A district school board in eastern Ontario needed to act quickly, as three schools in the district had air-handling units nearing the end of their lifecycle.

The outdated air handlers were negatively impacting both students’ and staff comfort, as well as students’ ability to learn, while funding for equipment replacement was available only for a limited time.

Meaning the typical design-bid-build process was out of the question. It takes too long, especially with the inevitable change orders once a contract is awarded.

The school board approached Envari for a quick, reliable solution. Envari specializes in design-build projects, allowing one entity to manage both the design and construction phases seamlessly.

The project began with two schools in the region, followed by a third. Envari engineers collaborated with the facilities staff to conduct the initial site visits.

During the visits, the Envari team gathered detailed information on structural constraints and identified which mechanical systems needed to integrate with the new units. Most importantly, they evaluated equipment lead times to align with the project’s construction timeline.

Following the site inspections, Envari presented the school board with the preliminary drawings, laying out exactly where each new unit would be installed and what equipment to order right away. The priority was to get approval and keep the project on schedule—to follow the critical path.

The air-handling units and associated equipment were selected based on a variety of factors, including:

• Lead times to stay within the build time frame

• Costs to remain within the predetermined budget

• Integration with existing ductwork, electrical systems and building automation system

• Ensuring each school is equipped to accommodate potential green energy initiatives and future renovations

Semi-custom air-handling units were selected for their ability to provide customization at a lower cost than fully custom options. This meant the school board could add energy recovery wheels at the schools, install heat pumps at two of the schools in lieu of air conditioners and set the stage for future air conditioning at the third school. Semi-custom units also enabled a smooth integration process with the schools’ current building automation systems.

To stay on schedule and minimize disruption, Envari strategically replaced the roof-mounted air handlers at the first two schools. The new units were installed next to the old ones, allowing the existing systems to remain operational until the new air handlers were ready for the changeover. This solution made rerouting ductwork easier with minimal downtime during the transition.

A more creative approach was needed at the third school. Not only was the timeline shorter, but the air-handling units were inside the building. And the mechanical room was too small for two of the three new units.

The Envari team proposed moving the air handlers to the roof, as it was a single-storey building. After reviewing the roof’s structural capacity, they suggested mounting the units directly above the mechanical room to minimize alterations to the existing ductwork and electrical distribution. The larger units were mounted on structural roof curbs, strategically positioned to distribute their weight across the supporting walls below.

This solution not only accommodated the larger units and the addition of an energy recovery wheel, but also provided space for a future heat pump coil to help meet decarbonization targets. As an added bonus, the school was able to use the newly available space in the mechanical room for much-needed storage.

The traditional design-bid-build approach often leads to delays, finger-pointing between parties and costly change orders.

By choosing Envari’s design-build process, the school board completed the capital replacement project in half the expected time with minimal disruption to all three schools. The school board was also able to utilize funding before it expired. This was achieved through meticulous upfront planning—a key element of Envari’s design-build method.

By consolidating design and construction under one roof, Envari streamlined communication and served as the board’s single point of contact for each project. As a result, the school board’s project workload was reduced from weeks of internal resources to only a few dozen hours. Envari sped up the procurement process by teaming up with trusted, prequalified vendors and making sure the equipment was competitively sourced. This helped keep costs down and saved valuable time.

In the end, there were no surprises for the school board, as full transparency is part of the Envari’s process. The Envari team took responsibility from start to finish, delivering as-built drawings, close-out documentation and a comprehensive project binder detailing every aspect of the equipment, installations and warranties. Moving forward, Envari remains that single point of contact to provide continued support.

Best of all, students and staff now enjoy upgraded schools with a more comfortable climate. Enhanced ventilation, better air quality, and stable temperatures create an environment that helps students stay focused and learn more effectively.