Commercial HVAC tenant fit-outs require an extensive amount of planning to be completed properly. A number of competing priorities must work together to ensure seamless operations that don’t cause damage to the building and don’t inflate construction costs or extend deadlines.
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC and construction crews must all coordinate during a tenant build-out while accounting for the schedules of other tenants in the building. There are many design, build, and scheduling considerations that must be taken into account before the fit out is started, which requires at least one contractor with advanced capabilities in BIM modeling and construction management.
Planning a Commercial HVAC Tenant Fit Out
A commercial HVAC contractor must identify the location and condition of all existing HVAC systems, including whether or not these HVAC systems are shared with other tenants in the building. This information needs to be coordinated with plumbing equipment locations, as well as electrical raceways, data cables, and wiring to ensure that each contractor’s work won’t interfere with the others’ schedule.
Before any work begins, a tenant fit-out may also need to be prepped for demolition, which requires an extensive understanding of which systems are currently in use. For example, if steam distribution systems are disrupted by a tenant fit-out on an upper floor, these systems will need to be relocated before construction begins. There are numerous factors that affect the success of a tenant fit-out.
Successful HVAC Infrastructure Upgrades During a Tenant Fit Out
Donnelly Mechanical recently completed a commercial HVAC tenant fit-out for an eight-story building renovation that converted the upper floors from auto repair shops to high-end offices with a new, modern HVAC infrastructure. This project was particularly challenging because the building was 90 years old and the first 5 floors of the building would be occupied during the fit out, even though existing HVAC systems were being replaced.
Donnelly provided new cooling towers, vertical piping risers, floor units and heating for the upper floors. New central building management and controls were put in place, along with a number of other newer HVAC systems components. A temporary chiller was set up to minimize cooling disruptions to occupied floors during the fit out.
In the end, the project was a success. Existing tenants experienced little to no disruptions to their daily operations and the old building received new, modern HVAC infrastructure that offered superior energy efficiency and reliability.
For tenant fit-out projects, it’s important to work with a commercial HVAC contractor with construction trade management and BIM modeling expertise. This ensures collaboration between construction trades, and scheduling of all fit out work is conducted seamlessly and without interruption to existing tenants.
To learn more, read more about Donnelly Mechanical’s recent infrastructure upgrade and tenant build-out.
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