What trends do specifying engineers see on college campuses?
Five engineers discuss current and future trends in college and university building design
Learning Objectives
- Understand what trends are driving design changes in college and university buildings.
- Identify key environmental considerations for these projects.
- Learn specific challenges that come with designing buildings for college campuses.
University insights
- University buildings should be future-proofed to account for changes in the student body and updated environmental goals.
- Challenges in designing these projects often come from space and time limitations, especially when retrofitting buildings.
- Matthew Goss, PE, PMP, CEM, CEA, CDSM, LEED AP, MEP + Energy practice leaders, CDM Smith, Latham, N.Y.
- Abdullah Khaliqi, PE, CPQ, Academic market leader, Fitzmeyer & Tocci Associates, Inc, Woburn, Mass.
- Stephanie Lafontaine, PE, LEED BD+C, Lead mechanical engineer, RMF Engineering, Boston
- John Mongelli, PE, Associate, Kohler Ronan Consulting Engineers, Danbury, Conn.
- Jeff Wurmlinger, PE, HDR, Mechanical Section Leader, Pheonix
What’s the biggest trend in college and university buildings?
Matthew Goss: The biggest trends I’m seeing in college and university buildings are in support of carbon neutrality goals. Designs incorporate more efficient and sustainable design components. Whether we’re talking new facilities or renovations, sustainability and efficiency are key to future campus and facility success.
Stephanie Lafontaine: Engineers should expect to see a continued trend toward more stringent energy efficiency requirements and electrification as colleges and universities strive to meet their decarbonization and energy reduction goals.
Jeff Wurmlinger: One of the biggest trends we are experiencing is the repurposing of buildings, especially as the industry continues to look for opportunities to reduce the carbon impact of projects. Existing buildings typically provide the least amount of embodied carbon generation during construction. They often offer the opportunity to improve the operational carbon impacts with wholesale system improvements that increase energy efficiency. We highly recommend undertaking a study that captures the existing conditions and evaluates the building for new use before the design. Studies include physical constraints posed by the building (such as low floor-to-floor heights, complex structural elements and move-in-move-out pathways), utility capacities (electrical service, domestic water supply, chilled water, heating hot water and steam services) and structural loading considerations.
What future trends should engineers expect for such projects?
Jeff Wurmlinger: Many campuses are implementing ambitious carbon reduction goals or carbon neutral strategies that often impact, or completely reimagine, the campus utilities distribution. Typically, the challenge is to address how energy is generated and to identify the carbon impact. Considerations should also include the fuel requirements to generate the utility electricity. Additionally, there should be an understanding of whether the selected equipment can change to an all-electric design without chance of failure or if the building can employ or support the installation of photovoltaic panels, converting solar thermal energy into electricity. We have learned that in certain geographic areas with elevated extreme temperatures, electronics and controls on the all-electric air-cooled equipment will turn the equipment. Studies have found that the electronics on the control panels of these pieces of equipment cannot handle the high temperatures and safeties are triggered to preserve the equipment.
How do changes or new designs from COVID-19 still impact these buildings and projects?
Matthew Goss: Recent designs have incorporated COVID-related precautions, such as enhanced air filtration, UV, plasma ionization and the capability for systems to provide 100% outside air. I expect these technologies to remain, and I anticipate the development and refinement of additional solutions.
Abdullah Khaliqi: Changes or new designs stemming from COVID-19 continue to impact buildings and projects significantly. Ventilation has become a crucial aspect, as people are still very interested in meeting health guidelines. Enhanced air filtration systems, increased fresh air intake and the integration of advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies are now standard considerations to ensure healthier indoor air quality. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on energy efficiency. Modern systems are designed to optimize air quality while minimizing energy consumption to balance health concerns with sustainability goals. This dual focus not only helps mitigate the spread of airborne pathogens but also improves overall indoor air quality and energy efficiency, contributing to occupant well-being and comfort.
John Mongelli: Post-COVID design is minimal. MERV 13 filters represent the only remarkable standard still being implemented following the pandemic.
Jeff Wurmlinger: During the pandemic, our industry was challenged to re-think designs for building ventilation and identify technologies or design strategies that can assist with “cleaning the air.” ASHRAE established an Epidemic Task Force, which provided design and operational recommendations that have proven to be effective beyond the pandemic. Ventilation is no longer solely a mechanical engineering concern, but also an architectural one. Making significant design changes in air delivery within buildings cannot be achieved without our partner architects. Designing a building with underfloor air distribution or displacement ventilation requires collaboration across the entire multi-disciplinary team. Effective ventilation requires a unified understanding of how ventilation efficiency and the movement of “dirty air” within spaces work. We have seen increasingly more architects be agile in their designs to support a better indoor environment. However, while the recommendations focus on delivering more and cleaner air to the occupied zone, there have been negative energy impacts, specifically when the ASHRAE recommendations and LEED Credits encourage over-ventilating a space to improve indoor air quality. Increased outside air ventilation has a direct correlation to higher cooling and heating demands of the building.
