MEP Roundtable
Tips to design multifamily
Brian Berg,
PE, LEED AP, CEM
Associate Principal
Glumac
and mixed-use buildings
Irvine, Calif.
Multifamily dwellings and mixed-use buildings are becoming more
prevalent. Some best practices and tips are offered for engineering
systems in these residential buildings.
David Crutchfield, PE
Principal CSE: What’s the No. 1 trend you see
RMF Engineering today in the design of multifamily dwell-
Charleston, S.C. ings and mixed-use buildings?
Brian Berg: We’re seeing a lot of large com-
plexes taking the “mixed” part of mixed-use
to the extreme. Retail, restaurants, offices,
hotel, residential, grocery stores, and parking
are typically being built as part of one large
complex. Oftentimes, this is being done on a
multilevel podium with tower(s) stacked on
Kieran Healy, PE top. And sometimes all those uses are in one
Mechanical Engineer
CCJM
tower. Parking is either all underground or a
Chicago combination of underground and wrap-style
lots where residential units line up around
the aboveground parking. These are all being
built in either dense urban areas or less dense
burgeoning areas near an abundance of pub-
lic transportation options.
David Crutchfield: One interesting trend
we are seeing is a desire for mixed-use spaces
to support lifestyle activities. For example,
Lui Tai, PE occupants often want an in-house gym or
Technical Services Director space for outdoor activities. We’re also see-
JENSEN HUGHES ing an increasing number of people working
Toronto
or studying from home, so they need flex-
ible mixed-use spaces that can accommodate
their lifestyle. Overall, this indicates a larger
movement toward people becoming increas-
ingly reliant on their homes or dorms to cater
to all their needs underneath one roof.
Kieran Healy: A growing trend we have
seen within the Chicago housing market is
the retrofitting of central cooling systems
Robert J. Voth
Executive Vice President
into low- and mid-rise multifamily build-
Bala Consulting Engineers ings that were built in the 1980s or earlier.
King of Prussia, Pa. To stay competitive with new construction,
12 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017
property managers have needed to provide
cooling in buildings that were often only
heated with perimeter fin tubes or in-slab
radiant flooring. Many owners have opted for
water-source heat pumps or variable refriger-
ant flow (VRF) systems to reduce the overall
energy required to both heat and cool the
building. These systems are unique in that a
vertically tiered renovation approach can be
used to keep the majority of units occupied
while others are being renovated.
Lui Tai: In Ontario, the recent trend is to
install automatic sprinkler protection in mul-
tifamily-dwelling units, such as retirement
and care homes. After a few high-profile inci-
dents in retirement and care homes from the
last decade where there were reported fatali-
ties, the fire code is mandating that these
types of buildings be reviewed to comply with
the retrofit code. Within the retrofit code,
there is the mandatory requirement that all
such multifamily homes be retrofitted with
automatic sprinklers by the year 2019.
Robert J. Voth: Amenities remain a highly
attractive part of the development as compe-
tition for occupants is intensifying in mar-
kets outside of New York City. Additionally,
mixed-use developments are moving to a
smaller-scale, very efficient build model.
CSE: What other trends should engi-
neers be on the lookout regarding such
projects in the near future (1 to 3 years)?
Healy: Developers are becoming increas-
ingly competitive with each other as they
strive to capture and maintain residents in
www.csemag.com
mixed-used facilities. Be on the look-
out for more luxury amenities, such as
full fitness and yoga studios, confer-
ence centers with commercial kitchens,
rooftop pools and spas, and lobby bars
and coffee shops. Mechanical, electrical,
and plumbing (MEP) systems have to be
sized to allow that flexibility, supporting
longer-duration occupancy of common
areas versus a transient occupancy where
residents are only passing through from
interior to exterior and back.
Crutchfield: The infrastructure to
support personal devices, such as cell
phones, tablets, and laptops, for people
who work from home have driven a
need for higher levels of cabling and
power in mixed-use buildings. Connec-
tivity solutions, such as USB chargers
built into receptacles and information
technology (IT) wiring ready for the
next level of bandwidth, are becoming
standard and critical to building a mar-
ketable project.
Tai: The use of alternative solutions
to resolve issues that do not match the
prescriptive requirements of the build-
ing code. This is particularly true for
new builds, but can also apply to exist-
ing facilities. In new construction,
alternative solutions allow more flexible
designs that are not envisioned by the
prescriptive code; and in existing facili-
ties, they allow less destructive work to
take place.
Voth: Suburban markets centered
around multi-use “villages” will remain
a strong market. Engineering firms will
need to understand the 4-story stick-
built-over-concrete development model
to remain competitive.
Berg: These complexes seem to be
getting bigger and more prevalent.
California has a housing shortage right
now, so housing is popping up all over
the place with multifamily mixed-use
projects as the developments of choice.
This is what we see locally, but we have
projects throughout the state and coun-
try of similar types.
www.csemag.com
CSE: Please describe
a recent project you’ve
worked on—share
details about the project
