College Design Wins ASHRAE Award

CHICAGO-Region VI of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) honored Holabird & Root’s design for the Central College Vermeer Science Center in Pella, Iowa, with a Technology Award. The project received this award after winning the Minnesota Region Technology Award. The awards recognize successful implementation of an HVAC engineering system that provides energy efficiency, indoor air quality, innovation, maintainability, cost effectiveness, and environmental stewardship.

Built in 1978, the Vermeer Science Center needed significant upgrades to mechanical systems, computer network connections, classrooms and laboratory spaces. Holabird & Root’s design provided a wrap-around addition for the disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, pre-engineering, environmental studies, mathematics, and computer science. The building is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified science facility in Iowa. When compared to an ASHRAE 90.1 base facility, the systems designed for the Vermeer Science Center are 60 percent more energy efficient, resulting in an annual energy savings of approximately $152,000.