Renovations

Oakwood Schools to Receive New HVAC System

• By Matt Jones
• 02/25/21

One of the only remaining components of the $18 million Oakwood City Schools renovation project in Dayton, Ohio, is the installation of a brand-new HVAC system for the high school/junior high building. Currently, about half of the 97-year-old building is running on a new system, and the other half still uses an outdated, steam-heated network, according to school district Operations Coordinator Todd Scott.

Scott said that renovations to the remaining half “will not start until we get safely through winter, when we won’t need them any more for the rest of the year and we can finish off tying all of the HVAC together once all of the rooms are done.”

The construction project, which has been in the works since 2019, is on budget and slated to be finished by August. The goal is to improve the infrastructure of buildings with an average age of more than 90 years old. Other upgrades include replacing roofing, adding new boilers, and bathroom renovations.

The school’s ventilation system is being reworked with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind. The variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system will provide better quality and higher-efficiency heat, and the distribution will allow the flow to mix with outside fresh air “to make sure we’re getting enough fresh air in the building for kids and staff,” said Scott.

Renovations in 2004 updated the heating and cooling systems in part of the building. During this next part of construction, the VRF system will be retrofitted into the rest of it.

The district is partnering on the project with Danis Construction, which has already almost completed work at two other schools. In addition to the HVAC system, remaining renovations to be finished at the high school/junior high building include ceiling replacements with new LED lights, environmental abatement, remodeling bathrooms, and installing a new electric transformer.