including location, sys-
tems engineered, team
involved, etc.
Tai: Recently, we took
on a project to design and
install automatic sprinklers
into 75 existing retirement-
home facilities across
Canada (for one owner).
Because it is a retrofit proj-
ect, the level of difficulty
was increased. We had to
come up with innovative
engineering methods to
do the work that would
cause only minimal impact
to existing residents and
deal with possible asbestos
issues, disease outbreak,
and inadequate water sup-
plies. To avoid costly errors
and delays, we worked with
a procurement company to schedule and Figure 1: Bala engineers provided services for
administer the work, completing the $55 The Bridge in Philadelphia, a highly efficient,
million project within 18 months to the 17-story building featuring 146 apartments.
satisfaction of the owner. It incorporated a VRF system and central
Voth: The Bridge in Philadelphia is domestic hot-water generation to obtain LEED
an efficient 17-story building with 146 certification. The team worked to include the
apartments. The project used a VRF build partner from the beginning of the project
system and central domestic hot-water to help boost the efficiency of the design and
generation to obtain U.S. Green Build- build process; time to market was less than 20
ing Council LEED certification. The months. Courtesy: Rendering by Volley
team included the build partner from
the beginning of the project, which led architect and Old Veteran Construction
to a very efficient design and build pro- as construction manager to completely
cess. Time to market was less than 20 redevelop the 132,000-sq-ft building on
months. a 2.5-acre site originally constructed in
Healy: The Fannie Emanuel Senior 1963. As the MEP/fire protection (MEP/
Apartments is a 20-story senior-living FP) engineer for the project, we selected
facility with 181 single-bedroom apart- systems to increase comfort and acces-
ments owned by the Chicago Housing sibility for senior citizens and brought
Authority (CHA) in Chicago’s West fire alarm and sprinkler systems up to
Garfield Park neighborhood. As part current code. HVAC systems includ-
of a $61 million gut-rehab project, we ed a 276-ton air-cooled heat pump
worked with Holabird & Root as the VRF system with ducted evaporators,
Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017 13
 MEP Roundtable
condensing boilers with panel radia-
tors as supplemental heat, dedicated
outside-air system (DOAS) with energy
recovery for corridor make-up air and
toilet exhaust, and demand-controlled
ventilation (DCV) system for 1st-floor
offices and community spaces. Plumb-
ing systems included new condensing-
water heaters, intelligent domestic
booster pump, and low-flow plumbing
fixtures. Electrical upgrades included
new 4,000-A switchgear and metered
distribution, video surveillance and IT
infrastructure, LED lighting fixtures,
and a 350-kW generator for life safety
and standby loads.
Crutchfield: RMF Engineering was the
MEP engineer for the Coastal Carolina
University Student Housing project in
Conway, S.C. The complex consisted of
333,100 sq ft and 1,270 beds in a series
of stand-alone buildings. This project
Figure 2: Engineers specified a sprin-
kler in a project involving multifamily
residences incorporating a combination
of steel and chlorinated polyvinyl chlo-
ride (CPVC) pipes. Courtesy: JENSEN
HUGHES
14 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017
used DOAS to provide code-required
ventilation air and building make-up
air. Fan coils with heating and cooling
coils are provided in the rooms to allow
for individual room climate control. In
addition to the dorm rooms, community
spaces were provided on each floor at a
ratio of two large community spaces, one
quiet student room, and one living room
per 35 residences. Wireless and wired
internet connectivity, access control
and security systems, high-efficiency
laundry machines, a convenience store
and student cooking kitchen, custodial
and maintenance storage, apartments
for live-in staff, administrative offices,
and reception and meeting space were
all included in the buildings. Outdoor
spaces incorporated sand volleyball
courts, a covered pavilion complete with
a fireplace, a grilling area, and plenty of
courtyard green space.
Berg: We’re working on a high-rise
project in downtown Sacramento, Calif.,
that’s wrapping up construction at the
moment. The project has two levels of
underground parking; four podium
levels of retail, restaurants, and offices;
and a 12-story tower with hotel and
residential units on top of the podium.
We selected a condenser-water system
to serve multiple types of water-cooled
HVAC equipment to suit the occupancy
use.
CSE: What are some unique ele-
ments/considerations to designing/
retrofitting multifamily dwellings
and mixed-use buildings?
Voth: The existing building floor plate
is key, as the configuration for an effi-
cient unit layout will drive the develop-
ment opportunity. We have typically
engineered all new systems in our retro-
fit projects; therefore, incoming services
need to be reviewed carefully, especially
the domestic water, sanitary, and gas
services, as residential projects demand
a higher usage for these services.
Berg: There are always living spaces
nearby where we want to put equip-
ment. Acoustics become a big issue in
the HVAC world, but we need to be
extra conscious of equipment selections,
locations, and acoustic- and vibration-
mitigation measures with living quarters
throughout. Make sure there is always
an acoustical engineer on the design
team for these types of projects to help
inform the MEP designs. Architects
and developers often want to move the
emergency generator to the roof so it
is out of the public’s view and/or kept
out of subterranean parking to allow for
more spaces. Moving a generator out of
the garage would also help lessen HVAC
costs to get radiator exhaust and engine
exhaust out of the building. Locating on
the roof causes its own set of challenges,
necessitating fuel day tanks, rated shafts
for the fuel lines, and an expensive float-
ing slab to deal with vibrations during
generator exercising if it’s located on top
of living spaces.
Tai: For retrofit projects of multi-
family-dwelling buildings, the biggest
consideration is to minimize impact
to existing residents. This includes
the design, which would require the
least amount of work done within each
dwelling unit and the most work done
in common areas. Detailed to-the-
hour scheduling is required on a daily
basis to ensure that any work required
within residents’ spaces are completed,
so residents can return to their units as
scheduled. In a senior-living environ-
ment, infection control is another major
consideration.
CSE: Is your team using BIM in
conjunction with the architects,
trades, and owners to design a proj-
ect? Describe an instance in which
you’ve turned over the BIM model to
the owner for long-term operations
and maintenance.
Healy: Our experience on numerous
projects has been that the design model
was not shared with the construction
team. Whether for design-liability
reasons or otherwise, we just haven’t
www.csemag.com
seen the logical extension of sharing
the design model with contractors nor
have we had clients requiring this in
conventional design-bid-build projects.
This may change in design-build proj-
ects where the designer and the builder
have a contractual relationship that may
offset liability concerns.
Voth: All of our projects are delivered
in BIM. To date, we have not turned
a BIM model over to an owner in the
mixed-use market space, we have turned
BIM models over in our corporate and
higher education projects. We have typi-
cally taken the BIM model to LOD400
and then turned it over to the contractor
for the construction period.
Crutchfield: BIM has become the nor-
mal tool in the design of all buildings.
RMF has not delivered a job in CAD in
about 18 months. The next step in pull-
ing the most functionality out of BIM is
getting the long-term facility staff to use
the model as a tool in the operation of the
facility. A cultural shift is slowly unfold-
ing in which the facilities staff is outfitted
with the devices necessary to access and
use a BIM model. We suggest that each
project’s closeout materials be provided
on an Apple iPad or laptop that is pre-
loaded with the BIM model and neces-
sary maintenance-scheduling software.
We have noticed that if we don’t drive the
transfer of technology this way, the facility
staff will print a set of drawings as they’ve
always done in the past. If there is a paper
set of drawings on the site, the electronic
documents may never be accessed again.
Tai: Traditionally, sprinkler designs
are completed using more special-
ized software, such as HydraCAD and
SprinkCAD. We are watching the trend
in using BIM closely and have switched
to AutoSprink, which is a software spe-
cially made for sprinkler design in 3-D
and is compatible with other BIM draw-
ings created in 3-D. At the end of the
project, the 3-D model showing the con-
trol valves and pump controls are turned
over to the owner(s) to allow them to
visually prepare for the required peri-
odic inspections.
www.csemag.com
CSE: What are some of the chal-
lenges incorporating the IoT into
facility design for existing build-
ings?
Healy: The IoT is, in theory, a great
concept. Personally, I’ve adopted all
sorts of gizmos and gadgets that adjust
themselves based on whether I’m home
or not, or that send me text messages
when my laundry is done. In owned
properties, the owner has complete
control over security and who has
access to settings and data. A chal-
$2,085,000:
Average total annual dollar amount
of fire and life safety systems
specified for new and existing
engineered multidwelling build-
ings, retail complexes, and/or
restaurants. Courtesy: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2016 Fire and
Life Safety Study
lenge in incorporating the IoT into
multitenant facility design is imple-
menting it in such a way that privacy
and security isn’t compromised for
the tenants. Maintaining firewalls for
network security infrastructure and
personal privacy within multitenant
facilities will be a major roadblock in
implementing these technologies on a
larger scale.
Tai: For existing facilities, having
a fully addressable system would
sometimes mean complete replace-
ment of field wiring, as the type and
condition of existing wiring is not
compatible for addressable circuits.
Because the previously embedded
conduit and wire cannot be reused,
r unning new wiring throughout
the building can be costly and may
create unsightly conduits in open
spaces.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017
CSE: When working on monitoring
and control systems in multifamily
dwellings and mixed-use buildings,
what factors do you consider?
Voth: Primarily, central system reli-
ability and performance; we typically do
not reach into the occupant level of con-
trol. We are seeing a trend to submeter
domestic water usage through the con-
trol systems. On higher-end work using
four pipe fan coil systems, we are using
the central control and monitoring sys-
tem to submeter energy usage for chilled
and hot water.
Crutchfield: We always try to keep
in mind that the staff charged with the
