UC Davis, Shasta Hall Student Housing / Emerson Hall Replacement

The Emerson Hall, later renamed Shasta Hall, Replacement Project included demolition of a 50-year old building and replacing it with three new buildings, with a total of 809 residence hall beds. The new complex also included informal interaction space, a Student Advising Center, multipurpose room, music room, lounge spaces, laundry rooms and study rooms. The Design-Build project targeted LEED v4 Silver certification aligned with the University’s sustainable goals for energy efficiency and student comfort.

3QC’s Building Envelope Commissioning services not only added valuable credits to the LEED certification process, but also helped to ensure a weather tight, energy efficient facility that is both safe and comfortable for students. Our services included commissioning the building’s thermal envelope in accordance with UC Davis, Section 018110 – Building Envelope Commissioning, LEED Commissioning requirements for BECx, ASHRAE Guideline 0, and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Guideline 3-2012. During construction, commissioning focused on the installation and performance of the following systems: Mock-ups, Below Slab Vapor Retarders, Self-Adhering Air and Water Barriers, Thermal Insulation, Exterior Gypsum Sheathing, Cement Plaster and Lathing, Sheet Metal Flashing and Trim, Wall Louvers, Glazed Aluminum Framing Systems, Vinyl Windows, Glazing, Composite Metal Wall Panels, Fiber Cement Plank Siding, Single Ply Membrane Roofing, Skylights, and Joint Sealants.

Collaboration between the BECx team members included the schedule and coordination of the installation review and testing of the building enclosure systems. A key result of this project’s completed commissioning process was our involvement during scheduling and coordination of the window and storefront water testing. During the water testing, 3QC identified inconsistencies with the cleaning process of the vinyl windows and a lack of visual inspection ability surrounding the windows due to the interior drywall already installed. In order to have minimal impact and or removal of installed drywall, 3QC utilized an infrared camera and water sensitive test paper during water testing. Watertight windows and storefront systems were achieved through the implementation of these corrective recommendations and follow up retesting. This quality assurance process helped to align installed building envelope systems with the construction document requirements.

Photo credit: Chip Allen Photography