Shaare Tefila Congregation
Olney, Montgomery County, Maryland

building Shaare Tefila Synagouge, Montgomery County, MD

building occupant Shaare Tefila Congregation

occupancy Mixed use; A-3 Assembly; I-4 Institutional

building size

43,000 sf (Proposed Building Gross Area) 12,665 sf (Additional Gross Area)

45,665 sf (Total Gross Area)

number of stories 2 stories (Proposed) 3 stories (Allowable)

project team

Owner Shaare Tefila Congregation
Architect WCMRP, inc
General Contractor Forrester Construction Company
Civil Engineer A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc.
Structural Engineer The Watkins Partnership
Mechanical Engineer Weigand Associates, Inc.

date of construction September 24th, 2007-October 24th, 2008

cost information $10.79 million (Building Cost)

project delivery method Guaranteed Max Price

architecture

architecture
The building will serve as a new and more spacious home to the members of Montgomery
county's Jewish community. Major Features include a 90 seat chapet for daily prayer,
Khuddish room and Social Hall for special events, a functioning Youth Activiey Center,
Nursery school, and administrative

major national model code Referencing 2003 IBC/ 2006 NFPA Life Safety

zoning R200

historical requirements Montgomery County Tree Saving Agrreement

building envelope
PVC roof system; Fiber Cement Panel system, Finshed CMU (Exterior Walls);
Ceramic tile (2 types); Coated copper Coping, Pre-Finished Metal Coping, Normal and
Patterned Glass

construction
A major challenge for construction of Shaare Tefila Congregation is the site work
and demoltion. Clearing the 4 acre property includes demolition of an existing
residential home, garage and green house, as well as selected trees and large
equipment. The challenge and source of delay was the environmental hazards of
asbestos and lead lined paint. Strict adherenaces to tree protection and safety laws
also required additional care and notice.

structural system
The structural system is composed of structural steel and structural masonry.
Typical interior steel beam size is W16x31. Typical exterior steel column size is
W8 x 28. The foundation is shallow with strip footings. Composite slabs are steel
and cast-in-place concrete with a thickness of 4-1/2".

The roof system is composed of glue-laminated wood beams and is supported by
steel 22 gage steel framing.

mechanical system
The mechanical room is located on the lower level and is approximately 1800 SF.
Standard duct size is 4"Φ-8"Φ, for 400 lbs/linear foot, and 10"Φ-12"Φ, for 800 lbs/linear
foot. Corrugated duct size is 14"Φ-36"Φ for 2000 lbs/linear foot

Two rooftop Air Handling Units provide air distribution for 8 ventilation zones.
Occupancy sensors in each of the 8 zones curbs energy overconsumption. Each
zone is seperated based on capacity and usage.

electrical system
The electrical systems which supports typical office use and school time use as
well as speaker and data systems for gathering spaces is a service load of 2500 Amps.
All work is to comply with requirements of the NEC, NFPA, BOCA, IBC and
Montgomery county codes. All fixtures are to be connected to the Emergency panel
and will be powered by the generator (located in the mechanical room) in case
the building loses normal power. Emergency lighting and battery pack will also
be connected to standby generator.

lighting system
Typical lighting varies based on room and function, but include: downward,
decorative, wall-mounted, recessed, pendant, projection lens, and surface mounted
fixtures. Area lourescent lighting is used for most classrooms. Dimming ballasts
for hall corridors and chapel are soft lighting systems. The classrooms on the
lower level will have dual level switching to toggle the outer and inner lights.

fire protection
Shaare Tefila Congregation is covered entirely by a wet pipe sprinkler system.
The automatic sprinkler system is intended for design-build installation and
will be installed by the fire protection contractor. Standpipes are used in both
stairwells and pressure is controlled by a fire pump. The interior walls have a
2 hour fire-rating. All sprinklers and alarms comply with codes for Montgomery
county, NFPA as well as ADA requirements.


transportation
The hydraulic elevator servces both floors of the synagogue and is located in the
north-west section, closer to the kitchen. The elevator is specified as a passenger
elevator however it will be used as a service and loading elevator from the loading
dock to the kitchen and to the upper floor. The conveyance system complies with
ADA requirements as well as NFPA code and elevator codes for Montgomery
county. Stairwells are located on the north-west corner as well as the south-west
corner.

telecommunication
The chapel and ceremony halls in the synagogue will be installed with a full music
and speaker system to be provided by the owner. The office and administrative
rooms will have data/fax and voice telecommunication systems installed and owner
provided.

geothermal system
Since there is no outside water source to the site, geothermal wells are being
implemented into the building's mechanical system. The wells will tie into the
mechanical system and then be used to circulate the building's water supple. Using
the earth's natural heat as a energy heating and cooling source, the water supply will
be controlled based on season and usage. This systems is a high initial cost, however
the cost and usage over the life of the building will result in utilities savings.