Rensselaer County
Family Court Center

The first phase of a planned courthouse facilities upgrade involved relocation of the county family court spaces from the overcrowded main county courthouse complex in Troy, NY to the former Rensselaer County Jail. The main floor level of the original jail was retained and two new floors were inserted to create a four level structure.

Building HVAC system consists of variable air volume forced air heating and cooling in the original jail portion of the building and four-pipe fan coils in the original attached office building. Cooling is provided by a remote air-cooled chiller connected by underground piping. Atmospheric draft low mass copper-fin boilers provide heat for the building and minimize sound transmission to the noise sensitive courtroom space above.

An energy saving Building Management System (BMS) provides integration of critical building functions such as HVAC control, lighting control, fire alarm, security and card access systems. Particular attention was paid to mechanical system acoustics and lighting design to enhance occupant comfort.

Electrical systems work included replacement of the electrical service, category 5 data network, PBX telephone system, central clock and PA systems and central emergency poser back-up.