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LG Living Case Study II

Hampton Inn Chicago Motor Club

CHALLENGE

The  Chicago  Motor  Club  building  is  a  historic  city  landmark  that  still  embodies  the  Art  Deco  design  elements  that  have  long  been  held  as  cultural  treasures.  The  17-­‐story  building,  which  first  opened  in  1928  and  was  added  to  the  National  Register  of  Historic  Places  in  1978,  was  crafted  with  a  terra  cotta  and  limestone  façade  and  features  an  iconic  29-­‐foot  mural  in  the  grand  lobby  that  highlights  popular  driving  destinations  of  the  building’s  original  tenants  across  a  map  of  the  United  States.  The  triple-­‐height,  rectangular  lobby  features  small  mezzanines  at  both  the  north  and  south  ends,  alcoves  against  each  wall  and  is  finely  detailed  throughout  with  Art  Deco-­‐style  ornamentation.  

In  1986,  the  Chicago  Motor  Club  relocated  its  headquarters  to  Des  Plaines,  Ill.,  leaving  the  original  building  to  suffer  through  a  tangled  web  of  owners.  When  Hampton  by  Hilton  approached  the  building’s  then-­‐owners  with  hopes  of  transforming  it  into  a  hotel,  the  hotel  chain  was  met  with  the  daunting  task  of  undergoing  a  full  renovation  of  the  historic  space  that  had  been  unoccupied  since  2004.  One  of  the  developer’s  key  challenges  was  installing  an  updated,  efficient  heating  and  cooling  system  that  would  reflect  the  enhanced  values  of  a  lavish  downtown  hotel  without  disturbing  or  disrupting  the  building’s  historic  –  and  protected  –  architecture.  

CRITERIA

First  and  foremost,  it  was  imperative  that  the  renovated  building  maintain  its  original  appearance  as  a  tribute  to  car  culture  –  a  vital  facet  of  historic  Chicagoan  life.  Before  the  transformation  of  a  hotel  even  began,  State  Mechanical  Services,  the  installing  mechanical  contractor,  was  hand-­‐selected  to  provide  a  heating  and  air  conditioning  system  that  would  allow  the  Chicago  Motor  Club  to  keep  its  architectural  integrity,  while  also  serving  its  new  purpose  in  a  practical  manner  –  providing  the  ultimate  in  guest  comfort.  It  was  also  essential  that  any  heating,  ventilation  and  air  conditioning  (HVAC)  equipment  installed  in  the  Chicago  Motor  Club  building  address  installation  challenges  due  to  limited  interior  and  rooftop  space  and  offer  conditioning  options  that  could  efficiently  respond  to  the  exceptional  cold  Chicago  winters  and  warm  summers.  

The  new  owners  also  wanted  to  ensure  the  new  system,  as  it  would  be  operating  on  a  24/7  basis,  would  maintain  low  sound  levels  so  as  not  to  disrupt  the  hotel’s  guests  and  individual  room  temperatures  could  be  centrally  monitored  to  help  control  and  identify  any  guest  comfort  issues.

SOLUTION

To  best  meet  the  HVAC  needs  of  this  historic  building,  State  Mechanical  Services  chose  air  conditioning  solutions  from  LG  Electronics  (represented  by  Midwest  Applied  Solutions)  to  outfit  the  143-­‐room,  newly-­‐dubbed  Hampton  by  Hilton  hotel.  Given  the  building’s  historic  status,  Midwest  Applied  Solutions  had  to  ensure  all  LG  mechanical  equipment  fit  in  the  building’s  limited  interior  space  and  on  its  small  rooftop  footprint  (35  ft.  by  35  ft.),  as  well  as  avoid  making  any  modifications  to  the  building’s  exterior.  To  meet  all  of  the  aforementioned  criteria,  LG  suggested  using  its  Multi  V™  IV  Heat  Recovery  system  with  the  LG  Art  Cool™  Mirror  indoor  units  and  the  LG  AC  Smart  IV  central  controller,  which  provide  utility,  aesthetics  and  controls,  respectively.

For  the  building  as  a  whole,  Midwest  Applied  Solutions  recommended  installing  LG’s  Multi  V  IV  Heat  Recovery  system,  which  provides  outstanding  installation  flexibility  and  can  be  easily  installed  on  the  roof  for  minimal  visibility  in  addition  to  guaranteeing  optimal  guest  comfort.  The  limited  ductwork  required  for  LG’s  systems  enabled  State  Mechanical  Services  to  have  a  minimally  invasive  installation  plan,  which  kept  disruption  to  the  space  to  a  minimum  and  installation  costs  low.  

