ATLANTA — ASHRAE is poised for a busy year in 2019. At its 2019 Winter Conference in Atlanta, the 56,000-member engineering association introduced a lengthy agenda that included renovation of a new net-zero world headquarters, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan HVACR Society (PHVACR), a pledge to prepare building professionals for the challenges and opportunities of designing efficient and grid-responsive buildings within the changing energy sector, and more.

ASHRAE announced that the Utah Legislature has passed HB 218-Construction Code Modifications, adopting the full commercial provisions of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE 90.1-2016.

The inaugural AEC BuildTech Conference & Expo is a unique event spotlighting the latest design & building processes, products, and emerging technologies.

This month’s Facility File is based on a new 40,000-square-foot office building HVAC system using VRF heat pump equipment with a focus on the Back2Basics February test. The project will include two VRF systems, each serving approximately 20,000 square feet of space. The building will also have a 100 percent DOAS gas-fired rooftop HVAC system for ventilation to the occupants in the building.

Design often creates the sensation of being in a box with the sides moving in and no means of escape.

This month's Facility Files will focus on the Back2Basics test addressing the renovation of an existing Metro station with the addition of a new smoke evacuation system located within the building and within the subway’s inbound and outbound tunnels. The associated ADA-compliant elevator will have its own stand-alone, engineered, smoke control, 100 percent outside air fan to a positive-pressurized elevator shaft system.

ValleyPoint Church, a just-completed new-build project, was conceptualized as a place of worship, learning, and gathering for the Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, community.

This month’s Facility File will focus on the B2B December test for the energy retrofit of a commercial office building hot water heating system conversion from a utility company steam system to a new, high-efficiency condensing boiler system.

Top 5 Articles @ESMagazine.com (November 2018)