About AIA HQ RENEWAL
National Mall, Washington DC
The Project will include substantial updates to the Existing Building’s mechanical systems to make the building more efficient and environmentally sustainable. As a result, the Project will require reconfiguring the existing roof plan in order to accommodate new mechanical equipment to support the updated building systems. This proposed new equipment includes, new high-efficiency heat pumps, which will replace the existing natural gas boilers and will be located on the roof of the Existing Building’s southeast wing. The new heat pumps will drastically improve efficiency for one of the building’s largest energy uses — space heating — and will also eliminate the carbon emissions produced by the existing natural gas boilers. However, given the unusual layout and configuration of the rooftop created by the Existing Building’s “elbow” shape, relief from the penthouse requirements is necessary to accommodate the new heat pumps and associated screening.
