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South Chiller Plant Addition
South Chiller Mechanical Plant - University of Virginia The University of Virginia retained the architecture and engineering team to design a new stand-alone mechanical plant connected to the existing 4,550 ton South Chiller Plant and 16,200 ton Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. This plant serves critical loads in the rapidly expanding Health Care and Medical Research (MR) area on campus. The new two-story building was designed for an ultimate capacity of 6,000 tons, with an initial installation of 4,000 tons of electric centrifugal chillers. The plant is located in the area between the MR-4 building and the existing South Chiller Plant and TES tank. Due to the close proximity to the existing MR-4 Building, it was important that the new chiller plant be contextual but also aesthetically pleasing to view. The architectural design consists of a masonry and curtainwall envelope to house the chillers and pumps. Corrugated metal-panels connect the two primary masonry masses, accentuating the stair tower and service zone. The exterior north and south facades were organized into bays consisting of face brick with a precast base, banding, sills and coping. Exterior glazing on the second level of the north and south elevations provide a significant amount of natural light into the structure. Overhead coiling doors provide direct and convenient access to the first level chillers. At the roof level, stainless steel mesh screens allow sufficient ventilation for the cooling towers and serve as a protective screen for the equipment. The design team was also charged with developing creative solutions for the following:
The project involved several major challenges, the most significant of which was finding space to locate the plant in this congested part of campus. The form of the building was shaped by the triangular site as it sits gracefully in the pocket formed by existing buildings. A curved wall encloses the building entrance and stair tower to soften the edge of the site and provide an architectural backdrop for the adjacent neighborhood. In an effort to minimize the footprint of the building and resulting land area required, the plant was configured with the chillers on level one, pumps and other supporting equipment in an open mechanical space on the second level and cooling towers on the roof. Another challenge was how to integrate this new plant with an existing 4,500 ton plant nearby such that these two plants and the TES operated as one. To accomplish this goal, the design incorporates a common primary loop connection between the plants and consolidated distribution pumps in one location by means of a pipe bridge that connects to the existing plant. A third challenge involved the environmental impact of the plant on the surrounding buildings. The adjacent MR-4 building contains sophisticated MRI equipment that is very sensitive to vibration and rotating devices. Additionally, the new plant is in close proximity to a residential area. The design team strategically located the facilities and major equipment to minimize the impact on the MRI and the cooling towers were designed with extensive noise reduction devices to mitigate the impact on the neighborhood.
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