Project Profile: East Halls Renovations Curtin, Bigler, & Packer Residence Halls, Phase 2B
This project integrated new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, including air conditioning into an existing building structure that was not designed to accommodate ductwork.
Engineering firm: Barton Associates
2024 MEP Giants rank: 100
Project: East Halls Renovations Curtin, Bigler, & Packer Residence Halls, Phase 2B
Location: University Park, PA, United States
Building type: Educational facility
Project type: Existing building retrofit
Engineering services: Automation, controls; electrical, power; energy, sustainability; fire, life safety; HVAC, mechanical; lighting; plumbing, piping
Project timeline: June 2019 to August 2023
MEP/FP engineering budget: $370,500
Challenges
The Barton team had to work with the project team to integrate new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, including air conditioning, into an existing building structure that was not designed to accommodate ductwork. System selection and creative use of vertical distribution through small areas that could be penetrated structurally allowed the project team to transform the buildings into a state-of-the-art residence hall complex.
Solutions
The use of building information modeling (BIM) between all project team members was used to coordinate an extremely tight building structure and the MEP systems. BIM allowed the project team to provide adequate service clearances for building personnel to maintain MEP equipment in minimal available space. The project team worked with the architectural team to coordinate the building architecture to support MEP infrastructure that was requested by the owner.
Barton provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural lighting design services for the renovation of Curtin, Bigler and Packer Halls at Penn State University. Each floor in the renovated buildings includes study/lounge space and “wet cores” that consist of individual bathrooms with a shower, lavatory, and toilet along with adjacent alcoves with sinks and lockers. The ground floors include a lounge with a kitchen, multiple study spaces, a laundry room, and a residence life apartment. The buildings range between 63,000 and 70,000 sq ft. Courtesy: Barton Associates
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