If enrollment continues to decrease, what changes do you anticipate seeing?
Abdullah Khaliqi: If enrollment continues to decrease, we anticipate seeing a shift toward renovation over new construction. Minimizing the carbon footprint is at the front of most people’s minds, and embodied carbon is being discussed more. Fewer new buildings mean less embodied carbon, so renovation becomes a more attractive option. Renovation projects often focus on improving energy efficiency in existing structures, further aligning with sustainability goals and reducing overall environmental impact. Clear sustainability goals and reduced environmental impacts are anticipated to be significant enrollment considerations for new students in a competitive selection process.
John Mongelli: We have not witnessed a decline in enrollment. As a matter of fact, the opposite appears to be true among many of the higher education institutions we work with. In recent years, these institutions have built new housing to accommodate the growing number of students.
How are engineers designing these kinds of projects to keep costs down while offering appealing features, complying with relevant codes and meeting client needs?
Matthew Goss: I believe engineers are typically cost-conscious and consistently face the challenge of balancing budgets with needs, requirements and wants.
Abdullah Khaliqi: Engineers carefully consider energy costs and utility incentives when selecting new equipment to keep costs down and offer appealing features. By focusing on energy-efficient systems, engineers can reduce operational expenses and take advantage of available incentives. Incorporating energy-efficient technologies not only lowers costs but also ensures compliance with environmental standards and enhances the project’s overall sustainability. This approach balances initial investment with long-term savings and performance.
Stephanie Lafontaine: College and university buildings are being designed to be more energy efficient by meeting requirements for LEED, Passive House, Living Building Challenge and other “green” standards. This includes high-performance envelopes, dedicated outdoor air systems with energy recovery, heat recovery chillers, LED lighting, low-flow fixtures and domestic hot water recirculation.
John Mongelli: Keeping costs down is a challenge. The installation costs for mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems have gone up significantly in recent years. At the same time, institutions wish to monitor more points (energy, water, etc.) than they have in the past. Minimizing ductwork and piping distribution along with centralizing major equipment has typically provided the optimal cost-cutting solution.
Jeff Wurmlinger: It is very rare to work on a project that is not budget-conscious. While keeping the owner’s scope, requirements and goals in mind, we will always be mindful of cost. All projects are subjected to a rigorous Life Cycle Cost Analysis and energy modeling to support the team’s decisions throughout the design process. While some Authorities Having Jurisdiction may accept waiver requests to review and modify industry codes, we typically do not seek opportunities to bypass the code. When the client is not familiar with a design, we generate materials and organize formal conversations to assist clients in making an informed decision. Depending on the project type and delivery method, if they are not already a part of the team, we recommend hiring a construction manager to assist with estimating costs, assessing regional trade skill levels, ensuring availability of materials and identifying efficiencies in construction. Additionally, engineers are still facing challenges that surfaced during the pandemic, including equipment lead times. Long lead times can impact the feasibility of certain design considerations due to the availability of materials. This additional constraint typically affects the design and also deliverable packaging and construction duration.
How are college and university buildings being designed to be more energy efficient?
Matthew Goss: College and university buildings are being designed with systems that enable decarbonization. They include high-efficiency equipment and utilize technologies for carbon reduction. For example, more geothermal heat pump systems are being implemented, and campuses are adopting the next generation of thermal energy systems.
Abdullah Khaliqi: Passive Haus concepts are becoming more common in new project designs. Minimizing wall openings to the exterior and ensuring buildings are well-insulated makes a significant difference in energy efficiency. These strategies reduce heat loss and gain, leading to lower energy consumption for heating and cooling. Using high-performance building envelope components, advanced ventilation systems and energy-efficient lighting further enhances the overall energy efficiency of these buildings, aligning with sustainability goals and reducing operational costs.
John Mongelli: When designing academic buildings, we look to find energy efficiency via enhancing building envelopes that go beyond code minimum performance, implementing energy recovery and monitoring energy and water consumption. These have become standard industry practices.
Jeff Wurmlinger: For most new construction, there are fewer challenges in achieving a more efficient building design. We can control the glazing, walls, roofs, vapor barriers and overall tightness of the building. This approach enables design teams to pursue more energy-efficient designs and focus on managing internal loads. While we have experienced opportunities in existing buildings to improve their overall efficiencies, there are often other considerations based on many varying factors including, but not limited to; existing infrastructure, building floor-to-floor height, building envelope tightness, glazing properties and using distributed campus utilities.