maintenance and control of a facility
could be any age and could operate at
a variety of skill levels. There could be
staff members who are fresh from a
trade school where they were trained
with an iPad and, therefore, have no
desire for paper sets of drawings or
operations and maintenance (O&M)
manuals. Or, there could be more sea-
soned staff members who have worked
on buildings for their entire careers
and have no desire to use any device
other than their personal cell phone
and a stack of manuals. Knowing that
our systems must be easy to maintain
by either type of person, using vastly
different methods of troubleshooting,
diagnosis, and repair is imperative to
having a building that functions prop-
erly.
Berg: There’s a lot of submetering
involved to charge tenants for the ener-
gy they use. On the HVAC side, these
larger projects typically all involve some
sort of central utility plant, and there’s
a need for British thermal unit meters
for condenser, chilled, or hot water to
charge the tenants appropriately. We’ve
worked with special submetering com-
panies to set up a system of monitoring
and billing the tenants for the energy
they use. We’ve also set up all of the sub-
metering through the building’s direct
digital control system that the building
owner uses to generate the tenant billing
15
 MEP Roundtable
themselves. It all comes down to how Healy: When designing projects with- performed to help inform the architect
the operator would like to handle their in Chicago, the Chicago Energy Con- of envelope limitations and what impact
billing. So, we’ll make sure we have that servation Code 2015 (CECC, which is desired envelope designs have on the
conversation with the operator early in a localized version of the International mechanical and lighting systems. The
the project to identify the desire and Energy Conservation Code; IECC) often additional costs of some of the needed,
design appropriately. plays a big role when deciding the type premium MEP systems to achieve a cer-
Tai: For retirement and care homes, of engineered systems to use or which tain envelope design could be enough for
we must take flexibility into consider- features must be included in a system. the architect to rethink glazing perfor-
ation when designing fire alarm sys- When using the CECC or IECC, engi- mance or design to remain within budget.
tems. For example, smoke-detector sen- neers should generally be well-versed in This comes up time and again on these
sitivity and fire alarm audibility must the exceptions that may apply to their large mixed-use projects, and we make
be field-adjustable to allow changes project to avoid specifying unnecessary sure we’re always keeping an eye on the
to be made based on each tenant’s liv- equipment that may add unneeded cost energy component from the conceptual
ing habits. As an example, for a tenant and operational complexity to a project. phase on through design. We’ll maintain
who is always baking, the smoke detec- Tai: In Canada, national building constant communication with the archi-
tor installed near the kitchen must be codes and fire codes are sometimes tect on where the building stands with
adjusted so that it does not always go adapted by provinces and made into regards to energy compliance.
into nuisance alarm every time the oven provincial building and fire codes. For
is opened. life safety system designs, the codes CSE: What are some solutions/
would reference other applicable Cana- best practices to ensure that mul-
CSE: Please explain some of the dian and international standards. Typi- tifamily dwellings and mixed-use
codes, standards, and guidelines cally, fire alarm designs are governed by buildings are in compliance with
you use during the design process. UL of Canada; standards and sprinkler codes and standards?
Which codes/standards should designs reference NFPA standards.
engineers be most aware of in their Berg: As energy codes get more Berg: Have a code consultant on
design of engineered systems in aggressive, ensure that initial and ongo- board early, meet in person with city
such projects? ing code-compliance calculations are and fire officials to get important deci-
sions made and understood by all par-
ties, and document everything.
Healy: One solution is to include an
integrated MEP coordination sheet at
the front of the MEP drawings where
all equipment requiring building
utilities are scheduled with their spe-
cific utility requirements. This table
ensures the designers and contrac-
tors know what disciplines need, to
make sure they are including neces-
sary services to all applicable equip-
ment. This sheet also can highlight
the applicable codes that may have an
impact on the design of those equip-
ment. Care should be taken to avoid
duplication and potential ensuing
conflicts between the drawings and
Figure 3: The Coastal Carolina University Student Housing project involved 333,100 specifications if one changes and the
sq ft of facility, accommodating a total of 1,270 beds in a series of stand-alone build- other isn’t revised. However, there can
ings. Features specified by RMF Engineering’s team included dedicated outdoor units also be references to the applicable
that provide code-required ventilation air and building make-up air including fan coils specification sections for each piece of
with heating and cooling coils, allowing for individual room climate control, wireless equipment to ensure the correct codes
and hard-wired internet connectivity, access control and security systems, high- and standards references are followed
efficiency laundry machines, and more. Courtesy: RMF Engineering without duplication.

