Project

When Burkholder’s HVAC decided that they needed a bigger facility, they looked throughout the Lehigh Valley to find something that would meet their needs. One and a half years later, they found the answer close to home in an existing building located just a block away from their facility.

They wanted a location that would not only meet the spatial and functional requirements of their growing business but also provide an opportunity for them to display their expertise and workmanship in sheet metal fabrication and state-of-the-art HVAC system design, equipment, controls and installation.

The challenge was to design around an existing 6,000 square-foot building and to expand the usable space while maintaining the overall architectural integrity of the structure. The existing building would be used for the warehouse and the new Sheet Metal Shop. Office space requirements would be fulfilled by building a new 5,000 square-foot office addition. The office would be designed with energy-efficiency and comfort in mind.

For the core of the system, they installed two Trane high-efficiency heat pumps with four zones of cooling and heating. They also installed two 90 plus condensing gas boilers that would supply heat for the 14 zones of in-floor radiant heating and any auxiliary heating needs.

Aesthetically, Burkholder’s wanted the building to have a very “industrial” look so they chose to display the ductwork openly throughout the office and fabrication shop. To achieve this, the office was designed with 12-foot high ceilings and exposed spiral ductwork with saddle type diffusers.

The other challenge would be to install new HVAC equipment on the roof of the existing building. The roof had to support the office equipment as well as the fabrication and warehouse equipment. They needed enough cooling to cool the shop while providing the necessary make-up air for the new automated sheet metal plasma table. This would require the installation of new columns, footers and structural supports to carry the weight of the new equipment.

Finally, the HVAC control system was another opportunity to highlight new web-based remote control technology. So, Burkholder’s chose the FX40 Johnson Controls ATC system. This internet-based control system lets the user check or change setpoints from any location via the internet. The system has the added benefit of providing the user with email alerts for low or high space temperature readings or compressor shutdowns.