Lauren Kandt, CM, Prince Frederick Hall, University of Maryland
Easter Egg!
Proposal
Updated Proposal Document as of 8 Febuary 2014
Alternative Super-Structure Materials
The Prince Frederick Hall Schedule is set to a fairly strict finish date due to the academic school year the University runs on. The schedule has already been speed up considerable through smart distribution of MEP labor. However, changing the material used on the super-structure of the building may accelerate the schedule further, ensuring the building will be finished on time.The super-structure of Prince Frederick Hall is currently cast-in-place concrete. This alternative material investigation would require comparing schedule durations, cost options, local availability, logistics, and practical use of the alternative material and the original cast in place concrete. This investigation would gather data from original sources and current date on Prince Frederick Hall. Instead, I propose investigating the value of implementing an infinity structural system instead. An Infinity Structure is “a structural framing system specializing in the Epicore MSR composite Floor System on pre-panelized load-bearing metal stud walls.” Hypothetically, this hybrid system will be able to shorten the duration of raising the super-structure.
Building Infromation Transfer Research
An interesting aspect of Prince Frederick Hall is the nature of the owner. The University of Maryland maintains hundreds of multi-use buildings on their main campus alone. Because of this some of the unique details of a certain building can be lost in the system. I propose an investigation into the best method to help smooth the building handoff and to help prevent loss of efficiency for the unique systems within Prince Frederick Hall. This investigation would begin with a survey distributed to custodians and building maintainers at both Penn State and the University of Maryland. Once the survey is collected the results would be compared to the typical information distributed once the building is completed. Discrepancies would be noted and a proposed document or method for information transference suggested. A secondary set of interviews with OPP and Clark construction would investigate the building hand –off from the perspective of the construction managers. Then I would compare the two groups to seek our discrepancies and similarities. From the above a document or checklist would be created to help ensure information about Prince Frederick Hall is successfully distributed. This building has complex systems serving a wide ownership including the University, the students, and the campus visitors. The day to day staff may need a document or diagram of some kind to ensure every staff change still knows and understands the systems that make Prince Frederick Hall unique. This could also help to ensure the systems are maintained at or near peak efficiency while also ensuring Prince Frederick Hall meets the needs of the end users.
Grey Water System Investigation
Prince Frederick Hall has achieved a LEED Gold certification mostly through smart construction Tactics and efficient building systems. However the University has recently suggested seeing if it is possible to push to reach Platinum Certification. Nearly every construction LEED Point has been achieved at this point for Prince Frederick Hall. To achieve this Platinum rating, a greater focus would need to be turned to active systems over the life of the building to decrease the buildings energy usage. To achieve this I suggest investigating the possibilities of including a grey water system in Prince Frederick Hall. Initially the investigation would cast a wide net to explore the different types of grey water systems readily available. Once a system is selected the investigation would switch to focusing on implementation, namely the cost of installation, architectural and structural adjustments, and potential water savings.
Photovoltaic Cell Investigation
Another system to investigate that may help to achieve a Platinum certification is Photovoltaic cells in the glass facades on the south side of the building as is produced by such companies as Glasscon. Since the south side of the dormitory faces out over a massive lawn then this is an ideal scenario to take advantage of solar power to help address the load of the dormitory. This analysis would investigate the different solar cells available on the market and their ease of maintenance specifically. Once a cell was chosen I would then create a cost return analysis to demonstrate the value of this system.
Structural Breadth
Due to the potential changes from the super-structure analysis and the grey water system the structure of Prince Frederick Hall may need to be reevaluated. I would like to propose a breadth analysis to study and ensure the structure in both the cast-in-place and the Infinity system can support its own load and the added grey water system weight.
Architectural Breadth
Both the photovoltaic cell and grey water systems have a potential impact on the visual appearance of Prince Frederick Hall. I propose a study on ensuring the desired architectural appearance in maintained while still taking full advantage of the sustainable systems. To this end I would study concealment methods for the water tank on the roof as well as potential means to expand the window area on the southern façade. Drawings, rendering and comparisons to other buildings on campus would all be included in the final report.
User Note
While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work-in-progress for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Lauren Kandt. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.
..Senior Thesis.. Architectural Engineering..AE Computing .. Penn State..
This page was last updated on 8 Feb 2014 by Lauren Kandt and is hosted by the AE Department©2013