Burbank Hall, Santa Rosa Junior College
Dual-duct multi-zone systems are an HVAC system from a bygone era. The systems had a number of benefits, including high ventilation rates and precise temperature control. They were quite popular for a time when energy, and sheet metal, were cheap. As the price of energy increased these systems were forcibly retired by Federal and State Building Codes. However, there are a number of these systems still in operation today.
When Santa Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Hall dual duct system decided to retire itself, the College called on 15000 Inc. to solve the replacement challenges.
The first challenge was to design a custom air handler that could align with the existing roof openings. Since the new custom unit was much heavier than the original, an engineered structural support system had to be designed, above the roof, to avoid impacting the architecturally significant spaces below.
The location of the unit was shielded by large, beautiful trees that had grown up around the building. Our engineers consulted with an arborist to ensure that the new unit could be hoisted into position without damaging these heritage trees or their root systems.
Lastly, the entire construction project had to be constructed during the spring break to avoid impacting class schedules. 15000 Inc. collaborated closely with the contractors and the college to ensure the project was completed on time.
