Projects

DCAMM Maintenance Facility

Northborough, MA

Overview

EDM had the opportunity to provide mechanical, electrical, & plumbing engineering services for the New Surplus Properties Facility Building located in Northborough, MA. The objective was to site, plan and design a new facility that will exceed the Commonwealth’s energy and sustainability goals wherever possible for the Surplus Properties group of the Office of Facilities Maintenance and Management (OFMM). The project has a particular focus on sustainability, energy, and resilience.

The expectation for the office program area is to achieve Passive House US (PHIUS) certification, LEED Gold certification for the entire building, with net zero carbon and/or net-zero energy use anticipated. Two structures are planned for the conceptual site development, a 7,450 SF office/vehicle/storage building, and a 4,000 SF storage building. The building layout for the office/vehicle/storage facility has been developed with the intent of LEED Gold and Net Zero certification, with Passive House certification as a major goal for the office portion of the building (approximately 2,900 SF).

The sustainably driven decisions included using a wooden frame for both buildings, as it’s not only a naturally regenerating material, but also one that has inherent thermal qualities. In addition, the building won’t be powered by fossil fuels; it will be sustained by a photo-voltaic array and a ground-source, closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system.

While the new building itself is fairly simple to the naked eye, the thrill of it is these unique and intricate layers of sustainability buried within the walls. The DCAMM facility is truly the first of its kind for both the community and the EDM team — but most certainly, not the last.