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Project Spotlight: Del Mar College

by Joseph Vela, Senior Mechanical Engineer

JonesDBR is pleased to be working with Gensler and Turner Ramirez Architects on the Southside Campus design for Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Designed to be built on a 96-acre tract at Rodd Field Road and Yorktown Boulevard, the new campus will enable the College to expand signature programs such as architecture, engineering, biotechnology, and culinary arts with state-of-the-art facilities. The design also includes facilities to teach basic core courses needed by transfer students, as well as developmental education, dual credit, workforce, and continuing education programs.

Phase I includes over 280,000 sf of facilities to include a Main Building & Library, STEM Building, Culinary Institute, and a Central Plant, in addition to 1200 parking spaces.

The Central Plant chilled water system consisted of centrifugal water-cooled chillers with heat recovery for space heating, reheat, and dehumidification.  The heating water system consisted of fully condensing high-mass firetube boilers. In order to the maximize boiler efficiency and the heat recovery from the chillers, the hot water loop was designed with a low supply water temperature.

The Culinary Institute utilized kitchen demand control ventilation and kitchen hoods with tempered make-up.  In the laboratory of the STEM Building, venturi valves for airflow control were provided to vary the supply/exhaust airflows and maintain pressurization.  Both of these strategies reduce air conditioning and fan motor energy.  Further energy savings was accomplished by routing the general exhaust of the laboratory through a cross-flow enthalpy plate heat exchanger to reduce the load on the outside air serving the laboratory.