The two-phase project can provide 50,000 tons of cooling capacity for the University of Pennsylvania within a structure that has become a campus landmark.
The university’s chilled water loop serves the air-conditioning needs for most of its buildings. Increasing demands and the age of the existing chilled water generating plants required a new, larger plant. Keast & Hood was selected for the project because of its experience with the chilled water system and knowledge of heavy industrial buildings.
Phase 1 added 20,000 tons of cooling capacity to the campus loop system, primarily for the Huntsman Hall project also designed by Keast & Hood. At the time, infrastructure was put into place to expand capacity to 30,000 tons with four additional cooling tower cells; a few years later, this expansion took place to fill the capacity of Phase I. Phase 2 will mirror the building and bring total capacity up to 50,000 tons.
Sited on the former parking lot adjacent to Murphy Field, the chilled water plant is impressive from all viewpoints. The single-story steel structure is 40 feet tall and topped with 12 cooling towers over a monolithic concrete basin. This load is carried on a series of 10-foot deep, heavy structural steel trusses that span over 60 feet. Interior lighting illuminates the inner workings at night, and the surrounding full-height stainless steel screen wall has become a landmark for travelers on the adjacent Schuylkill Expressway (I-76). The screen wall is an engineering feat in its own right, and had to be detailed to allow for the future Phase 2 construction with as little disruption as possible. The project also involved modernizing Murphy Field to become the new stadium for the university’s varsity baseball team. Despite a fast-track schedule and a very wet winter, the stadium opened on time for the spring season.
The project was honored with the 2001 Architectural Record Award, 2001 American Institute of Steel Construction IDEAS Engineering Award of Excellence, 2000 AIA National Honor Award, 2000 Boston Society of Architects Honor Award, 2000 Modern Steel Construction Award, and 1999 Progressive Architecture Citation.
The two-phase project can provide 50,000 tons of cooling capacity for the University of Pennsylvania within a structure that has become a campus landmark.
The university’s chilled water loop serves the air-conditioning needs for most of its buildings. Increasing demands and the age of the existing chilled water generating plants required a new, larger plant. Keast & Hood was selected for the project because of its experience with the chilled water system and knowledge of heavy industrial buildings.
Phase 1 added 20,000 tons of cooling capacity to the campus loop system, primarily for the Huntsman Hall project also designed by Keast & Hood. At the time, infrastructure was put into place to expand capacity to 30,000 tons with four additional cooling tower cells; a few years later, this expansion took place to fill the capacity of Phase I. Phase 2 will mirror the building and bring total capacity up to 50,000 tons.
Sited on the former parking lot adjacent to Murphy Field, the chilled water plant is impressive from all viewpoints. The single-story steel structure is 40 feet tall and topped with 12 cooling towers over a monolithic concrete basin. This load is carried on a series of 10-foot deep, heavy structural steel trusses that span over 60 feet. Interior lighting illuminates the inner workings at night, and the surrounding full-height stainless steel screen wall has become a landmark for travelers on the adjacent Schuylkill Expressway (I-76). The screen wall is an engineering feat in its own right, and had to be detailed to allow for the future Phase 2 construction with as little disruption as possible. The project also involved modernizing Murphy Field to become the new stadium for the university’s varsity baseball team. Despite a fast-track schedule and a very wet winter, the stadium opened on time for the spring season.
The project was honored with the 2001 Architectural Record Award, 2001 American Institute of Steel Construction IDEAS Engineering Award of Excellence, 2000 AIA National Honor Award, 2000 Boston Society of Architects Honor Award, 2000 Modern Steel Construction Award, and 1999 Progressive Architecture Citation.
CLIENT: William J. Trefz Consulting Engineers with Leers Weinzapfel Associates
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA
TYPE: Academic, Special, SERVICES: New Construction, Renovation, MATERIALS: Concrete, Steel, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Completed project photography © Jeffrey Totaro
