As the largest construction firm in Chicago, the Walsh Group consolidated several of their construction groups into a new 100,000 SF building adjacent to their existing headquarters. McGuire Engineers designed the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and lighting of the new office space to be both sustainable and obtain Walsh’s goal of LEED Platinum status. As part of the design services, Walsh retained McGuire to create an energy model for submission to USGBC that would evaluate the overall performance of the building and estimate the energy saving measures compared to ASHRAE’s 2004 standards.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering
Energy Modeling
LEED Design
Lighting Design

ENGINEERING HIGHLIGHTS

• McGuire Engineers created a lighting model using BIM technology to evaluate daylight harvesting and proposed light shelves. We were able to advise the Walsh Group that this would not be a cost effective measure.
• Designed a highly-efficient HVAC system that is projected to achieve 53.6% savings in annual energy costs.
• Implemented SolarDuct thermal technology to preheat the building’s outdoor air.
• Designed a green roof and a rainwater harvesting system.
• Building energy monitoring and energy feedback visualization will demonstrate the economic impact of sustainability.