Lion House Renovation

IMEG provided IECC 2018 commissioning services supporting a renovation of the Lion House at the Lincoln Park Zoo — a historic building that was originally opened in 1912. This project scope included renovations to the existing 35,000-sf lion house to create a new state-of-the-art habitat for animal welfare and immersive viewing opportunities for guests. Scope included renovations and alterations to the building’s great hall, lion keeper support spaces, lion holding, conference room, and offices, as well as expansion of the outdoor lion habitat which was designed based on years of behavioral data monitoring and is intended to encourage species-specific activity while offering a great view of these majestic animals.

The commissioning process started in the design phase with the development of Cx Plan. IMEG performed a commissioning design review focused on building controls and provided written comments to the engineer of record. This review helped identify gaps in the control sequences, which the EOR subsequently filled in via their responses.

A commissioning kick-off meeting was held in November 2020 to familiarize the key participants with commissioning and to validate their respective roles in the commissioning process. Pre-Test Documentation checklists were used to keep track of reports and documents required by the specifications and submitted by the contractors. Functional Performance Tests (FPTs) were developed based on the final drawings
and equipment submittals. The FPTs for the project were implemented and marked up to reflect the operation of the system as installed.

Issues identified during the functional testing were recorded in the Commissioning Issues Log. Resolution of the problem was then tracked, with the items being closed upon CxA verification of completion. This led to the ultimate CxA verification that the systems were complete and operated as intended.

IMEG used the online software CxAlloy to manage documentation related to the project, including collection of reports generated by contractors regarding the field quality control and startup activities required by the specifications. Completed testing of a 100% sample of the equipment to verify system performance, with all issues identified posted promptly to CxAlloy for resolution by the appropriate party. IMEG interfaced closely with the team to coordinate required communication between the owner, design team members, and construction team so that issues could be resolved.

The IMEG commissioning process is built on ASHRAE Guideline 0, with the approach to commissioning deliverables based on the guideline recommendations. The specific tasks performed were selected to meet the code commissioning requirements identified in IECC 2018.

Systems commissioned included:

• Chilled Water System (Air Cooled)
• Campus Steam to Hot Water System
• Dual Temperature Water System
• Air Handling Units
• Exhaust Fans
• Air Terminal Units
• Fan Coil Units
• Unit Heaters
• Radiant Heaters
• Domestic Water System
• Networked Lighting Controls
• Building Automation System