St. procopius abbey
An architecturally significant religious facility in suburban Chicago received a much-needed HVAC upgrade after a GBA analysis.
The Objective
St. Procopius Abbey is a Benedictine monastery constructed in 1967, including worship, office, and living spaces. The Abbey, in Lisle, IL, is an architecturally distinguished site designed by Edward Dart.
GBA performed an HVAC assessment for the facility, which was operating mostly on original equipment and systems past their service lives. St. Procopius then hired the firm to design necessary replacements and renovations.
The Response
GBA engineers evaluated the condition of the Abbey’s nine air-handling units (AHUs); 133 fan coil units; two natural-gas-burning, three-pass, fire-tube hot water boilers; an air-cooled chiller with screw compressors; dual-temperature pumps; 10 exhaust fans; dual-temperature piping; and temperature controls (mostly pneumatic). Radiographic pipe testing was conducted by a third party to supplement the team’s field observations.
- GBA provided St. Procopius with comprehensive equipment upgrade/replacement recommendations, including rough order-of-magnitude estimates of capital costs. The client received detailed information on the equipment’s current condition, age, and estimated service life. An “infrastructure report card” provided letter grades for each system, with green (good), yellow (fair), or poor (red) categorization for an easy-to-understand snapshot.
- Replacing dual-temperature steel piping (3-in.-dia. and smaller) was identified as the highest priority (Level 1), based on condition.
- Level 2 priorities, recommended for action within four years, included replacing two problematic AHUs; dual-temperature system pumps; and toilet exhaust fans in the residential wing.
- Replacing the fan coil units; the remaining seven AHUs; and the two boilers was designated as a Level 3 priority. (The chiller, a more recently installed item, was not recommended for replacement.)
- St. Procopius later hired GBA to design all the improvements recommended as Level 1 and Level 2 priorities. In addition, the client opted to replace the seven remaining AHUs, as well as two dual-temperature system pumps with variable-frequency drives; toilet exhaust fans throughout the facility; and associated plumbing and electrical work. Additional replacements and upgrades will be considered for future phases.
- The Abbey is also installing a new Niagara N4 building automation system to control and interface with new and existing equipment, with the capability for future expansion.
- The project should provide the client with a facility that is more energy efficient, comfortable, and reliable, as well as easier to maintain.
Architectural images: James Caulfield
Assessment of building systems, equipment, and pipes
Replacing piping and some HVAC equipment was prioritized
A new BAS will control and interface with new and existing equipment
Gains in comfort, reliability, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance
