Vermont Granite Museum of Barre
Barre, Vermont
Professional Services Provided
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Description of Professional Services
Extensive adaptive reuse project located on site of former Jones Brothers granite sheds renovated in conformance with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Structures. Constructed in 1895, using giant Douglas fir timbers brought from Pacific Northwest, the building is architecturally significant. Nearly 200 windows are set high along the raised roof line to allow copious amounts of natural daylight to enter the shed. Two interior cranes, used to hoist granite blocks of up to 20 tons and move them the length of the shed, still remain. This plant was also one of the first to install a dust collecting system to reduce the amount of granite dust in the air, the large green cones of the system also remain. The existing 30,000-SF cutting shed will be rehabilitated for use as museum and artist work and display areas, construction of a new building area for ancillary functions and support, construction of a "ghosted framework to outline the structural skeleton of the former Building No.3 (Sawing and Polishing Shed), and related site demolition and improvements. Services include:
Comprehensive traffic impact study which included consideration of impacts to US 302 which fronts the property, the nearby Richardson Road intersection, and at-grade railroad crossing for the railway corridor which bisects the property.
Permitting assistance, includes local permitting (zoning change request, zoning permit, conditional use approval, water/wastewater/sprinkler allocations, transportation advisory committee review, site plan approval, building/electrical/ plumbing permits), state permitting (water supply/wastewater disposal, permit-to-construct, stormwater discharge permit, general permit, stream alteration permit, 401 water quality certification, at-grade railroad crossing, Act 250 land use), and Federal permitting (COE statewide permit).
Civil engineering design including review and assimilation of existing information; cooperation with the City of Barre Department of Public Works and the VANR Regional Engineer regarding water, sewer, stormwater requirements; confirm site access with Barre DPW and VTrans; perform wetlands screening; and design development for utilities, roads, parking areas, pedestrian/bicycle pathway, and drainage. Included coordination with other design disciplines.
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing including domestic water and sanitary sewer services; sizing and location of underground fuel oil tanks for heating system; evaluation of multiple heating system alternatives for the facility; zoned heating systems and distribution piping, duct work, and flue gas chimneys; definition of ventilation requirements; design of dust collection and exhaust ventilation system for artist studios; design of ventilation and acoustical treatment requirements for air compressor room; definition and design of humidity and temperature-controlled areas for various rooms; and restroom facilities.
Project included several sustainable design features. Air conditioning units include economizer cycles to allow use of 100% outside air in spring and fall when weather conditions permit. Building heated with radiant floor hydronic system divided into zones. Use of low flow plumbing. Ventilation system uses carbon dioxide sensors strategically placed throughout the building, so that as occupancy level rises during any part of the day, sensors will detect rise in level of carbon dioxide and signal the fans to ramp up, raising the quantity of ventilation air being circulated through any zone or combination of zones in the building. Similarly, as the occupancy level diminishes the sensors will signal the fans to ramp back down to the base level of ventilation. A time clock will note unoccupied hours of Museum operation, and will turn the ventilation and air conditioning equipment off during unoccupied periods. When air conditioning can be provided by outside air, the economizer cycle will not allow mechanical cooling to operate. Efficiency Vermont will provide cash subsidies for energy saving features designed for air conditioning, direct digital control and demand ventilation systems. Back to Top
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