DRW

Project Overview

Mission-Critical HVAC Infrastructure for a High-Performance Financial Services Environment

Henick-Lane was selected to perform the complete mechanical rough-in for DRW’s trading facility at 225 Liberty Street in New York City. The project involved the installation and coordination of ductwork, piping, controls, and specialized cooling infrastructure designed to support the demanding operational requirements of a modern financial trading environment.

For organizations where milliseconds can impact performance, maintaining precise environmental conditions is essential. The HVAC system needed to deliver reliable, uninterrupted cooling while supporting a highly complex raised-floor design and specialized workstation requirements.

Project Highlights

Complete mechanical rough-in for a major financial services facility
Complex coordination within a full raised-floor environment
Installation of secondary chilled water systems and pumps
Specialized cooling solutions for trading desks
Strategic phasing to maintain system operation during construction
Successful commissioning and performance optimization

Project Details:

The Challenge

DRW required a secondary chilled water (CHW) system and associated pumping infrastructure to support its trading floor operations. The space featured trading desks equipped with dedicated cooling coils, creating unique HVAC demands that extended well beyond those of a traditional office environment.

The project’s complexity was heightened by extensive below-floor coordination throughout the facility. With a raised-floor system spanning the entire space, Henick-Lane needed to carefully integrate mechanical infrastructure while coordinating with multiple trades and maintaining the functionality of critical building systems.

In addition, portions of the chilled water infrastructure needed to remain operational throughout construction, requiring a strategic approach to sequencing and system shutdowns.

The Solution

Henick-Lane developed and installed a comprehensive mechanical solution tailored to the client’s operational requirements. The system included:

Secondary chilled water pumps
Heat exchanger systems
Fan-powered boxes (FPBs) with reheat coils
Mechanical piping and controls infrastructure
Dedicated cooling solutions for trading desk environments

To minimize disruption, the team carefully planned all shutdown activities, scheduling work during off-hours whenever possible. Strategic valve placement allowed portions of the chilled water loops to remain operational during construction, ensuring continuity of service throughout critical phases of the project.

By coordinating mechanical installations beneath the raised floor system and implementing a phased construction approach, Henick-Lane successfully maintained project momentum while protecting ongoing operations.

Overcoming Unexpected Challenges

During commissioning, the project team encountered difficulties bleeding air from the chilled water loop, preventing the system from achieving optimal performance.

Drawing on decades of field experience, Henick-Lane quickly identified the root cause and implemented a solution involving the installation of makeup water equipment and an air separator. The corrective measures restored system balance and allowed the chilled water infrastructure to operate as designed.

This proactive problem-solving approach helped keep the project on track and ensured successful system startup.

Results

The completed HVAC system provides DRW with a reliable and efficient cooling infrastructure specifically designed for its trading operations.

By delivering dedicated cooling directly to trading workstations and supporting the facility’s secondary chilled water network, the system helps maintain the environmental conditions necessary for high-performance computing and trading activities.