Acoustical Breadth
Currently the heating and cooling systems serve the Capitol Building only. Based on the heating and cooling needs for the Capitol Building, proposed future Welcome Center and the requirement that the existing cooling plant move to provide space for the recommended electrical upgrades, an on-site CUP that houses the equipment will provide advantages such as controlling noise from equipment by acoustically treating equipment and the mechanical room in a central location. It will help as there are mechanical equipment located directly located above the chambers which has crucial need for acoustical control as communication is a key element in the space.
Lighting Breadth
The modern luminaires used in the Rotunda represent 25-year-old technology. Lamps have been replaced many times over. Some exhibit mercury content. Consideration should be given to replacing luminaires with longer-lived and more efficient LED luminaires. Where permissible with respect to historic furnishings and finishes, consider increased daylighting. Access to greater daylight will help minimize electric lighting use during daylight hours and contribute to greater illuminances in the chambers. Today’s light source of choice is LEDs. They are very efficient resulting in lamps and luminaires that are typically 25 percent (relative to metal halide) to nearly 900 percent (relative to incandescent) more efficient than traditional resources, and less waste. LEDs also offer greater flexibility on lamp color and color rendering for more historic appearances. LEDs are dimmable. The rotunda picture lights were originally specified with UV filters and fluorescent lamps. These luminaires should be refurbished with LEDs.
Depth Topic - Geothermal
The first alternative is to use a geothermal system designed to provide HVAC heating source and HVAC heating sink for the building. Areas are available in the West and South side of the Capitol building for geothermal wells as shown in the image below. The pro for this system is that it substitutes “outdoor” cooling towers with ground-coupled geothermal well field. There will be a no pit and issues with plume discharge and sound. It is overall environmentally friendly and helps maintain the aesthetics of the historical building. The downside of this system is that there will be a higher first cost and will need additional equipment and piping maintenance. It also takes up space for the well field which would need pre-planning if the Welcome center is to be built on the area.