ASHRAE recently moved to its new global headquarters, located at 180 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The society began renovations in January 2020 on an existing 66,700-square-foot building, originally built in 1978, on 11 acres of land. Located 10 miles north of its previous headquarters building, the organization joins other innovation and sustainability-focused organizations based in the popular Technology Parkway corridor.
Focusing on the Society’s 2020-21 theme, “The ASHRAE Digital Lighthouse and Industry 4.0,” the headquarters building incorporates several digitally connected solutions, such as remote 
monitoring and analysis of building performance, with online dashboarding for transparency and advanced building automation system integration with other systems, such as ASHRAE’s meeting reservations systems. Other solutions include a digital twin and building information model, innovative mechanical systems visible through open ceiling around radiant panel clouds and advanced conferencing systems designed to serve as a “digital lighthouse” teaching resource.
Examples of technical features include:
- Radiant ceiling panel system: This is used for heating and cooling & dedicated outdoor air system for outdoor air ventilation with enthalpy heat recovery.
- Overhead fresh air distribution system augmented with reversible ceiling fans in the open office areas and displacement distribution in the learning center.
- Six water source-heat pumps: There are four on basement level and two on upper level atrium that will be used to condition these spaces.
- Demand control ventilation: This will be used for high-occupancy spaces in the meeting and learning center. Air distribution is constant volume in office areas and provided by fabric duct, reducing diffuser count and duct branches.
- Modeling Energy Use Intensity of 17 kBtu/sf/yr.
- Onsite electric vehicle charging stations available for guests and staff.
- Roof-top and ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system planned for installation March 2021.
- 18 new skylights and reconfigured window/wall ratio.
- Useful daylight illuminance (>300 lux) at the work plane Window Wall Ratio (WWR) 79.9% Existing – New WWR east/west 33.5% – north/south – 41.9%.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHRAE had already planned to provide 30% more outside air to the building than the required minimum ventilation rates from ASHRAE Standard 62.1 – Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality and will implement other applicable guidance that has been developed by the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force for commercial office buildings.
To learn more, visit ashrae.org/newhq.
