U.S. Courts Design Guide
Mechanical-Electrical Systems
Mechanical-electrical systems in multi-tenant buildings must be adaptable in the event
that most if not all of the entire building must be devoted to court use. HVAC
equipment and ducts, as well as the electrical supply distribution system, must
accommodate the courts' long-term automation and technology needs. The systems
must not prohibit future expansion of courtrooms and ancillary facilities.
The mechanical-electrical systems in multi-tenant buildings generally can be described
as follows:
The facilities typically have a central cooling and heating plant, sized to serve
the entire building.
The buildings may have separate chilled or condenser water risers to serve
incremental loads.
If the buildings have separate, central, interior fan systems and perimeter
systems, then court spaces are subject to operational limitations. After-hours
operation will be costly. Individual fan rooms on each floor and all-air interior
and perimeter systems reduce the cost of after-hours operation.
Expansion of court operations depends upon the ease of relocating tenants
directly above and below court-occupied floors.
The base building systems directly impact the extent to which the courts are
able to maintain comfortable conditions.
Improvements to the mechanical-electrical systems of multi-tenant facilities include the
following:
If feasible, increase outside air intake to conform to American Society for
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
guidelines.
To supplement inadequate air conditioning, add local air-conditioning units if
possible.
When possible, courts in converted multi-tenant facilities must be provided the
following:
Separate control of environmental conditions in the court facility during
normal and after-hours operation.
Separate control of normal and emergency electrical switchboards serving the
court facility, including all of the building's mechanical systems.
13-6
12/19/97
Previous Page
