Seven Mechanical Rooms Serve School

A team meeting area features four privacy seating pods designed as booths with high backs. Two three-person booths and a table form a six-person meeting area, and two single-person pods serve two-person gatherings.

indoor environmental quality of the space by increasing the outdoor-air ventilation rates to 30% above the minimum outdoor air required by ASHRAE 62.1-2007. This was done by implementing construction air-quality management plans and practices, as well as by specifying and installing low-emitting materials. MADGI stipulated the use of low-e adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, flooring, composite wood, and furniture. In fact, CodeGreen performed indoor air-quality testing after construction was complete, to demonstrate that the level of air-quality parameters were within accepted LEED limits. These included levels of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), airborne particulate matter (PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO). These items enabled the project to win 11 points for Indoor Environmental Quality (out of 17). Spaces that provide good indoor-air quality protect the health and comfort of occupants, enhance productivity, and decrease absenteeism.

The team ensured that more than 80% of all demolition and construction waste was recycled, diverting it from landfills. Regarding new materials, more than 30% of it was made of recycled content, including construction materials, finishes and furnishings, and furniture. Furthermore, more than 82% (by cost) of all new woodbased products installed were certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which ensured that the products came from responsibly managed forests in a manner that was environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous. These items helped the project win six points (out of 14) for Materials and Resources.

MADGI also specified the installation of recycling stations throughout both floors so that the employees have ample opportunities to collect plastic, glass, metals, paper, organics (compost), small electronics, and batteries for recycling.

The project garnered 19 LEED points (out of a possible 21) for Sustainable Sites, including the maximum amount of points for Development Density and Community Connectivity due to the location of the building and its proximity to Grand Central Station and multiple bus and subway stops. The project also received points in this category for Alternative Transportation, as team members were able to access the basement to create a bicycle station and changing room for the Forum’s employees. The project was also awarded the maximum number of points for Innovation in Design (6), and Regional Priority Credits (2).

CHALLENGES The 19-week time frame required the team to be creative in terms of logistics and scheduling. Work was performed on both fl oors simultaneously, and work producing the most noise—such as demolition, core drilling, and steel installation—was conducted on evenings and weekends. In addition, the team practiced advanced planning for long-lead items, particularly those used in the public assembly space and the reception. Products imported from other countries, such as the Fantoni ceiling system, had to be ordered immediately upon the project’s start.

According to J.T. Magen’s, New York (jtmagen.com), lead superintendent, Gary McAllister, “We made an extra effort to coordinate the ceilings with the existing HVAC system and related ductwork. The entire construction team worked closely with the mechanical trades, to coordinate access to the system and, of course, to avoid any kind of conflict.”

The same painstaking coordination was employed for the installation of the lighting systems. All of this was taking place while the Fantoni ceiling was being manufactured in Italy, as well as after it was delivered to 350 Madison.

In addition, the team was installing other types of ceiling materials around where the Fantoni product was to be placed, requiring even more careful coordination. For example, the wet-applied plaster ceiling area was installed carefully, as it could stain the Fantoni product.

The installation of new stair elements proved to be another challenge, due in part to the existing condition of the stair’s structure. The system had to be modified in the field. It was decided that the best way to proceed was to block off the stairs during renovation. They were completed shortly before the project’s opening. Bendheim glass elements were installed at the end of the work in each section, in order to protect the glass from damage.

“To accomplish its goals, the World Economic Forum engages business, political, and academic leaders as well as civil society through meetings and initiatives to shape global, regional, and industry agendas,” said Stephan Ruiz, the Forum’s head of finance and operations. “Our new New York City office will support our mission and provide a comfortable work environment for our employees. It also reflects our organization’s strong commitment to sustainable development and operations.” CA

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Montroy Andersen DeMarco (MADGI)

World Economic Forum

The 258,000-sq.-ft. North Ridgeville Academic Center intermediate school near Cleveland uses seven mechanical rooms to keep 2,000 students comfortable. Photo courtesy Laura Davis-Feinknopf and ThenDesign Architecture

The 258,000-sq.-ft. North Ridgeville middle school, near Cleveland, uses a compartmentalized HVAC and plumbing design.

Conventional, two-grade middle schools are slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially in larger school districts. As most districts grow and replace their 40-to-50-yr.-old buildings, many are moving toward larger intermediate facilities, taking a load off their elementary schools. This inevitably alters the way school buildings are built.

Larger middle schools with a wider range of student ages—often grades 5 to 8—mean that the buildings are divided into distinct areas that actually function as independent schools, all under one large roof. Such is the case at the new, 258,000-sq.-ft., grades 3 to 8, North Ridgeville Academic Center intermediate school near Cleveland. “This building acts as four facilities within one building envelope,” said Richard Dopatka, project manager for ICON Construction Solutions, Cleveland (iconohio. com), the construction manager at risk for the project. “They all function independently, are divided by firewalls, and are served by separate mechanical rooms. This approach has security, logistical, and teaching advantages that more school districts are utilizing.”

One of the subcontractors ICON selected to perform the HVAC and plumbing portions of the job was MW Mielke, Medina, OH (mwmielke.com). Mielke’s work on the North Ridgeville project began in early 2016 as the 2,000-student building shell came together. “Coordinating with the other trades on a project this size is always a big consideration,” said Mike Clark, MW Mielke project manager. “Late in the design phase, we learned that the amount of above-ceiling space available to us was roughly half of what we expected. That threw us a curveball. We ended up having about two feet of overhead space to work with, but still managed to keep most of the ceiling heights at ten or ten-and-a-half feet.”

The need to pack power, fire suppression, plumbing, communication lines, and ductwork into the limited space required installers and engineers to go back to the drawing board.

J.M. Verostko Inc., Youngstown, OH (jmverostkoengineering.com), designed the plumbing and mechanical systems for the new school. The company’s assistance accommodating design changes throughout the project