Wendel was excited to have the opportunity to participate in Earth Day cleanups this year in 4 of our office locations: Buffalo, NY, Alexandria, VA, Richmond, VA and Minneapolis, MN! Watch the video below to take a look at our events in Buffalo and Virginia.
Williamsville
Hot Aisle Configuration & Containment
Early data center rack arrangements were often task based, where racks performing similar functions were located in close proximity to each other. There was little attention paid to where the rack inlets and discharges were placed; that is, there were no defined hot and cold aisles. When racks are arranged such that there is no defined hot and cold aisle, the hot air being discharged from the racks mixes with the air entering nearby racks, thus raising the temperature. This condition has two negative impacts.
Click below for more information on how hot aisle configuration and containment saves energy.
Written by: Raymond Johnson, II, PE, LEED AP, Senior Associate Principal – Director of Mission Critical
WENDEL ACQUIRES ADG AND FIVE BUGLES, EXPANDS PRESENCE AND INCREASES CAPABILITIES
Wendel, a nationally recognized design, construction and energy services company (ESCO), is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Architectural Design Group, LLC (ADG), a leader in architectural design and planning in Wisconsin, to enhance its service offering and market reach in the Midwest United States.
ADG’s expertise encompasses healthcare and educational facilities, as well as municipal and public safety services. United by a common culture, Wendel and ADG share a commitment of customer service, collaboration, and sustainable and energy efficient design. Together we have delivered excellence in the fields of architecture, design and construction for over 100 years.
In addition to acquiring ADG, Wendel is also gaining Five Bugles, ADG’s planning and design services division focused solely on the public safety service industry. Five Bugles will become a division of Wendel, retaining its brand and commitment to public safety and emergency services in the Midwest. Wendel plans to take the design expertise Five Bugles brings to all locations across the U.S. where Wendel has a presence.
The expansion to Eau Claire, Wisconsin represents Wendel’s growing geographic footprint and complements the company’s existing presence in nearby Minneapolis, MN, as well as all of the regions where Wendel operates. Joining the Wendel team are 22 staff, including Principals Steve Gausman, AIA, NCARB, David Kimball, AIA, CSI, CCS and David Cihasky, AIA.
“We are truly excited about the growth Wendel is experiencing nation-wide,” said Stewart Haney, President & CEO. “Acquiring ADG and Five Bugles increases our capabilities in the strategic areas that align with our current and future growth plans.”
“Joining forces was a natural fit,” said Steve Gausman, AIA, NCARB. “With Wendel’s deep customer relationships, strong brand, innovative design solutions and a recognized portfolio of best-in-class projects across the nation, we will be able to deliver additional services and added value to our clients as well as provide new opportunities for our employees as part of a larger company.”
Wendel is featured in Buffalo Rising for being recognized for engineering excellence.
Wendel Companies, a local design and construction firm, received two Engineering Excellence awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York. They will be recognized with all of the award winners in April 2017 at the annual gala. ACEC New York selected the Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center and the Peace Bridge U.S. Commercial Warehouse for Platinum and Gold awards, respectively, based on the quality and significance of each project. In both projects, Wendel worked in conjunction with the owner and multiple stakeholders and regulatory bodies to produce energy efficient buildings with top security measures to serve at important U.S./Canada border crossings.
The City of Niagara Falls envisions its new Intermodal Transportation Center (lead image) as a catalyst for redevelopment in the North Main Street commercial area. The new station opened on December 6th and adjoins the historic 1863 U.S. Customhouse, which is a confirmed station on the Underground Railroad and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The synergy between new and old carries through the project.
As the home of America’s most famous waterfalls, the city of Niagara Falls has been a tourist destination for well over a century. The new Intermodal Transportation Center caters to tourists and residents alike with improved passenger facilities that will include future food concessions and retail spaces. In addition to the Amtrak rail service, the station centralizes and promotes trolley, bus, and taxi services, and it offers connections to nearby Niagara Gorge hiking and biking trails. Additionally, the station will include a Harriet Tubman Museum to honor the site’s connection to the Underground Railroad.
Wendel provided a number of services for the project, including various engineering specialties, architecture, landscape architecture, and construction management. Due to the requirements and regulations of the border crossing and the historic site, among other considerations, Wendel also worked with U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection, State of New York Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Rail Administration. The firm consulted with the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the United States Department of Interior as well as the University at Buffalo Archeology Department for appropriate handling of the Customhouse and the Underground Railroad site.
Twenty miles south of Niagara Falls, Wendel led another recently completed border crossing renovation and additions to the Peace Bridge U.S. Commercial Warehouse. Ongoing community concerns about vehicle emissions made ameliorating air pollution a high priority for the project, while executing the facility renovation without disrupting daily business activities posed a logistical challenge. In addition to meeting these needs, the project achieved LEED Silver certification in December.
Project engineers used building modeling software to identify the Variable Refrigeration Flow (VRF) system as the best HVAC option to fit with the existing building structure, and it reduces the building’s carbon dioxide emissions an estimated 86 percent annually. Other features such as daylight ‘harvesting,’ recycled materials and water efficiency further embody efforts to make the project environmentally responsible.
These two projects highlight Wendel’s work in Western New York. Leon Wendel started the company in Niagara County in 1940. Now based in Williamsville, the firm maintains offices in downtown Buffalo, Long Island, Rochester, Syracuse, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Richmond, Clarksburg, and Washington, D.C. Its wide range of services includes construction management, surveying, planning, interior design, and energy efficiency, in addition to architecture and engineering.
Article written by Caitlin B. Moriarty of Buffalo Rising. To view the entire article, please click here and visit the Buffalo Rising website.
Wendel is featured in the New York Real Estate Journal (NYREJ) for the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority project.
The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Authority), owner and operator of the Peace Bridge—an international crossing between Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario—received LEED Silver certification (New Construction 2009) for their U.S. commercial warehouse addition and renovation project. The Authority and consultant engineer and architect Wendel targeted credits for certification that support the use of sustainable practices in sourcing materials, encourage energy efficiency, and provide a healthy indoor environment for occupants.
Targeting LEED certification for this facility aligns with the Authority’s sustainability goals. A few of the strategies utilized to achieve certification include:
- Adaptive re-use of the facility – over 76% of existing structural items were reused;
- Diversion of over 84% of onsite generated construction debris from the landfill;
- Water efficiency strategies that reduced potable water usage by over 42%;
- Application of more than 28% of materials manufactured using recycled content;
- Commissioning of building systems to ensure they operate as designed;
- Conversion to new LED lighting throughout; and
- Use of low emitting materials for finishes.
The renovated Warehouse is projected to achieve over 22% in energy cost savings annually.