University of St. Thomas

Tommie North Residence Hall and Iverson Center for Faith

St. Paul, MN

Faith Group provided support to the Developer for an addition to the University’s historic Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. The 6,000-sf. addition of functional and gathering space, named the Iverson Center for Faith, forms the spiritual heart of the campus and ties into the existing north quad. Faith Group provided MEP pre-design and design-build support services for an extension of the electrical infrastructure to a new vault, extension of the campus chilled water system, steam conversion to hot water, and a new chilled beam system for cooling to the existing Chapel to improve energy sufficiency. The University has a system of underground tunnels that connects various buildings throughout the college campus. Faith Group’s task was to plan and coordinate the rework of these tunnels to accommodate the new addition and provide connectivity without disrupting campus operations or students and faculty. The firm also provided energy code modeling services for energy code compliance under the performance approach to the State Energy Code.

For the Tommie North Residence Hall, Faith Group provided MEP/FP, IT, audiovisual, and security conceptual design and design-assist support services. The new 5-story, 225,000 sf. Hall houses 480 beds, a dining hall with a full-service kitchen, and one-level underground parking with approximately 125 spaces. As part of the new building, the firm designed a new chiller plant that ties into the campus’s upper quad chilled water loop, in addition to incorporating steam to hot water converters for heating from the central steam system. The Hall is fed by a 13.8kVa electrical service from the University’s campus distribution system. Faith Group also provided energy modeling, consultation on sustainability initiatives and other support services which helped this project achieve LEED Silver Certification and stay within budget.

“It is exciting to be building facilities that will holistically support our students, from spiritual engagement in the Iversen Center for Faith to Living Learning Community opportunities in the two new residence halls.” – Jim Brummer, Assoc. VP for Facilities, News.Stthomas.edu, February 27, 2019