Dedicated to “finding renewable and energy-efficient solutions, highlighting technologies and systems designed to increase the viability of sustainably powered vehicles,” NREL’s Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF) was built to support research on building energy systems, utility grids, renewable energy sources, and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). A 2,800-square-foot pre-manufactured structure, it features four bays (three passenger, one heavy vehicle); one 50kW DC fast PEV charger; three outdoor AC Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment units; a wireless vehicle charging station; separate shop facilities for electronics fabrication, machining, and welding; AC and DC bus lines, and 24 locking high-power outlets to accommodate future EV charging components or renewable energy systems. The VTIF site also provides a south-facing, secure test pad for multiple concurrent light and heavy vehicle thermal soak tests and stationary HVAC load tests. At 10,000 square feet, the test pad can accommodate thermal testing of up to six Class 8 trucks. Designed to LEED Gold standards, though the client did not pursue certification, the VTIF incorporates sustainable features, including daylighting, increased insulation in the prefabricated walls and roof panels, and a solar wall, a passive exterior wall that pre-heats the outside air used for ventilation in winter thereby reducing the heating load on the building.
Project Category: Federal
GSA – Denver Federal Center – Building 67
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is the primary tenant of Building 67, occupying approximately 90% of the 372,000-square-foot office building. Building 67 was built in 1967 and is comprised of 14 floors and a penthouse. The General Services Administration (GSA) was looking to consolidate employees within Building 67, and possibly relocate 50 to 100 employees from Building 56 into Building 67. A study was completed to review existing spaces and evaluate where layout and configuration options were possible in Building 67. As part of the study, 360 Engineering conducted a full building assessment of mechanical and plumbing systems.
National Park Service – Mesa Verde National Park
Located in Southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is known for its archeological sites and Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings. The park is open year-round and sees over 500,000 visitors annually. To meet the needs of guests and season staff members during the peak summer season, the National Park Service procured an Architectural and Engineering design team to upgrade and expand restroom facilities around the park.
The Hogan Comfort Station, used as restrooms and bathing facilities for seasonal employees, received upgrades to the roof, doors, finishes, fixtures, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Improvements to the Picnic Area Comfort Station, which had been closed for approximately ten years, included architectural, engineering, and site upgrades. Minor aesthetic upgrades and the addition of isolation valves for partial winterization were added to the Headquarters Restrooms.
National Park Service – Grand Canyon National Park, Bright Angel Trailhead
Bright Angel, Grand Canyon National Park’s highest-volume trailhead, serves thousands of day hikers, overnight hikers, mule riders, shuttle bus riders, and rim walkers on a typical summer day. To better serve a higher visitor volume, this project implemented a variety of facility improvements, including a new plaza, visitor facilities, and sustainably designed comfort stations that minimize impacts on the fragile landscape.
360 Engineering designed mechanical and plumbing systems, using electric radiant heat to keep pipes from freezing for two new restroom buildings, a janitor’s room, and an exterior drinking fountain.
National Park Service – Truman Farm
Part of the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site in Independence, Missouri, the Truman Family Farm represents a 10-acre portion of the 600-acre farm purchased by Harry Truman’s maternal grandfather, Solomon Young, in 1867. A two-story, three-bay farmhouse built in 1894 in the center of the working farm is where the future President Truman lived and worked from the ages of 22 to 33 years old. Previously restored to its early twentieth-century appearance, the house features approximately 1,900 square feet of living space. The mission of Harry S Truman National Historic Site is to “preserve resources and interpret the broad life experience of President Truman.”
The project goal was to analyze and document conditions of the Truman Farm buildings and immediate landscape, as well as to provide suggestions on making the site a unified visitor experience. 360 Engineering prepared a Historic Structures Report (HSR) for the main farmhouse and two out-buildings based on analysis of existing mechanical and plumbing systems, including a geothermal system in the main house. The HSR correlated and documented all pertinent research for each structure and provided treatment options.
Centers for Disease Control – Laboratory Buildout
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with multiple Divisions around the country, including one in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (DVBID) lab focuses on viral and bacterial diseases transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas, providing diagnostic assistance for samples received from around the world. The lab facilities are specialized, to support research, and ensure biological safety.
This project was a buildout of shelled space for the 1st and 2nd floors within Building 401. It was initially designed to be a laboratory space with 100% outside air and exhaust. The design worked within the existing mechanical infrastructure to convert the space to offices. Project challenges included maintaining the proper air pressure relationships between the office space and adjacent laboratory spaces. The use of air-locks between areas was utilized for maintaining correct pressure levels between the spaces. Air balancing and coordination with the building automation system was required to open/close dampers based on operating modes of the building, including occupied, unoccupied, and emergency modes.
National Park Service – Apostle Islands
At the northern tip of Wisconsin, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore consists of 21 islands and 12 miles of nearby Lake Superior shoreline. Nine lighthouses line the shore, casting their beams of light onto the vast lake. For the rehabilitation and renovation of seven of these historic lighthouses — on Long Island, Sand Island, Outer Island, Michigan Island, and Devils Island – 360 Engineering provided design for all new mechanical systems.
To meet the stringent requirements of the net-zero energy buildings, the design incorporated sustainable features such as running the ventilation for humidity control, which maintains structural integrity with a combination of direct current (DC) power, solar power, and battery.
National Park Service – George Rogers Clark Memorial
Constructed in the 1930s to honor George Rogers Clark, this circular granite building consists of a 40-ft. high rotunda with a glass ceiling. The interior features seven historically significant murals, along with three of Clark’s quotations.
To address a failing mechanical system, 360 Engineering provided analysis and design for new mechanical systems. The granite walls posed a unique challenge, as they did not allow new chases for routing conduits, pipe, or ductwork. Several solutions were explored: replacement of the existing steam boilers and reuse of the existing steam lines; new high-efficiency heating water boilers and reuse of the existing steam lines as hydronic lines; converting the building to electrical power, and a new geothermal system.
With the design team’s input on the pros and cons of each option, the client decided on a new geothermal system, which entailed the creation of (18) 300-feet-deep boreholes, installed in an archaeologically clear area south of the memorial.
National Park Service – Noland Home
Built in three stages between 1858 and 1910, the Noland Home is linked to the beginning of Harry Truman’s romance with his future wife, Bess Wallace. The interior was completely gutted and renovated, including new, more efficient plumbing and electrical systems – while maintaining the home’s original architectural features. 360 Engineering assessed and designed new mechanical systems that provide high performance while assimilating with the structure’s historic elements.
National Park Service – Natural Bridges National Monument
Utah’s Natural Bridges National Monument features three natural rock bridges formed by erosion caused by water flowing through the canyons. 360 Engineering designed a new mechanical system for the existing onsite pump house, supporting the replacement of common domestic and fire protection piping, and specifying equipment for the replacement of the booster pumps and fire pump.
