Scout House Board Air Conditioning Status Report Fall 2019

We're working hard to keep the Concord Scout House cool!

During the past 6 months the Concord Scout House board has made significant progress toward installing air conditioning. We've encountered a number of technical challenges along the way but now have a clear way forward. What follows is where we've been, stand currently and where we're going.

Where We've Been:

The Scout House is located in an historic district. Our building's age, construction and location bring unique challenges to the project.

We hired an engineering firm to develop the design. Together we considered a number of options to accommodate our users, site constraints and budget. Only single phase power is available and outside space for equipment is very limited. The engineers and board struggled with the best place to locate equipment. The Barn Coop Nursery School came to the rescue, suggesting their present shed location for the AC equipment. We considered 4 possible system designs. The engineers and board evaluated each option, including: a preliminary cost estimate, possible historic district issues, exterior and interior space requirements, visual impact inside the hall and exterior acoustic noise.

We've determined the best option is four to five split systems with compressors outside and companion interior air handlers - two or three recessed over the stage and two recessed over the hall entrance. This design eliminates the need for ducting in the hall and keeps the interior equipment largely hidden. It also provides conditioned fresh air ventilation to maintain comfort in the hall. A separate system will serve just the Barn School area.

Where We Stand:

We've received great support from donors and allocated income from two film shoots at the Scout House so that we presently have over half the cost set aside for this project. At this time the system is expected to cost about $150k.

An engineer is now developing the detail design and bid specifications to firm up the estimate and allow us to contract the work.

Where We're Going:

We anticipate that more questions will come up as the design is finalized and competitive bids are solicited. We also continue to fundraise for this project to cover the estimated cost.

The board's goal is to have air conditioning for the Scout House by summer 2020!