Commissioning One Madison Avenue in NYC: How Efficient Energy Compliance Leveraged Bluerithm

Digital workflows, real-time updates, and integrated reporting on one of Manhattan’s most complex commissioning projects.

Overview

Efficient Energy Compliance (EEC), a New York-based third-party commissioning firm, specializes in ensuring that complex building systems perform as designed. With a growing portfolio of large-scale projects, EEC turned to Bluerithm’s commissioning software to streamline project tracking, documentation, and team coordination. Their success using the platform is perhaps best exemplified by their work on the One Madison Avenue project—an ambitious, fast-track build in the heart of Manhattan.

One Madison Avenue is a landmark redevelopment project located at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street in New York City. This modern office tower reimagines an early 20th-century structure by integrating a new 500,000+ square-foot vertical addition atop the existing podium. The building offers premier office space designed to meet the highest sustainability and operational standards, including those required by its anchor tenant. With multiple prime contractors working concurrently on four floors and a main lobby, the project required seamless coordination, agile problem-solving, and constant status tracking to meet aggressive timelines and technical specifications.

One Madison Avenue

Bluerithm played a central role in the project’s successful execution. The platform allowed EEC to manage over 1,200 commissioning checklists and test forms and nearly 500 issues while coordinating across two mechanical, two plumbing, and two electrical prime contractors. From real-time field updates to high-level owner reporting and integration with scheduling tools, Bluerithm helped transform complexity into clarity—and made EEC’s role in the One Madison Avenue project a blueprint for digital commissioning success.

Company Background: Efficient Energy Compliance

Efficient Energy Compliance operates as a third-party commissioning provider, mainly in new construction. Their role is critical: verifying that what the design team envisioned is actually delivered and installed correctly by construction managers (CMs) and subcontractors. According to Project Manager Matt Freiman, EEC’s value lies in being the communication and accountability hub between owners, CMs, and contractors:

“We make sure everything works as per the design and specifications. We work very well with owners and CMs, holding commissioning meetings and ensuring everyone knows what’s going on.”

EEC had been using paper-based systems and binders to manage their commissioning work until five years ago, when they transitioned to Bluerithm’s digital platform. As their projects grew in complexity and scale, EEC needed a solution that could evolve with them—Bluerithm provided that.

One Madison Avenue Interior

Why Bluerithm?

When EEC evaluated commissioning software options, Bluerithm stood out for one simple reason: flexibility.

“What stood out was the customizability to each project. We could invite everyone to the platform, use it as a real-time project tracker—not just a place to store files in the cloud. It was cloud-based, customizable, and produced high-quality reports that our clients really liked,” said Freiman.

The software wasn’t just used by EEC internally. Subcontractors, CMs, and even owners could be added, with permissions tailored to their roles. This holistic integration was essential for a project like One Madison Avenue.

Daily Use and Field Application

Bluerithm is a daily tool for EEC’s teams, both in the office and in the field. According to Lead Commissioning Engineer Luke Padavatton and Commissioning Agent Justin Nelson, the platform serves as the nucleus of their entire commissioning operation:

It tracks job status, including the percentage completion of pre-functional checklists and functional performance tests.
It allows real-time data input from the field, enabling immediate updates on equipment testing progress.
It is used to generate daily and weekly reports, which are shared with clients, general contractors, and trade partners.

“Basically, everything commissioning-related—other than the drawings—is handled in Bluerithm,” said Padavatton.

The One Madison Avenue Project

A Fast-Track, Multi-Team Effort

The One Madison Avenue renovation was not a typical project. It was designed as a fast-track buildout spanning four tenant floorsand a lobby space. Each set of two floors was assigned to a different prime contractor across the mechanical, plumbing, and electricaltrades. This dual-prime structure created a layer of complexity that required rigorous coordination and transparency.

EEC’s role was to bring cohesion to this environment. Weekly commissioning meetings with both sets of primes and theirsubcontractors were scheduled. Pre-functional checklists and updates were centrally tracked in Bluerithm, while issues weredocumented—including photo uploads—and assigned directly to responsible parties.

