When engineers get to be superheroes

Fresno City College had managed to keep their original air conditioning units working for a couple of decades longer than they usually last, but they finally reached a state of distress and needed to be replaced. The design problems? As-built drawings were not always accurate, we had only a few short months for our work in order to meet funding deadlines, new air handlers have a bigger footprint than old ones, we needed to keep all the ductwork in place, and all replacement work had to be done on nights and weekends. We leapt all those issues in a single bound, finding a unique solution for each of the five buildings and keeping classes running without disruption. The result? Cooler offices and classrooms with more efficient systems and 21st-century controls. And of course, happy administrators, teachers, and students.