Summer Consultants provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design services as part of a multi-discipline team for the design of the $7,698,000 Pace West School in Gainesville, Virginia. The single-story, 39,998 SF special education school contains 19 classrooms for grades K – 12. Additional areas include a media center, a combination gymnasium and cafeteria, a work and family studies room, a science room, administrative offices, and resource spaces. The project received the Outstanding Design Award by American School & University in 2012 for the category Specialized Facility.
Summer Consultants designed the HVAC mechanical system, providing an air-cooled chilled water system with horizontal fan coil units located above the ceiling for individual zone control. The design includes variable frequency drives for rooftop units and ventilation controls with CO2 sensors.
The electrical design includes a new 1200A, 480 volt, three-phase, four-wire building service switchboard. Other electrical design features include new site lighting and interior lighting below the IECC allowance. The design also includes a 35kW diesel generator for emergency power backup.
The plumbing design includes a 120 gallon storage tank and 16kW electric hot water heater serving two gymnasium showers, one cafeteria, two science classrooms, 19 general classrooms, and 20 toilet rooms. The stormwater drainage design included an emergency overflow drainage system with six visible overflow downspouts located strategically around the building.