MEP Design and Construction Services - South Florida

THE PROJECT
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is a regional governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state, from Orlando to the Florida Keys. To continue its mission and fortify its operations against inclement weather, SFWMD wanted to consolidate three facilities into one environmental services laboratory. This would involve the demolition of a two-story building to make way for a new 36,000-square-foot facility.

Erdman Anthony was selected as prime consultant to provide design, civil engineering, mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing engineering, project management, and construction services for the project.

FEATURES/SOLUTIONS
The designs included these sustainable features:

Rooftop solar panels
A water cistern for reusing process water for a gray-water system
Pervious concrete pavement
Xeriscape grounds
Energy- and water-efficient fixtures
A thermal ice storage system for the cooling system
Well-placed shaded windows to provide outdoor views and natural lighting

Building Information Modeling (BIM) design and project-information management tools helped track and manage documents and contractor submittals, hold web-based meetings to connect the geographically dispersed design team, and establish extensive quality control and peer-review processes to help produce a superior set of plans.

IMPACTS
The new facility is state-of-the-art, capable of resisting high-wind velocities with limited or no damage and has the emergency backup systems to sustain operations for seven days—crucial for an agency that must withstand severe weather.

SFWMD achieved LEED Gold certification for this facility, which demonstrates the agency’s commitment to green building.

The project was also well under budget.

Sustainable Design Impact

The facility’s cistern recovers 2,000 gallons of water per day and has reduced on-site potable water use by at least 50%. Energy and water-efficient fixtures, rooftop solar panels, and low-maintenance landscaping are among other green features at the facility.