Columbus, OH
  • Education
  • Enclosure
  • White
  • Acid Etch
  • Ohio

Ohio State University Chiller Plant

  • Education
  • Enclosure
  • White
  • Acid Etch
  • Ohio

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Recent trends in chiller plant design that have been to use eye-catching enclosures, often glass boxes, to allow mechanical systems to be visible from outside. However, this presents the problem of cooling the chiller plant. At Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, a new ten-story plant uses precast concrete panels with a series of openings that allow a view inside, while keeping the interior temperature consistent and the energy use regulated.

The plant building is more than just a concrete box with openings, however. Conceived as a “House for Energy,” the envelope showcases the energy-efficient chiller equipment inside and records the sun’s energy on the exterior.
 
The LEED Silver Certified building features a high-polish finish and “fins” of diachronic glass that cast colored light rays across the concrete surface. The result is a dynamic façade that changes with the time of day, season, and location of the observer.

The chiller housed at the new plant facility provides chilled water production and distribution to the medical center area of the campus. The plant encloses the equipment used to maintain 12,500 tons of chilled water, with a plan to increase that capacity to 30,000 tons. Emergency power installed at the plant increases the reliability of the water production and distribution in the event of a power outage.

Project Details

  • Owner: Ohio State University
  • Architect: Champlin Architecture
  • Engineer of Record: Shelley Metz Baumann Hawk
  • General Contractor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Awards

  • PCI 2014 Best Custom Solution

Key Project Attributes

  • The LEED Silver Certified building features a high-polish finish and “fins” of diachronic glass that cast colored light rays across the concrete surface. The result is a dynamic façade that changes with the time of day, season, and location of the observer.

  • Sustainability was a key factor in the design of the new chiller plant. 

  • The predominant materials on the project are precast concrete, cast-in-place concrete, and steel. Concrete aggregates were locally sourced to reduce embodied energy

Tell Us About Your Project
"High Concrete Group’s involvement during the design was key to the success of the precast work on the project.”
Eric C. Martin
“By using such a small number of panel types, a significant reduction in precast cost was realized"
Ross Barney Architects

ELEVATE YOUR PRECAST DESIGN.

Have a question about our precast design options? That's what we are here for. Reach out to our team of precast design engineers with any questions or details about your project and we will get back to you.

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