On this episode of Building Literacy: Public Library Construction, we delve into the ducts of HVAC systems. HVAC, as you may know, stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and does include dehumidification as well. Reopening libraries during a pandemic has brought the topic of HVAC out from behind the walls and into the proverbial light. We have read the ASHRAE guidance materials and we don't fully understand them either, so we enlisted the help of two knowledgeable MEP engineers-MEP stands for mechanical, electrical and plumbing- who have worked on a number of libraries in the Commonwealth. Carlos DeSousa and Dominick Puniello from Garcia Galuska DeSousa. While there's more information in the episode, Carlos has graciously shared his answers to our initial questions in written form. And Dom has shared a spreadsheet for determining the amount of cubic feet of a room and therefore the appropriate size of a portable HEPA filter for that room. If you have follow-up questions, send them to andrea.bunker@mass.gov, and we will try to include them in a follow up podcast with Carlos and Dom early next year.
