University of North Texas Curry Hall

Denton, Texas

Expertise

  • Education

Services

  • civil engineering
  • electrical engineering
  • mechanical / plumbing engineering
  • structural engineering

Size

  • 27,400 SF

BHB provided civil, MEP, and structural engineering design to support MEP and interior upgrades to a three-story, 27,400 SF, historic building built in 1913. It is the oldest remaining building on the University of North Texas campus. The updated building houses facilities for classrooms, offices, and computer labs with construction taking place in multiple phases to ensure occupancy during the renovation.

The renovation uncovered many interior windows that had been covered by walls in the 1990s and replaced blacked-out exterior windows with light-transmitting, energy-efficient glass, which allowed light into the building while maintaining the historic look and feel.

The mechanical design included replacement of the existing air handling units with new variable air volume air handling units, better maintenance access for all equipment, plumbing modifications to comply with current Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), a performance specification for a new automatic wet pipe sprinkler system, and more energy-efficient mechanical systems.

The electrical design included replacement of the entire existing electrical system and new LED lighting for levels one and two, along with the installation of a new central lighting inverter system to replace individual battery packs throughout the building for ease of maintenance. A new elevator battery lowering device was provided to support elevator recall.

The civil design included new site work to provide TAS-compliant parking, electrical infrastructure upgrades, and a new six-inch fire water service to support a new automatic wet pipe sprinkler system.

The structural design included supporting new air handling units as well as modifications to an existing mechanical mezzanine to provide better maintenance access and comply with current OSHA requirements.

The historical nature of the building required lighting, MEP, and fire protection systems to be coordinated and concealed to preserve the original aesthetic of the time period.  A modified fire alarm system was provided, and low-voltage data cabling was coordinated with the University for proposed routing.

Key People

  • Kirk Plum, PE, NSSA AP, CPDT, LEED Green Associate

  • Ian Bost, PE, LEED AP

  • Thomas Wilson, PE

  • Austin Baird, PE, LEED AP

  • Ronald Ishmael, PE, LEED AP