| ABS Consultants, Inc. |
| Projects |
| April 21, 2005 | Copyright © 1997—2005 ABS Consultants, Inc. |
| Back to Project List Page |
| Disney's Wilderness Lodge |
| Location: Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| Architect: Urban Design Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado |
| Owner: Disney Development Company, Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| General Contractor: Centex-Rooney, Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
Disney's Wilderness Lodge is a western-period lodge designed to embrace the Spirit of the West in the late 1800s. The Lodge design was developed from several Western National Park Service Lodges to include Yellowstone and Yosemite. The total project consisted of approximately 500,000 square feet of lodging, retail and restaurants. The Junction involved six buildings consisting of 690 rooms, retail, saloons, dance hall, etc., served by a central heating and cooling plant. The Lodge is approximately 500,000 sf in a single structure consisting of eight stories with 725 rooms, two period restaurants, employee cafeteria, and back-of-house services to include housekeeping, administrative, landscaping, and building engineering services. A nearby replica western town, Fort Wilderness Junction, connected by a steam train was originally incorporated into the design. It was later removed from the primary project. |
The mechanical system for the Lodge used ten variable-air-volume (VAV) air handling systems for back-of-house, the atrium, restaurants and kitchens. Eleven constant volume systems handle the corridors, back-of-house, and kitchens. Guest Rooms were provided with vertical stacking fan coil units. Make-up air was provided to all systems to insure compliance with ASHRAE 62-1989 for indoor air quality. Exhaust systems included the Guest Rooms, back-of-house and kitchen areas. Of major concern was humidity control and mildew control of the facilities. To this end construction procedures, design and commissioning of the project were oriented. This would maximize comfort for the guests and minimize potential replacement costs due to damage by mildew and moisture. Energy Conservation was also of prime concern and variable frequency drives were incorporated into the heating and chilled water pumping systems, the cooling tower fans and VAV air handling systems. In addition a preheat Plate and Frame exchanger was provided for the domestic system to reduce energy consumption. Domestic systems were designed to meet significant domestic requirements in the kitchens and Guest Rooms. Life safety systems were designed to meet current regulatory and code requirements. |
The electrical distribution system consists of three separate 3000-amp, 480-volt, 3-phase distribution centers which receive power from three utility owned 2500 KVA transformers. Each distribution center has extensive surge suppression. The 480-volt system distributes power to several satellite electrical closets which in turn step down power via 480/277 and 208/120 transformers for miscellaneous lighting, receptacles, and mechanical terminal unit power requirements. The 800 kw emergency generator serves an essential emergency bus, non-essential emergency bus, and the fire pump. In the case that the emergency generator is utilized during a fire situation, the non-essential emergency bus is load-shedded to allow for adequate power to the fire pump. The lighting design emphasizes both quality of lighting and energy efficiency. Where possible, compact fluorescent lamps have been utilized in lieu of line voltage incandescent fixtures, and fluorescent fixtures utilize electronic ballasts and energy efficient, high color rendering phosphor lamps. |
| Top of Page |