This hotel has enjoyed our stay: +: BY RYLAN MACCAY AND ASHLEY WILLIAMS
MacDonald-Miller recently completed several turn-key energy-saving upgrades to the mechanical and plumbing systems of the Renaissance Hotel. These efforts will save an estimated 1,166,120 kWh of electricity, 1,363,635 gallons of water, and result in a carbon reduction of 814 metric tons every year.
And we’re already witnessing the benefits. After only three months, the upgrades have Renaissance Hotel saving nearly $30,000 on electricity and $9,000 in water/sewer costs. The 75,000 SF hotel was constructed in 1981 with 553 guest rooms, 18 meeting rooms, and 3 restaurants. The project scope included
FACESIN THE
FIELD
installing two heat wheels used to recover the heat from warm bathroom exhaust air and heat the incoming outside air; adding “smart” Melink® sensors on the kitchen exhaust hoods to turn off when the stoves aren’t in use; and installing AquaRecycle® laundry water recycle system to reduce the water consumption of the washers by 75%! Other facets of the project included motion-activated garage lighting, domestic water booster pump replacement, and connection of conference room heat pumps to the building automation system. All the installations and retrofits were completed with little or no impact to the hotel’s operations. The
They do whatever it takes to make a difference : +: BY KELLY JOHNSON
Hard working and steadfast, MacDonald- Miller Maintenance Technicians provide the essential day-to-day service to customers, keeping them comfortable and happy 24/7, 365 days a year. Through preventative maintenance and repair of HVAC systems, these diligent employees serve as the face of the company and are truly why buildings run better with MacMiller. In the next three issues, we’ll highlight a different “face in the field” to help you get to know the person in the van a little better. In this issue you’ll meet Sean Scott, an 11-year veteran of MacMiller.
:.CONTINUED ON P3 “FACES IN THE FIELD”
PAGE 1
project team was able to secure incentives that will cover 50% of the project cost – and as the remaining costs are paid through the energy savings, there is no upfront cost to the owner.
These numbers are astonishing, plain and simple. And at MacMiller, we enjoy huge satisfaction in garnering this level of results for our customers.
Watering 148 urban trees | 1,671,456 bottles of water | 3,917 10-minute showers
75%reduced water consumption each month by installing a laundry water recycle system. This water savings is equivalent to one of the following every month:
Photo by kick spark creative
VOLUME 2 | QTR 2 | 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
P4 A big, giant task
P6 Operatory care solutions
P7 Immense project, impressive coordination
Cutting Edge Culture
Almost 50 years ago, MacDonald-Miller was formed by two men: Al MacDonald and Tom Miller. Their vision was to engineer better mechanical systems and provide hands on service of those systems to ensure they performed as designed. It was a small niche company working on commercial buildings in Seattle – a city growing with the dawn of the jet age.
Our MM culture of accountability, from the engineering to the performance of systems we build and retrofit, has, over the decades, become more entrenched in our “DNA”. In fact, the name MacDonald-Miller has remained through several ownership transitions, as this company title has always been symbolic of integrity and capability.
This simple concept of responding to a client’s need for a better working building at a fair price is still our guiding light today. It’s why we continue to add and enhance our capabilities – we need to be more than just a mechanical contractor in order to deliver on our promise of making buildings work better. It means we have to be the best at all facets of a building’s environmental systems and how they interact with each other. This is what drives our culture to be at the cutting edge of our industries’ advancements – from building automation to boilers, chillers, LEED engineering and energy modeling. Not to mention some pretty impressive fabrication capabilities.
In this issue of Perspective, the breadth and diversity of what we can do comes across quite clearly. I’m excited, humbled and proud to see what we can accomplish. I know the founders, as well as those who had the courage, like Fred Sigmund and Steve Lovely, to move this company from a small niche player to an industry leader, are proud too.
Yes, it’s the information age now, but Boeing is still building better jets and we’re still making better buildings. The strong survive!
Thanks for a job well done!
Gus Simonds President
BICYCLESFOR HUMANITY
B4HPhoto by Nick Johnson
Two wheels can save a life: +: BY STEVE NICHOLES
MacDonald-Miller has joined hands with a non-profit organization called Bicycles for Humanity (B4H). B4H is a non-profit organization whose mission is to serve the deeply impoverished in Africa who lack the most basic of services. Many in Africa are without any means of transportation and are constrained to live within a very short radius of their villages.
