Case Studies

Sticks & Wombat Go With Big Ass Fans On The Block, Season 13

Sticks & Wombat Go With Big Ass Fans On The Block, Season 13 ProblemEvery Aussie is familiar with the reality show The Block, where 5 couples compete to renovate houses and sell them at auction for the highest price. On the show’s 13th season, best mates Sticks & Wombat were fan favourites...

Ricoh Usa

Ricoh Usa ProblemIt’s hard to keep a 200,000-sq-ft (18,580-sq-m) warehouse comfortable, and manufacturer Ricoh USA’s parts center was no exception. Nashville’s sweltering humidity bogged down workers in the summer. Facility managers knew air conditioning wouldn’t be cost-effective in a space with...

Pure Barre

Pure Barre ProblemIn the mild climate of San Francisco, most buildings go without air conditioning because it rarely gets very hot. But when your business is a fitness studio, you need some way to cool down a room full of sweating bodies. Pure Barre, a company with more than 325 locations...

Peter Kiewit Infrastructure

Peter Kiewit Infrastructure ProblemAntonio Santini and the design team at RED Studio Architects wanted to provide the Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. with an innovative, environmentally conscious alternative to traditional HVAC design. The ductwork required by such systems is unsightly and costly,...

Greenwood Ford Lincoln

Greenwood Ford Lincoln ProblemTechnicians at Greenwood Ford Lincoln were losing steam in a shop that was barely temperature controlled. Seventeen employees sweltered when temperatures measured as high as 128°F (53.3°C) in the facility’s service drive during the summer. Noisy pedestal fans provided...

Gaia Retreat & Spa

Gaia Retreat & Spa ProblemNestled in the serene beauty of the Byron hinterlands, Gaia Retreat & Spa offers its guests a truly unique experience. The award-winning retreat’s co-owners, Olivia Newton-John and Gregg Cave, wanted to create a tranquil environment where every detail helps guests...

The U.S. Army Aviation Logistics School At Ft. Eustis

The U.S. Army Aviation Logistics School At Ft. Eustis ProblemEach year, 3,500 students train to be helicopter mechanics at the United States Army Aviation Logistics School at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Because the school sits on a peninsula, the heat and humidity can be intense in summer and severely...

Custom Vinyl

Custom Vinyl ProblemCustom Vinyl Products Inc., moved to a new 40,000-sq-ft (3,716-sq-m) facility to help streamline its window manufacturing process. The additional space was welcome, but the minimally-insulated steel and cinderblock building was seriously lacking in terms of comfort. The heating...

Cuningham Group Architecture

Cuningham Group Architecture ProblemRenowned for its environmentally friendly focus, Cuningham Group Architecture faced a dilemma after the opening of its newly renovated Denver office. The building’s original 1980s HVAC units could not handle Colorado’s extreme seasonal temperatures. The...

Cassidy Elementary School

Cassidy Elementary School ProblemFollowing a major renovation, Cassidy Elementary School unveiled its new library—a gorgeous space with soaring 33-ft (10.1m) ceilings and, as it turned out, a major issue with heat stratification. In winter, warm air floated to the peak of the ceiling, forcing the...

Big Ass Fans Outperform Competition In Architects’ New Headquarters

Big Ass Fans Outperform Competition In Architects’ New Headquarters ProblemPertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) — the Malaysian Institute of Architects — recently opened a new 8-storey headquarters in Bangsar, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The building is an architectural and green-construction...

Barbecuing In Vietnam Is A Breeze With Big Ass Fans

Barbecuing In Vietnam Is A Breeze With Big Ass Fans ProblemRunning an open-air barbecue restaurant in a city that stays hot and humid year-round is a challenge. Just ask Tim Scott, co-owner of Quan Ut Ut in Vietnam’s biggest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. But it’s a challenge Scott clearly loves:...