History and modernity collide at The Atlantic Building in the Central City district of downtown Philadelphia. The Atlantic has been a staple on the Avenue of the Arts dating back to its construction in the early 1920s. Originally home to the Atlantic Richfield Oil Refining Company’s offices, the building was restored by Post Brothers to a much-needed residential tower in the area. The project included a 375,000 SF full gut renovation of the interiors.
AKF provided LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning services for this project, leading the commissioning process that included OPR development, design reviews, commissioning specifications development, commissioning plan, submittal reviews, pre-functional checklist verification, functional performance testing, and master list of findings management. The project required modern HVAC and lighting systems. The design includes a first-in-Philadelphia Integrated Piping System, which utilizes common piping for the HVAC and the domestic hot water. Central boiler and chiller plant contain four-pipe fan coil units. AKF conducted intensive design reviews including coordination with the system vendor, and was on-site to witness critical system start-up and for functional testing of residential fan coil units.
The complete renovation of the historic high-rise building brought with it a unique set of challenges that required collaboration between the design and commissioning teams. The project required updates to modernize the HVAC and lighting systems to comply with updated codes and standards. However, the mechanical system space was constrained due to the historic existing conditions. AKF worked closely with the design team to ensure special consideration was taken during design to ensure the system capacity and part-load will meet the unique residential demand profile. This collaboration allowed the team to implement technologies that will help keep the building energy efficient and provide comfort to the residents for years to come.
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