It’s hard to imagine, as we take transportation for granted; yet their lives are limited by how far they can walk and how far they can carry things via these efforts. B4H extends that radius of life by providing bicycles – transportation which enables them to attend nearby schools, bring their crops to markets, and reach out to available healthcare. MacMiller has taken on the role in B4H as the central depot for the storage, repair, and shipping of the bikes to pre-arranged African villages. The container loaded with bikes that B4H sends becomes a permanent repair shop for the bikes. And in every village that receives a bike container, someone is afforded a good paying job. B4H trains this person in bicycle repair and helps put them in the business of repairing bikes. Typically, B4H ships 500 bikes twice a year.
Here is how the MacMiller family can help:
If you have extra bikes, please donate them.
Pitch in and help with the repairing of the bikes at a work party.
Provide financial support for the repair parts needed, for the shipping expense, as well as for the training and employment of the “Bicycle Repair Specialist” in every new village we support. B4H is a 501.C.3 organization so anything you give is tax deductible.
To find out more about the story behind B4H visit www.b4h.org.
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PAGE 3
FACES IN THE FIELD
Sean Scott, Portland Service Technician, began his career at LignoTech, a company that creates product from pulp mill waste. When the pulp mill in Bellingham went out of business, LignoTech shut down and Sean searched for a new career. He decided to enter the HVAC Technician program at Bellingham Technical College, and in 2003 MacDonald-Miller hired Sean as a second year apprentice.
Initially Sean worked under Area Service Manager Eric Sundby, and it was quickly apparent that Sean was a hard-worker and a fast learner. While working on a project at Honeywell, Sean met John VanCamp, who was a service technician on the Eastside at the time.
“John and I instantly had a great working relationship,” said Sean. “After being on the job with him, he liked how I worked and kept tabs on my apprenticeship.” John joined the Portland crew in 2006, and in 2012, as General Foreman, John asked Sean to relocate to Portland and join the service team. Sean proudly accepted.
“The main difference between working in Portland and Washington is that in Portland you’re the main go-to guy. Seattle is broken down into trades – controls, pipe fitters, chiller techs, etc.,” noted Sean. “In Portland we don’t have direct access to all those groups. It’s really enhanced my base of knowledge and put me in a position to tackle many different obstacles.”
Sean believes that customer service is the most important aspect of working in the HVAC industry. In fact, Sean has delivered such a superior level of customer service that he’s developed many close client friendships. He goes on a yearly hunting and fishing trip to Montana with a customer that he’s known for years, and sees another customer on fishing trips – it’s a sincere testament to Sean’s focus on building relationships.
Sean’s amiable personality and outgoing nature are well known around MacMiller, as is his passion for the outdoors. If he’s not traveling to visit his six children and eight grandchildren scattered across the world, he’s fishing with his wife or hunting with friends.
MacMiller is very fortunate to have Sean as part of the ever-growing service team in Portland!
SY E A R SSean Scott 11
Movin’ and shakin’, MacMiller style!: +: BY JOHN VANCAMP
As those in attendance at MacFest might have noticed, the MacDonald-Miller Oregon team has been making a lot of noise lately. And that commotion emanates from the excitement of building a winning organization in a tough marketplace while having fun in the process.
When I relocated to this branch eight years ago, I walked into a mostly empty 8,600 SF facility where the biggest action was a game of mini golf. With the extreme effort of a ton of people, our underutilized facility blossomed. By mid-2013 we had grown into a company where multiple employees were proudly sharing small offices and cubicles.
In fall of 2013, space was so tight that while visiting the Portland office, Dave Herr, VP, General Manager of Sales and Mark Webster, EVP, Construction Operations, had to work in the lobby on a small round table. Something had to be done.
Once the new office location was chosen, David Casias, Portland Operations Manager, directed a team – with the invaluable help of Jessica Newman – through the relocation. And Mark Webster offered some truly valuable enlightenment. His insightful questions challenged us to embrace how important the lean process was to the final design of our new fabrication and warehouse space.
On March 13, 2014, moving day had arrived. With coordination from the assembled team, our warehouse and office were moved quickly and efficiently. Many thanks go out to the individuals who played a part in this move, including David Casias, Jessica Newman, John Presson, Heather Gassman, Megan Gillory, Christina Moreland, Pete Davila, Brianna Edwards, Rick McEachran, and Patrick Volk. Thanks go out as well to Chad Tracy and Chris Ryff for getting the new server setup and making sure the network was accessible.
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A big, giant task : +: BY RYLAN MACCAY AND SHAWN HAVELY
CAPITOL HILL T R A N S I T STAT I O NCH Sound Transit | OWNER
Hewitt Architects/NTP | ARCHITECT Contract | $16,185,496the team
The Capitol Hill Station (CHS), a new light-rail station for Sound Transit’s “U-Link”, extends the current system from Westlake Station through tunnels that travel under I-5 to Capitol Hill, then North under Lake Union to the University of Washington.
The project is located within the Capitol Hill district in the heart of the community, covering three city blocks. The main station has three entrances at street level with a majority of the structure located below ground – 55' down to the passenger platform. The trains travel through the station’s lowest
level, which consists of a center platform with both northbound and southbound tracks. Once completed, the station is expected to carry up to 14,000 passengers daily.
The majority of MacDonald-Miller’s work includes the tunnel ventilation system which provides smoke evacuation for the tunnels and station in the event of an emergency. The heart of the tunnel ventilation system
400 HP, 10 FT WIDE, 22,000 LBS
consists of four “Big Giant Fans”, capable of ventilating or pressurizing the miles of tunnel between stations. The tunnel ventilation system we are installing is comprised of massive equipment not normally seen within our local industry. This includes: 400 HP, 10' wide emergency ventilation fans weighing 22,000 lbs each, smaller 75 HP, 5' wide fans weighing 4,000 lbs each, as well as the massive tunnel dampers and sound attenuators serving these fans which total in excess of 100,000 lbs of fabricated metal.
In addition to the massive scale ventilation system being installed, we are implementing
the more conventional HVAC systems and the station plumbing. The HVAC system will include 18 AHUs, 110 FSDs, and a condenser water loop for each of the three entrances. The plumbing side will consist of a storm water system, sanitary waste system that serves the building floor drains located in every one of the more than 120 rooms of the building, the domestic water system, the station’s restroom, five sump pump stations, and water heaters.
Photos by Tom Booth
U-LINKSOUND TRANSIT LIGHT-RAIL
PAGE 5
To us, chilling is quite thrilling: +: BY DAVE HERR
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What are the “big giant fans” and how are they incorporated into the rest of the project?
Joel Pearson || The four large Clarage Fans for the project are designed to provide both pressurization and exhaust of the underground transit tunnels from Westlake to the UW Transit Station. In the event of an emergency in the tunnel system, these fans will activate and discharge smoke or provide supply air pressurization to allow safe evacuation. Each of these 10' diameter fans uses a 400 HP motor to produce 250,000 CFM, and has the capability to achieve maximum speed in one direction, stop, and then reverse direction within seconds.
Have you installed any equipment similar to this in your 31 years of experience?
Joel Pearson || I have installed several very large multi-section air handling units in buildings and roofs, but these are the largest emergency fans, Trox Dampers, IAC sound attenuators and duct that I have installed in an underground position within a building.
What is the biggest challenge with this equipment?
Joel Pearson || MacDonald-Miller was challenged early in the project to create a logistics plan for installing these 22,000 lb fans and equipment down through a series of vent shafts on the North and South Stations, two levels below ground level. Over the last year, MacMiller has been planning how this equipment will get into place and has engineered special equipment carts and lifting gear with the capacity to move this equipment through the shafts to the required floor.
At this point, do you have any “lessons learned” from this experience?
Joel Pearson || The concrete re-shores were required to remain at all levels of the building until the roof was poured which has created a relatively small window to complete our work. We haven’t reached the major part of our installation yet, but we already know how important it is to communicate with the general contractor and provide them with a sequence and duration for installation as early as possible to make sure the site is ready when this equipment is delivered. With expedited schedules becoming more and more common, this project has reinforced our LEAN culture, emphasis on pre-planning, and our need for contingency plans, as even the most thought out plans are revised.
