The S4 Group was invited to present at the IBCON show in Orlando Fla. Steve Jones, Managing Partner, presented the Jackson Federal Building case study during the Smart Building Best Practices Showcase. During the dedicated session many attendees were interested in the case study, specifically in the overall size and complexity of the project and the part that the S4 Open technology filled as the enabling technology for the legacy system retrofit. Other remarks were made about the cost savings that were increased through the keeping of the legacy controllers and avoiding the asbestos abatement.
During the IBCON show, The S4 Group, Inc. was given the opportunity to present the Jackson Federal Building case study during the Smart Building Best Practice Showcase. As conference attendees viewed the posted information it became clear that companies are looking for gateway technology to use in several types of building applications. The U.S. Government General Services Administration (GSA) operates the Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle, Washington; it houses 35 agencies with 2,300 government employees and contractors within its 37 stories-- making it the largest Federal building in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Construction of the building was completed in 1974 with pneumatic controls. It subsequently went through several upgrades to introduce direct digital control technology. The existing system consisted of an aging JCI system with several generations of controllers, many of which were obsolete, and much of the as-built information was missing, unreadable, or inaccurate. At one point, a previous retrofit project added a smoke control system that interfaced heavily with the HVAC controllers, further complicating the integration and NCM phase out process. One of the most impressive outcomes of the plan for this project is the reduction of costs and not having to do the asbestos abatement.
The controls upgrade was performed as part of an all-around energy efficiency upgrade of the building. All of the aging mechanical equipment in the building was replaced. Every window was replaced with energy efficient glazing; lighting controls were added as a part of this project. The building was to remain occupied during the upgrade. GSA mandated zero interruptions to tenants’ activities. There was no access to VAV boxes and most of the N2 bus wiring, as they were installed above ceilings that were heavily contaminated with asbestos. Zero downtime of mechanical systems and controls was allowed during normal business hours. The requirement was to achieve a completely seamless integration. ATS Automation was called in on the project because of their excellent history of complex integrations and well managed projects.