COMMERCIAL BUILD-OUT HVAC
Commercial build-out HVAC contractor for first-generation space
SHELL AND CORE
Building the HVAC system from the shell up
First-generation space is a blank page with rules. The landlord has provided roof curbs or a connection to a central system, a set of building standards for equipment, controls and ceiling work, and sometimes an allowance of cooling capacity per square foot. Everything inside the demising walls is ours to design, price and install.
That freedom is useful, but every decision is new. Where units sit on the roof, how the zones are drawn, how ductwork reaches each room and how controls tie into the building all need to be settled early, because they shape the ceiling and the schedule.
We start by reading the landlord’s tenant criteria alongside the tenant’s layout and occupancy. The two often disagree about capacity or roof space, and it is far cheaper to resolve that in writing before equipment is ordered than on the roof.
What we need to start
- The landlord’s tenant criteria or building standards
- Roof curb locations or central system connection points
- The tenant’s floor plan and occupancy
- Any equipment with heat loads, such as servers or kitchens
- Target occupancy date
- Who is providing the mechanical design, if anyone yet
SCOPE OF WORK
What a shell build-out includes
Equipment
Rooftop units, split systems or connections to the building’s central system, sized to the load calculation and the landlord’s standards.
Ductwork
Supply and return mains, branches, VAV or zone boxes and diffusers, laid out to the floor plan and coordinated in the ceiling.
Ventilation and exhaust
Outside air to the occupancy, restroom and specialty exhaust, and any dedicated exhaust the use requires.
Controls
Thermostats or a full controls package, integrated with the building automation system where the landlord requires it.
Condensate and piping
Condensate drainage, refrigerant piping for split systems and any hydronic connections to a central plant.
Start-up and balancing
Manufacturer start-up, test and balance, and the commissioning the energy code requires before turnover.
HOW THE JOB RUNS
The shell build-out sequence
01
Confirm capacity and roof space
02
Design and release equipment
03
Rough-in overhead
04
Set units
05
Start up and control
06
Balance and turn over
COMMON QUESTIONS
Shell build-out HVAC questions
It is space delivered with no interior finishes, no distribution and often no equipment — usually just roof curbs or a connection point to the building system. Everything inside the suite is part of the build-out.
We find that out before design is final. The options are usually additional or larger units with the landlord’s approval, supplemental systems for high-load rooms, or reducing the load. Each has a cost and a schedule.
We can. On many build-outs we work design-build, producing permit drawings stamped by a licensed engineer where the jurisdiction requires it. On others we price and build from the engineer’s drawings.
Usually. Crane lifts are scheduled in advance, often on weekends, with the landlord’s approval and any required street or parking closures.
Server and IT rooms usually need their own cooling that runs around the clock, separate from the office system. We size and place it with the IT team.