Prior to its purchase by Curative, the building had sat empty for several years. Neglect and the age of the building posed significant logistical and budgetary challenges for bringing the building up to current codes and obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy. The condition of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems was largely unknown and, in some cases, there were multiple obsolete systems from different periods in the building’s history. These challenges were compounded by the need to preserve and protect the building’s historic features during renovation.

Curative needed a building revitalization plan that would minimize the number and scale of city-required upgrades without sacrificing life safety, occupant comfort, or proper systems operation. Forensic engineering was needed to identify existing functional components that could be put back into operation to save budget dollars as well as failed or near-failure components that would need replacement. In addition, any new equipment would need to be “knocked down” into modular components that could be brought inside the historic building without damaging the structure and then reassembled inside building equipment rooms.

Renovations of this scale can take two or three years using traditional methods, but Curative needed to move in much more quickly.

Solution Provided by Applied Climate

Applied Climate Solutions provided a turnkey design-build solution for Curative that included design, engineering, project management, construction, installation, and forensic services. 

Applied Climate began by carrying out a full forensic engineering inspection of the building. Based on their findings, the ACS team researched and provided cost estimates for a “shopping list” of budget-minded design-build solutions that combined quality installation with affordable methods and equipment applications. The goal was to offer a menu of high-ROI options, such as water source heat pumps, VFR, chilled water, DX splits, and rooftop unit applications, that would provide Curative with a range of opportunities to make strategic, budget-friendly investments in the building’s systems. 

The components selected by Curative were then unified by a DELTA Building Automation System (BAS), which provided automatic environmental control for the building’s interior spaces and utilized state-of-the-art energy saving strategies to lower annual operational costs. BAS systems use cloud-based software and a private network of DDC microprocessors placed strategically around the building to monitor and control HVAC, lighting, fire protection, security, and other infrastructure systems. A BAS system allows equipment and systems to be turned on and off according to a schedule or in response to real-time conditions in order to optimize temperature, humidity, and ventilation and to control card access functions, alarm notifications, and local environmental temperature. While the backend of the system is sophisticated, it is accessed via a user-friendly graphical interface system that allows users to monitor and adjust systems at strategic points in the various equipment rooms and common spaces. The BAS user interface is also operable from off-site, enabling building operators to maintain proactive vigilance over the building infrastructure at all times and allowing for remote troubleshooting of equipment.

The systems installed by Applied Climate also included innovative energy-saving features. Energy management tools embedded in the BAS will help facility managers implement operational savings strategies. In addition, the Applied Climate team modified the air-cooled chiller so that the waste heat generated by the chiller can be used to heat the building’s indoor air in colder months. This will cut down on the need to use gas-fired boilers and will contribute to the decarbonization of the property.

Applied Climate brought a similarly creative and pragmatic approach to the logistics of working on an historic property. To limit the risk of being required by the city to carry out expensive architectural revisions, Applied Climate took a phased approach to permitting, applying for a series of smaller permits over time. As a result of this strategy, ACS was able to drastically reduce the cost of upgrading the existing electrical system and avoid what might have been years of rebuilding. Careful scheduling, coordination, and equipment sourcing also allowed for fast-track installations despite Covid-related supply chain issues and made it possible for Curative to move in and begin operations in the building even while renovations were ongoing.

To ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the installation, ACS provided complete project documentation in electronic format, classroom and on-site staff training, as well as post-installation preventative maintenance services for all new equipment for the first year. 

Applied Climate’s expertise and creativity resulted in a cost-effective, high-ROI renovation that will ensure high-efficiency infrastructure operation for the next twenty years. This successful project has enhanced Austin’s vibrant downtown by revitalizing a run-down historic building and providing a comfortable home for an innovative new member of the Texas business community.

Built in 2000, the twenty-year old commercial building that housed Nissan’s financing headquarters was aging and its HVAC system was failing. The original Trane equipment broke down so often that “hot calls” were a daily occurrence. The self contained units, cooling towers, and building automation were malfunctioning. Furthermore, the building’s existing automation system was not working, so all this fragile and unreliable equipment had to be managed by hand. The net result was an unreliable system that required constant supervision and generated frequent service calls.

However, the three-story building’s layout made it almost impossible to replace the old equipment. The walls were made of tilt wall concrete panels and the mechanical rooms were in the core of the building, both of which made access incredibly challenging.

