Bel-Aire Mechanical Inc. completed with DPR Construction, Inc. and the Arizona Board of Regents, a 245,000-sq. ft. facility achieving Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for New Construction. This project houses academic laboratories, university classrooms, facility offices, a lecture hall and a fine arts building that includes a “black box theater”, painting and drawing studios and gallery space. The buildings which were meant to create dynamic pedestrian environments are designed around three story atriums. Each atrium has three large fans for increased air circulation and decreased energy use. Other sustainable features of the building include an exterior glazing to provide natural light, stabilized decomposed granite to reduce the “heat island” effect, and a large retaining wall made of recycled concrete. In addition, 89% of the waste for the site was either reused or hauled away for recycling.

This project, labeled as a “fast track” project, was scheduled for 18 months to build 3 academic buildings which structurally amounted to 11 buildings total. The entire project consisted of tight schedules where the trade and construction crews had to closely coordinate putting all the systems in place. Bel-Aire Mechanical worked closely with DPR in the BIM and 3-D Coordination process of this project. The coordination of the HVAC, electrical, fire sprinklers and ceilings prior to the construction of the project was crucial. This 3-D modeling saved not only a lot of potential “rework” but, in this project it saved the owner money. Bel-Aire Mechanical’s BIM/CAD department not only coordinated the self performed services listed above, but also the structural, electrical, and structured data cabling systems required within the multiple buildings on the Polytechnic Campus.