Project Profile: The Square

Engineering firm: GHT Limited
2024 MEP Giants rank: 97
Project: The Square
Location: Washington, DC, United States
Building type: Office building
Project type: Existing building retrofit
Engineering services: Electrical, power; energy, sustainability; HVAC, mechanical; plumbing, piping
Project timeline: September 2019 to March 2023
MEP/FP engineering budget: $627,005

Challenges

GHT provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering design and energy modeling services for The Square, the highly anticipated food hall and market in the International Square Building in Washington, DC. Designed to meet LEED v4 ID+C Retail certification requirements, this 25,000 sq ft venue has revitalized downtown DC with more than a dozen vendors and the capacity to host up to 500 diners in its indoor and outdoor spaces.

GHT provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering design and energy modeling services for The Square, the highly anticipated food hall and market in the International Square Building in Washington, DC. Source: GHT Limited

The GHT team encountered several challenges throughout the renovation of this existing space, including the navigation of existing MEP systems, the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, and the conversion of office space into a dining experience.

From design through construction to vendor move-in, GHT supported the owner and design team by providing unique value in ensuring efficient utilization of resources and seamless integration of MEP systems.

Designed to meet LEED v4 ID+C Retail certification requirements, this 25,000 sq ft venue has revitalized downtown DC with more than a dozen vendors and the capacity to host up to 500 diners in its indoor and outdoor spaces. Source: GHT Limited

Solutions

To overcome the challenge of navigating existing MEP systems with limited access to survey the existing conditions of the occupied space, GHT worked with the owner and general contractor to have portions of the space demolished early in the design process. Once additional access was available, the GHT team surveyed the existing MEP systems, to verify the original base building drawings, as well as reviewed the electrical service, existing mechanical chilled water and condenser water plants, and plumbing systems to determine if the existing systems capacity could support the new project. Through GHT’s survey and analysis, the team was able to utilize the existing electrical and plumbing systems to avoid extensive infrastructure upgrades and save the owner money and time.

With 16 unique food stalls, diners can enjoy a variety of cuisines at The Square. Source: GHT Limited

Another project challenge was the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces through the glass atrium framed by a 2,400 sq ft hexagon-shaped living wall, as well as the indoor/outdoor dining area. The living wall is supported by the integration of power for plant lighting, water for the irrigation system, and nozzle-style supply air diffusers to minimize disruption to the living wall. GHT designed a unique plumbing system, which hangs above the occupied space and employs a pump system for drainage. For the indoor/outdoor dining area, GHT implemented strategies for monitoring and controlling the natural ventilation system to inform the interaction between the system and the mechanical equipment serving the area. When outdoor conditions are favorable, the natural ventilation system engages fans throughout the atrium and food hall to pull in outdoor air and evacuate warm air through the top of the atrium, while disabling mechanical cooling to prevent wasted energy. An indicator light illuminates green to signal the food hall operators to manually open the façade doors and unify the indoor and outdoor dining space, creating the feel of an outdoor food market. When temperature and humidity in the food hall exceed comfort limits, the indicator light illuminates red, the sequence reverses, and mechanical cooling is reenabled.

Another project challenge that the team encountered was the conversion of office space to a dining experience. Food service spaces routinely require mechanical infrastructure that is often not found in existing office buildings. This posed a significant challenge for the incorporation of nearly 35,000 sq ft of food service area for The Square, given that commercial kitchen exhaust systems typically need to be routed to a building’s roof, which can be a challenge in existing buildings.

The atrium is framed by a 2,400 sq ft hexagon-shaped living wall, supported by the integration of power for plant lighting, water for the irrigation system, and nozzle-style supply air diffusers to minimize disruption to the living wall. Source: GHT Limited

To overcome this obstacle, GHT reused the existing vertical commercial kitchen exhaust shafts from the prior food court, working closely with the food service consultant to ensure the exhaust capacities for the new cooking hoods aligned with the existing ductwork capacity. The commercial kitchen exhaust systems were designed for demand-controlled kitchen ventilation, allowing them to modulate based on hood use and accommodate a variety of operating schedules. In addition to the exhaust systems, three 2,000-gal grease interceptors and multiple electric hot water generating plants were added to serve the food service spaces and corresponding amenities.

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.