UNM Lomas Chiller Plant
The new Lomas Chilled Water Plant was the first project in a phased renovation of the antiquated heating and cooling system for the University of New Mexico campus. Dedicated solely to efficiently providing chilled water for the campus, the Lomas plant is an expandable facility designed to keep up with the current and future needs of the fast-growing university.
The location of the new 20,000 sf plant presented challenges for the design team whose task it was to construct a large-scale industrial complex along a prominent end of campus and adjacent to several historic university buildings. Additionally, the logistics of getting construction materials onto the small site, installing new utilities, and maintaining campus operations without interrupting neighboring buildings were challenges the design and construction team had to overcome.
The Vision
The design solution for the building was derived from the need to blend a large industrial chiller plant into the fabric of UNM’s campus. To resolve visibility issues, much of the site perimeter is bordered by retaining walls and very tall screens. To add interest and compliment the University’s architectural style, color patterns were added to the exterior walls.
- 20,000 sf
- Architecture
- Four 8,000 ton chillers expandable to 12,000
- Four 1,088 sf cooling towers
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