MECKLENBURG COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Charlotte, NC

Architect: HDR
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Project Size: 569,000 square feet, 39 Courtrooms
Construction Cost: $100 Million
Systems Commissioned: Central Plant, HVAC systems, Smoke evacuation, Electrical, Emergency Power

Charlotte’s new county courthouse consolidates the court functions previously housed in three separate buildings to provide accommodation for Superior and District Courts, including thirty-nine criminal, civil and family courtrooms, a collegial judges’ office floor, the offices of the Court Clerk and Trial Court Administrator, civil processing functions of the Sheriff’s Department and jury assembly space.

The courts have been organized by their function with supporting offices and ancillary functions: Criminal courts on levels three and four, civil courts on level five, and family courts on level seven. Level six is being built as shell space to provide for future expansion. The top floor is devoted to the judges' offices, conference spaces and the library. The penthouse contains the central chilled water and hot water plant and many of the large air handling systems serving the building.

Commissioning services were provided for all of the mechanical and electrical systems in the building, and included preparation of the commissioning plan, pre-commissioning checklists, construction inspection, functional performance testing, training and documentation.

MECKLENBURG JAIL CENTRAL
Charlotte, NC



Architect: Little and Associates
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Number of Beds: Phase I - 1,000; Phase II - 960
Construction Cost: $100 Million
Systems Commissioned: Central Plant, HVAC systems, Smoke evacuation, Electrical, Emergency Power

Charlotte’s new 1800 bed intake and detention center provides a single-cell, direct supervision facility within the constraints of a prominent downtown government complex. The building was built in two phases. Phase I contains 1000 beds and Phase II provided an additional 960 beds.

A central plant, located in the basement of the facility, provides chilled and hot water to cool and heat the building. Three 800-ton water-cooled centrifugal chillers are manifolded together to meet the cooling demand and provide redundant capacity. Three gas fired hot water boilers are utilized to heat the building, and two steam boilers provide steam to the large kitchen for cooking and dishwashing. Large variable volume central station air-handling units located in the penthouse are designed to provide normal cooling, economizer mode cooling, and smoke evacuation and control for all areas of the building. The units are controlled by a full DDC control system interlocked with the building fire alarm system. A VAV distribution system supplies air to the dayrooms, cells and administrative areas. All stairwells and vestibules are pressurized to meet the requirements for high-rise construction.

Full commissioning services were provided for the mechanical and electrical systems including specifications, site inspections, pre-functional test sheets, functional performance testing, smoke evacuation system testing and training of maintenance staff.