Sam Millar Facilities Management Complex

Ardurra provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP/FP) engineering for the Sam Millar Facilities Management Complex at the University of North Carolina Asheville — a three-building campus operations hub supporting approximately 115 employees across 18 trade disciplines. The complex houses administrative offices, maintenance shops, warehouse space, printing services, and distribution facilities.

Key Highlights:

• Integrated geothermal ground-coupled heat pumps with solar thermal collectors and a 1,000-gallon hot water storage tank eliminates fossil fuel use for both heating and cooling

• Solar energy capture and waste heat recovery from the cooling cycle are redirected to HVAC reheating and domestic hot water preheating, maximizing system efficiency

• Variable air volume distribution with variable speed drives reduces fan energy consumption during off-peak periods while maintaining occupant comfort

• Combined renewable systems significantly lower operating costs and utility demand across the complex

• Serves as a replicable sustainability model for large-scale campus facilities operations

By pairing geothermal and solar thermal technologies within an integrated system, the Sam Millar Complex directly advances UNC Asheville's sustainability goals while reducing long-term operating costs across a high-activity campus facility.