In order for the building to be brought up to current code so that Nissan’s lease could be renewed, large capital improvements were essential. The goal was to replace the aging HVAC system with modernized, low-maintenance systems that would last at least twenty years and function well without constant manual interventions to maintain comfort.

The tenant had to be able to remain in place while renovations were carried out throughout the entire building. The Nissan facility was an active administrative office as well as a secure site that required strict access coordination, including the use of badges and sign-in registration, to adhere to Nissan’s security protocols.

Solution Provided by Applied Climate

This renovation demonstrates Applied Climate’s exceptional ability to provide turnkey design-build solutions for even the most complex projects. In addition to carrying out a comprehensive overhaul of the building’s HVAC system, Applied Climate designed and executed a wide range of supplemental mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural installation work, including breaker and panel box evaluation and modernization to rectify electrical code compliance issues; the installation of condensate lines and condenser loops to repair fatigue and prevent leaks; and upgrades to fire life safety systems, including the installation of a new fire alarm system throughout the building.

The project began with a comprehensive structural review, followed by the development of mechanical, engineering, plumbing, and structural designs for replacing 1100 tons of self-contained units. The focus of the mechanical and engineering designs was the development of modular equipment to overcome the barriers posed by the building’s design. Not only did equipment have to be broken down into smaller parts to facilitate installation, but subsequent maintenance and troubleshooting procedures also had to be simplified to work within ongoing access constraints. 

The most challenging part of the project was the mapping and execution of a detailed process for guiding the new equipment to its final destination in the hard-to-access mechanical rooms. First, twelve 11,000-lb self-contained units were partially disassembled. Then, large glass windows were removed from the first floor facade to provide an entry point for the equipment. Once it was inside the building, the components were hoisted on custom-built stairwell lifts to the mechanical rooms on the second and third floors, where they were “skated” into place using a temporary rigging system. Applied Climate then contracted with expert commercial glazers to replace the removed windows, as well as with drywall and painting contractors to restore any areas affected by the movement of equipment.

As part of the installation, ACS also refurbished the cooling towers, replacing the fill medium and valve actuators, the fan motors, the gear boxes, and the basin heaters. As a result of these upgrades, the towers will last another 15 years.

Once all the new and upgraded equipment was installed, the next step was to install a completely new Building Automation System (BAS) to replace the obsolete original control system. The new BAS provides optimized controls strategies to improve system performance and reduce operating costs. As with the installation, the migration to the new system had to be done while the building was occupied. To ensure tenant comfort throughout the project, ACS provided temporary cooling systems to bridge any gaps in functionality.

The final step in the renovation phase of the project was rigorous but highly efficient testing and calibration. Fire and life safety testing were fast-tracked and were completed in only two weeks. Water, air, and cooling tower flows were measured prior to the installation to provide baseline numbers, and were then re-measured after the installation for comparison. The results for all metrics, including air flow and tonnage, exceeded projections. The fully-functioning system was commissioned and tested by a third party company, and then was “retro-commissioned” six months later as an additional quality control measure. This unusual extra step, in which the steps of the commissioning process are carried out again on an already-operating system, allows for proactive adjustments and fine-tuning to ensure optimal performance.

In the ongoing maintenance phase of the project, Applied Climate will carry out routine inspections and preventative servicing to keep systems operating at peak efficiency and foster a long-term relationship with the building operations team.

This project was one of the most complex ever carried out by Applied Climate Solutions, not only because of the technical challenges it posed but also because it required logistical coordination with an outside general contractor and a wide range of expert subcontractors. The ACS team managed a competitive bidding process at the start of the project and continued to liaise with the selected contractors throughout the renovations. 

The ACS team also went above and beyond to ensure tenant comfort and satisfaction with the project. In addition to providing temporary cooling systems to support the legacy equipment during the transition period, the Applied Climate team also took the unusual step of doing a morning and afternoon walk-through with Nissan’s staff to update them on progress and discuss any issues. As a result of this careful relationship management, Applied Climate was able to carry out logistically-challenging work in a tightly-controlled facility with no delays to the project timeline.

