Frisco Building One

Starting in 2019, the University of North Texas began the design of the first building on the new branch campus in Frisco, TX. Shah Smith & Associates served as the MEP engineering consultant on the project.

Mechanical

The HVAC system provides comfort cooling to the building via air handling units manifolded together for redundancy and ease of maintenance. Energy recovery is provided by a 100% outside air pre-treatment unit with an enthalpy wheel designed to recycle energy from the building’s exhaust/relief air to pre-treat incoming ventilation air.

Building chilled water is generated by energy efficient air-cooled chillers. The chilled water system is configured in a primary/secondary flow pumping system designed to save on pump energy during part load operation.  Piping provisions were made to connect to a future campus thermal loop.

Condensing boilers with outside air reset controls were provided over conventional boilers to maximize energy savings for the building heating hot water system.

Electrical

The electrical infrastructure for the building was brought in from a new 25KV delta to 480Y/277V liquid filled pad mount transformer via the new Oncor service. The new Oncor service starts the University owned 25KV loop system for the campus. A natural gas generator was also installed to serve the life safety functions of the building. The 480Y/277V distribution system serves the building lighting, site lighting, tower lighting, and mechanical loads. The 208Y/120V distribution system serves the classrooms, telecommunication rooms, café area, amphitheater, and food trucks pedestals.  The tower lighting DMX control system allows color changing for different seasons or events.

Plumbing

The new plumbing systems in the building served fixtures in restrooms, a café/kitchen, and break rooms throughout the building. Point of use electric water heaters are provided throughout in lieu of a central water heating system. Tank type electric water heaters serve the café plumbing fixtures with a circulation loop. Natural gas serves a new generator and hydronic boilers. The water serving the heating water system and café area is softened in the level 1 A gravity grease interceptor is provided outside of the building for the café sanitary waste. The grease waste piping is heat traced and insulated through an underground tunnel to the grease trap for maintenance access.