ALUMNI CENTER AND PEARL TYNER WELCOME CENTER

Florida State University

A new facility for Alumni Association operations, located on the Florida State University Campus. The facility features office space, large and small conference spaces, a grand ball room with a/v and sound reinforcement systems. Our firm was responsible for all MEPF design and construction administration.

Cooling and heating is performed by multiple electric split system heat pumps. Heat pumps were selected determined by a life cycle cost analysis and determined to have lowest first cost and reasonably favorable operating costs. Other benefits include built-in redundancy and good controllability. A digital control system maximizes efficiency of use.

Lighting through the facility was selected for performance and energy conservation. Conference rooms feature electronic dimming and the ability to configure the room into many “scenes” for presentations, general use or large screen television viewing. Lighting in the grand room features several sources, some of them indirect for soft, low glare lighting and maximum efficiency. Spot lighting and general lighting are controlled through a digital control system which features a digital interface with the audio-visual control. All group meeting areas feature television display units, so low glare, controllable lighting was an important design criteria.

The building is mixed occupancy with Assembly, and a fire sprinkler system was necessary. McGinniss & Fleming Engineering executed the design and performed all necessary hydraulic calculations to demonstrate performance. A state-of-the-art microprocessor based fire detection and alarm features automatic voice evacuation to enhance life safety and further protect the building. The fire alarm system has the ability to automatically communicate with the fire department in the event of an alarm condition.  To maximize occupant safety, a complete lightning protection system was installed.