High-Performance HVAC and Controls Solution in a Historic School

Overview

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, founded in 1974, is Washington, D.C.’s only public high school combining rigorous academics with professional arts training. A major renovation and expansion transformed the historic 100,000 sq. ft. campus into a 265,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility that reflects its mission to nurture creativity and student success. Havtech collaborated with the project team to deliver an advanced HVAC solution that balanced historic preservation with modern energy efficiency, acoustic performance, and sustainability.

Challenge

Expanding a century-old building into a world-class performing arts school presented complex HVAC requirements:

• Integration of old and new structures without compromising architectural integrity.
  
• Zoned comfort to match student movement across classrooms, studios, and performance spaces.
  
• Extremely quiet operation in acoustically sensitive theaters and rehearsal rooms.
  
• Energy efficiency to reduce operating costs and support LEED certification goals.
  
• Low maintenance demands to ease long-term facility management.
  

The project required a solution that could meet diverse performance needs while contributing to LEED Gold certification.

Solution

Havtech partnered with Global Engineering Solutions (GES), Shapiro & Duncan, and design-builder GCS-SIGAL LLC to design and implement a Daikin water-source VRV heat recovery and centralized controls system customized to the school’s complex mechanical and operational needs.

Key system features included:

• 28 Daikin VRV-WIII water-cooled systems (466 tons total) providing efficient heat recovery across 264 zones.
  
• Round flow sensing cassettes with motion detection and self-cleaning filters for smart operation and reduced maintenance.
  
• Central iTM™ control system with BACnet® integration for seamless building management.
  
• Cooling towers with ultra-low sound packages, minimizing disruption to nearby classrooms and performance spaces.
  
• Lightweight modular energy recovery units designed for easier installation in tight areas of the historic structure.
  
• Underfloor air distribution (UFAD) in the main theater, enhancing acoustic comfort and energy savings.
  

This fully integrated system provided precise temperature control, quiet operation, and long-term energy optimization.

Conclusion

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts renovation demonstrates how advanced HVAC solutions and building controls can preserve historic architecture, deliver superior comfort, and support aggressive sustainability goals. By combining Daikin’s high-performance VRV technology with Havtech’s broad commercial HVAC and controls expertise, the project achieved a balance of energy efficiency, acoustic performance, and long-term reliability. Now students and teachers thrive in an environment designed for both learning and artistry.