Executive Summary

Coolidge High School is a public education facility located in downtown Washington, D.C. The building is currently under renovation for an area wide modernization project which is being funded by The District of Columbia Public Schools. Within its walls, the high school is gaining access to state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, and public spaces. The school is still under construction and will be a fully functioning educational center come Fall of 2019.  
 
Although the design of the building is new, there are various areas in the building that could use a different system alternative. Coolidge High School contains two boilers and two cooling towers for its central heating and cooling system. Using the football field on the west side of the school as an area for a vertical well field, a geothermal heat pump system is a viable option. The elimination of the boilers and the use of natural gas reduce the heating costs substantially, and even with the large capital cost for installation, the payback period is reasonable for the client. 
 
In addition, Coolidge contains two, three story atriums that are used for a variety of student functions. Currently, the air in the atriums utilizes a mixed air distribution system with the air being supplied from a higher elevation. With the installation of displacement diffusers, the air is supplied to the occupant breathing zone. This creates a separation of air in the space; the contaminated air rises above the breathing zone and the occupants are able to experience cleaner air. The effectiveness of displacement diffusers in the atriums are modeled using computational fluid dynamics. 
 
Lastly, the plumbing system throughout Coolidge High School is analyzed. By replacing the conventional plumbing fixtures with low-flush fixtures, the school saves thousands of gallons of water each year. While the low-flush fixtures are more expensive to purchase and install, the savings from the reduction in water consumption and schedule outweigh the costs. 

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