CLIENT
Fordham University
PROJECT SIZE
Multiple buildings across both
campuses
COMPLETION
Ongoing On-Call Contract
SERVICES
On-Call Energy Design &
Commissioning
TEAM MEMBERS
• John Rice, PE, LEED AP
• Alexander Gutkin, PE, LEED AP
• Stephen Fuller
• Francisco Arias, PE, CEM
• Su Ying Sun, EIT
REFERENCE
Vincent Burke
Director of Capital Programs and
Planning
Fordham University
(718) 817- 4811
vburke@fordham.edu
Legacy Engineers provides on-call engineering services for Fordham University. Legacy’s services spans project assignments from design projects to energy studies and commissioning services, as follows:
Faculty Memorial Hall – Hybrid Air-Source/Geothermal Heat Pump Feasibility Study
Fordham University set out on a goal to become one of the “greenest” university campuses in the Northeastern United States. One of their central goals on that path was to convert away from their fossil fuel burning central boiler plant to a campus-wide geothermal heat pump system. Legacy Engineers presented to Fordham University the latest thinking in heat pump system design – a hybrid system that utilizes air-cooled most of the year and switches to geothermal, served from a much smaller wellfield, only in the extreme weather conditions when air-source heat pumps drop in efficiency.
Fordham University retained Legacy Engineers to perform a Feasibility Study to applying this technology to their campus beginning with their Faculty Memorial Hall, a 5-story classroom and office building located on the southeast extremity of the campus. Legacy performed the following services in analyzing the feasibility of replacing FMH’s campus steam and water-cooled chiller system with a hybrid air-source/geothermal heat pump system:
• Developed an energy model and the heating and cooling thermal load profile for the building.
• Calibrated the energy model to the electric utility bills.
• Retained a geothermal sub consultant to size new well field and heat pump plant equipment.
• Performed an economic analysis for the new system compared to the existing system and a conventional condensing boiler alternative system, including construction costs, reduced energy costs, reduced carbon emissions, utility incentive rebates and Local Law 97 fine avoidance.
Commissioning Services
Legacy Engineers oversees and project manages all commissioning services for projects on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. Services include developing a commissioning plan, functional performance forms and test sheets, developing commissioning services templates for incorporation into Fordham’s Procore site, among others. Projects include:
• FMH Condensing Boiler
• O’Hare Chiller Plant
• Salice Conley Condensing Boilers
• Thebaud Boiler Plant
• Thebaud AC Project
• Canisius Boiler Enclosure
Fordham University On-Call Engineering Services
Rose Hill Campus, Bronx &
Lincoln Center Campus, Manhattan, NY
Water Management Plan
Legacy Engineers developed a Water Management Plan for Fordham’s Lincoln Center, Rose Hill and Louis B. Calder Center campuses, located in Manhattan, the Bronx and Armonk, NY, respectively. Fordham requested the water management plan to manage, prevent and remediate legionella and other bacteria from the building and facility water systems on campus after prolonged periods of low usage due to the COVID 19 pandemic shutdown. Legacy prepared flow diagrams and developed testing and flushing procedures for each building and then assisted facilities operations personnel in flushing the buildings. and for commissioning new or significantly renovated facility projects and retro-commissioning building water distribution systems.
Old Quinn Library Classroom Renovation
As Fordham University prepared to bring students back on campus in the Fall of 2020, they embarked upon a plan to create new socially distanced classroom spaces. This project was a design fit out project of 12,000 square foot of space in the Lowenstein Building on Fordham Lincoln Center campus that had previously housed a library, into 7 socially distanced classrooms. Legacy Engineers provided mechanical,
electrical, plumbing and life safety design engineering services for the project which included converting an existing constant volume air handling system into variable air volume with new ductwork distribution; a new sprinkler protection extended from the capped fire service; new electrical circuiting for lighting and receptacles; and new fire alarm devices.
MEP As-Built Conditions
Fordham University retained legacy Engineers to document all existing condition documents for their buildings on campus. Scope consisted of downloading all electronic drawing files for each building, surveying the MEP/FP systems in each building and developing an up-to-date set of drawings including updated riser diagrams.
RPZ DEP Registration
Fordham University assigned Legacy Engineers a campus-wide project to ensure all buildings had backflow prevention devices on all water services, legally registered with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Legacy Engineers surveyed the incoming water services in each building to determine where backflow preventers were currently installed and if the installation met all Code requirements. For building
missing devices, Legacy will create design plans for new installation. And finally, all existing and new installations were properly filed and registered with NYC DEP.
Related Areas of Expertise:
General feasibility studies, technical support/clean energy activities, carbon mitigation strategies, retro and continuous commissioning services, high performance buildings, energy advisor services, geothermal.