The UCSD North Torrey Pines Living & Learning Neighborhood

In 2017 A.O. Reed & Co was awarded the UCSD North Torrey Pines Living & Learning Neighborhood project. Together, A.O. Reed and McParlane & Associates consulting engineers finalized the design and completed the project. The project was complex and challenging, consisting of six buildings with 2,048 undergraduate beds, a two-story dining hall with six restaurants and market, academic buildings including faculty and administrative offices, retail space, and Craft Center for students and community members. The project’s goal was to weave living and learning into one central place, hence the name “Living & Learning Neighborhood.”

Dawson Company was involved with McParlane early on in the equipment selection process for both the plumbing and mechanical systems, as UCSD has had great success with both Bell & Gossett and Cemline products. Doug Isaaks (Plumbing) and Chris Jackson (Mechanical) from McParlane laid out and designed the systems, using UCSD’s high temperature hot water system to provide the needed comfort heating and domestic hot water. Four Bell & Gossett QHTWU shell & tube heat exchangers were used to convert the 325F high temperature water to 180F medium temperature water that was then distributed to the individual buildings.

Cemline SEH stainless steel instantaneous packaged water heaters accompanied by Lochinvar storage tanks were utilized to meet the massive domestic hot water demand of the students and restaurants. There were a total of 14 Cemline units on this project between the six buildings.  Cemline demonstrated its custom manufacturing ability by stacking two heaters on a common skid to save as much floor space as possible.

The chilled and hot water coming out of the Bell & Gossett QHTWU heat exchangers was pumped by Bell & Gossett e-1510 pumps ranging in various sizes. Between both the chilled and hot water there were a total of (30) e-1510 pumps on this project.

Ben Tepper (Senior Project Manager) from A.O. Reed ensured the project was completed without delay as Brian Jennings (Pipefitter General Foreman) and his crew completed the installation. Mike Schorzman (Startup/Commissioning) led the startup and commissioning effort.

The project consisted of the following equipment between the six buildings: (14) Cemline SEH units, (30) Bell & Gossett e-1510 pumps, (6) Lochinvar RGA storage tanks, (4) Bell & Gossett QHTWU heat exchangers and (14) Bell & Gossett Model RL air separators.

The project was turned over to UCSD in early 2021 and students moved in shortly thereafter. This project was a great example of how Dawson Company can leverage its technical systems expertise to support both contractors and consulting engineers. We are “Your Fluid Technology Resource!”

Equipment provided by Dawson Company includes:

  • (14) Cemline SEH Units
  • (30) Bell & Gossett e-1510 Pumps
  • (6) Lochinvar RGA Storage Tanks
  • (4) Bell & Gossett QHTWU Heat Exchangers
  • (14) Bell & Gossett Model RL Air Separators