HVAC Renovation

We are very excited to share with you that Saint John’s Cathedral has received an anonymous gift of 4 million dollars to update our HVAC system. After months of research and careful consideration, this gift will provide a new heating and cooling system in the cathedral and throughout much of the first floor of our building. The new system will be much more sustainable, helping us to get largely off of combustibles, and it will introduce cool air and fresh air to our worship space, as well as provide heat. The renovation will begin in early summer and will continue through the first part of 2022. We’re honored to receive such a generous gift, and we’re so grateful to our anonymous donor, who wanted to share a few words:

“This gift is made in Thanksgiving for Saint John’s Cathedral and its witness of God’s glory, its exploration of Jesus’s teaching, the generosity of the clergy, and the powerful community of the congregation. We are blessed, indeed.”

View photos from the construction here.

We’re very grateful for the many hands and minds that are involved in this project. Mike Baksa is a parishioner who helps us identify, prioritize, and consult on important building projects. He designed the project team and brought on Paul Miles, the project manager for the HVAC renovation. Paul oversees the outside contractors, Fransen Pittman and Tryba Architects, as well as handles every detail of the project.

Fransen Pittman was selected as the general contracting company because they are known for their work in updating church campuses and for their dedication to sustainability.

Tryba Architects works closely with Paul and Fransen Pittman to ensure the structural and aesthetic integrity of the building is unaffected. They have consulted on a few smaller building projects at the cathedral as well.

After months of research and conversation, the vestry decided that a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system was the best option for our needs at the cathedral.

This new system will provide a new heating system, cool air for the first time in the nave, and fresh air, while reducing our carbon footprint. Included in the design is a dedicated outside air system (DOAS) that will bring fresh air into the cathedral through the existing vents on the eastern and western walls of the nave. Though our new system is high-tech, this design honors the original intent of the architecture to create airflow throughout the cathedral.

The system is ductless, which means it won’t significantly affect the integrity of our architecture. Both St. Paul’s Church in Alexandria, VA and Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, TX recently installed a VRF system in their historic campus.