning, healthcare, workplace and science & technology markets. It has 293 LEED-accredited professionals and has completed 31 LEED projects.