Cator, Ruma & Associates was selected to provide the mechanical design and contract administration for the new Metropolitan State University of Denver Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building, which is a 4-story, 85,000-square-foot building, including classrooms, laboratories, industrial design spaces, offices, computer labs, gallery space and an open lounge/forum space.
This project included its own challenges as a high-profile building located in the heart of the Metropolitan State University campus, just across from the Pepsi Center sports arena. Careful attention to detail was necessary to make all of the mechanical systems appealing to the eye and functional at the same time. A large amount of coordination was necessary to provide an organized assembly of services within labs that contained sheet metal, heating and cooling piping, laboratory gases, domestic water piping, and all other building components.
New mechanical systems included:
- Two variable volume air handlers, with space for a third located on the roof.
- Two centrifugal water-cooled chillers and two roof-mounted cooling towers.
- Two condensing hot water boilers.
- Distribution pumps for chilled water, condenser water, and heating hot water.
- Circulation pumps located at air handlers for freeze protection.
- Dedicated hazardous exhaust systems for painting, welding, grinding, and fume hood activities.
- Dedicated dust collection system for industrial prototyping and plastic work.
- Variable volume, pressure independent air valves for critical spaces.
- Pressure independent control valves
- Direct digital controls to a central Building Automation System for the owner to track it’s building’s progress
