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| April 21, 2005 | Copyright © 1997—2005 ABS Consultants, Inc. |
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| Vail's Front Door |
| Location: Vail, Colorado |
| Architect: 42/40 Architecture, Denver, Colorado |
| Owner: Vail Resorts Development Company, Avon, Colorado |
| General Contractor: Hyder Construction, Denver, Colorado |
The Vail Front Door project is located at the base of the Vista Bahn chairlift in the center of the Town of Vail. The project includes: four levels of unheated, below grade parking with large loading dock and an underground Forest Service access road / tunnel; (13) four-story high-end custom townhomes in six buildings with a separate common underground garage connecting to private garages and elevators for each residence; an 11,000 square-foot, three-story, five-star spa; a 30,000 sf skier services building; the remodel of two levels of guest rooms, main kitchen and laundry in the existing Lodge at Vail; and a separate three-level underground heated parking structure in the center of town. The total size of the project is 285,000 sf. |
The mechanical systems include two central chilled water plants serving the residences, spa and ski club and three central gas-fired hotwater boiler plants serving the space heating, domestic water heating and 125,000 sf of snow melt needs of the various buildings. The residences each have a ten-zone radiant floor heating system, vertical chilled water fan coil unit and steam humidifier ducted to each room. The ski club is heated by perimeter baseboard radiation in an architectural enclosure and is cooled by 2 horizontal chilled water fan coil units. The spa is served by four-pipe fan coil units, ducted exhaust and tempered fresh air to each room and hydronic radiant ceiling panels in each treatment room. Special care was taken in the spa to eliminate odor migration and sound transfer between rooms. The skier services building has a series of heating and ventilating only fan coil units and small air handlers and various exhaust systems. One of the more challenging requirements was the relocation of the heating, domestic heating, and chilled water plant that served a wing of the Lodge at Vail to a temporary location during construction and then to a new permanent location in the new garage. There were also significant site utility relocations required to refeed existing services as well as the new ones without creating any interruption in service to the existing buildings. |
The electrical distribution systems include three separate 3-phase electrical services at 208 volts, one for the spa, one for the heated parking structure and the other for the residences and a third 3-phase service at 480 volts for the garage, tunnel, ski club and skier services. The spa service is sized for the International Wing of the Lodge as the main electrical room for the International Wing was demolished. All existing feeders to the International Wing are re-fed from the new spa service. Multiple panelboards are distributed throughout the facility to feed lighting, mechanical equipment, elevators and other house loads. The residences each have a 200 amp 3-phase panelboard which is separately metered by the electric utility. Generators have been provided for backup power to the dewatering pumps. In addition the generator at skier services also feeds a separate life safety distribution system providing power to garage and tunnel lighting and garage exhaust fans. Site work includes relocating existing utility transformers and re-feeding electrical services to six existing buildings. The lighting design takes into consideration the form, function and architecture of each space and emphasizes quality of light. Lighting control systems are provided in the residences, spa, ski club and skier services. The residences each have a communications command center and are pre-wired for telephone and CATV. |
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