MacDonald-Miller is the largest independent Chiller Services
company in the Northwest. We maintain a complete service
set for the central plant including boilers, chillers, controls
and energy services, and we service over 100 large chillers
with a team of eight factory trained chiller mechanics. We
belong to a collective of other independent chiller services
companies from across the country and Canada known as the
Chiller Systems Group (CSG) (www.chillergroup.com).
Recently, representatives from MacMiller, along with over
200 representatives from over 45 companies, attended the
annual CSG Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. At the event
we heard from a number of manufacturers and distributers of
leading edge products and complementary services designed
to keep our team up to date on the latest technologies and
service trends.
Our CSG affiliation helps us present a valuable alternative to
the factory service companies. Our systems mindset and broad
base of building operations experience place us at a higher
level than the factory service companies. More specifically, our
chiller expertise extends to chiller retrofits and major overhaul
work. We are indeed proud of our Chiller Services Team and
their dedication to this industry. We service the central plants
and the chillers at Children’s Hospital, King County, Tacoma
General, Port of Seattle, Russell Investment Center, Mckenzie-
Willamette Medical Center (Eugene, OR), Oregon Convention
Center, Providence Hospital (Hood River, OR), and Providence
Hospital Everett.
Our team is focused on continually enhancing our skill set,
while extending invaluable services to all of our customers.
INTERVIEWSite Superintendent | With MMFS Since 1993
: +: BY RYLAN MACCAY
With Joel Pearson
2000 3rd Avenue, Seattle | 41-story apartment building, 437 units, Design-Build, Sellen Construction
Amazon Phase 7 TI, Seattle | 330,000 SF tenant improvement build-out of Block 45 project, Turner Construction
Intellectual Ventures, Bellevue | 80,000 SF lab build-out, BN Builders
Microsoft Building 87, Redmond | Retrofit of existing 100,000 SF building, Design-Build, Howard S. Wright
University of Washington Animal Research & Care Facility, Seattle 90,000 SF underground research facility, Skanska
Bellefield-Gateway Campus Wide Controls Upgrade, Bellevue 18 building controls platform installation with web-based graphical display. New programming strategy will enhance energy savings, improve tenant comfort and maximize PSE incentive funding.
Operatory care solutions: +: BY STEVE AMANN
DESIGN-BUILD | The Polyclinic ASC at Nordstrom Tower LOCATION | Seattle, Washington OWNER | The Polyclinic ARCHITECT | Clark Kjos Architects, LLC
The penthouse floor of this medical office building was demoed, and a new Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) with four Class C operating rooms and clinic area was just completed in February of 2014. This ASC includes new self-contained mechanical systems with a 100% outside air and exhaust HVAC system complete with humidity control, HEPA filtration, constant volume and VAV zone boxes with electric heat. A new med-gas system was installed including oxygen, vacuum, and WAGD systems. The HVAC, plumbing, med-gas, and JACE Tritium building automation system were designed and installed by MacDonald-Miller utilizing our in-house resources.
Given that the ASC is a critical operating environment, we designed and installed a DDC control system that was specific to this project and independent of the existing building automation system. The DDC system controls and monitors all of the HVAC and medical gas systems associated with the ASC and sends notifications of critical alarms to The Polyclinic facilities staff via text message and email.
We utilized 3D BIM design that was integrated as part of the shop drawing process to coordinate the intensive mechanical systems into the tight ceiling space. Unfortunately, the available as-built documents for the existing building were not accurate – yet we were able to overcome this issue with 3-D digital scanning of the area of work after the demolition phase. This digital scan was converted to accurate Revit/ACAD files that we seamlessly integrated into our mechanical design. This allowed us to expedite the design and construction process and eliminated the potential cost of rework.
Our design build team efficiently solved many challenges in the course of design and construction. The existing Nordstrom Tower Building
mechanical infrastructure was not designed to support an ambulatory surgery center, so we provided a new and independent mechanical and DDC control system specifically for this new project. And, as the building had limited structural capacity and roof area, we designed a mechanical system with decentralized components in lieu of the traditional approach with a central custom-built HVAC unit. Our approach accommodated the roof area, met the existing structural requirements, and allowed us to expedite the equipment to meet the very aggressive project schedule.
We provided a cost effective design to meet this project’s tight budget constraints. The time from the start of design to project turn-over was only four months, including demolition, construction drawings, Department of Health review, mechanical permits, installation work, and commissioning.
