Life Science
Service
MEP Engineering Design
Studio
Building Systems
Architect
HKS
ZGF
Features
50,000 SF
BCOM
DOAS
As the destination for environmental science research along the Chesapeake Bay watershed, George Mason University’s Potomac Science Center houses laboratory spaces, lecture rooms, and faculty offices.
GHT provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering design services for the 50,000 SF research facility.
Committed to sustainable design, the Potomac Science Center meets LEED Silver standards and features a 100% outdoor air mechanical system to maximize operating efficiency and comfort. The building utilizes an evaporatively cooled VAV rooftop unit in conjunction with an air-cooled chiller to feed the building’s chilled water-cooling loop.
The facility responds to specific space needs by configuring two separate zones for heating and cooling. Faculty offices and classroom zones receive air from dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) variable air volume (VAV) boxes with hot water reheat, whereas laboratory spaces receive air from 100% outside air (OA) shutoff VAV boxes. The lab spaces also feature exhaust systems with constant-speed fans, which can be adjusted based on input from connected occupancy sensors. All public, non-lab plumbing utilizes low-flow fixtures that will achieve a 50% reduction in potable water use.
