Challenges / Solutions |

The budget and schedule were tight and contractors were brought in early to assist with planning and design. The building is on a steep hillside making the structural design challenging. The building also utilizes geothermal heat and cooling.

Sustainable designs for this project include:

• The majority of the building is heated and cooled by means of horizontal geothermal heat pumps. A horizontal geothermal field is the heat exchanger.
• The garage and perimeter of first and second floor utilize radiant floor heating. The radiant system utilizes two water-to-water heat pumps which are connected to the geothermal loop.
• Ventilation air for the building utilizes a dedicated outdoor air unit which includes a total energy recovery heat wheel. In addition to the heat wheel, a water-to-water heat pump and coil is also included in the outdoor air unit for tempering the air.
• The computer server room air conditioning units utilize the "Glycool" system which essentially is a water side free cooling system.

The fire protection system for the building has many components. The building is served by rural water, and although the service has adequate pressure, it lacks the ability to maintain the necessary flow required for fire protection. Therefore a 25,000 gallon below grade, reinforced fiberglass storage tank was installed. In addition, a vertical turbine fire pump and submerged jockey pump were also included. The majority of the building is connected to the wet sprinkler system. However, the garage, electrical room, and generator room are connected to a dry pipe system. A small compressor was added to serve that system.

The computer server room is protected by both a clean agent system, as well as a double interlock pre-action system (DIPS). A VESDA air sampling system and smoke detectors for provide detection and control activation of the fire protection systems.