“It  was  an  easy  sell  to  incorporate  the  LG  Multi  V  IV  Heat  Recovery  systems  into  this  historic  auto  club  building.  Thanks  to  LG’s  VRF  –  or  variable  refrigerant  flow  –  technology  the  building’s  structure  wasn’t  compromised,  and  it  was  able  to  keep  the  same  quintessential  appearance  it  once  held  in  Chicago,”  said  David  Holbrook,  Project  Manager  at  Midwest  Applied  Solutions.  “Prior  to  selecting  LG  VRF  as  the  HVAC  technology  for  this  project,  the  owners  were  considering  a  heat  pump  system,  unaware  that  VRF,  like  that  of  LG’s  Multi  V  IV  line,  is  not  only  just  as,  if  not  more,  energy  efficient  than  conventional  heat  pump  technology,  but  also  proved  to  be  more  cost  effective  in  the  end.”

LG’s  Multi  V  IV  compressors  also  feature  LG  Vapor  Injection  Technology,  which  allows  for  maximum  heating  performance  in  cold  climates,  like  winters  in  Chicago,  and  in  low  ambient  conditions  without  the  need  for  an  additional  low  ambient  kit.  An  attractive  element  to  the  owner  was  the  Multi  V  IV’s  ability  to  keep  the  compressors  running  down  to  -­‐13  degrees  Fahrenheit,  meaning  heating  will  not  be  compromised  in  Chicago’s  extreme  cold  temperatures.

Additionally,  for  each  individual  guest  room,  the  owner  and  contractor  chose  to  install  LG’s  ductless  Art  Cool  Mirror  indoor  units.  LG’s  Art  Cool  series  provides  energy-­‐efficient  air  conditioning  solutions  that  enhance  the  décor  of  a  facility,  and  the  Art  Cool  Mirror’s  cool,  contemporary  mirrored  finish  is  no  exception.  The  indoor  units  also  met  the  owner’s  requirement  of  maintaining  low  sound  levels  for  minimal  guest  interruption,  operating  at  sound  levels  as  low  as  23  dB(A),  which  is  one  of  the  quietest  in  the  industry.

LG’s  flagship  VRF  technology,  as  incorporated  in  the  Multi  V  IV  Heat  Recovery  system,  also  offers  custom  temperature  control  in  specific  rooms,  allowing  each  hotel  guest  to  heat  or  cool  based  on  his  or  her  own  personal  comfort  needs.  This  technological  innovation  is  also  cost-­‐effective  as  only  the  rooms  being  used  will  be  heated  or  cooled  at  any  particular  time.  With  VRF  technology,  the  building  can  take  advantage  of  recovered  waste  heat  –  the  capturing  of  heat  energy  normally  discharged  to  the  atmosphere  by  zones  in  cooling  mode  and  moving  that  energy  to  the  zones  that  need  heat  –  so  one  guest  can  have  heating  and  another  cooling  simultaneously.  LG  systems  featuring  VRF  also  have  a  lower  lifecycle  cost  than  traditional  HVAC  systems  currently  on  the  market.

Finally,  as  centralized  control  of  the  HVAC  system  was  of  great  significance  to  the  owner,  LG  delivered  the  AC  Smart  IV  that  communicates  with  and  monitors  each  of  LG’s  indoor  Art  Cool  Mirror  units  for  seamless  building  management.  Up  to  128  indoor  units  can  be  managed  with  one  AC  Smart  IV  for  the  utmost  convenience  and  cost-­‐savings.  The  AC  Smart  IV  is  also  outfitted  with  a  clear,  10.2-­‐inch  LCD  touch-­‐screen  display  with  web-­‐access,  making  monitoring  the  hotel’s  complete  HVAC  system  simple  and  convenient.

RESULTS

The  installation  of  LG’s  air  conditioning  systems  was  completed  in  a  timely  and  seamless  manner,  strategically  meeting  –  and  at  times  exceeding  –  all  of  the  challenges  and  criteria  set  forth  by  the  project.  The  Chicago  Motor  Club  building  reopened  on  May  19,  2015  as  the  LEED-­‐certified  Hampton  Inn  Chicago  Downtown,  incorporating  all  the  functional  amenities  of  a  bustling,  modern  hotel  property  while  still  maintaining  the  original  historic  grandeur  of  the  building.

“The  contractor  I  worked  with  on  this  installation  is  now  an  advocate  for  LG  VRF  technology  and  systems,”  said  Holbrook,  “The  LG  Multi  V  IV  –  like  all  LG  VRF  systems  –  provides  a  key  differentiator  in  the  market  as  a  result  of  its  flexibility  and  unprecedented  energy  efficiency.  The  owners  of  the  Hampton  Inn  Chicago  Downtown  were  systematically  impressed  with  how  well  all  of  LG’s  systems  –  from  the  Art  Cool  Mirror  units  down  to  the  AC  Smart  IV  –  worked  flawlessly  together  to  create  a  warm  (or  cool!),  welcoming  environment  for  current  and  future  guests.”

Information

HVACNews Profile:
LG Electronics

Official Site:
LG Electronics

Source & Photo Credits:
LG Electronics