McCarthy and Xcel Mechanical Systems recently completed construction of LAUSD’s new $96.7 million South Region High School No. 2, located at 6100 South Central Avenue in Los Angeles.

The school was designed by Leo A Daly of Los Angeles. McCarthy served as general contractor for the project. Xcel Mechanical Systems was hired as the project’s mechanical contractor. The project entailed construction of a 220,000-square-foot high school on a 16.1 acre site with capacity for up to 2,000 students. The new school consists of eight two-and three-level buildings with 75 classrooms, an administrative office, performing arts/multi-purpose/practice gym, cafeteria and food services area, media center/library, a gym and locker rooms. The school also features an outdoor lunch shelter and athletic facilities including football and softball fields and a track and field venue with a new rubberized synthetic track surface.

The nine buildings are strategically positioned to provide a rectangular perimeter barrier around a centrally located courtyard/student gathering area. The high school is sectioned into four small learning communities, each self-contained with classrooms and laboratory facilities in each building. The athletic, library and performing arts facilities are shared among the four communities. Each classroom has state-of-the-art A/V equipment and the ADA-compliant science labs feature built-in casework, fume hoods, chemical resistant countertops, sinks, gas, power and high speed data connections. All buildings are type II steel construction with the exterior skin comprised of plaster, CMU veneer and metal panels.

Xcel Mechanical used BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology to assist in the building process for the new high school. Xcel teams used AutoDesk NavisWorks project review software to create 3D models of the high school’s mechanical systems before construction began. The use of 3D modeling proved highly successful in helping visualize and resolve systems clashes in the areas that required extensive detailing such as the central plant, the underground utilities, small mechanical closets and restrooms.

“This close team collaboration allowed the project to stay ahead of schedule and complete nearly two months early,” said Senior Project Manager Andrew Raufi.

Certified by the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS), the new South Regional High School boasts numerous environmentally friendly elements. Some of the project’s sustainable features include: energy efficient direct/indirect lighting with automatic lighting controls; low flow lavatories; low VOC paint; high energy efficient air conditioning; operable windows; a white roof to reflect unwanted energy and reduce the amount of energy consumed and drought tolerant landscaping. Construction waste was also recycled.

ENR California recognized the UCLA Pauley Pavilion Renovation and Expansion project with its Award of Merit, adding to a list of awards the project has received from local and national trade associations.

Xcel Mechanical Systems served as the Mechanical Engineering subcontractor on the project.

The UCLA Pauley Pavilion scope of work included approximately 57,000 square feet of expansion and 180,000 square feet of renovation to the existing facility. This included revisions to the seating, life safety systems, restrooms, concessions, entrances, fan amenities, athletic facilities, and a new interior concourse encircling the entire arena, for a total area of more than 237,000 square feet of new and remodeled space. The project team has been widely praised for opting to renovate the historic sports facility rather than demolishing it and building a new one.

The project achieved LEED Gold certification upon its completion, and has also been recognized by the following organizations:
– Los Angeles Business Journal – 2013 Commercial Real Estate Awards, Best Redevelopment Project
– U.S. Green Building Council- Los Angeles Chapter – 2014 Sustainable Innovation Award
– Los Angeles Business Council – 2011 Architectural Award

Mammoth Mountain’s new ownership group had put in place an $800-million master plan to establish the resort a world-class full service ski destination.

But to get there, the ownership group knew they needed help.

Xcel Mechanical Systems was already on contract to upgrade various mechanical, plumbing and snowmelt capabilities at key locations across the mountain. But this project would be bigger: Employ the same technology on a wider scale to implement snowmelt at the major common areas.

The job entailed building a large concrete dining deck with extensive use of snowmelt technology. The snowmelt system would also serve walkways, sidewalks, loading docks, stairs, bridges, equipment platforms, bus stops, and loading areas of the new, high-speed gondola running from Village Gondola Station to Canyon Station.

Smartly automated controls would permit the zones, high-temp for paver areas and low-temp for concrete, to start by phone calls for nights when they knew snow was coming and they wanted to pre-heat slab surfaces. Xcel set up primary-secondary pumping with injection and zone pumps for the snowmelt. Each zone had a zone pump to eliminate field water balancing at the individual manifolds.

“Each snowmelt zone is controlled by a dedicated pump zone,” said Xcel Mechanical President Kevin Michel. “These were a huge benefit because of time saved when piping the mechanical rooms, and for space considerations; they’re very compact and sensibly laid out.”

Snowmelt is seen as a valuable investment. There are so many advantages to the placement and use of this technology, including public safety, operating issues (the lifts must be open and accessible), and workforce impact. There are fewer employee and maintenance issues, and much less use of volcanic cinder, preventing damage to buildings and paved surfaces, and much less need for snowplowing.

“It’s easy to see why Xcel is our preferred plumbing and mechanical contractor,” said Rick Demshki. “They routinely meet the unique challenges posed by the mountain’s location and extreme weather.”

Much has been done to help “move the mountain” at Mammoth Lakes. And each year as the 1.2 million visitors to this world-class ski resort return, they will give little thought to the areas within the village without snow, looking only for the “best powder” to begin their day. But rest assured that the staff of Xcel Mechanical Services and Mammoth Mountain ski resort will be on top of where the snow should and shouldn’t be.