SVA Engineering Project - Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland

Owner:                 Archdiocese of Baltimore
                           Cathedral of Mary Our Queen

Architect: Rubeling & Associates, Inc.

SVA provided mechanical/electrical/plumbing (M/E/P) design and construction administration services for a new 18,000 gross square foot two (2) story Parish Center at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in the Homeland section of Baltimore City, Maryland. The facility includes Parish offices for each of the parish priests and senior staff members, clerical offices and work spaces, a small chapel and a multi-purpose room capable of being divided by movable partitions into up to three (3) separate spaces. A partial lower level includes storage rooms for various parish activities, a crafts room and mechanical/electrical spaces. A large outdoor colonnaded courtyard is arranged to facilitate outdoor parish gatherings including power sufficient for a food serving line. A kitchenette area inside the building acts as a Servery and plating kitchen for both the multi-purpose room and the outdoor courtyard.

Building services including electric power, heating and chilled water are served from the existing Parish central plant facility. A pad mounted transfer was set outside the building and connected to existing 4,160 volt feeder serving the adjacent School building. Heating and cooling is provided by taps from the existing underground heating and cooling lines serving the School.

HVAC consists of central station type variable air volume air handling units with local variable air volume terminal units with hot water heater coils serving individual zones throughout the building.

Plumbing was connected to existing City service lines in the adjacent public street. Gang public rooms are provided on the main level of the building for use by building visitors. Separate staff toilet rooms are provided adjacent to the office space. The pastors office includes a private toilet room and coffee bar.

Lighting is generally fluorescent, supplemented by incandescent downlights arranged to facilitate the buildings room usage and building architecture. Lighting for the multi-purpose room consists of a dual system of 2' x 2' parabolic louver metal halide troffers for general/meeting use, with dimmer controlled incandescent downlights providing lower lighting levels for dinner and social gatherings. A sound system was provided for the multi-purpose room and a fire alarm system is provided throughout the building. Communications facilities link this building, via underground ductbanks, to the remaining buildings on the Cathedral campus. The main telephone switch and parish data networking were relocated to the Parish Center as part of the construction process.