Cadillac Place
HISTORIC GENERAL MOTORS BUILDING GETS SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE HOOD
Huge renovation for Detroit Landmark utilizes Trane to keep them cool
In the heart of the country’s automotive capitol, Detroit, sits a limestone, urban Beaux Arts-style landmark that represents the finest of American ingenuity. The General Motors building, completed in 1923, had been home to one of the most recognized car companies in the world. It served as the administrative headquarters of the corporation for 75 years, but its future was in doubt in 1998 when General Motors announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Detroit’s Renaissance Center. Many wondered what would happen to the beloved building. The answer came when the state of Michigan, through a deal negotiated with Trizec Properties and GM, announced they’d become the new tenant, with Trizec renovating the structure to meet the State’s requirements.
Plans for the updates, which did not include altering the historic appearance of the exterior, were developed by architectural firm Albert Kahn and Associates, the same group that originally designed the building decades ago. Barton Malow Company of Detroit was selected as general contractor for the project.
A major challenge facing the renovation team was the need to update the comfort systems, particularly cooling, for the building. During General Motors’ long period of occupancy, the method of keeping cool in the building had transitioned from simply opening the windows during the summer months to using individual air conditioners in many office areas. At the time the company left the building, there were 1,860 window air conditioners and hundreds of spot cooling systems. The state of Michigan needed to take a different road.
It became obvious to the architects and to the Barton Malow staff that a central chilled water plant was impractical because of the lack of space not only for the plant, but also for the necessary piping to distribute chilled water. They decided to go with a solution that’s usually chosen for structures in eastern seaboard cities like New York and Atlanta – packaged, self-contained water-cooled air conditioning units with variable-air-volume (VAV) conditioned air distribution. This solution met the challenges posed by limited mechanical room space and weight restrictions. The renovation team went with the Trane Model SCWB, a water-cooled self-contained unit rated at 65 tons each. The building design called for 68 units.
Air is delivered from the self-contained units to approximately 1400 Trane VariTrane™ VAV terminal boxes. Some of the VAV boxes are fan-powered with electric reheat.
To optimally control all of these elements, a Trane Tracer Summit™ system was installed. From the building engineering area, comfort levels in the entire building could now be observed and, if necessary, adjusted.
The building cooling system operates year-round because of the internal heat load developed in the office areas. According to John Piccolo, project manager, Trizec Properties, the Detroit climate allows “free cooling” using the rooftop cooling towers during the winter months. “We’ll use this type of free cooling from November until March or so, when we go back to mechanical cooling. This system flexibility gives us some real savings.”
The newly renovated landmark also benefited from a name change when the renovation was complete. The official name of the building became “Cadillac Place”— honoring Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, founder of the city of Detroit in 1701.
68 Trane Model SCWB units
1400 Trane VariTrane™ VAV terminal boxes
Trane Tracer Summit™ system
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