84.51° New Corporate Headquarters

Motz Engineering was hired to complete LEED commissioning services to test and confirm that MEP systems operated per the owner’s requirements and the operation of the building was transitioned from construction to occupancy without issues. 

This new mixed-use development in the heart of downtown Cincinnati encompasses the headquarters for consumer analytics company 84.51°, street-level retail and underground parking. 

The 280,000 square foot headquarters space, designed to maximize productivity and staff engagement, is bathed in natural light. Office areas are organized into neighborhoods, centralized spaces or shared areas, with the majority of workspaces open-plan. Two full-height light canyons create visual connections across all five levels of the workspace, shortening travel distances between floors while drawing people together and encouraging collaboration. 

The penthouse chilled water system and dual air handlings units operate to provide conditioning to all open and closed building spaces. Motz worked throughout the construction phase of the project with Turner and continued to support the facility management once occupancy was achieve to become their preferred engineer.

Orlando International Airport New GOAA Intermodal Terminal Facility

The GOAA Intermodal Facility (ITF) project includes preconstruction and construction services for a new transportation terminal that serves various modes of rail (including inter-city rail, commuter rail and light rail) and vehicle transport for the Orlando International Airport.

Motz Engineering worked directly with Turner Construction to coordinate and execute the commissioning of all MEP and Life Safety Systems. In order to deliver high quality commissioning reports, Motz developed the following:

• Reviewed design and contract documents to develop a project Commissioning Plan.
• Coordinated with the Owner’s Operations and Maintenance Manuals, as well as, the Engineer-of-Record to define specific training requirements for the project.
• Created and maintained a Master Issues Log for issues / deficiencies.
• Developed a Component Verification Checklist and distributed it to all Contractors for execution and completion.
• Provided a 10-month warranty and walk through review of the building and report on any outstanding issues.
• Assisted Turner Construction and the Greater Orlando Airport Authority Operations and Maintenance Manuals personnel to develop a Systems Manual for the HVAC equipment and supporting systems.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Roo Valley Exhibits

At the Australian-themed Roo Valley, beneath a lush canopy of trees, Zoo guests experience and encounter two native Australian species–Kangaroos and Little Blue Penguins. 

Key aspects of Roo Valley include a cutting edge, 100,000 gallon rainwater reuse system, a major, multi-tiered green roof, a large geothermal system to help heat and cool the building, and many other components that were incorporated into the habitat to lessen the footprint it will have on this planet… and lower the Zoo’s utility bills!

As MEP Engineering of Record for the entire project, one aspect of the project included water main service extension to the new pool for the penguins as well as the living water for both species of animals. 

Motz designed the living water filtration and recirculation system for the entire Roo Valley project, completing backflow preventer testing, water purification testing and system pressure testing. 

This project supported the overall goal of the Cincinnati Zoo to reduce their overall water consumption to 1/5 of the level it was in 2010 and help the entire project achieve LEED Platinum Certification in March of 2021.

Xavier University Health United Building

All under one roof. Throughout the healthcare industry there is a constant demand of highly qualified nurses; and to fulfill this need Xavier University has created the Accelerated Bachelors of Science Nursing Program. As part of this program, students are required to complete several hands-on simulation lab courses.

To give students the best experience possible, Xavier teamed up TriHealth to construct the new $54M, 160,000 sf Health United Building on Xavier’s campus. The “HUB” is home to the Department of Recreational Sports and health-related academics such as the Nursing Program’s simulation labs.

Motz Engineering has worked on the majority of Xavier University’s buildings, including the Campus Utility Plant, and has been the Engineer of Record for all major Campus Utility Projects, which proved to be extremely helpful for the role of Commissioning Agent for the HUB.

In accordance with Messer Construction (CMR), MSA Design (Architect), and KLH Engineers (MEP Engineer), Motz Engineering commissioned and tested the following systems:

• HVAC Systems
• Building Management Systems
• Emergency Power Systems
• Electrical Distribution Systems
• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
• Fire Suppression Systems
• Plumbing Systems
• Roof Systems
• Security Systems
• Voice / Data Distribution Systems

FC Cincinnati Mercy Health Practice Facility

As the Engineer of Record of the FC Cincinnati Mercy Health Practice Facility, located in Milford, Ohio, Motz Engineering’s added Commissioning Agent services to the project has proved to be advantageous to the client.

Equipment and Systems that Motz commissioned and tested included:

• The HVAC VRF system which included exterior heat pumps, indoor cassettes, branch controllers and dedicated outdoor air units
• The electrical systems which included a generator and building lighting controls
• The domestic hot water systems

Melink New HQ2

Commercial buildings and homes consume a tremendous amount of energy in the U.S. and represent a majority of our country’s carbon footprint. We need to achieve zero-energy on all new construction by the year 2030, and the millions of existing buildings by 2050.

