Planning Rationale
Spaces dedicated to MEP/FP building support services (e.g. pump room, boiler room, elevator equipment room, MDF rooms, etc.) are considered “back of house” and receive finishes that are durable. A strategic/centralized location of these areas is critical for planning an efficient building design that minimize long pipe and duct runs and keeps duct sizes manageable.
Electrical rooms and data distribution rooms (MDF/IDF) are particularly sensitive to static. Therefore, no static creating material (e.g. carpet) shall be introduced into these spaces. These spaces are typically used to route conduit or ductwork from other floors and the adjacent ceilings interstitial space. Therefore, it is required that no finished ceiling be provided in the MEP/FP rooms and that all lighting be wall mounted, industrial lighting. Floor and wall space tends to be precious in Electrical, MDF and IDF rooms. Therefore, any supplemental cooling units must be wall mounted and elevated above rack or panel height. Avoid locating cooling units or exhaust fans within the footprint of electrical or IT equipment. Lighting in electrical or MDF room can be ceiling mounted, but the locations shall be coordinated with tall equipment, conduit runs, cable trays, etc. Ceiling mounted lighting will work better if properly placed.
- Comply with CPS security regarding contacts and motion detectors.
- Refer to Volume 3, Chapters 6-9 for additional MEP/FP guidelines.
MDF Room
Refer to CPS/ITS (formerly OTS) standards for MDF and IDF details, elevations, wiring diagrams and floor plans. The MDF is reserved for security equipment along with the power associated to support that equipment. Location of the room should be placed off a corridor for ease of access.
MEP/FP Rooms
The following rooms listed below have different access, fire rating and hardware requirements including knurled hardware (where required by code), as well as different adjacency requirements, typically only used by authorized personnel. Coordination with MEP/FP and Civil engineers are required in order to properly locate and place these essential spaces throughout the school. See the list below of all required MEP/FP rooms and refer to data sheets for essential properties of the rooms to be taken into consideration during design.
- Boiler Room
- Chiller Room
- Electrical Room
- Fire Pump Room
- Electrical Distribution Room
- Elevator Machine Room: Located at lower floor directly accessible to the elevator
- Switch Gear Room
- Mechanical Room
- MDF Room
- IDF Room
- Chemical Storage Closet/Room
- Water Service Room: Located at exterior wall immediately adjacent to incoming water service