Engineered Systems - August 2008 - (Page 24)

Photo courtesy of Edgewater Casino. This design team faced a building with some unusual see-through characteristics, a city regulation, and the usual casino-related challenges. Read on for the thorough combination of engineering discussion and modeling that eventually made this Canadian casino the place for displacement. BY SUSAN HAYES, EIT, LEED® AP AND KEN NEWBERT, P.ENG., LEED® AP n 2004, Broadway Refrigeration, a Vancouver D-B mechanical contractor, approached Cobalt Engineering with an interesting challenge: turn a “glass box” into a comfortable casino, quickly, and within a budget (naturally!). Our Cobalt team was initially brought in due to our background in thermal modeling. Broadway knew we could provide energy performance recommendations for the yet-tobe-chosen mechanical system. However, the project quickly became a prime example of integrated design; after we suggested an “out of the box” envelope solution, we were hired to define and design the optimal mechanical system in collaboration with the design team. Apart from the obvious challenge of mitigating the high solar load of a glass box paired with internal gains from casino equipment and a crowded gambling floor, there were additional requirements from the client and the city of Vancouver. The building was originally built on the banks of False Creek for Expo ‘86 and because of that historical significance, the city required that the existing steel-framed glass envelope not be altered in any way. (In recent years, it was only used for nighttime functions, when there was no solar load to consider.) 24 I In addition, its transparency had to be maintained; the envelope had to allow passers-by to see “life within the building.” Unfortunately, this conflicted with the client’s requirement that solar glare not affect the security cameras stationed around the casino. Furthermore, the casino owners pre- ferred that occupants not be distracted by outside activities, again working against the city’s transparency requirement. Finally, the project was to serve only a temporary purpose, as a more permanent casino was to be developed at a different location. As a result, the budget was not as high as one might FIGURE 1. A schematic of the double façade and displacement ventilation system used in the casino. En gi neer ed Sy stem s August 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Engineered Systems - August 2008

Engineered Systems - August 2008 Contents Editor's Note Back2Basics HVAC Challenge Case In Point Commissioning Building Automation Efficiency Incentives HVACR Designer Tips Glass Box to Grand Casino Looking Radiant In Green Mechanical Products Sourcebook Q&A: Dehumidification In Schools Building Oversight Management: M&V And More Products Classifieds Advertiser Index Tomorrow's Environment

Engineered Systems - August 2008

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