Projects

Since 1928, the historic Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel have been fixtures in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2016, an $11 million project was completed that utilized unused space in the hotel portion, vacant since the 1970s, for a large, two-story ball room, meeting rooms, executive offices. To enhance these areas, a rooftop patio was added. The project also added new concessions areas to the main lobby, a renovated donor lounge space, a history center, backstage laundry facilities, and updated dressing rooms. Primary Engineering’s role was to design new HVAC and lighting systems to bring the structure up to date while also increasing energy efficiency.

The design challenges for this project were extensive. As the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its historic architectural features, including the windows, had to be maintained. The limited structural floor to floor heights affected the ability to route heating and cooling systems within the space resulting in a unique HVAC design where several fan coil units, located below the windows along the perimeter of the ballroom space, were used to supply full heating and cooling for large events. This required no ductwork and used an integral bench to provide a route for the piping on each floor. Ventilation was supplied using a limited amount of ductwork in the service spaces that would allow for the full height ceilings and not require several penetrations through the exterior walls, preserving the historic façade.

The lighting design included several custom wall sconces and chandeliers to match those in the historic lobby space. For the rooftop patio, an LED edge lit system, with fully controllable DMX integration, was installed around the perimeter allowing staff to adjust the color to match the mood of an event or theme.

The project was the 2017 BCA of Northeast Indiana award winner for “Best Project Over $2 Million.”

Westminster Village in West Lafayette, Indiana, is a continuing care retirement community comprised of independent living apartments and homes. Services include on-site assisted living, skilled nursing, memory support care, and rehabilitative care. In 2016, the facility experienced a $45 million renovation and expansion project that encompassed the construction of three identical, three-story independent senior living apartment buildings with large open floor plans and customized home furnishings. Each building included an attached parking garage with rooftop plaza providing shared outdoor patio space. A new wellness center, connected to the existing facility via a new corridor, was also constructed and features large fitness rooms, an office suite, classrooms, locker rooms, and natatorium with therapy and lap pools. The existing facility was enhanced with a front-entry addition with large gathering space and activity room.

Primary Engineering’s role was to provide full MEP and fire protection design for all buildings and additions. The most notable design features included all LED lighting for energy savings, hybrid heat pumps for the apartment buildings, dry-system fire protection for the parking garages, and a custom rooftop natatorium HVAC unit with energy recovery wheel and all aluminum ductwork.

Fort Wayne Community Schools, a school district in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that serves nearly 30,000 students, has been undertaking referendum-funded projects to keep their facilities operating efficiently and effectively. In 2017, Primary Engineering was selected to oversee the $38.4 million renovation of Northrop High School, built in 1971 and home to approximately 2,000 students.

The project included upgrading aging mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems as well as building finishes, exterior envelope, code compliance, and ADA accessibility. Work began in Spring 2018 and is expected was completed in 2021.

The fast-paced phasing for this project was complicated by the aging MEP systems in the nearly 50-year-old structure, and having to work around the school needs and schedules resulting in there being limited available periods for construction and design. A very tight construction labor market also presented challenges, so the development of a detailed phasing plan was critical to allow the work to occur and milestones to be met by the available labor.

Another important aspect of this project was the design of the HVAC system as the old high temp hot water heating plant was converted to a low temp plant. This will increase the boiler plant efficiency from 89% to 96% through the heating season for a net reduction in utility costs. Additionally, the electrical systems were fully upgraded with a new emergency generator and associated distribution while the communications network got a complete overhaul with new 10 gigabyte fiber backbones and new MDF and IDF rooms to service the building’s technology needs.

Primary Engineering’s role was to provide full MEP and fire protection design for all buildings and additions. The most notable design features included all LED lighting for energy savings, hybrid heat pumps for the apartment buildings, dry-system fire protection for the parking garages, and a custom rooftop natatorium HVAC unit with energy recovery wheel and all aluminum ductwork.

East Allen County Schools, a school district in New Haven, Indiana, that serves nearly 10,000 students, undertook a system-wide, bond-funded building program starting in 2016. Primary Engineering was selected to be the MEP contractor for the $29.2 million renovation of New Haven High School, built in 1977 and home to approximately 1,000 students. Completed in 2019, the project consisted of constructing a secure entrance, adding an auxiliary gym, and adding a two-story wing for grades seven and eight to the building that had never undergone any renovations since it was built. The entire building was renovated with new systems and new finishes throughout.

While the project scope was constrained by budget, keeping the schedule on time with a strict phasing plan was crucial to making sure the added classroom space was ready ahead of the scheduled demolition of the facility that had been housing grades seven and eight. In developing the phasing plan, we had to consider the replacement of all air handlers, the boiler and chiller plants, and electrical service panels. The new chiller and boiler plants are modular systems that allow just the right amount of chiller or heat to be brought online to match the load in the building while maximizing plant efficiency. New LED lighting was installed throughout the building, and new site lighting was added for enhanced building security.