Constructed in 1974, the US Tax Court Building is a modern, monumental 215,000 SF Federal Courthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in downtown northwest Washington, DC the building houses three courtrooms, a four-story atrium, judges offices, and support spaces. By including temporary chillers, the construction was successfully completed while the building remained occupied.

The building occupants have experienced temperature control problems since the building opened in 1975. The initial project scope from GSA included the design of separate construction packages for air handling system modifications and refrigeration plant changes as well as a study of the entire HVAC system. The study resulted in modifying the project scope to include improving air outlets and zone temperature control. Summer Consultants developed four separate construction document sets totaling $8.5 million, each addressing one of the identified problems.

The design reduces power consumption by 16% and purchased steam for heating by 26%. The overall annual energy savings is approximately 20%, resulting in an annual utility cost reduction of 23%.

The project received three awards from industry organizations in recognition of the energy savings and occupied construction.