16 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017 www.csemag.com

MEP Roundtable
Tai: For every jurisdiction, it is impor-
tant to know the applicable code that
applies to the multifamily dwellings
and mixed-use buildings. For example,
in Ontario, the retrofit requirement for
a retirement home would differ from
that for a residential rental building.
Authorities often overstep their author-
ity by requesting changes that are not
retroactively applied to some existing
buildings. If in doubt, always consult
with a code consultant.
CSE: How are codes, standards,
or guidelines for energy efficiency
impacting the design of such build-
ings?
Tai: Energy efficiency is now part of
the building code requirement in Ontar-
io. Even though it has not yet made a sig-
to meet current energy codes. Architects
are still designing many predominantly
glass buildings because the market really
demands it at the moment, but that glaz-
ing is high-performing, the accompany-
ing HVAC systems are extremely effi-
cient, and the connected lighting loads
and lighting controls are aggressive.
CSE: What new code or standard
do you feel will most impact mul-
tifamily dwellings and mixed-use

81%
of engineers most
frequently write performance fire
and life safety system specifica-
tions for engineered multidwelling
buildings, retail complexes, and/or
restaurants. Courtesy: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2016 Fire and
Life Safety Study
nificant impact to our design, the trend
is definitely moving toward achieving
it. For example, LED visual strobes will
soon replace the traditional high-inten-
sity strobes, which draw a lot of power.
This will, in turn, demand smaller
power supplies and smaller gauge field
wiring, leaving a much smaller ecologi-
cal footprint.
Berg: Higher-performing envelopes
and higher-performing HVAC and
lighting systems are being implemented
buildings? This may be a code that
your authority having jurisdiction
(AHJ) has not yet adopted, but you
feel will directly impact your work.
Berg: Three-story and less multi-
family new-construction buildings in
California will need to be designed to
net zero energy standards starting in
2020. That’s the next code cycle, but
many developers are not fully aware of

