Swift Action for Improved Indoor Air Quality
In the Summer of 2022, West Memphis School District sought Performance Services to complete an initial facility assessment of its school facilities. The goal was to determine whether buildings were operating efficiently while providing an optimal learning environment. In December of that year, the assessment was completed and shared with the District. The report noted evidence of biologicals due to failed window systems that were leaking unconditioned air into buildings.
The District took swift action, moving forward with a project to minimize issues within three days of learning of the report’s findings. The project began with industrial cleaning of all classroom areas, followed by the removal and replacement of the windows and new solid walls. Further, the project included new HVAC equipment to reduce the risks of biologicals in the future. The project concluded in July 2024.
Later that summer, the District learned they had partnership funds dedicated to their high school that were set to expire in September 2024. To put them to use before the deadline, a project needed to be designed and under construction contract by August 1, 2024. Given the tight turnaround to complete a project, West Memphis understood the traditional bidding processes wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline. The District turned to Performance Services for a solution. Given our unique approach to integrating design and construction under one contract, we were able to execute within the condensed timeline.
The phase II project will address deferred maintenance at the Academies of West Memphis Charter School. To improve efficiency and occupant comfort, many HVAC units that are past useful life will be replaced. Bipolar Ionization equipment will be installed in the new units to improve indoor air quality. In addition, new networked controls will be installed to better manage the HVAC systems.
Project Highlights
- Replace 29 HVAC units at the Weaver Elementary School
- Add dedicated outdoor air systems to Weaver Elementary School
- Install networked HVAC thermostats with remote scheduling capabilities at Weaver Elementary
- Remove failing window walls at Weaver Elementary School and replace with new engineered wall structures with windows
- Industrial cleaning of classroom areas
