A new Child Care Center was constructed for SUNY Potsdam and the surrounding community. The center plays an important role in supporting student and community needs, and will help recruit faculty and staff. Demand for licensed child care facilities in the area is high and the new center can now accept 117 children. Day care services for a variety of age groups, teaching facilities, offices, conference space, indoor and outdoor play areas, and kitchen facilities were provided in approximately 16,500 gross square feet.  

Popli Design Group (PDG) provided plumbing and fire protection engineering as well as commissioning services throughout construction.  The commissioning scope focused on building MEP/FP systems. PDG’s commissioning team conducted a kick-off meeting and prepared the commissioning plan earlier in the construction phase. The team reviewed and selected equipment submittals and provided review comments promptly, performed periodic site observation visits, and followed up with commissioning reports throughout construction. 

During the later phase of construction, the team developed pre-functional testing checklists and functional performance testing procedures, inspected per checklists, executed functional performance tests, delivered draft and final commissioning reports. The commissioned MEP/FP systems include condensing boilers, air handling units with energy recovery, VRF systems, radiant floor systems, perimeter radiation, fans and pumps, domestic water heating condensing boilers and recirculation system, lighting system and controls, fire alarms, kitchen exhaust hood, and building automation system.

A high-efficiency instantaneous water heating plant was implemented with operating efficiencies around 95% for the plant. Each classroom is fit out with individual restrooms with child sized fixtures. A master mixing valve in the mechanical room ensures scald protection throughout the facility. The building is also fully sprinklered with a wet-pipe system, hydraulically calculated by PDG’s engineers.