PACE Collaborative provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services for the renovation of Birdwood Mansion and its out-buildings in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The mansion is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the approximately 12,000 sq. ft. mansion, and out-buildings are being repurposed into a first-class event venue. The mansion is being renovated for guest sleeping rooms, full commercial kitchen and dining and gathering spaces. The outbuilding renovations include the creation of a dedicated restroom facility, additional sleeping rooms and storage spaces.

The renovation includes full replacement of building systems, life safety provisions, improved accessibility and functionality while retaining the building’s historic character which includes the addition of an NFPA 13 compliant sprinkler system, fire alarm system and an accessible elevator.

The facility is conditioned via an energy efficient geothermal system and a dedicated outdoor air unit (DOAS). The entire site was designed to maintain the historic views, which resulted in the main DOAS for the mansion to be located remote from the building and the installation of underground ductwork into the building. A pollution control unit was provided to mitigate cooking fumes from the kitchen hood exhaust.

The electrical service was upgraded to a 3-phase system to support the commercial spaces and the addition of the elevator. A natural gas generator was added to provide full building backup to the facility. The generator was mounted in a mechanical yard remote from the main building to maintain the historic look and feel of the overall site. Exterior power and data were distributed throughout the site to support exterior event spaces. The lighting systems were upgraded to energy efficient LED light fixtures and code compliant lighting controls. Exterior landscape lighting was zoned to provide flexible lighting controls for site events.