PRIMARY ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

Special Construction
 

The Natatorium needs special construction attention and consultants as well as dedicated mechanical equipment to regulate the environment. Due to the size of the mechanical system needed, a step down section had to be specially dug just to accommodate the height of the system. All exposed steel in the natatorium is galvanized steel in order to prevent corrosion from the pool air.
 

Access control in the form of turnstiles is located in entry spaces when entering either the South wing or the North wing from the main lobby. Also, the exterior doors security system has the ability to lock exterior doors at predetermined times.
 

Electrical

The Student Life Center utilizes one 2000 Amp service switchboard at 480/277 Volts: three phase. The switchboard connects to multiple panelboard loads in addition to the dedicated photovoltaic system and lighting relay panels. Lighting relay panels are used in order to activate lighting throughout the building based on occupancy and daylight sensors. Mechanical systems also use these relay panels activated by occupancy sensors in specific areas of the building to conserve energy consumed by the mechanical system. The emergency power system is backed up by a natural gas fired generator via two automatic transfer switches.
 

Lighting

The lighting system is comprised of fluorescent, metal halide, and LED sources. The full building management system allows for maximum lighting control, daylighting, and occupancy control. Daylight harvesting is implemented in the main cardio and free weight area. Specialized controls in the Mind/Body room allow the instructor to be able to plug his/her iPod into a standard audio outlet, which connects to a lighting control system that will change the LED perimeter cove lighting based on the music. Similar technology allows the climbing and bouldering wall staff to select a variety of pre-programmed, color-changing scenes to be played accent lights. The option is also available to implement a Colorkinetics AuxBox, which would allow the lighting scenes to be triggered by a variety of devices, including motion sensors, time clocks or temperature sensors.

Mechanical
 

This building uses multiple air handling units which distribute air to the building as demanded. VAV controllers in each space determine the amount of air that is dispersed into that space at any given moment. One chiller and two boilers are responsible for heating and cooling the air before it is sent to the VAV controllers. Remote air cooled condensers are used to reject heat from the system.

The pool has its own dedicated mechanical system which controls both the natatorium air and pool water. The water filtration system works in tandem with an infrared system to cleanse and treat the pool water. The air unit is specified to work specifically with the high humidity levels present in a natatorium atmosphere.

Electrical and data rooms have their own air conditioning units to help control the higher heat loads involved with the equipment in these spaces, as well as the recommended lower room temperatures for the equipment to operate optimally.

Structural

The second floor is slab on deck supported mainly by W16x45 & W16x26 steel beams shear connected to 12x12 steel columns. One specialized area of the building involves a suspended track which is supported by W10x26 beams connected to exterior columns on one side, and steel hangers on the other. The main roof structure is supported by multiple types of trusses in all large open spaces; the gymnasiums, cardio/weight training space, and natatorium. The architecturally featured circular exterior cut out is supported by a single cantilever beam. Lateral loads are accounted for through shear walls in the elevator shafts and X-bracing in multiple locations throughout the building.

ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING SUPPORT SYSTEMS
 

Fire Protection
 

The Student Life Center is protected by a full building sprinkler system and smoke alarms. Speakers and strobes will activate on all floors and an alphanumeric text message will display on LCD screens in the case of a fire. A signal is transmitted to the campus command center via the campus monitoring system, return fans automatically stop, recirculating air fans stop, and the door releases on all floors activate via communication with the security system. Smoke control fans initiate as a final measure to increase safety for those evacuating the building. There are also several locations where curtain walls are utilized for fire protection by spraying the glass heavily with water, making a water wall. 
 

Transportation
 

The Student Life Center utilizes one main entry building which connects the south wing and the north wing, and serves as the lobby. The building utilizes two elevators; one is located in the main lobby, while the other is located near the middle of the South wing. There are seven separate staircases, most of which are located around the exterior of the building for access to the exterior in case of emergency.

Telecommunications
 

Extensive telecommunications provide cable TV and campus visual messaging to all LCD TVs in the building. A PA system allows announcements to be made from the main desk and output to speakers located in most rooms throughout the building. Electronic white boards, projectors, and laptop ready stations in multiple rooms are conducive to providing multiple types of instruction. Several spaces have CD, radio, microphone, and iPod connections available for music and speaking.

Special Systems

The Green Roof utilizes an engineered soil-like material designed to retain moisture, manage plant nutrients, and support vigorous growth of the foliage. Included in its design is Electric Field Vector Mapping which is a leak location technique. The assembly will be a multi-course system, consisting of a 3 inch growth media layer installed over a synthetic sheet drain.