HVAC System Design for the Historic Atascadero Printery

For their senior design project, Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering students Katherine Hennig, Warren Taira, and Anson Chen worked with the Atascadero Printery Foundation to support the restoration of a historic building constructed in 1915 and damaged during the 2003 San Simeon earthquake. The team developed an Owner’s Project Requirements document, thermal load and ventilation calculations, and a conceptual Basis of Design for a future consulting engineer. Their work balanced thermal comfort and indoor air quality with budget limitations, structural constraints, historic brickwork, and the need to minimize visible equipment and ductwork.

Using HVAKR and applicable ASHRAE and California code requirements, the students modeled the planned 22,285-square-foot building and calculated peak cooling and heating loads. After comparing VAV, hydronic, VRF, split heat-pump, rooftop-unit, and ventilation alternatives, the team recommended a phased combination of split-system heat pumps and packaged rooftop units. This zone-by-zone approach allows systems to be installed as funding becomes available while using existing mechanical chases and roof platforms to preserve the Printery’s historic character.