FSi was the mechanical engineer for Olympia’s new 88,000 sf city hall. The new building includes a public lobby, offices for City staff, Council chambers, and a police station.

FSi developed an energy model used by the integrated design/build team as a tool to achieve highly efficient design within a tight budget. Using the model, we considered over 40 energy savings measures on an LCCA basis, including mechanical, electrical, and envelope options, and compared the predicted energy use with industry averages. The final design incorporated the twelve options that provided the most energy savings and the best value for the city. The model predicted energy performance 39% better than ASHRAE 90.1 and earned an Energy Star rating of 97 of a possible 100 for the new city hall. We monitored energy use data for six months after occupancy, and found the actual energy use was within 5% of our model’s prediction.

The new city hall achieved LEED Gold certification, exceeding the City’s original Silver requirement. Most importantly, our client was happy. The City Manager told us, “We enjoyed the interaction with the project team. We felt listened to and taken care of. We wish we had another city hall to build so we could use this team again.”

Awards and Recognition

  • LEED Gold Certification, US Green Building Council
  • Engineering Excellence Silver Award, ACEC Washington
  • Building of the Year Nominee, Daily Journal of Commerce

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