Largest controls contract
in MacDonald-Miller history!
Over the past six years, MacDonald-Miller has been modernizing a 3-million sf office expansion. The project involves multiple architectural firms, general contractors, mechanical contractors, and control subcontractors working together in a joint venture. Our new construction group won the mammoth mechanical contract, leading to a close partnership with the rapidly growing building controls division. In 2019, our MacMiller controls team was awarded the largest controls contract in the company’s history, covering approximately 817,000 sf for four new buildings in the Pacific Northwest.
The new office buildings tie directly into a very complex central utility plant which was another sizable MacMiller contract with both our New Construction and Building Controls teams. The plant generates heating and cooling for each of the buildings using thermal energy tanks that are warmed by hundreds of geothermal wells drilled into the ground using the deep earth’s constant temperature. This complex structure allows centralization of heating and cooling systems rather than each building maintaining systems separately. This plant is one of the largest of its kind in North America and is expected to reduce energy usage by 30 percent.
Our talented control engineers and technicians were faced with complex design standards along with evolving requirements, which meant close collaboration with our New Construction partners. The controls team had their work cut out for them as the four office buildings showcased several mechanical systems and a combined 1,400 terminal units to bring to life through building automation. At the peak of the project schedule, there were 22 field technicians collectively executing the low voltage installation and controls integration for each piece of mechanical equipment. Collectively, the team ran over 13 miles of cable pathways, validated over 44,000 software points, and authenticated an impressive 720,000 links to ensure unitary and total-system functionality to prepare for commissioning and final building turnover.
As of Spring 2023, the controls team has successfully commissioned and handed over two buildings, while the final two are scheduled to be completed this fall. The team looks forward to the successful completion of this cornerstone project. We’re sending a message to the industry that we can tackle any project with poise, no matter what size and complexity, and at the end of the day, the result is a satisfied customer!
Read more from our latest Perspective Newsletter.