Mechanical Systems

Kelson mechanical highlights:
The Queen’s Innovation and Wellness Centre (QIWC) is a four story building, utilizing much of the existing structure used in the former Physical Education Centre. The QIWC houses a number of student services, including Varsity Athletics spaces, an Innovation Design Studio, Prototyping Lab, Mental Health Services, Gymnasium space, Science Laboratories and a Student Exam Centre. Mechanically, the project boasts two lower mechanical rooms and two penthouse mechanical rooms, in addition to a chilled water plant fed from the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) next door. Heating of the QIWC is achieved through steam heating coils, generated through a central steam plant, run to eight air handling units serving various zones of the project. The laboratories are served by lab air, lab vacuum and Reverse Osmosis (RO) water in order to facilitate a number of scientific procedures. Fume hood air is exhausted by high-plume exhaust fans, designed to allow lab exhaust air to dissipate well above any students or staff of the University.  Large atriums allow for lots of natural light to be brought into the building and multipurpose group spaces allow for collaboration amongst interdisciplinary groups. 
Process Piping: The Queen’s Innovation and Wellness Centre utilizes a complete network of high pressure steam process piping to take steam throughout the building after being generated by a central steam plant located on the University campus. This high pressure steam process piping serves all the heating services across the project by transferring heat to the air handling units’ supply air, hydronic water terminal units and domestic hot water, as well as being utilized for humidity control across the building.