Case Study: UMB Davidge Hall
- May 20
- 2 min read
University of Maryland, Baltimore Davidge Hall
Baltimore, MD
CHALLENGE
The main building of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s medical school, Davidge Hall, contains two large lecture halls, offices, conference rooms, and a museum. Built in 1812, Davidge Hall is the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere still used for medical education.
In 2023, the building's HVAC system was struggling to provide adequate climate control and meet modern code requirements. Additionally, no fresh air was entering the building, causing humidity issues and deterioration of the historical building's internal structure. The building owner wanted to preserve the historical integrity while optimizing and electrifying the HVAC system, thus aligning with campus sustainability goals and Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) requirements.
SOLUTION
To maintain the building's historical integrity, while improving control and advancing decarbonization and electrification objectives, the Boland® team engineered the following:
Installed 16 Mitsubishi Electric Trane US Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems to improve efficiency and climate control.
Upgraded distribution equipment, electrical panels, breakers, conduits, and wiring to support the new HVAC system.
Implemented a Building Automation System (BAS) that connects all the upgrades, offering real-time system updates.
Installed air-source heat pumps to offer energy efficiency and reduce energy bills.
By using OMNIA Partners to streamline its procurement process, the university accelerated its project timeline and delivered cost savings that supported its critical updates.
RESULTS
This quieter, more efficient system significantly enhanced the comfort of Davidge Hall and its occupants, who have reported feeling more comfortable than ever. Additionally, this new system:
Allows for more precise control and maintenance of both humidity and temperature throughout the building, eliminating guesswork and discomfort.
Decreased the building's energy usage by 20% in the first year, according to UMB’s Office of Operations and Maintenance reports.
Converts Davidge Hall to a fully electric building, removing them from the district steam plant.
This building will continue to be used by faculty and students, and remains a historical landmark for the university. Boland's work brings UMB closer to achieving their goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045.
