Set in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the Carrier Global Center for Intelligent Buildings is a grand-scale representation of what can be accomplished in terms of health, safety and sustainability through the use of current-day technology. Having received LEED Platinum certification in 2019 and more recently the WELL Platinum Building rating, the facility stands as one of six buildings in the entire country to earn both designations.
In fact, following independent testing and observation, the building achieved a score well above the Platinum threshold across categories targeting air and water quality, noise, light and temperature levels, as well as other environmental parameters. Instead, the installation is built to follow clean air standards set forward by the recent COGfx study put forward by Harvard University to ensure higher productivity, cognition and performance inside the building, while also keeping occupants informed and assured.
“Given that we spend 90% of our time indoors, occupying buildings that balance function with occupant health are of vital importance,” said Carrier Chairman & CEO David Gitlin.
Putting the Buildings Systems of Tomorrow on Full Display
In creating the 224,000-square-feet space, it wasn’t enough to employ cutting edge tech and building systems in the design. Carrier wanted all the innovations used to be put on full display. As such, the facility is half-workspace, half living showcase, best exemplified by its state-of-art Customer Experience Center.
Every product that is on display at the Center is used somewhere within the building, with visitors capable of seeing those products in action on their visits. With data gleamed from Carrier’s Abound digital platform combined with Augmented Reality (AR) technology, Carrier can showcase everything from ventilation throughout the buildings, to the inner workings of its high-efficiency chillers.
The HVAC system alone totals 600 cooling tons, using AquaEdge 23RV chillers, 350 ActivAIR chilled water beam units, six indoor Aero AHUs, 71 AirStream fan coils, two ductless Aquazone WSHPs, three Carrier Custom 39CC air handlers with energy recovery, 22 Toshiba Carrier VRFS, three DOAS, heat pumps and VFDS.
While these technologies and systems do mostly comprise Carrier’s own products, there are a bevvy of technological integrations that were done to showcase the true potential technology has in creating healthier buildings.
Automated Logic’s WEBCTRL building automation system, for example, tracks air quality and thermal performance to maximize occupant comfort and operational efficiency, while also being able to identify and diagnose issues in real time. Meanwhile, LenelS2 OnGuard access control provides additional mobile credentialing technology, eliminating a large variety of touch points.
Visitors can also receive tours based on their expertise, so from HVAC engineers to architects, Carrier can better educate visitors from an appropriate context.