HVAC System Replacement at Southampton Town Hall

Project Location: Southampton, NY
Client: Town of Southampton

Nelson + Pope was selected to prepare a design for replacement of HVAC systems at Southampton Town Hall. The Town received several feasibility studies throughout the past several years with different options and recommendations to replace the multitude of building systems. The building was formerly a public school with steam supplied from an adjacent school via an underground pipe. Throughout the Town’s ownership of the building they relied on the school’s steam supply for heat throughout the building. To make the building comfortable as a year-round office the Town had various, largely inefficient, cooling systems installed throughout the building.

N+P proposed a simplified means of replacing all systems with a new system independent of the school. Ultimately the Town decided to proceed with N+P’s recommendations for the design of a 130-ton Variable Refrigerant Flow Air-Source Heat Pump system with heat recovery. This is a high efficiency system that will provide forced hot / cool air throughout the building and will modulate to respond to the actual thermal loads. The heat recovery feature will transfer heat from warmer areas of the building to cooler areas, thus increasing the overall operating efficiency of the HVAC system. Air handlers with controls in each room provide for increased occupant comfort, and a building-wide control system allows building superintendents to manage the entire system’s performance and controls. Air handlers included inconspicuous ceiling cassettes and concealed air handlers in new custom cabinetry for the Auditorium and Supervisor’s Office. In addition to the new VRF system, N+P designed a high efficiency dedicated outdoor air system to provide ventilation throughout the building that previously had no mechanical ventilation. A hydronic radiant heating system was also designed for the main lobby.

N+P prepared site plans to pad-mount the 14 new condensing units outside the building. To serve the new HVAC system a new 600-amp, 480-volt electrical service was designed. The new service dedicated to the HVAC system incorporates provisions for stand-by power during utility outages.

N+P provided Construction Administration and Inspection services for the project.

The Town of Southampton’s modernization of the new HVAC system in the nearly 100-year-old Town Hall building won the Better Buildings Award presented by the US Department of Energy. To learn more about the award, visit https://www.southamptontownny.gov