Richardson Hall was a multi-phase LEED renovation of a 100+ year old historic building on the Adams State University campus, consisting of a large auditorium, various administrative areas, and classrooms. Before the renovation, this building was primarily heated via hydronic boilers in conjunction with radiators/fintube and had no cooling.
Upon completion of demo and abatement, HPE retrofitted the building with 4 large Mitsubishi VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) systems which provided both heating and cooling to the building. This included two large AHU’s and an infrastructure of complex ductwork in a building previously unequipped for such and all the coordination logistics associated. Installation was performed efficiently due to BIM modeling of the existing building so as to coordinate through congested areas prior to duct fabrication.
Due to the inclement weather in Alamosa in the winter months, the VRF design included indoor installation of the condensing units. This was achieved by incorporating a wall of louvers, dampers, high capacity fans and the associated controls necessary to quickly exhaust excessive heat in the summer months, while being protected from any freeze concerns in the winter months. All this work was performed in a building which was partially occupied through the duration of the project and was done so without impacting the customer.
Additional project scope included:
