Mitsubishi Electric Systems Meet Historic Preservation
Built in 1927 by clothing magnate Joseph Crawford, this elegant 10,000-square foot Tudor mansion, with its lush landscaping, leaded glass windows, interior walnut paneling and decorative moldings, was built of striking gray granite brought in from Pennsylvania. Still one of the most beautiful homes in Flint, the Crawford House today is home to the National Center for Community Education (NCCE), whose mission is to promote community and educational change by providing state-of-the-art leadership development, training and technical assistance. In 1967, NCCE turned this historic home, located at 1017 Avon Street, into its national headquarters. Bedrooms were converted into offices, and dining and living rooms into conference spaces.Adding Another Historic Mansion to Accommodate Growth
In 2002, NCCE took ownership of the J. Edington Burroughs house next door at 925 Avon, another one of Flint’s classic 1928 Norman design stone mansions. This allowed the expansion of the NCCE campus to address the growing demand for 21st Century Community Learning Centers community education-training programs.
Adding Auxiliary Cooling and Heating to Accommodate Growth
Over the years, it became necessary to add cooling and heating to accommodate the needs of a growing staff and workshop participants. Due to the practical considerations of budget, structural changes and desire to maintain the integrity of these historical homes, central air was not an option. The NCCE executive committee needed to find a unique system that would keep the elegant interior intact, maintain the residential feel, keep the outdoor and indoor units as quiet, efficient and unobtrusive as possible, provide individual climate controls for each room and make this all financially compatible within a limited budget.
The Only System and Technology that Could Meet These Tough Demands
The executive committee turned to Rich Cramer, vice president, Dee Cramer Heating and Cooling, Flint, Mich., to find solutions to these unique demands. Fortunately, Cramer had the fitting answer for the committee’s difficult assignment—the Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless system, a smart alternative to traditional air-conditioning systems. This technology would allow NCCE to cool or heat individual rooms without ductwork, indoor units high on the walls or on window spaces. It also required minimal piping, wiring and outdoor ground space.
Maintaining the Historic Integrity and Aesthetics at the Lowest Cost
Cramer specified units for every room in each house except the bathrooms. He installed five MSH09EW and five MSH12EN wall-mounted heat pump systems plus one MXZ30TN wall-mounted INVERTER multi heat pump system in both houses. The units are up on the wall near the ceiling and although they are visible, they are much smaller than conventional units.
NCCE Facilities Manager Kim Yecke is extremely pleased with the split-ductless solutions. “We presented a real challenge with our preservation demands, maintaining the integrity of the buildings, keeping equipment profiles low, reducing the cost of operations in the milder months, desiring individual zone controls and needing to keep costs down. All in all, Mitsubishi Electric rose to the occasion. We could not have accomplished this with a conventional system.”
