Challenges / Solutions |

The large, two-story wood structure required additional fire protection. The second floor had to be a rated fire structure, with drywall on the underside to seal the wood structure. Because of the tight floor to ceiling dimensions, ductwork had to be routed in the joist space, penetrating the drywall. At every penetration, in and out, a radiation damper had to be installed to prevent heat from radiating through the duct to avoid superheating the wood structure. There were approximately 100 dampers installed. The attic space had much the same issue. Any duct penetrations into the attic had to be fully enclosed in a drywall chase to the roof deck. A dry sprinkler system also was installed in the attic.

Air handlers were used to service the common areas for better energy efficiency than furnaces. The large duct runs located in the basement had very little corridor space available and much coordination was required to get all the trades installed while maintaining sufficient headroom down the corridor.

Individual apartments have stand-alone PTAC units for heating and cooling.

A small generator was installed to protect kitchen appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, as well as provide power to the sewage ejectors and sump pumps.