Project Profile:

Project:		Montclair State University Academic Building
Owner:		Montclair State University
Project Type:		Higher education
Square Footage:		270,000
Start Date:		November 2003
Completion Date:		November 2005

Project Description:
With a construction cost of $54 million, the 270,000 sf Academic Building is slated to be the centerpiece of the Montclair State University campus.  When preparations to construct the new facility began, the University contacted Dome-Tech Commissioning Services to make sure the campus showplace worked as well as it looked.

The building is on track for LEED certification through the US Green Building Council and Dome-Tech is providing Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Commissioning.  Committed to a building that reflects excellence, the university opted to include Additional Commissioning (Credit 3) as well.

The space includes lecture halls, classrooms, offices, ballrooms and a full kitchen.  As the number of occupants will vary depending on season, day and time, the building HVAC system must provide consistent and controllable temperature and completely flexible schedules.  The equipment being commissioned includes air handling unites, variable frequency drives, colling towers, steam to water heat exchangers and an emergency generator.  Controls engineers are also checking the building's state-of-the-art Allerton DDC control system to ensure all programming is correct and the building operates economically in all types of usage.  Dome-Tech is performing lighting commissioning, including the lighting control panels, and site utilities commissioning as well.

Brought into the project just before bidding, Dome-Tech was able to add value to the project through design reviews.  Design improvements were integrated into the bid documents via addenda.  The firm developed and completed the Commissioning Plan and the Design Intent documents by the time construction started, causing no delay s in the construction schedule.  These documents help to unify the team by providing common goals and setting channels of communication.

Dome-Tech is also providing Montclair with NJ SmartStart Building Program incentive support.  By aiding the University staff in filing the paperwork, we can ensure they received the proper incentives for their energy efficient equipment.  These incentives stretch construction dollars at the same time that commissioning ensures a correctly functioning and sustainable facility.