How Design Standards Improve Maintenance, Speed Closeouts, and Smarter Campuses
In this episode of Facility Voices, Walt Kanzler, Senior Director of Project Quality Management at the University of California, San Diego, shares how a career that began in architecture evolved into a focus on project quality, sustainability, and smarter facility operations.
Drawing on experience in private architecture, higher education, and corporate facilities, Walt explains how UC San Diego manages standards and project delivery across a complex portfolio of more than 760 buildings. He explores how detailed design guidelines, specifications, commissioning, and closeout processes help create facilities that operations teams can maintain long after construction ends.
Walt also discusses the importance of bringing facilities teams into projects early, creating feedback loops around lessons learned, and extending commissioning into the warranty period. At the center of it all is collaboration—between project managers, operations teams, designers, contractors, and subject matter experts—to improve handoffs and continuously refine campus standards.
Tune in to hear Walt Kanzler’s story and insights from the front lines of facilities management.
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Walt Kanzler
Senior Director Project Quality Management
University of California San Diego
Walt Kanzler is the Senior Director of Project Quality Management at UC San Diego, where he focuses on strengthening the connection between capital projects and long-term facilities operations. A licensed architect and LEED Fellow with more than 25 years of public- and private-sector experience, Walt has built his career around bridging design, construction, sustainability, and facility performance. He also contributes to the University of California Green Building Working Group, helping advance sustainability and decarbonization efforts. At UC San Diego, Walt develops standards and processes that improve project closeouts, strengthen collaboration, and ensure maintenance teams have the information and infrastructure needed to operate efficient, resilient, high-performing facilities from day one.
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