“There was a lot going on. At times, we had multiple people testing in the field simultaneously. Bluerithm gave us the visibility to know what was done that day, what issues remained, and who was responsible for each task,” Freiman said.

Equipment Volume and Detail

The project involved commissioning approximately 300 dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS)—a substantial volume for any commissioning team. EEC worked closely with both the HVAC contractors and controls vendors to test each unit.

Bluerithm enabled EEC to assign and document the testing status of each system, helping ensure that no unit was overlooked. The software’s ability to match issues with specific equipment made troubleshooting far more efficient.

Outcomes and Project Metrics

EEC managed:

More than 1,200 pre-functional checklists and functional performance test forms
Nearly 500 issues

All within a complex and fast-paced environment that demanded constant coordination and communication.

One of the most significant outcomes was the creation of a live mechanical punch list, dynamically updated in Bluerithm, that served as the definitive reference point for project status and issue resolution.

JLL, the facilities management firm for the space, was granted direct access to the Bluerithm platform. This allowed them to refer back to commissioning data, including design setpoints, water temperatures, and functional performance testing details—something they continue to utilize post-occupancy.

Features That Made a Difference

High-Level Reporting

Weekly reports showcasing the pre-functional checklists and functional performance testing status of systems were a cornerstone of communication across the project. Bluerithm allowed EEC to quickly generate visually clear, actionable reports that were distributed to stakeholders.

“It gives out a good quality report that clients like. A lot of highlevel stuff that we’re able to get out there,” said Freiman.

Custom Templates and Bulk Editing

Bluerithm’s flexibility in formatting and bulk editing proved especially useful on a large-scale project.

“You could edit everything at once if you wanted to. Amazing,” said Nelson.

The ability to replicate company-specific workflows and templates across projects helped drive consistency and save time.

Real-Time Issue Tracking

One of the most impactful features was the ability to link issues directly to the related test sheets or equipment. This allowed EEC, general contractors, and subcontractors to see at a glance what needed to be done and by whom.

“Before, we were just logging issues separately. Now we could click on a piece of equipment and see all issues tied to it. That was a huge benefit,” said Padavatton.

Integration and Advancements

Over the course of their use, EEC noted several Bluerithm enhancements that directly benefited their workflow:

Automated Status Updates: Bluerithm now auto-progresses items from “in progress” to “complete,” which was previously a manual task that sometimes got overlooked.
Dynamic Scheduling Tools: EEC began using Bluerithm not just for testing but also for coordinating schedules and sequencing tasks across teams.

Support from the Bluerithm Team

EEC’s experience with the Bluerithm support team has been consistently positive. Whether it was setting up a new project, troubleshooting issues, or exploring new features, the Bluerithm team has been described as responsive and helpful.

“Every time we have a question, they quickly respond. That’s why we’ve enjoyed working with them,” said Freiman

Broader Adoption and Future Use

EEC currently has 28 active projects in Bluerithm, demonstrating not only satisfaction with the platform but also its scalability.

From mid-size jobs to complex, multi-trade projects like One Madison Avenue, the platform has become a core part of how EEC delivers commissioning services.

“We first started using Bluerithm just for pre-functional checklists and issues. Now, we’re using it for high-level reporting, scheduling, and syncing issues to equipment. It just flows better,” said Freiman.

Conclusion

The One Madison Avenue project was a milestone for both Efficient Energy Compliance and Bluerithm. It showcased the power of well- implemented commissioning software to manage complexity, foster transparency, and enhance project outcomes.

Through its comprehensive feature set, Bluerithm empowered EEC to track over a thousand pre-functional checklists and functional performance test forms, resolve hundreds of issues, and deliver a highly detailed, operationally valuable commissioning record— accessible not only during construction, but long after handover.

As EEC continues to evolve, Bluerithm remains a critical partner in their success, supporting a portfolio of nearly 30 ongoing projects and helping redefine what’s possible in modern commissioning.