Project Relevance

· Design/Build Central Cooling and Heating System
· Strict Temperature & Humidity Control
· Monumental / Historic Building
· Retrofit Existing Air Handling Units

Project Description

 

 

 


Provided a follow on design with detailed air side distribution that used the chiller plant called for in our study. This chiller plant, concealed on Cathedral grounds, uses ice storage tanks to shift load away from expensive peak times. Our design used two air handling units, located in the Cathedral towers, installed in the 1970's and never used. Design provided major modifications to the existing AHU's including new coils, controls, and outside air connections.

The design provided cooling in areas east of the Nave, including the Choir and Sanctuary. Our design concealed new equipment in areas that had previously not been conditioned. The existing heating systems were replaced with new and larger AHU's, providing heating and cooling from the sub-crypt level to the main floor.

A requirement of the design was maintaining strict temperature and humidity ranges to protect various artifacts in the Cathedral. Tapestries, wood, and plaster work had been damaged in the unconditioned

 

 

Prepared study of the heating and air conditioning systems for the National Cathedral, notorious for uncomfortable conditions during the summer. This project provides for the first central cooling system for the historic facility. Our study recommended a chiller plant to provide conditioned air to the main portion of the Cathedral, the Nave.

spaces. Constant temperature and humidity must be maintained for the optimum acoustical output of the sensitive pipe organ.

The air-handling units help circulate the chilled air through the cathedral. The design provides for maintaining conditions during load variations, such as events during which the Cathedral would be at full capacity and extra lighting used during media coverage.

The Northwest Washington church is now one of the few Gothic-style cathedrals in the world to have both central heating and air conditioning and is now used year round for State weddings, funerals, concerts and other National events.

©2007 Summer Consultants, Inc.