Kevin Engel

Building Statistics

General Building Data
• Building name: Metropolitan Hall

• Location and site: Widener University
17th and Melrose Avenue
Chester, Pennsylvania
• Building Occupant Name: Widener University Students

• Occupancy or function types (type of building): R-2 Residential District
• Size (total square feet): approx. 92,000
• Number of stories above grade / total levels: 4
• Primary project team including owner, general contractor, CM, architects,
engineers, etc. with links to firm websites where available:
Owner: Widener University
CM: HSC Builders & Construction Managers
Design Architect: CuetoKearney
Executive Architect: Wallace, Roberts, & Todd, LLC
Civil Engineers: Catania Engineering Associates
Structural Engineers: O’Donnell & Naccarato
Mechanical, Electrical, and Fire Protection Engineers:
Alderson Engineering, Inc.

• Dates of construction (start – finish): July 2005 – August 2006
(Excludes Geothermal Well Field)
• Actual cost information (be specific on what type you are providing and what is
included (i.e. just the building cost, overall project cost, soft costs, etc.):
Building Cost to be $18 million
• Project delivery method (design-bid-build, design-build, etc.):
Construction Manager at risk, Design-build, with a Guaranteed Maximum Price.

Architecture:
The building has an L shape that allows it to make the most of its corner location. To keep the building from becoming an obstacle to pedestrian traffic, an open air walkway runs through the building at the corner of the L. The exterior is to have a mostly brick facade with some glass curtain wall and a large limestone signage wall to carry the university name at the corner. The roof structure is 8” hollow pre-cast plank which is covered by rigid insulation sloped to roof drains. The insulation is protected by a fully adhered single ply roofing membrane. The interior is made up of repeating apartment style dorms. Generally the apartments contain three large double rooms, a living area, a kitchen and two full bathrooms.
The building was required to meet IBC 2003 codes as part of the Statewide Building Code (Uniform Construction Code) adopted by Pennsylvania in April of 2004. The building is being built in an R-2 residential zoning district. Previously this site had been an open area so there were no historical requirements. However, as part of a university campus it was assumed from the beginning that the building would blend in with and compliment the buildings around it.

Construction:
After 3 months of drilling the geothermal wells, the building finally broke ground at the end of July 2005. The project is expected to be done by August of 2006 so that it can be occupied by students in September for the fall semester. It is critical that the building be finished on time because students have been assigned to the building. This is reflected in the contract by very high liquidated damages. The expected cost of the building is $14.5 million.

Structural:
The structural system is 8” hollow core pre-cast plank flooring spanning between 23 and 30 feet. The planks rest on the exterior walls and one of the hallway walls at the center of the building. The load bearing walls supporting the planks are 8” concrete masonry units. The CMU walls are grouted solid from the foundation through the first floor and in the shear walls. From the second floor up to the roof the walls are hollow, only needing reinforcement at the end of the walls. The walls then rest of shallow footings, typically 3’6” W x 12”H under the outside walls and 5’W x 14”H under the inside wall. The shear walls rest on huge 6’6”W x 36”H footings. The only exceptions to this system are the clubhouse building, which uses steel to support some areas because of openings in the ceiling, and the open walkway, which also uses steel to support the pre-cast concrete due to the longer spans involved.

Electrical:
Power will come from a feed connected at an existing transformer at nearby Moll Hall. The feeder will run underground in a 4” conduit at 13.2 kV. This will be carried by 3 #2/0, Type 133% EPR conductors with the capability of handling 15 kV. It will be reduced to a 208/120V, 3 phase, 4 wire power supply by a transformer at the entrance to the building; inside the mechanical room. This power will then be distributed by a switchboard to a fire pump, jockey pump, TVSS, and other distribution switchboards that will send power to the individual panelboards. The emergency system will be a generator capable of producing 1000kW at 125kVA. This power will be distributed in the form of 3 phase, 60 Hz, 208/120V power to the life safety systems panel and the elevator.

Lighting:
All lighting for the building is fluorescent. This allows most of their lights to be under 40 Watts. There are 14 different lighting manufacturers used for the building but most of the lights are typical. In public areas, where there is a suspended ceiling, 2 x 2 or 2 x 4 Columbia fixtures are used. In the apartments themselves most of the light is provided by 6” compact fluorescent downlights. For this use Lightolier and Prescolite fixtures are used. In the bedroom, where more general than focused light is needed, Cooper indirect wall lights are used.

Mechanical:
The air intake and discharge for the building is on the roof in the form of 4 Greenheck ERV-521H heat recovery units. The units send the air to geothermal heat pumps located in the mechanical closet of each apartment unit. The heat pumps are part of a loop that receives water from 72 – 500 foot deep wells located in the rear of the building. From the heat pumps the air is ducted into the bedrooms and hallway of the building. Then the air travels through the living areas and is returned through the bathroom exhaust system into a vertical chase that takes it back to the rooftop heat recovery units and out of the building.

Fire Protection:
The fire protection system consists of a main fire pump and a jockey pump to provide water to the building. The building is to be fully covered by a sprinkler system with the ability to provide .10 GPM per square foot over the most remote 1,500 square foot area with 100 GPM reserved for hose streams. Sprinkler heads are to be released at a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. There is also to be a dry fire protection system covering the roof of the building.
The annunciator panel is located in the vestibule at the main entrance to the building. The system must meet requirements of NFPA 13.

Transportation:
There will only be one elevator for the building. This elevator is to be a Schindler 2500 lb. hydraulic elevator. This will be located at the corner of the L-shaped building so that it is directly across from the main entrance to the building and approximately the same distance from each of the wings. The elevator is much larger than would be required simply for handicap accessibility so that it can accommodate students moving into and out of the building every year.