![Large windows and natural lights are the highlights of this integrated science-learning building. Courtesy: Fitzmeyer & Tocci, Inc.](https://cfemedia1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/CSE2409_MAG_MEP_Figure2-scaled-e1726176296401.jpg)
Large windows and natural lights are the highlights of this integrated science-learning building. Courtesy: Fitzmeyer & Tocci, Inc.
What is the biggest challenge you come across when designing such projects?
Matthew Goss: Working within existing spaces, dealing with infrastructure with limited room and phasing projects in an overall campus master plan or active campus site always present challenges. Projects must be designed to minimize disruption to campus activities as much as possible during construction.
Abdullah Khaliqi: The biggest challenge we encounter when designing such projects is the electrical service size, which is a common limiting factor for renovation projects. Reducing gas-fired equipment generally means the heat load needs to be produced via electric heat, which may not have been factored into the original electrical service size. This necessitates upgrading the electrical infrastructure, which can be costly and complex. Additionally, incorporating energy-efficient systems and technologies requires careful planning to ensure that the existing electrical capacity can support the new demands without compromising performance or compliance with energy efficiency standards. Balancing these requirements while keeping costs manageable is a significant challenge in renovation projects.
John Mongelli: Cost and the availability of electrical equipment, such as switchgear and generators, pose the biggest challenge today. This equipment can have lead times over 52 weeks. To address availability issues, the design engineer may need to make certain assumptions during the schematic design phase, often before the program is fully developed. Ordering equipment this early in the process is inherently challenging.
How has your team incorporated technology into school buildings? What unique engineered systems have you designed related to this technology request?
John Mongelli: Requests for net-zero schools have provided us the opportunity to use the latest system technologies on the market. To achieve these net-zero goals, we have implemented geothermal well fields serving ground-source heat pumps for building conditioning and domestic hot water production. We have also coupled high-demand ventilation systems with bi-polar ionization to optimize ventilation rates. Powering this equipment and the building with large solar panel arrays is essential for meeting the stringent net-zero requirements. Proper monitoring of all systems and data logging through the building’s management system have allowed additional adjustments to be made after project completion, further reducing energy consumption.
What innovative ways are colleges and universities including building systems to assist with coursework?
John Mongelli: Typically, we are incorporating various forms of energy recovery, including fume-hood exhaust heat recovery with specialized run-around loops. Research classrooms adhere to strict system requirements that enable and enhance the coursework. For example, we have designed faraday cages inside the envelope of brain research rooms to eliminate any electromagnetic interference from surrounding building systems.
How are engineering systems in university buildings designed to accommodate future expansion and adaptability?
Matthew Goss: Systems are being designed with the future in mind. We typically design systems with additional capacity or the ability to be expanded. For example, systems are being created so that they can be incorporated into or adapted for next-generation energy distribution systems.
Abdullah Khaliqi: Engineering systems in university buildings are designed with expansion in mind when considering electrical service size. Instead of the traditional 15% spare capacity, it is now common to design with 25% or more space capacity to accommodate future technologies. This approach ensures that the buildings can adapt to evolving energy-efficient technologies and increasing electrical demands. Additionally, systems are often designed with modular components and flexible layouts, allowing for easy upgrades and the integration of new, energy-efficient equipment as it becomes available, thereby enhancing the building’s long-term sustainability and operational efficiency.
Jeff Wurmlinger: The more information that a college or university can provide about future changes, the more informed the team is to tailor the design to their aspirations. However, we cannot broadly apply this approach to all projects due to potential capital cost impacts. We strive to deliver the requested expansion and flexibility while sharing the cost-benefit ratios to support the clients’ decisions. Modular designs in distribution, which provide space allowances, can use the overall system diversity to support flexibility. Additionally, modular capacity in equipment can allow for future expansion, increased capacity (with proper infrastructure design), enhanced reliability and often provide fault tolerance.
What are the considerations for designing accessible and inclusive engineering features in university buildings?
John Mongelli: We have designed dormitories to include charging stations for mobility scooters and elevators with backup power systems. We have also outfitted dorm rooms with video calling and visual doorbells for the hearing impaired. The goal is to allow all students to enjoy the same access to the college experience.
What are engineers doing to ensure such projects (both new and existing structures) meet challenges associated with emerging technologies?
John Mongelli: We are having conversations with the owner early in the design process to develop expectations and educate them on the latest technologies. We establish expected system life spans so they can budget for equipment repair and replacement 10, 15 or 20 years down the line. Similarly, we request feedback from the owner’s maintenance staff as early in the design phases as possible and discuss the best approaches to training that staff, especially if it is a new technology to the campus.
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