The large scope of this project has yielded equally substantial rewards. Not only has a long-term tenant been able to remain in the building in far greater comfort than ever before, but the building’s overall energy efficiency has also been increased by 40%. In addition, with the help of the Applied Climate team, the building’s owner was able to secure a significant energy rebate.

While occupant comfort and safety matter in every HVAC installation, they are essential in health care facilities. HVAC design for health care presents a number of special challenges. Air changes and pressurization between departments must be maintained to avoid cross-contamination. There are strict requirements for ventilation and filtration to prevent the transmission of airborne pathogens. Finally, because different areas of a healthcare facility can have widely varying temperature and humidity requirements, there is a need for extremely accurate, localized control of environmental conditions. 

In the past, meeting the needs of healthcare facilities has been a difficult task to accomplish with traditional commercial HVAC rooftop units, which were unable to adjust the sequence of operations to fit healthcare requirements. For Nobis, this led to frequent compressor failure and air pressurization issues. They were ready for a change. 

Nobis Rehab came to Applied Climate seeking new HVAC systems for sites in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. The systems needed to be fundamentally consistent across the various Nobis healthcare facilities, but also adaptable to the unique needs of each individual site. Every site’s systems had to provide excellent indoor air quality through the use of enhanced filtration and UV lights and offer efficient methods for airflow monitoring and humidification. 

To ensure ease of management as well as outstanding environmental controls, Nobis Rehab needed a sophisticated building automation system that would tie all these components together with a simple user interface that the building operator could use easily. 

Solution Provided by Applied Climate

Consistency is vital when working on nationwide projects that involve furnishing HVAC equipment for multiple locations. Applied Climate met this goal by providing the same equipment solution, startup, and commissioning at all the Nobis Rehab sites it worked on. However, each site also had specific needs, so the team took a hands-on approach to learn the particular requirements and constraints of the site in order to customize the design and installation as needed. 

Applied Climate’s hands-on approach frequently shaves months off construction schedules, allowing clients to begin turning a profit more quickly. For Nobis Rehab, the hands-on, customized approach enabled the client to save money on first cost and on operating costs – a total win-win. 

The Applied Climate team developed a complete mechanical equipment package for Nobis Rehab that consisted of rooftop units and make-up air units to replace air removed through the kitchen hood’s exhaust system, along with exhaust fans, humidifiers, variable refrigerant flow, unit heaters, and a variable air volume (VAV) system.

To implement the design and respond to the specific needs of the Nobis Rehab sites, the Applied Climate team worked with Dunham-Bush, a top manufacturer of HVAC equipment, to build a custom packaged rooftop unit (RTU) system. 

Because traditional HVAC manufacturers only allow a few components in their RTU's, final filters typically must be located in a very tall final filter curb and the humidifier grid must be part of the ductwork. Instead, Applied Climate Solutions designed a system that moved all required components to the RTU. This eliminated the risk of leaks within the building and reduced the RTU height by six feet, improving maintenance accessibility. This innovative new design also provided cost savings to the client because it decreased screen wall height by six feet, reducing the first cost of the facility.

In addition, Applied Climate installed a building automation system that linked all of the equipment together. The operational controls improved efficiency while meeting the engineer’s design specifications. The holistic integration of hardware and controls gives Nobis Rehab complete control over building temperature and indoor air quality, ensuring a comfortable, sterile, and healing environment for patients, staff, and visitors. The operational controls are also essential for Nobis Rehab’s compliance with health care code requirements, which includes daily reporting on interior climate conditions and trends in order to maintain its state healthcare license and continue to serve patients. 

Another unique and important feature offered by Dunham Bush is remote access directly into the RTU controller. This gives Applied Climate Solutions and its servicing contractors the ability to diagnose unit operations remotely, greatly increasing speed of response and often avoiding the need to send a service truck to the site. This saves Nobis Rehab money on maintenance and ongoing operations. 

Every member of the Applied Climate team, from the project and account managers to area service agents and controls team, maintained a steadfast commitment to a hands-on, client-centered approach throughout the project. This commitment allowed Applied Climate to use its expertise to provide Nobis Rehab with the highest quality products and service from start to finish.



Applied Climate’s hands-on involvement will continue throughout the first year of operation to support the client as they adjust to the new equipment. This extended term of service will give Nobis Rehab staff peace of mind and the freedom to focus on caring for their patients.