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input #9 at www.csemag.com/information
the requirements, so education needs
to occur with all parties in the market-
place.
Healy: With recent changes to the
LEED v4 rating system, more prop-
erty owners will begin pursuing LEED
ratings for buildings that are 4 stories
and higher, leading to different design
approaches than what currently occur.
The added flexibility in selecting wheth-
er to use the Multifamily Midrise or the
New Construction rating system will
reduce some of the past issues that made
multifamily certifications extremely
costly for owners and difficult to design
for architects and engineers.
Tai: With the increase in hybrid or
electrical vehicles on the road, a new
code requirement might be added for
charging stations inside the garage for
multifamily and mixed-use dwelling
buildings. There is still a lot of work
to be done to standardize the charg-
ing requirement between the many
automobile manufacturers, however,
before the building code can request
that charging stations be provided in
these multifamily-dwelling buildings.
CSE: What are some of the chal-
lenges for fire and life safety system
design for multifamily dwellings and
mixed-use buildings? How have you
overcome these challenges?
Tai: The conflicting requirements of
life safety versus security always pose
an interesting challenge. In a fire sce-
nario, all doors must be released to allow
for safe egress from the building, yet in
some secured areas, keeping the doors
secure is almost equally important to
stop patients from wandering off in case
of a nuisance alarm. We often introduce
a small time delay into the release of a
secured door, which would allow staff
input #10 at www.csemag.com/information
members of a nursing home to confirm
the fire condition and then be present
at this unsecured door to attend to the
needs of those in evacuation.
Berg: Space is always tight and valu-
able for high-rise multifamily build-
ings, so it’s often a challenge squeezing
in smoke exhaust and smoke-exhaust
make-up air shafts. We’ll often use a
make-up air shaft for double-duty and
provide space conditioning during nor-
mal operation through the same shaft.
CSE: Describe the cost and com-
plexity of fire protection systems
involved with such structures. Have
they changed over the years?
Voth: Fire protection systems have
dramatically changed when structures
exceed 340 ft in height. Current tech-
niques include a spare high-zone fire
pump and secondary-water street service.
 MEP Roundtable
Depending on the regional AHJ, storage facility, thus must use the “egress eleva-
tanks for fire protection systems may be tors.” Designated egress elevators are
required at the top of the building. installed in a 4-hour-rated shaft, with
Tai: The cost of the intelligent con- designated stops (i.e., every 10 or 15
trol systems for the multifamily dwell- stories) along the way, which are con-
ing and mixed-use building has gone up structed as fire-rated and pressurized
because of the sophisticated computing spaces. The elevator call button in
power of the control panels. However, these designated stops are connected
hardware cost for field wiring is reduced to the smoke detector in the corre-
due to the programmability of the sys- sponding elevator lobby, which would
tem components. Overall, the cost of the stop the egress elevator from stopping
fire protection system is only increased on this floor should the smoke detector
marginally over the years. The notice- be activated.
able increase in cost comes from the Voth: We are engineering dedicated
requirement that all sleeping rooms firefighter wireless communication
must be equipped with visual signaling systems in all of our supertall struc-
devices. tures; egress stairways are now suffi-
cient to let firefighters into the build-
CSE: In supertall, high-rise mul- ing while providing an egress path for
tifamily dwellings and mixed-use occupants.
buildings, what types of areas of ref-
uge, elevator egress, or other solu- CSE: What unique HVAC require-
tions have you implemented? ments do multifamily dwellings and
mixed-use buildings have that you
Tai: In a typical high-rise building, wouldn’t encounter in other build-
smoke detectors are designed into ings?
every elevator lobby to allow eleva-
tors to return home on any fire condi- Healy: Once of the biggest dif-
tion. The smoke detector installed on ferences in multifamily residential
the home floor will send the elevators buildings with owned units (condo-
to their alternative home floor. In a miniums) versus other types of rental
supertall, high-rise building, occu- and commercial buildings is ensuring
pants cannot use the stairs to exit the that all systems for each unit are locally
Top 3 lights, lighting products used in engineered
multidwelling/retail complexes/restaurants
95%
73%
59%
LEDs Lighting controls,
controls T5,
T5 T8,
T8 or
addressable systems T12 (any size)
Figure 4: According to a recent research study, LEDs are the No. 1 product specified
in multidwelling/retail complexes/restaurants. Courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engi-
neer 2017 Lighting and Lighting Controls Study
powered and accessible and under the
control of the unit owner. Due to the
relatively small size of these units, the
HVAC equipment serving these units
are fairly small and generally not too
efficient, and there’s no coordination
between units to allow diversity and
central system economies of scale.
Berg: We tend to end up with multi-
ple system types to suit the occupancy.
I’m working on a mixed-use building
right now with a condenser-water sys-
tem serving multiple types of mechani-
cal units. We have water-source heat
pumps for the residential floors and
podium retail, water-cooled VRF for
hotel floors, vertical self-contained
water-cooled variable air volume for
office floors, and radiant in the lobby
areas that gets hot water and chilled
water produced by water-cooled VRF
systems.
CSE: Have you specified VRF sys-
tems, chilled beams, or other types
of HVAC systems into one of your
multifamily dwellings and mixed-use
buildings? If so, describe its chal-
lenges and solutions.
Berg: We’ve used VRF on some
mixed-use buildings, typically for hotel
occupancies, but not for residential.
The preference of splitting up utili-
ties between residential tenants usu-
ally steers us toward water-source heat
pumps or chilled-water fan coil units to
more easily submeter energy usage via
British thermal unit meters.
Voth: We see a significant move
toward VRF in many of our multifam-
ily projects, especially when LEED cer-
tification is an objective. We typically
do not use chilled beams in any proj-
ects that include operable windows, as
the beams will sweat.
Healy: One of the biggest challenges
in implementing a large-scale VRF sys-
tem for a multifamily complex is man-
aging refrigerant loss that may occur
from the small pipe sizes and magni-
tude of fittings required to distribute

