Cultural Archives - CJL Engineering

Carnegie Music Hall – Air-Conditioning of Historic Concert Hall

Carnegie Music Hall – Air-Conditioning of Historic Concert Hall

Built in 1895, Carnegie Music Hall and adjacent historic Foyer is flanked by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Art in the heart of the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. CJL Engineering was hired by the Museum to conduct a Heating/Cooling Plant Master Plan to develop an approach for the upgrade of the 3,000-ton Chilled Water System. As an added scope, the Museum requested that CJL investigate and then design the incorporation of air-conditioning (AC) into the 120 year-old Carnegie Music Hall. The original heating and ventilating system including fans and ductwork all dated back to the original construction.

Given its original layout and the fact that the Museum generated its own power and heating, at that time there was little regard for the cost of heating. As such, both the Music Hall and Foyer were set up as a 100 percent outside air systems. This arrangement had been the stumbling block in numerous previous attempts at adding AC capability to the Music Hall. CJL was brought in to engineer a creative solution in support of a comprehensive interior upgrades. This year long restoration of the beautiful hall both increases accessibility and enhances the experience of attendees. This revamp ensures future generations can enjoy all the space has to offer year-round and into the future.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

The 120-year-old Carnegie Museum of Natural History, a National Historic Landmark Building in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Oakland section, housed an outdated and inefficient chilled water system capable of failure at any time. CJL Engineering was hired to conduct a Heating/Cooling Plant Energy Master Plan to develop an approach for the upgrade of the Chilled Water System. CJL provided a replacement design for the two 39 year-old chillers using new energy efficient equipment, and later did the commissioning on this facility.
Clarion County YMCA

Clarion County YMCA

CJL Engineering was contracted as the Professional Engineering Consultant to design and specify the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems for this new $15 million-dollar, 40,000 sf facility. The Clarion County YMCA triples the size of the old facility, and includes a pool, a full-size gymnasium, an indoor track, a wellness center, a weight room, multiple purpose rooms, and locker facilities for men, women and families. The new YMCA also includes a family warm water pool providing lap lanes, recreation, exercise, swimming lessons, aqua aerobics, and other activities.
Creative and Performing Arts High School, Pittsburgh, PA

Creative and Performing Arts High School, Pittsburgh, PA

The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) is a vertically functional and visually exciting educational facility in the city’s Cultural District. The school’s exterior redefines many of the visual elements used in the Bitz Building, a nine-story Beaux Arts style building that adjoins CAPA. Philanthropist François Bitz donated the actual building site; six floors of his creatively retrofit building are structurally connected to the school and used for additional classroom and studio space. CJL’s electrical engineering design included lighting systems for the classrooms, studios, cafeteria, corridors, lobbies, auditorium and gymnasium power distribution system with emergency back-up fire alarm, security, and public address systems, a Panasonic Astrovision screen (30 feet high and 21 feet wide) that faces Ft. Duquesne Boulevard at the 9th Street Bridge, showcasing the best creative work of the CAPA High School students.
Point Park University Dance Studio

Point Park University Dance Studio

Lawrence Hall is a 21-story tower in Downtown Pittsburgh, the anchor structure of the Point Park University urban campus. This project included a new 54,000 sq. ft. dance studio complex, central cooling plant, steam boiler plant, and significant mechanical and electrical modernization for the historic 300,000 sq. ft. structure. CJL Engineering provided HVAC, electrical, lighting, information technologies, plumbing, and fire protection, as well as green/LEED® engineering services.
Community Arts Center – Restoration and Retrofit

Community Arts Center – Restoration and Retrofit

The former Capitol Theater in Williamsport, PA received a total retrofit and sensitive historic renovation, to emerge as the Community Arts Center. The performing arts complex seats 2,200 people. CJL Engineering designed all HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing Systems, retrofit within the recreated original interior that existed in 1928.
Byham Theatre – Restoration and Retrofit

Byham Theatre – Restoration and Retrofit

The restoration and adaptive retrofit of the historic Fulton Building provides the location for both the Byham Theatre and the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel. The 1,300-seat Byham Theatre, a totally restored performance hall which originally opened on Halloween, 1904 as the Gayety Vaudeville Theatre. The building’s hotel component has 300 luxury guest rooms, a business center, meeting rooms, wine bar, cocktail bar and restaurant. CJL Engineering designed the replacement of the entire building’s electrical systems including service entrance, switchgear, theatrical lighting / control, audio / visual system, fire alarm system, telecommunication data system and historical lobby renovation. Plumbing systems included new domestic water service assembly, domestic water heating, roof drainage and sanitary / vent system.
The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts

The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts

The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts is the premier multi-purpose venue in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Built in 1927 as the Stanley Theater, the 2,800-seat hall is home to four of Pittsburgh’s opera and dance companies, and hosts a diverse range of touring productions. CJL Engineering provided new chillers, cooling towers, controls, pumps and associated electrical infrastructure. The new plant has two 275-ton centrifugal electric chillers; one 175-ton electrical screw compressor chiller, two-285-ton cooling towers, three VFD pumps, all new piping and chemical feed tanks and 2 refrigeration leak exhaust systems.
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

CJL Engineering was hired as a technical consultant to assist the Board of Directors of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in its review of two independent design-build air-conditioning proposals for this historic Pittsburgh museum.
Pittsburgh Zoo – The Water’s Edge Exhibit

Pittsburgh Zoo – The Water’s Edge Exhibit

CJL Engineering provided the professional mechanical and electrical consulting services for Water’s Edge, an innovative new exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

Water’s Edge, a LEED Compliant project, was designed for polar bears, sea otters, and walruses. Each aquatic species has its own indoor holding facility and outdoor pool. A vegetative green roof was installed over the building for aesthetics, as well as additional insulation. There are more than 450,000 gallons of chilled seawater in the outdoor pools, maintained between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Water’s Edge opened in November 2006, and was featured on CNN.
Chateau Lafayette – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa

Chateau Lafayette – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa

CJL Engineering provided the Electrical Engineering design for Chateau Lafayette, a five-story, 124-room luxury hotel located at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. In addition to its European amenities, the Chateau Lafayette features a grand marble-clad reception area, the Lautrec Restaurant, the 8,700 sq. ft. Marquis Ballroom and upscale shops, all of which received unique specialty lighting applications. CJL provided the comprehensive electrical component of the hotel construction including lobby areas, guest rooms, office areas, restaurants, a kitchen. The design included all voice / data / security and point-of-sale communication systems, as well as the coordination of specialty lighting and sound systems.