This is yet one more example of how our expertise, underscored by our efficiency and problem solving, results in a hugely successful project.
Images by Clark Kjos Architects, LLC
RECENT MAJOR PROJECT
AWARDS
THE POLYCLINIC
PAGE 7
Tapping into innovation: +: BY KELLY JOHNSON
Due to the extensive range of services we provide, in an industry where unexpected scenarios arise often, MacDonald-Miller technicians are faced with many challenges, every day. Working in extreme conditions, diagnosing and resolving problems, driving and parking, using a wide range of tools, following safety precautions, and dealing with a constantly-changing schedule are just a handful of their daily experiences. Also part of the challenge is making sure we’re utilizing the most innovative technology. This holds true especially from a mobile standpoint, given that our technicians are always on the go.
Therefore, in a major initiative that will address this essential technology need, soon all technicians in the field will be outfitted with iPads. A few techs have received their iPads for the testing phase of the rollout and have already seen the benefit!
“I was working on an unfamiliar piece of equipment (in the field),” Boiler Service Technician Scott Gideon said. “I needed a manual and the iPad came in very handy – I was able to find what I needed in minutes.” And that’s the whole point.
The iPads will be equipped with an application that enables techs to record all service and repair data and email summary reports to customers. They will also allow easy access to manuals and safety data sheets. Having a large touch-screen will eliminate the need to type everything on a small keyboard. In their constantly hectic workday, the iPads will vastly improve many aspects of the technician’s job.
Illustration by JPC Architects
Immense project, impressive coordination: +: BY TRAVIS LEYVA AND MARK KREWEDL
DESIGN-BUILD | Microsoft Building 87 Lab LOCATION | Seattle, Washington ARCHITECT | JPC GENERAL CONTRACTOR | Howard S. Wright
Microsoft Building 87, an existing warehouse structure in the Redmond West Campus, is slated for a complete renovation. It is a gut and remodel of the internal shell of the building. The challenges for this project are (1) the speed in which we have to design, fabricate, and rough-in close to 200,000 lbs of sheet metal in roughly 10 weeks, and (2) the existing structure was not designed to handle the amount of weight our systems will add to the building once in place.
Bart Warrington and Perry Christian have concurrently been leading the design and MEP coordination process. To accomplish the tight timeline, MacDonald-Miller proposed to the GC, Howard S. Wright (HSW), that the building be sectioned off into 11 main zones. The coordination team, including HSW and other subcontractors, are focusing on one zone at a time to enable small chunks of work to be released for install – thus allowing for earlier start times. Close participation by KPFF in the early MEP coordination has been critical to the success of the project.
Microsoft Building 87 will have nearly 200,000 lbs of ductwork installed, some of which will be the largest duct MacMiller has ever fabricated. At its biggest, the duct will be 20' by 5' in section. Leading the coordination of the fabrication of these large structural frames is Curtis Bushaw, along with Jon Spencer who led the fabrication team on the floor in the shop. Joe Daniels, Chad Cooper, Greg Haney and Mark Krewedl have developed a structural steel support frame using W10 and W8 wide flange beams and tube steel to hold it up. The enormous supply and return ducts will be fabricated, welded to the frames, pressure tested, insulated, and shrink wrapped at the shop before being staged on flatbed trailers supplied by Nelson trucking. Only the final connections and patch insulation will be done in the field.
The significance of this work for MacMiller is two-fold. One, we are stretching our pre-fabrication potential to an extreme level with shipping these massive modules down the road, and two, we are minimizing our safety risks onsite by reducing the total number of steps required for the field to install our systems 26' up in the ceiling of the structure.
When finished, Microsoft Building 87 will be an excellent illustration of how we are employing the benefits of design-build and lean construction practices.
Photo by kick spark creative
VOLUME 2 | QTR 2 | 2014
P1 This hotel has enjoyed our stay
P1 Faces in the field
P2 Two wheels can save a life
IN THIS ISSUE
PO Box 47983 Seattle, WA 98146
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macmiller.com 1-800-962-5979
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EUGENE BEND
P3 Movin’ and shakin’ MacMiller style
P4 A big, giant task
P5 To us, chilling is quite thrilling
P6 Operatory care solutions
P7 Immense project, impressive coordination
P7 Tapping into innovation
Microsoft Building 87 ductworkPhoto by Tom Booth