At Melink Corporation’s second headquarters, Motz Engineering helped develop a net zero-energy building. The facility not only doubled their office and manufacturing space, but also, is one of the greenest buildings in the world. Additionally, Motz identified options to utilize Phase Change Materials (PCM) to store energy.

The main energy source for Melink’s new building is the sun. The sun naturally lights the spaces inside, passively heat the building during the winter, and generate most of the electricity it needs for the HVAC system and other loads. In addition, as the sun traverses the sky every day, sensors automatically close window shades to minimize the solar heat gain and air conditioning loads during the spring, summer, and fall.

Net zero energy is also achieved through the proper selection of materials for the building envelope. Precast concrete panels absorb the sun’s energy during the day and release it at night. Extra insulation in the walls and roof ensure that heat-flow into the building is minimized during the summer and heat-flow out of the building is minimized during the winter. This helps control the energy costs of heating and cooling the facility.

The most innovative feature of the building is the HVAC system. It uses a rainwater cistern in conjunction with an air-source and ground-source heat pumps to heat and cool the building.

American Modern Insurance Group Floor Renovation

Motz Engineering recently provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services for a commercial office refresh project, American Modern Insurance Group. Located in Amelia, OH, the American Modern (AMIG) Headquarters supports thousands of customers in the United States and utilizes the fourth floor for general office support.

Interested in a more agile open floor office plan, AMIG desired a flexible and collaborative space that supports workflow and problem solving, and team and cross-team communication. To properly support the modern workforce, huddle spaces are designed as collaborative zones that enable seamless interdisciplinary coordination specifically for presentations and meetings.

For the mechanical systems, Motz worked with AMIG’s facility team to replace identified VAVs to ensure that the design was budget conscience and did not call for the replacement of properly-working devices.

Lighting and mechanical systems were tied into existing BMS systems to promote energy efficiency and control during peak and non-peak working hours.

Great Oaks Career Centers Live Oaks Campus

As Great Oaks Career Campuses looked to further grow and refine their Career Education offerings at their Live Oaks Campus, Motz Engineering was selected to complete the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering for the extensive renovation of 200,000 sf of education space plus an impressive new 7,500 sf entrance.

To further stand out from the competition, the design of the new campus offerings reflect the non-linearity of their students’ journeys with hands-on training and specialized training. As an innovative career training program, the client also set out to create spaces that reinforced their priorities: respecting the student; activating the learning environment; and creating a sense of place.

With ground recently broken, the new campus will welcome students in time for fall semester 2022.

Motz Engineering’s scope of the project includes replacing and rezoning of semi-custom rooftop air handling unit with the addition of energy recovery systems and VAVs to improve energy efficiency of the building. This scope also includes new hot water boilers for the new VAVs. New exhaust fans and kitchen make-up air handling units (AHUs) are also included.

Motz is handling all pre-purchasing of 20 new RTUs, coordinating with commissioning agent, Owner’s representative, Construction Manager and building personnel to meet the Owner’s requirements and project schedule in conjunction with a continuously-occupied building.

5/3 Bank Headquarters Floor Renovations

Fifth Third worked diligently on a new workplace solution to support their recent expansion and company growth in their downtown Cincinnati headquarters. Motz Engineering worked with BHDP Architecture on a workplace study of Fifth Third employees to understand not only how users were to function in each of the spaces, but also to fully understand how to provide proper mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection solutions that promote the best use of the space.

The client had a variety of spaces which required different designs – for example, Motz coordinated with Fifth Third to understand the demands for cooling and power for their daily traders, each of whom had computers that required specialized and ultra-reliable IT needs for security, power needs for uninterrupted power supply (UPS), and extra cooling to meet the demands of their units.

Fifth Third selected some high-end finishes in various parts of their floor plans, which required coordination with specialty furniture vendors, graphics consultants, and audio visual consultants in order to meet the design intent.

Fifth Third is a client that Motz Engineering provides services for on both the workplace commercial office work and building facilities infrastructure, meaning not only do we help refresh their commercial office floors, we build mechanical master plans for the life of their buildings to find opportunities to help them solve any facility issues. Motz provides a master plan and commits to renovating identified mechanical and electrical pieces throughout the larger renovation projects that not only meet the goals of the master plan, but each floor’s individual needs.

OSU Martha Morehouse Facility Improvements Commissioning

Motz Engineering is currently beginning the Commissioning for the Improvements Project at The Morehouse Medical Plaza Pavilion.  The project will construct a 7,000-sf addition to the north and west, expanding registration, laboratory spaces and waiting areas and will include the renovation of 105,000-sf of existing space including Pulmonary Rehabilitation, urgent care, OPAC, Comprehensive Weight Management, food service, and patient drop-off/pick-up canopy, and add an elevator.

Working in conjunction with the Architect and Engineering Consultants, the systems within the Commissioning Scope include:

• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems
• Emergency Generator and Standby Power Systems
• Lighting and Daylighting Controls
• Domestic Water Systems
• Life Safety Systems
• Automated Building Controls Systems