Project Category: Municipal/State

City of Loveland – Development Center MEP Upgrades

360 Engineering was tasked with providing comprehensive mechanical engineering solutions for upgrading the HVAC system at the Development Center in Loveland, Colorado. The project was initiated due to the receipt of federal funds aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and indoor air quality within the facility.

The project’s scope encompassed replacing multiple rooftop units (RTUs) and a heating-only furnace serving the lobby area. It also integrated DX cooling capabilities into the new furnace for improved comfort during the summer months. Additionally, the design necessitated raising all rooftop units to accommodate new roofing material, aligning with the city’s maintenance schedule.

Key components of our project scope included the provision of stamped drawings detailing the replacement of eleven (11) RTUs and the heating furnace in the basement mechanical room. Drawing specifications also entailed the installation of new raised curb adaptors for all units (including existing units that had been recently replaced) to accommodate the upcoming roof replacement.

Moreover, our plans addressed the removal of obsolete equipment on the roof, ensuring safety and optimizing space utilization. 360 also led a coordination effort with the City’s code reviewer to determine an optimal, low-cost solution to bring the roof up to code for safety—since multiple existing unit locations were too close to the roof edge without proper fall protection measures in place. Additionally, integrating all existing and new equipment into the Building Automation System (BAS) was crucial, necessitating detailed design specifications and coordination.

By delivering meticulous engineering drawings and specifications, our firm facilitated the seamless execution of the HVAC upgrade project, meeting or exceeding indoor air quality standards set forth by the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) and enhancing energy efficiency for the Development Center.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife – Area 16 Service Center

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife sought to create a sustainable and functional workspace in Gunnison for their Area 16 staff aligned with GreenGlobe certification standards. With a focus on environmental responsibility and energy efficiency, the project encompassed a 4,600-square-foot facility comprising various essential areas such as customer service counters, office spaces, conference rooms, employee amenities, and a wildlife bay.

As part of the A/E design team, 360 Engineering led the project’s mechanical and plumbing systems design to meet stringent sustainability criteria while ensuring optimal functionality. The team diligently adhered to GreenGlobes technical guidelines, collaborating closely with sustainability team members to integrate eco-friendly solutions seamlessly. Notably, the mechanical system incorporated innovative technologies, including grade-mounted DX cooled, electric resistance heated VAV packaged units with an energy recovery wheel, complemented by an advanced building automation system (BAS) to optimize energy usage and indoor comfort.

LINC – Library Innovation Center

With a design inspired by the confluence of the Cache la Poudre River and the South Platte River, the new Library Innovation Center in Greeley, Colorado, offers an experience like no other. Reading, learning, innovation, arts, and community collide in this family destination. The old 42,000-square-foot Greeley Tribune building built in 1986 was completely renovated and expanded by over 20,000 square feet to create this community hub. In addition to the river of library books, key components include a children’s exhibit, event hall, classrooms, meeting and conference rooms, woodshop, 3-D printers, soundproof music/video studio, and interactive installations.

 

On Barker Rinker Seacat’s design team, 360 Engineering provided mechanical and plumbing engineering, designing a resilient HVAC system and dividing all large pieces of equipment between the north and south sides of the building so that each side would be independent of the other. Hydronic systems were designed with an extra boiler and pump so that the system maintains full operation if a boiler or pump is not functional. The system included packaged rooftop units with VAV boxes and hot water boilers, snow melt, and compressed air for machinery entering the innovation spaces. All new domestic water and waste piping was added throughout the building, a hot water system with a hot water recirculation pump running on an occupied/unoccupied schedule, ADA-compliant plumbing fixtures, restrooms, drinking fountains, bottle fillers, administration area and warming kitchen, dishwasher, icemaker connection for refrigerator, mop service basin the janitor’s closet, washer/dryer in the receiving area, plus roof drains on the addition.

 

Ceiling space was at a premium for this project, with very limited volume available above the ceilings due to the existing structure and the client’s desired ceiling heights. The roof drain design was a particular challenge, as the existing roof slopes and structure limited the space available to route the storm drainage piping at the required slopes. 360 worked closely with the architect and contractor in the 3D Revit model to ensure that the lines could remain concealed throughout the space and accommodate the new addition as it wrapped around the existing building structure. 360 also internally coordinated all of the ductwork needed to properly ventilate and condition the various spaces with this storm drainage piping, even in high occupancy spaces like the multipurpose classroom/stage area.

