Releasing Some Steam

A full two levels below the public areas of the Detroit Public Library lies Sub-Level B. Containing most of the mechanical equipment heating and cooling the Library, I recently spent an afternoon surveying its condition with a mechanical engineer. I liken the area to the inner organs of a human body. The temperature rises as you descend into an artery of steam pipes and pneumatic controls. Loud random pieces of equipment cycle on and off, giving the unfamiliar reasons to pause and access the level of danger.

The life blood of the room is steam, pumped in from a network that loops its way around the center of Detroit. Multiple valves control its pressure like the sections of a submarine use water to control its sinking and rising. It’s summer, so only one section of steam piping remains open for the production of hot water. When winter returns, it will take 45 minutes to manually turn the complete system back on, as steam slowly re-animates the multiple limbs of the library's heating system and provides warmth through the winter.

When we talk of greening cities, these are the systems that require our surgical attention. These renovations are the primary challenge of the urban architect and engineer. And though restored facades can make wonderful first impressions, success is equally measured by keeping a building user thermally comfortable and utility bills to a tolerable minimum. Plans include significantly improving equipment efficiency, installing a heat recovery unit and installing computer controlled electronic monitoring devices.