Fairfield University

Nationally ranked among the country’s top business schools, and named in honor of Charles F. Dolan, founder of Cablevision and Home Box Office, Fairfield University’s School of Business now boasts a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. The 85, 000 square-foot building includes interactive learning environments, a Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Lab, an Entrepreneurship Center with Ideation Lab, active learning and case-based classrooms, a new event space, Finance Lab, and the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics.

Kohler Ronan was pleased to have worked with S/L/A/M Collaborative to provide comprehensive MEP/FP designs in support of the new business school programming. Our team of engineers designed a new cooling plant consisting of a 215-ton air cooled chiller located in the utility yard. The chilled water system incorporates a 25% propylene glycol solution to allow the cooling plant to operate year-round. Regarding heating, the designs called for a heating plant utilizing two fully modulating condensing boilers served by natural gas. The building is conditioned via roof-mounted Variable Air Volume (VAV) air handling units with energy recovery wheels, and conditioned air is ducted to each space and controlled by a VAV terminal box. The lower level and event space are conditioned by two indoor air handling units located in the lower-level mechanical room, also with an energy recovery wheel. Sound attenuation is provided on the system inlet and outlet configured to mitigate any breakout noise.

The facility is projected to reduce energy costs by 30% and is quickly becoming a hub serving both business students, faculty, and staff.

Photo credit: © Paul Burk Photography