Iowa Banker's Association

Baker Group worked with the Iowa Banker’s Association to create an updated space to support their business operations. After a period of time, the owners had outgrown the space and experienced issues with comfort control throughout the building. For this reason, client was looking for a budget-friendly, reliable HVAC system that provided equal comfort across open office areas and private offices. The building program consists of a core area with restrooms, breakrooms, support spaces and open offices around the core, private offices, a print shop, a fitness area, board room and training room.

Spacing Challenges Creates Innovative Solutions

This project presented some layout challenges that Baker Group successfully worked to overcome. The floor-to-floor structure height was only 14 feet, with the tall ceilings throughout; this meant limited plenum space to install ductwork, VAVs and plumbing piping. Baker Group implemented a thorough coordination effort between all trades involved in the project to get the above ceiling space to work without sacrificing height.

Going Above and Beyond for the Client

Because of the owner’s issues with comfort cooling in the previous space, Baker Group took extra steps to create a zone plan that addressed all their concerns. Baker Group performed a cost and energy efficiency analysis to determine the variable speed refrigerant compressors provided with the RTUs to provide DX cooling efficiency. The number of VAV zones went above and beyond “typical” design standards to provide a more precise level of comfort.

This project is a great example of Baker Group’s flexibility to think outside the box to not only meet the needs of the space but to address specific concerns that an owner may have prior to the project being started.