by Abdullah Khaliqi
Filling the role of owner’s engineer, Fitzemeyer & Tocci Associates, Inc. (F&T) played a crucial role in the project to upgrade ventilation and bring cooling to labs, classrooms, corridors, and offices in Rubenstein Hall on the Wentworth Institute of Technology campus in Boston. Upgrading the HVAC system, meeting energy efficiency goals, and leveraging existing infrastructure were all considerations as the project moved forward. F&T’s role involves a blend of technical expertise, a deep understanding of energy efficiency programs, and close collaboration with the owner to upgrades that met defined standards and aligned with long-term goals.
Designing an Upgraded HVAC System
With a clear understanding of the existing conditions, gained from field investigations, F&T collaborated with Wentworth to design an upgraded HVAC system that would leverage the existing steam distribution on campus, improve ventilation and bring cooling to areas that are sometimes uncomfortable for space users.
Challenges of Current Use
One of the most significant challenges F&T faced was the variable load that was caused by the jet engine laboratory within Rubenstein. A classroom session has a very different heat load than a lab session that includes firing a jet engine within space for a period of time. F&T had to size equipment serving the room so that it could comfortably cool when the jet engine was being tested but could still dial down to support a regular class session without over cooling the space.
Equipment Challenges
Other challenges to design included the equipment and programming of equipment. Multiple Fan Coil Units (FCUs) were received from the factory with burnt out motors and FCUs with working motors seemed to be operating more than anticipated. A commissioning effort was undertaken to quantify motor issues and delve into equipment operation. It was determined that FCUs with working motors were programmed with a 1-degree deadband (the range of temperature where the system remains unchanged). Wentworth Institute of Technology has a campus standard of a 4-degree deadband. Upon making that programming correction and replacing motors determined to be faulty, the system functioned as expected from the design.
Abdullah Khaliqi
Fitzemeyer & Tocci Associates, Inc. plays a key role in helping navigate spaces with unique uses and developing approaches that ensure user comfort across a variety of activities. The established relationship that Wentworth maintains with F&T as the owner’s engineer demonstrates the power of partnerships in advancing sustainability and infrastructure development.
As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, evolving codes, and new reporting requirements, these efforts highlight the important role of engineering firms in driving positive change and shaping sustainable spaces.
Abdullah Khaliqi, PE, MCCPO, CPQ is principal, academic market leader at Fitzemeyer & Tocci Associates, Inc.
