Bowman was responsible for the MEP engineering for the new three-story 95,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Elementary and Middle School. The new school is equipped with cutting-edge science, art and music labs, even several mindfulness and communal spaces. The project was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The systems were designed to optimize energy performance (19 points, 49% energy savings) and earned all possible energy savings points.
The majority of the building, including the classrooms and administration areas, are served by 100% dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) rooftop air handling units. These units include gas heating, direct expansion cooling, 3A energy recovery wheels, and advanced controls including dehumidification and economizer sequences. The purposes of these units is to provide only the ventilation needed at a neutral air temperature (75F) to each space. This saves energy by eliminating the over-ventilation issues common in most VAV systems.
The gymnasium, auditorium, dining area, and media center are each served by a dedicated single zone variable air volume rooftop air handling unit. These units include gas heating, direct expansion cooling, energy recovery wheels, and advanced controls including CO2 sensors and demand control ventilation. The primary means of heating and cooling each space is by an air sourced variable refrigerant flow system. This system can provide individual zone temperature control while sharing energy between zones. Energy sharing includes sending heat to zones in heating mode from other zones in cooling mode located on the same system. This form of energy recovery saves compressor energy while still providing adequate cooling and heating to the building.