Alexandria, VA

VTS Bicentennial Hall Adaptive Reuse and Renovation

Scope of Services
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Engineering
 

Built in 1855, Bicentennial Hall has served many functions over the years. It has been a Civil War-era hospital, a library, and an educational space. It now hosts conferences, dinners, seminars, and provides a new home for two carved stone relief panels—one a 3,000-year-old original and one a reproduction—from an ancient Assyrian Temple.

2RW Project Case Study Main Image
Services

This adaptive reuse and renovation project turned a classroom into a flexible meeting room and gallery space. 2RW’s services included MEP design for:

  • An energy-efficient HVAC system that ties in to campus utilities and features variable air volume (VAV) controls and demand control ventilation (DCV) strategies
  • Micro-environment controls with humidity and temperature sensors within the sealed exhibit panels
  • Museum-quality exhibit lighting
  • Lighting controls integrated into the building automation system
  • Audio visual, telecommunications, and security system conduits
Results

The new HVAC systems and lighting meet 21st-century museum standards without compromising the historic fabric of the building.

Scope of Services
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Engineering
 

OWNER: Virginia Theological Society (VTS)

TIMEFRAME: 2018 – 2019

SIZE: 1,500 SF

COST: Confidential


Highlights
  • Electrical conduits were hidden in channels carved out of the existing plaster walls to visually preserve the historic character of the building.
  • Careful planning and coordination of the mechanical and electrical spaces minimized visual impact to the occupied spaces.
  • Exhibit thermal sensors were integrated with the central campus BAS to enable monitoring and automated alerts.

Awards

2021 – Award of Merit in Historic Architecture, AIA NOVA