project profile

Size: 95,000 Square Feet
Project Cost: $33,000
Completion Date: 2015

Project Scope:
Existing Facility Assessment and Recommendations

Harper College is one of the nation’s premier community colleges and one of the largest, serving more than 40,000 students annually in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. The College’s academic programs prepare students for rewarding careers and for transfer to four-year universities. Harper offers associate degree and certification programs, advanced career programs, workforce training, professional development, continuing education classes, accelerated degree options for adults, and developmental education programs.

IBC Engineering Services has been working with their facilities with involvement in multiple studies and infrastructure upgrades to MEP systems including air handling unit replacements, boiler plant upgrades, and upgrades to control systems and electrical utilities.

We work with Harper College in a continuing effort to implement more sustainable and energy efficient operations both in existing systems and in new installations.

We have recently completed a 4 month long detailed assessment of MEP and FP systems for the existing campus Library in Building F. This building dates to 1967 and comprises over 95,000 square feet of library and classroom space. Our assessment study was combined with that of the architectural team to produce a comprehensive review of the existing MEP and FP systems, operational condition, projected remaining life span, and code/operational deficiencies.

The report conclusions included recommendations for replacement of systems with tiered options and alternates presented for consideration. All recommendations were accompanied by detailed cost estimates and outlines of operational and economic benefits to be realized by the upgrades and replacements.

The recommendations of the report have been reviewed and accepted and we have begun the schematic design process of $26M renovation to the building with implementation of the MEP and FP upgrades.