Charlottesville, VA

ACPS High School Center II

Scope of Services
MEP Engineering
 

High schools are evolving to prepare students for the demands of the 21st Century. Students must not only master the old basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also the new basics of digital and information literacy, communication, creativity, and collaboration skills. High school facilities are changing from large buildings with classrooms, to more nimble, flexible, environments that support the kind of workflows students will engage in beyond high school. To meet this evolution and growing enrollment, Albemarle County Public School identified the need for a second High School Center to serve the entire school division. Designed for approximately 600 students, this facility provides access to interdisciplinary, project-based specialized programming and connects the school with the community and professional organizations, offering internships and other out-of-building learning experiences. High School Center II houses the "Career Pathways" program and the school division's Data Center.

2RW Project Case Study Main Image
Services

2RW is provided MEP/FP engineering for this high school facility design, which embodies a modern learning environment with flexible, collaborative, and interdisciplinary spaces. Our sustainable MEP/FP engineering includes implementing highly efficient mechanical systems with geothermal heat recovery chillers and designing the rooftop to be PV-ready. The geothermal bore fields are strategically placed under the redesigned parking lot, which includes EV chargers. These initiatives reduce and offset energy usage, meeting LEED design initiatives.

A life cycle cost analysis determined that fan coil/blower coil with dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) and heat pump chillers are the most cost-effective and maintainable systems among those tested against the baseline. This system decouples ventilation and space conditioning, making it easier to control temperature and humidity set points within individual rooms—optimal for a versatile school setting.

Additionally, this project involves relocating the Data Center that serves all ACPS systems. The new High School Center is being built on the current data center’s location. 2RW designed the county’s temporary data center in an existing high school, fitting out an unused space.

*Rendering Courtesy Quinn Evans Architects

Scope of Services
MEP Engineering
 

OWNER: Albemarle County Public Schools

TIMEFRAME: 2023 – 2026 (est.)

SIZE: 60,000 SF | 2 Stories

COST: $36.8 million (est.)


Highlights

System Highlights

Mechanical

  • Hydronic dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS)
  • Fan coil/blower coil
  • Heat pump chillers (ground source)

 Electrical

  • Whole building emergency generator with a backup generator for the data generator
  • Provisions for EV charging stations
  • Rooftop Photovoltaic

 Plumbing

  • Backflow preventor with flood sensor control valve
  • Ground source domestic heat pump water heate
  • Acid neutralization valves for laboratory spaces

 Fire Protection

  • NFPA 2001 Clean Agent suppression system with pre-action backup protection in data center

Certifications
Targeting LEED Silver