Projects

National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Boulder, Colorado
United States
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Introba provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, CO, United States.

This federally-funded project was a deep renovation of 200,000 ft² of existing office and laboratory space with structural upgrades, an entirely new building envelope, new laboratory facilities, and a full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrade within very tight budget constraints. 

The team included 12 of the 15 Labs21 Best Practice Guidelines within the budget and exceeded ASHRAE 90.1 standards by 35%. A primary project objective was to provide a flexible design that maximizes the prime on-grade laboratory space. As research changes over time, the labs, and the systems serving them, must be able to adapt. 

Key features of the design included ventilation decoupled from heating and cooling, local hydronic heating and cooling for sensible loads, water- and air-side economizer cooling, air-side heat recovery, and low-pressure drop design. 

The team used Autodesk Revit to design the project, which allowed for an early three-dimensional presentation of the design intent to the National Institute of Standards + Technology (NIST) and the building occupants. This process created a graphically intense representation of the owner’s new space, transforming their 1960s building into a state-of-the-art testing and research laboratory.

Sustainability

  • LEED Gold target

Project Highlights

  • Federally-funded renovation of 200,000 ft² of existing office and laboratory space into a state-of-the-art testing and research facility 
  • Includes 12 of the 15 Labs21 Best Practice Guidelines within the budget and exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 standards by 35% 
  • Ventilation decoupled from heating and cooling 
  • Local hydronic heating and cooling for sensible loads 
  • Water- and air-side economizer cooling  
  • Air-side heat recovery and low-pressure drop design.

Photo Credit: Cooperthwaite Productions

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