Corps Community Revival: New Chicago Community Center Features Diverse MEP Design
Practical MEP design — comprising modular boilers, waste heat recovery, remote monitoring, designing around local restrictions, and much more — delivers flexibility and sustainability to Chicago’s largest community center.
In today’s world, so-called “high-performance, sustainable” facilities are a dime a dozen. But many of these buildings rely on overly complex mechanical systems to carry out their mission. While these systems may meet design requirements, they routinely fall short of performance expectations — a direct result of the mismatch between elaborate systems and the often-limited resources of the facilities personnel expected to operate them.
The new Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood posed a unique challenge to local MEP designer ESD (Environmental Systems Design, Inc.): to deliver a high-performance, sustainable building while incorporating MEP systems that are manageable and fit for purpose.