 

Learn about the collaboration with Weld Community Foundation and artist Sam Wes-Bruce for a special art installation:

 

DEN B-East and C-East Concourse Expansions

360 Engineering worked with the Jacobs design team to provide plumbing engineering services, develop plans and specifications, and construction administration for the B-East and C-East concourse expansions at Denver International Airport (DEN).  The additional ten gates for Concourse B-East and sixteen for C-East will help accommodate airline growth and annual traffic increases at DEN. The C-East concourse expansion ribbon cutting took place on May 5, 2022, and the B-East ribbon cutting was on November 4, 2022.

The new 530,000-square-foot C-East portion, occupied by Southwest Airlines, is clean, bright, and expansive, with skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows (even in the restrooms at the hand washing stations), and an open-air deck, pet relief areas, comfy seating, extra charging stations, and more! The new B-East Concourse with similar features is occupied by United Airlines.

Gunnison County Library

Gunnison County Libraries was looking to replace its existing library in Gunnison, Colorado, with a new sustainable building providing flexible and functional community space. The 15,000-square-foot public facility also needed to stand up to the harsh and variable weather conditions experienced in Gunnison. The high-elevation mountain sun is intense all year round, while winter ambient temperatures in the Gunnison Valley can drop below negative 30 degrees. In addition to cold temps, deep and heavy snow is common, so careful design of the roof systems was critical to handle snow and ice.

Anderson Hallas Architects created the new library design, along with a team of engineers, sustainability consultants, and landscape designers. 360 Engineering provided mechanical and plumbing engineering services, including energy modeling and assistance in achieving sustainability goals for the project. The energy-efficient mechanical system combined geothermal ground source heat pumps and a variable air volume dedicated outside air system (VAV DOAS) with new DDC controls. The plumbing design and fixtures for the building included restrooms and a warming kitchen for events and community gatherings.

Huerfano County Judicial Center

The new Huerfano County Courthouse in Walsenburg provides this southern Colorado community with a modern, state-of-the-art judicial center while respecting the adjacent historic courthouse. Anderson Hallas Architects led the architectural and engineering design team. They began the project by conducting a thorough space planning effort involving interviews with county and district courts, clerks, probation, and mediation departments to verify current and projected needs. The data collected informed the team’s efforts in creating a building with a primary focus on safety, in-custody transport, and 21st-century court needs, with the ability to host community gatherings and celebrate the local art program.

360 Engineering designed energy-efficient mechanical and plumbing systems for the new courthouse. These systems included packaged gas-fired RTUs with VAVs and a variable-flow hydronic boiler system. Before deciding on these systems, our engineers provided the county with a first-cost versus energy usage analysis. This breakdown also outlined the benefits of each option.

The team’s unique challenge was concerning odors coming in from the surrounding train activity and other sources. 360 Engineering worked with structural engineering team member JVA to design custom wind baffles blocking most airflow from the prevailing winds and protecting the ventilation air intakes for our rooftop units.

Behind the Design – Huerfano County Judicial Center Stories • Anderson Hallas Architects • Contemporary and Historic Design (andarch.com)

South Metro Fire Rescue – Station No. 20

Providing emergency and prevention services in the Colorado counties of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson, South Metro Fire Rescue has close to 30 fire stations. Addressing the needs of a growing suburban neighborhood in Highlands Ranch, South Metro Fire Rescue constructed a new ground-up fire station, reducing response times and offering emergency resources for the nearby Backcountry Wilderness Area.

Just across from Mountain Vista High School, South Metro Fire Rescue Station 20 is an 10,000 square foot building, with three engine-bays and a mezzanine, equipment storage, fitness room, offices, living quarters and restrooms, laundry room, decontamination space, a large kitchen with commercial appliances, and a day room area to use for meeting space. With a look inspired by a 100-year-old ranch house, the beautiful red brick building with bright red doors and inviting front and side patios is an aesthetically pleasing addition to the area.

Working with the architecture and engineering design team, 360 Engineering provided mechanical and plumbing engineering design services for this new fire station. Our team specified an energy-efficient Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system with a Dedicated Outdoor-Air System (DOAS) for the mechanical portion. The VRF system offers multiple benefits. It is ductless, can heat and cool multiple zones simultaneously, and allows occupants to control the temperature in each space instead of being stuck with a limited number of heating/cooling zones. The system also uses less energy because it allows for heat recovery, extracting heat from zones that require cooling and redirecting it to zones in need of heating. It provides the exact amount of conditioning needed, operating compressors at a lower capacity, and reduces the amount of heat that is “wasted” to the outside compared to a more traditional heat pump system. In the engine bays, there are radiant tube heaters and a vehicle exhaust extraction system.

The plumbing design accommodated the three individual restrooms with showers, a public restroom, drinking fountains with bottle fillers, washing machines for general and decontamination usage, and water and gas lines to the kitchen and outdoor patio grill. In the end, the firefighters have a comfortable home away from home.

City and County of Denver – Touchless Fixtures

Looking to improve health and safety in their municipal buildings, the City and County of Denver hired 360 Engineering and their sub-consultant team to provide MEP engineering services for bid documents and cost estimates to install directly powered touchless fixtures, including toilets and urinals, restroom, and breakrooms sinks. The five public facilities were Arie P. Taylor Municipal Center, Elections Division, Minoru Yasui Building, Richard T. Castro Human Services Building, and the Wellington E. Webb Building.

To address a quick timeline, 360 Engineering’s team began immediately with a survey of the existing fixtures in each of the five buildings. The team then created a systematic action plan based on floor plans to determine the fixtures’ locations, categorizing areas into similar spaces (i.e., core restrooms, gender-neutral restrooms, break rooms, etc.). The site survey observed and documented the fixtures in a typical space, then moved onto the other similar areas, noting any fixture discrepancies. The team optimized fieldwork efficiency by focusing survey efforts on identifying the “outliers.”

360 Engineering delivered individual drawing and full book specification packages for each building, designating each unique fixture type and location and the appropriate replacement components for each fixture.

 

Read about The Future of Office Space, including additional safety measures tenants may be seeking post-pandemic.

Denver Botanic Gardens Freyer-Newman Center

The final step in the Denver Botanic Gardens four-phase master plan, the 123,000-square-foot Freyer-Newman Center, holds classrooms, four gallery spaces, an expanded library, improved laboratories, 277-seat auditorium, a more accessible herbarium, and two levels of underground parking. Designed with LEED Gold standards, this new Center for Science, Art, and Education (CSAE) plays an essential role in the community’s access to the gardens’ arts and education programs.

Led by Davis Partnership Architects, 360 Engineering provided plumbing engineering consulting and design services for the project and fire protection engineering for the underground parking garage. The CSAE Building has two laboratory spaces for General Tissue Culture and Ecology. 360 Engineering designed and specified laboratory accessories and utilities for experimentation on the laboratory benches and in hoods. The laboratory systems included a dedicated air compressor, vacuum, deionized water system, and an emergency shower.

The project scope included upgrades at the historic Boettcher Memorial Center, which presented a need for creative design solutions. The Boettcher building is a protected historic site with a unique ceiling and roof structure. The engineers used the existing architectural aesthetics, which also presented some challenges for maintaining their position and purpose while still providing the needed utilities to the site. There was on-site problem solving for routing around and maintaining the integrity of existing conditions and structure.

2021 Mayor’s Design Award Winner

North Table Mountain – Water Treatment Plant Expansion

The North Table Mountain Water Treatment Plant expansion includes a brand-new ground-up Administrative Building and capacity expansion for the water filter treatment facility. The new Administrative Building has a unique energy savings sequence for the heating and cooling HVAC system. Each tempered zone is serviced by a zone-specific water source heat pump and individually controlled with thermostats for comfort adjustment. The treatment facility has access to large quantities of treated wastewater that functions as a natural source for energy storage. The water source heat pump condenser loop either siphons from or rejects heat to the wastewater energy well through a heat exchanger, conditional on the season and temperature differential of the source water. This process provides preliminary heating and cooling from an otherwise unutilized source, thus reducing the system’s dependence on mechanically provided cooling and heating. While there are hydronic boilers for supplemental heating in winter conditions, the ability to reject heat into the wastewater energy well eliminates the need for traditional heat rejection equipment, such as a cooling tower, and the associated energy used by such equipment.

In addition to the mechanical and plumbing engineering design, 360 Engineering also performed the commissioning for the project. While any project can benefit from commissioning, it becomes even more critical for high-performance mechanical systems like this. Although the system appeared to be working at the start of commissioning, the process revealed some controls programming issues in operating conditions that may not have been seen for months. By simulating all the possible scenarios of operations, the issues could be identified and resolved before they affected the building functionality and before the contractors demobilized, rather than a drawn-out warranty call in the middle of summer with a hot building.