IMEG provided engineering and design services for a new nine-story mixed-use building, which includes an eight-story, ±900-space parking ramp. The new, $25 million high-rise physically connects to the hotel/convention center and parking ramp via a skywalk. Program spaces within the high-rise include a restaurant, mercantile shell space, office use shell space, and core-common use spaces. The architectural lighting of the hotel/convention center, mixed-use building and associated skywalks were all designed by the same architectural lighting designer to provide a comprehensive design vision between the buildings.

Rentable space on all floors was a premium. IMEG worked closely with the owner/developer and architect to optimize the equipment placement and mechanical/electrical spaces. IMEG attended in person meetings and conference calls with the owner to review and describe design aspects to ensure the owner is getting a building system that optimally performs and is one they can service and maintain for the life of the building. IMEG joined weekly conference calls with the architect to coordinate the space needs of the MEP systems. One solution was to add a mezzanine space above the trash/maintenance area to elevate plumbing equipment off the floor to give the owner more leasable space.

A dedicated outdoor air handling unit recovers energy from exhaust air stream and conditions the outdoor air to room neutral conditions. The heating and cooling for the building is provided by a two-cell 700 Ton cooling tower and a 6,000,000 BTU boiler plant serving a loop water system.

This loop water is pumped throughout the building to heat pumps that maintain space temperature control. The boilers and cooling tower only operate to keep the loop water temperature between 62F and 83F. Between these temperatures, heating and cooling loads are transferred from space to space without using building system energy. The elevators, fire pump and other life safety and high-rise required items are provided with emergency generator backup power.

The building utilizes a water-to-water heat pump connected to the building’s loop water system to provide in-floor heat to the vestibule and snow melt at building entries.

The building’s mechanical, electrical and technology systems provide the owner with a high performing building and the easily maintained. The architectural lighting system design will provide the owner with an elegant building façade lighting strategy that will make the building stand out in the Sioux Falls Skyline.