Project Brief

The NYC School Construction Authority converted a single-story commercial building at 47-00 76th Street in Queens, built in 1958 and last used by a sheet metal manufacturer, into a 12,725 SF 3-K center. The program fits six classrooms for 108 children, an exercise room, a kitchen, a nurse's office, administrative offices and a parents' room under new skylights and a green roof. KeRi was the MEP and fire alarm engineer from the field survey and pre-schematic report through the 60 and 100 percent submissions, FDNY and energy code filings, the construction set in 2022, and RFIs during construction.

The building had no systems suited to a school, so the design starts over. Two Daikin VRF heat recovery condensing units on the roof serve 23 indoor units through branch selector boxes, letting classrooms and offices heat or cool independently, while a dedicated outdoor air unit brings in ventilation air and a split system cools the telecom room. KeRi sized a new 600 A, 120/208 V Con Edison service for an all-electric building, with an electric water heater, electric unit heaters and kitchen equipment, and designed new lighting, power, low voltage and security systems, plumbing, and a fire alarm system filed with FDNY.

MEP Engineering Scope

What We Engineered

MEP and fire alarm for the 3-K center conversion:

• Daikin VRF heat recovery system with 23 indoor units on two rooftop condensing units
• Dedicated outdoor air unit and a split system for the telecom room
• New 600 A, 120/208 V Con Edison service for an all-electric building
• Lighting, power, low voltage, clock, sound and video surveillance systems
• Plumbing with an electric water heater for classrooms, toilets and the kitchen
• Fire alarm system with FDNY filing and energy code compliance

The Challenge

An empty 1958 industrial building with no school-ready systems had to become a fully air-conditioned early childhood center within a single-story shell.

Our Solution

KeRi designed an all-electric building around VRF heat recovery and a dedicated outdoor air unit, a new Con Edison service and a complete fire alarm system, carried through SCA review and construction.