Jefferson Laboratories Technology, Engineering Development Facility

Project name: Jefferson Laboratories Technology and Engineering Development Facility

Location: Newport News, Va.

Firm name: EwingCole

Project type, building type: Addition to existing building, research/lab/high-tech

Project duration: 4 years

Project completion date: Dec. 1, 2012

Project budget for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection engineering only: $950,000

Engineering challenges

Jefferson Lab (JLab) selected EwingCole through a nationwide competition to provide full architectural and engineering design services for the Technology and Engineering Development Facility (TEDF) project. The $51M project included the renovation of the 88,900 sq ft of existing Test Lab Building 58, a 30,000-sq-ft addition to Building 58, and a new 70,000-sq-ft Technology and Engineering Development (TED) building. The Test Lab Building 58 was originally built by NASA in 1965 for radiation effects research and has been modified to accommodate activities now performed by the SRF (Superconductor Radio Frequency) group. Programmatically, the design includes small parts fabrication, etching, cleaning, and assembly in the new addition and the high-bay crane handling activities occurring in the existing Building 58. A new high-bay area with a 10-ton crane houses welding shops and room for various experimental assemblies for cryofab, vacuum, electrical, and physics. New ISO 4 and 5 clean rooms are also part of the project. As part of this project, EwingCole performed a facility conditions assessment including a careful reevaluation and confirmation study of JLab operational requirements and the prior master plan basis for design. EwingCole organized collaborative, interactive workshops to understand workflow processing and production. The design improves upon the prior master plan and basis for design, and achieves the scientific user goals of this project to create a unified, team-oriented working environment by optimizing and standardizing the process flow of people, products, waste, supplies, and information through the facility. Jefferson Lab credits EwingCole for significantly improving the previous master planning through this early reevaluation and confirmation process.

Solutions

Due to the combination of new and existing facilities with renovation pieces as part of the project, two separate HVAC systems were proposed for the addition of the TEDF. A hybrid geothermal system will be provided to generate chilled water and heating hot water for the TED building central air-handling units. The existing chiller and boiler plants within Building 58 will be utilized to provide chilled and hot water to the systems serving the Building 58 expansion and renovations. 

The concept for the new HVAC systems serving the new and renovated areas address prior concerns in the existing facility related to operational flexibility, service, and maintenance of mechanical equipment and energy efficiency. The final design and scope of work consolidates and centralizes mechanical equipment to reduce overall maintenance. The cooling and heating water for the Building 58 high-bay and support spaces will be provided from the Building 58 chiller and boiler plants. Chilled water and heating water will be extended from existing mains within Building 58. The estimated cooling load for the existing Building 58 renovation is 126 tons. The cooling and heating for the Building 58 office renovation will be served from the TED building geothermal condenser water system. Condenser water piping will extend across the corridor link from the second-floor mechanical room located in the TED building. The estimated load for the Building 58 office renovation is 85 tons excluding the effect of heat recovery. 

Integrated power distribution centers consisting of low-voltage distribution panels and step-down transformers are incorporated throughout the laboratory and high-bay spaces to maximize efficient space usage for electrical distribution equipment. The use of wireless access points is incorporated throughout the buildings in order to maximize connectivity to the campus networks. The electrical distribution systems have been design to be energy efficient and contain sufficient capacity for future expansion. The transformers are Energy Star compliant, meeting TP-1 energy compliant guidelines for efficient operation. The TED building was located adjacent, and attached, to the test lab building to enhance communication among cross-functional product teams and to accommodate continued operation during construction. 

The new TED building can also be used temporarily to house functions that will be interrupted during the renovation of the test lab building. This will enable cryomodule production to continue during the second phase of construction when the current high-bay area in Building 58 is being renovated. This location also provides an improved image to the campus by screening existing concrete warehouse buildings with a dynamic new structure, and maintains more of the existing wooded area and wetland, which contributes to the project’s goal of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Gold certification. Interestingly, the project is on track for two LEED Gold ratings: one for the TED building and one for the Building 58 renovation due to the differing USGBC requirements of new and renovation projects. Major sustainable design features include a ground source hybrid geothermal well field, solar heating of domestic hot water, a dedicated outdoor air energy recovery unit, and demand control ventilation. 

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