The project: To provide MEP, fire protection engineering, and commissioning services for a new boutique hotel in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood.

Project amenities: The Godfrey Hotel Detroit features a 277-key hotel, two large ballrooms, restaurant, banquet kitchen, laundry, lobby bar, fitness room, and rooftop venue. The rooftop bar and lounge areas include retractable exterior NanaWalls for an open-air experience.

Design approach: IMEG utilized BIM360 for near-time coordination with the Owner. This allowed the team to be consistently aware of and react to design changes or feedback from others during the design process.

Key systems and capabilities included 37 individual low-ambient VRF systems; three low-ambient dedicated outside air systems with energy recovery wheels; four rooftop units; a pressure booster system with a rooftop indoor domestic hot water plant including high efficiency, condensing water heaters’ 1,500 gallons of hot water storage capacity; and an emergency generator. The building is also fully sprinkled with a fire pump on the ground floor.

Challenge: Coordination of design with consultants Solution: IMEG’s consistent communication with the architect, as well as the team’s experience in the hospitality industry, led to efficient document production in a timely manner.

Challenge: Comparing VTAC vs VRF/DOAS mechanical systems within guestrooms Solution: Proposed VRF/DOAS designs by IMEG would result in 73.3% annual energy savings in comparison to the VTAC system originally being considered.

Project outcome: The new seven-story, 143,000-sf boutique hotel was completed in September 2023, an excellent addition to the vibrant Corktown neighborhood. The hotel’s location allows visitors easy access to some of Detroit’s most popular restaurants, live music-venues, and shops. IMEG incorporated sustainable features such as energy recovery wheels on mechanical units.