When the demand for chilled water in downtown Austin outpaced what Austin Energy could provide, the utility needed a quick solution that didn’t involve buying and developing new real estate.

The team on this $14-million project was tasked with designing and building District Cooling Plant No. 4—a modular chilled water plant with cooling towers­—atop the Austin Convention Center, an existing city-owned building.

To preserve the building’s structural integrity, the project team developed a freestanding steel platform raised above the roof that could support 500 tons of equipment. The addition of acoustical controls helps minimize noise and vibrations from the cooling tower.

The plant adds 3,000 tons of cooling capacity, saving up to $750,000 annually.

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