BEREA, KY
Whole Building Commissioning
Daylighting transfers natural light from the large curtainwall and custom windows. We measured and monitored these lighting levels to ensure the systems respond appropriately to changing natural conditions.
MARGARET A. CARGILL NATURAL SCIENCES & HEALTH BUILDING
BEREA COLLEGE
BEREA, KY
When Berea College started thinking about a new natural sciences and health building, the school envisioned a state-of-theart instructional facility providing advanced science and nursing laboratories, interactive learning spaces, collaborative spaces, and a planetarium.
Curtainwall also provides transparency for large social events or spontaneous collaboration.
above: Testing of custom building envelope components and systems is crucial as laboratory certificates for systems are based on small samplings of regular offerings, and the additional lengths, materials, or specialized operation can impact a custom unit’s performance. Paladin’s multiple rounds of testing ensured they performed to design specifications with no water infiltration.
THE PROJECT
The college wanted to ensure building performance for the Natural Sciences and Health Building. The building envelope system required special attention because of its role in humidity control with the chilled beam mechanical systems. The entire scope included commissioning of all building systems, lab systems, and process systems.
right: Safe fume hood operations rely on properly air-balanced labs to prevent hazardous fumes from entering the workspace. Paladin’s component- and systemlevel testing and retesting addressed deficiencies, equipment failures, and programming tuning.
The desired outcomes from commissioning this project included:
• Providing a safe and healthy facility.
• Optimizing energy use.
• Reducing operating costs.
• Ensuring O&M staff orientation and training.
• Improving installed building systems documentation.
THE WORK
Beginning in early design, Paladin worked with Berea and the design team to identify robust Owner’s Project Requirements. From early design reviews through warranty phase performance reviews, system performance was verified and corrective action items taken. During testing, an initial failure of the custom-manufactured windows required the manufacturer, installing contractor, construction manager, commissioning provider, and owner representatives to work in conjunction to identify the sources of water leakage. Field modifications as well as proper manufacturer installation details allowed the showpiece windows to be functional as well as beautiful.
above: Larger volumes encourage community, but present challenges in airflow distribution, thermal comfort, thermal loads, and solar loading. Paladin’s commissioning kept them to a minimum, highlighting its importance to insure properly functioning air, thermal, and water barrier systems.
For the mechanical systems, the interplay between the central plant chilled water supply and chilled beam operating conditions required significant coordination to meet the required differential pressure setpoint for the equipment to function properly.
above: The systems in the transparent laboratory space required top-to-bottom commissioning in all states: normal, emergency, and failed.
THE IMPACT
All desired outcomes for the project were successfully achieved. The facility now operates as a safe, healthy environment that optimizes energy use while significantly reducing operating costs.
To ensure a seamless transition, Paladin provided Berea’s maintenance staff with customdesigned system overview training sessions.
above: When properly operating and well-maintained, chilled-beam, forced-air and induction systems provide high-energy efficiency but can create condensation; Paladin verified valve and sensor performance to help prevent high-humidity conditions.
Alongside this hands-on orientation, we delivered comprehensive closeout documents, including:
• Detailed systems manuals and ongoing commissioning plans .
• Complete equipment inventory lists.
• Equipment-specific preventative maintenance schedules .
BEREA COLLEGE CARGILL
image courtesy of Berea College.
Reflecting Berea’s dedication to leadership in sustainability, the project achieved LEED Gold certification .
Today, the facility stands not only as a model of modern efficiency but also as an inspiration for future innovators: it proudly houses the Nobel Prize medal won by alumnus John B. Fenn ’37 for his groundbreaking work in chemistry.
image courtesy of Berea College.
ABOUT US
We coined Game changer in building systems TM because of our solid commitment to your building’s potential. Founded in 1986, Paladin is a woman-owned business that harnessed our engineering roots to deliver strategic commissioning, sustainability, and directto-owner engineering services for new and existing facilities.
The Paladin difference is a team that tells you the truth with good intent allowing you to leave status quo behind.
As paladins, we support your project, defend your goals, and champion your building’s success.
We are committed to reducing carbon emissions in every project by more than 10% through operational improvements, embodied carbon awareness, and properly operating systems.
