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final report

The following is the final report covering a redesign and analysis of the lighting and electrical systems of Sherrerd Hall, a campus building at Princeton University, NJ. Additionally, daylighting studies, a structural analysis, and a mechanical load study are included.

full thesis report pdf

report without appendices pdf

appendices only pdf

Sherrerd Hall, located at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, is a campus building housing the
Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering. The building is metaphorically a bridge housing
two departments that promote collaboration across conventionally distinct disciplines. The architecture
enhances this concept of collaboration across disciplines with transparency throughout. The building essentially
appears as a large glass box that reflects the surroundings and thus blends seamlessly into the campus. In the
evening, however, the interior spaces become visible to passerby, and this reversal of visibility serves as a
metaphor for the flow of people and ideas into and out of this place of learning.


The central focus of this report was to research and redesign the lighting and electrical systems in five distinct
spaces within the building: a graduate bullpen, a lecture hall, an open work space and lounge, the central
building core atrium, lobby, and open stair, and the northwest façade and adjacent offices. The building
enclosure was considered extensively for daylighting purposes and consists of an expansive curtainwall system
comprised of transparent glass panels with ceramic fritting as well as translucent and opaque spandrel
panels. The lighting redesign for the building considers the single unifying concept of collaboration and crosspollination
enhanced by transparency and a sense of movement and energy which is manifested in the lighting
design for each individual space. The design for many of the spaces was guided by IESNA lighting
recommendations, as well as ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 Energy code requirements using the space‐by‐space
method. Although the existing design provides an adequate solution in most of the spaces, there is room for
improvement related to lighting quality throughout the building.


The existing electrical design was altered to accommodate for the lighting redesign. Modifications were made
to the power distribution system, including the addition of an advanced digital control system. Two additional
electrical studies included with this report are a copper versus aluminum feeder study and the design of an onsite
generator to serve as backup to the existing campus area generator that feeds into the building.
Two breadth studies were also completed in relation to the lighting redesign. A structural analysis to
accommodate for changes to the roof framing system as a result of the skylight resizing was completed using
simple hand calculations. It was determined that the skylight resizing has minimal impact on the framing
system. Additionally, in order to determine the thermal impact of modifications to the curtainwall system and
atrium skylight, a load study was completed. New materials were recommended for the curtainwall
fenestration to improve the thermal performance and balance daylighting energy savings with thermal gains and
losses.


The following report provides the details, process, and conclusions of a range of research and system studies,
and the proposed design solutions would serve to improve the building performance and aesthetics.

 

Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work‐in‐progress for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Jamie Devenger. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.

Senior Thesis Home Penn State Architectural Engineering Department AE Computer Labs jrd5035@psu.edu
This page was last updated on 04/07/2010 by Jamie Devenger and is hosted by the AE Department ©2010