20 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017 www.csemag.com

refrigerant throughout a large footprint. While investigating
existing installations, our firm has come upon VRF instal-
lations that were losing more than 100% refrigerant charge
each year. Consider installing refrigerant-monitoring sys-
tems in shafts or other areas where fittings may be concealed,
installing valves at branch controllers to isolate zones, and
using continuous-refrigerant line sets between branch con-
trollers and terminal units to reduce the likelihood of leak
points being buried within walls or ceilings. Refrigerant
piping will inevitably leak over time; make sure the design
solution will allow a property manager to find and seal those
leaks easily.

CSE: What types of DOAS are owners and facility

managers requesting to keep their facility air fresh?

Voth: As a standard of practice, we use a DOAS with

heat recovery including latent heat recovery on all of our
projects. We have been powering the relief fans on emer-
gency power to eliminate the need for fire/smoke damp-
ers throughout the building risers. We document subduct
connections in lieu of fire smoke dampers when the relief
fan is on emergency power.
Healy: For multifamily dwellings, facility managers have
often requested variable-volume DOAS with energy-recovery
plates. This allows them to reduce airflow when not needed
and recover energy between code-required toilet exhaust
and corridor make-up airstreams. For mixed-used facilities,
systems with DCV are often requested for commercial areas
to account for occupant loads using carbon dioxide sensors.
Facility managers are able to account for commercial vacancies
and varying occupancy throughout the day and week.

CSE: What unusual systems are owners requesting

that help save energy and/or electricity when a space is
unoccupied?

Tai: We have received a unique request from a building

owner who wants to have occupancy sensors on all exit
lights, such that the exit signs will turn off when the room
is unoccupied.
Berg: We’ve used key cards in hotel rooms to shut off
lights and HVAC. We’ve used occupancy sensors to reset
outside-air quantities and temperature setpoints. Demand-
control ventilation is pretty common in retail and food and
beverage spaces on podium levels to save energy when the
customer traffic is light.

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Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JULY 2017 21