Climate Control Design for the Proposed Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center-YMCA Project

Learn about the climate control design offering the same standards for comfort heating and cooling as traditional systems

Keeping community members and seniors cool on hot days and warm on cold days is a high priority design principle of the proposed Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center. The climate control system ensures that even on the hottest and coldest days, the new building will offer comfortable temperatures and will have on demand cooling and heating.

This blog provides more information because on these hot summer days, we understand the community’s interest in the City’s plans for the proposed project’s climate control system. The design will maintain a high quality comfortable temperature range that meets national building climate control standards. In addition, the new building will be a part of the City’s network of City buildings to go to during hot weather. For more on the City’s cooling centers, go here.

Experts have weighed in and recommended best practices to make sure that the new project offers the same cooling and warming system standards as traditional systems, using the latest energy and environmentally efficient technology, and ensuring a comfortable and inviting environment.

The City’s design principles seek to ensure safe, comfortable spaces for community members to connect, work out, take a class or just relax.

Climate Control System Using Innovative and Sustainable Technology

For those wanting more details about the climate control system, this section is for you! The new Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center will ensure a comfortable and inviting environment for all using the latest technology and will be both energy and environmentally efficient.

The City’s lead architect, ELS Architects has recommended a system with the highest level of comfort and climate resiliency to welcome seniors during all seasons. The building is designed to the highest standards available through the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) standards for comfort cooling.

The innovative approach uses solar chimneys, hydronic piping, natural ventilation, thermal mass and solar mitigation to ensure the space temperatures are within comfortable standards. The system will adapt to future climate change, which is a key focus of the building design and takes into account expected temperature spikes for those areas that offer naturally ventilated spaces.

Additional climate control details will be available soon on the project website, here.

Draft Environmental Impacts Report Public Review: June 7-July 22

The City of Redwood City is the Lead Agency and has prepared an Environmental Impacts Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the proposed VMSC YMCA project to analyze potential environmental impacts. The Draft EIR is available for public review now through July 22, 2019. Comments on the draft EIR must be given at the public hearing or in writing by July 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

All written comments should be directed to:

Anna McGill, Senior Planner | amcgill@redwoodcity.org | (650) 780- 7278 | 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City 94063

A public hearing on the Draft EIR will be conducted by the Planning Commission at its July 2, 2019 regular meeting, which begins at 7:00 PM, in the Redwood City Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. The Cultural Resources chapter of the Draft EIR will also be brought to the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC) at its July 11, 2019 regular meeting, which begins at 7:00 PM, in the Redwood City Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City specifically to discuss the loss of a historic resource as part of the proposed project.

For more project details, go here.