Chilled Watergate: Solving Another Mystery at the Watergate Office Building
A step-by-step look at the retro-commissioning process that led to the implementation of a hybrid, 3-pipe HVAC system at the Watergate office building.
Recognized internationally for a name and even a suffix that has entered the pop culture lexicon, the luxury complex of modernist buildings on the banks of the Potomac River known as the Watergate Complex is an icon like no other in Washington. As a pioneering example of urban redevelopment, the compound is significant both for its architecture and planning. The design of the complex was conceived in 1961 and was substantially complete by 1971. The seven component buildings, interconnected by underground garages, are a combination of co-op apartments, hotel, retail, and office buildings. With its expansive views over the Potomac River, the Watergate is a mix of uses creating a self-contained and self-sufficient community.
The Watergate office building, located at 2600 Virginia Ave., is recognized for its notorious position in American history as the location of the bungled break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters during the presidential campaign of 1972. The Watergate Office Building, a 210,000-square-foot, 11-story office building built in 1966-1967, was in need of an HVAC perimeter system tuneup in 2019. Over the years, it has been adding chronic operation and maintenance problems to its dubious past reputation, so the property management firm, Joe Duffy, senior property/asset manager, Penzance, and his owner representative, David Avedesian, P.E., RPA, of Newport Associates, began to build a troubleshooting team to retro-commission the HVAC system that served the below-grade office space and 11-story office space above. The team would eventually include myself as well as the following: