Construction has been completed on HVAC upgrades at the Texas State Veterans Home in Tyler, Texas, as part of an initiative to improve air quality across the 10-building residential facility. The project was managed by Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam in response to heightened concerns about indoor air quality following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project’s goal was to safeguard the health and well-being of approximately 100 residents, improving indoor air quality through advanced air filtration and enhanced ventilation systems. Services provided by LAN included design, production sequencing, construction administration and commissioning. The project began in 2022 and included installing specialized filtration systems, increasing outside air to a designated COVID-19 isolation building and adding electrical infrastructure to support the new HVAC equipment.
The initiative’s centerpiece was the installation of fan-powered high-efficiency particulate air filtration systems in each of the 100 resident rooms and shared dining and living spaces. These HEPA filters remove up to 99% of airborne particles. In the isolation building, a dedicated outside air system was installed to work in conjunction with a permanent exhaust fan and existing HVAC systems, doubling the amount of fresh air introduced into isolation rooms during high-risk events.
To further enhance protection, portable hospital-grade HEPA ultra-filtration units were placed in each building. These units can easily be rolled to any part of the building to provide targeted air filtration. In addition, bipolar ionization technology was integrated between the filter and cooling coil of each existing air handling unit, adding an additional layer of defense by neutralizing airborne viruses and bacteria.
Throughout construction, the facility maintained normal operating procedures with no interruptions. Extensive coordination between LAN, contractors and facility operators ensured residents could remain in their rooms each night without disruption.
