Hotel Madison is a premier, full-service hotel and conference center, found in the charming foothills of the Shenandoah Valley. Perfectly located in scenic downtown Harrisonburg, the hotel caters to a remarkable community, which includes James Madison University. The first-class hotel vows their guests will enjoy a five-star experience, ensuring overnight stays are as comfortable as possible.

Who knows more about comfort than Southern Air?

Full MEP Design Engineers from Day One

Southern Air was brought on board as the full MEP design engineers from the conception of the hotel and conference center. This allowed our engineering and estimating departments to be heavily involved with the project right out of the gates. The design team consisted of Pete Barker, Richard Gurchinoff, Brian Denton, Larry McKee and Thom Noble, who did a fantastic job working under tight deadlines and keeping the project progressing forward without compromising integrity, vision or safety. After the design was completed, operations took over and construction of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, piping, and controls was underway.

“Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Conference Center required members from all departments to work together in order to fulfill the owner’s vision of creating an upscale and practical hotel and conference center to serve not only the city of Harrisonburg, but the Shenandoah Valley as a whole,” says Austin Davis, Southern Air mechanical project manager. “Although the project provided challenges on multiple ends, Southern Air was able to work together effectively and efficiently, proving why we are the preferred MEP contractor in the region and everything.”

Mechanical Systems: VRF, Heat Pumps, and Dedicated Outdoor Air

Multiple mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were installed throughout the hotel and conference center. The mechanical systems include rooftop cooling units with gas heat for night setback, rooftop heat pumps, electric auxiliary heat, a natatorium dehumidification unit, dedicated outdoor air systems served by energy recovery units with direct expansion (DX) cooling and gas heat, makeup air units with DX cooling and gas heat to serve kitchen spaces, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) condensing units with heat recovery, floor mounted console type fan coil units, ceiling mounted cassettes and variable air volume (VAV) boxes with electric reheat.

An Engineered Sanitary System That Saved the Budget

Southern Air also utilized an atypical sanitary system from what is normally found in buildings like these.

“We decided to step away from a conventional sanitary drainage and waste system to install a Sovent single stack drainage, waste and venting system at Hotel Madison,” says Doug Davidson, Southern Air mechanical operations manager. “This engineered system slows the velocity of liquids and solids through a series of aerator and double offsets, while eliminating the need for a separate vent stack. This allowed Southern Air to manage the cost of the project and stay within the budget provided to the customer in the early stages of development.”

Electrical: Lutron Lighting Controls and Full Building Power

Vince Zongrone, Southern Air electrical project manager, oversaw the electrical system installations. For Hotel Madison, Zongrone’s team wired a 480/277V-3 Phase electrical service, sized to serve the entire building. LED light fixtures were provided throughout the hotel and conference center with a Lutron Lighting Control System within the Shenandoah Conference Center.

Racing the Clock: Open by JMU Graduation Weekend

Timing is everything with projects like these and Hotel Madison was eager to open by JMU’s graduation weekend in May, compressing a 17-month job by two months. As always, Van Shelton, Thomas Archie, Mark Creasey, Mike Mann, and the entire group at the fab shop were invaluable assets to the project. No matter the deadlines or difficulties placed upon them, they were able to provide our crews with the support and material needed to keep pace with the expedited project schedule.

Building Automation: Honeywell Controls from Lobby to Guest Room

Garrett Ogden, Southern Air B.A.S. project manager, led the programming team to installation completion of the building automation systems. These provide hotel management and guests control over their energy efficient comfort from lobbies and ball rooms to individual guest rooms. His department connected VAV and LG VRF with energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems, all of which are monitored by Honeywell controls.

The Team That Made It Happen

“It’s impossible to highlight all of the outstanding work completed by our professional team of tradesmen because without all of them, none of Southern Air’s success would have been possible,” says Davis. “Southern Air foremen, Bill Johnson, Roger Sharp, Steve Kozella and Jeff Claytor were invaluable members to the team, providing the onsite leadership and knowledge required to complete a project of this magnitude. Their dedication, expertise, and organizational skills were a crucial piece to this project and one of the main reasons Hotel Madison was such a success.”

Interested in joining a team that takes on projects like this? See our open positions.