This project involves modernization of life safety and mechanical infrastructure serving the Santa Catalina Residence Halls, a pair of ten-story student housing towers located in Isla Vista, California. The project addresses aging fire protection systems, emergency power infrastructure, and ventilation equipment supporting the residence halls. The scope includes replacement and electrification of the existing diesel fire pump system and installation of a larger Tier 4 emergency generator to support both the fire pump and the building’s required life-safety electrical loads, including emergency lighting and egress systems. The larger generator is necessary to support the electrical demand of the new fire pump while maintaining the building’s existing emergency power functions. Mechanical improvements also include replacement of rooftop exhaust fans, replacement of rooftop make-up air units, and rebalancing of the ventilation systems serving student dormitory rooms. These upgrades will improve air distribution performance and ensure the ventilation systems operate as originally intended. CJ Enterprise is serving as the Prime Consultant and is responsible for coordination of the full design team including architecture, structural engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and cost estimating. The project required careful coordination due to the fire-life safety implications and the need to maintain building occupancy during construction. CJ Enterprise completed the schematic design phase and is currently advancing the project into construction documents, bidding, and construction support. The project demonstrates CJ Enterprise’s ability to successfully lead multidisciplinary consultant teams while delivering infrastructure upgrades within large, occupied university housing facilities.

This project involves modifications to the California State University Fullerton central plant to improve overall energy efficiency and better utilize waste heat from the campus gas turbine generator. The project scope includes installation of a heat recovery heat exchanger on the turbine exhaust to generate hot water for the campus heating system and to drive a single-effect absorption chiller. The project includes installation of the absorption chiller, new heating hot water (HHW) and chilled water (CHW) pumps, and modifications to the condenser water system to support efficient operation of the absorption chiller. The work also includes reconfiguration of plant piping and integration of the new equipment with the existing campus utility infrastructure. A key component of the project involved development of new plant control strategies and sequences of operation. These include integration of the absorption chiller into the campus chilled water system, revised operating sequences for the gas turbine generator, and modifications to condenser water system controls to optimize performance of the new heat recovery system. CJ Enterprise prepared the initial engineering evaluation and feasibility study, followed by full mechanical design and construction documentation. The project required coordination with structural and electrical engineers to support equipment installation and plant integration. Services also included bid support, construction administration, and coordination with the commissioning authority (CxA) during system startup and integration. The heat recovery system is expected to provide significant operational savings for the University. The heat exchanger installation alone is projected to achieve a payback period of less than six months, while the overall project is expected to achieve a payback period of less than three years through improved energy utilization and reduced campus utility costs. This project demonstrates CJ Enterprise’s experience delivering central plant upgrades, energy recovery systems, and complex control integration within university utility infrastructure, while coordinating with campus facilities staff to align plant operating strategies with daily campus utility operations.

This project involves modernization of the chiller plant serving the University of California Santa Barbara Library. The existing system consisted of a single 1000-ton Trane centrifugal chiller, associated cooling tower, and condenser water pumps. The project replaces the aging equipment with a more flexible and reliable configuration consisting of two 600-ton Trane centrifugal chillers, a two-cell cooling tower, new condenser water pumps, and repiping of the condenser and chilled water systems. The upgraded configuration provides improved system redundancy and operational flexibility while maintaining the cooling capacity required to serve the library facility. The project also included electrical system upgrades required to support the new equipment and improve reliability of the plant infrastructure. A significant portion of the work involved development of new control sequences and plant operating strategies to integrate the library plant with the campus central chilled water system. The new controls allow the library plant to operate as a stand-alone cooling system or to supplement the campus central plant during periods of high demand, improving overall campus cooling system resilience. The project presented several technical challenges due to the physical constraints of the existing mechanical room. The new chillers had to be installed within a basement mechanical room with limited overhead clearance, requiring careful equipment selection and layout planning. In addition, new chilled water piping had to be routed and integrated with the existing building and campus distribution systems while maintaining service continuity during construction. The project is currently approximately 60 percent complete, with final construction and commissioning expected to be completed by Q2 2026. This project demonstrates CJ Enterprise’s experience delivering campus chiller plant replacements, mechanical room retrofits, and integration of building systems with campus utility infrastructure.

This project involves rehabilitation of seven large air handling units serving the four-story UCSB Engineering II Building. The original deferred maintenance project scope called for complete replacement of the seven heating and ventilation air handling units, which serve the entire building. During the initial project evaluation, CJ Enterprise performed a detailed feasibility study and cost estimate for the replacement approach. The analysis identified significant project challenges, including extensive rigging requirements to remove the existing units from the rooftop penthouse, installation constraints for the new equipment, and long building shutdown periods required to complete the work. The projected cost of replacement exceeded the available project budget due to these construction complexities and inflation in equipment and construction costs. Based on CJ Enterprise’s extensive experience rehabilitating large air handling units, an alternative approach was developed to overhaul and modernize the existing equipment rather than replace it. The rehabilitation program includes replacement or refurbishment of key components, modernization of internal assemblies, and improvements to system performance and maintainability while retaining the existing unit casings and structural framework. The rehabilitation approach reduces construction costs to approximately one-third of the cost of full equipment replacement while significantly reducing building downtime and operational disruption. The upgraded units are expected to provide several additional decades of reliable service while meeting current operational and performance requirements. CJ Enterprise provided the feasibility study, cost analysis, and mechanical engineering design for the rehabilitation program and is currently supporting the project through construction. The project is approximately 30 percent complete, with final completion anticipated before Q3 2026. This project demonstrates CJ Enterprise’s ability to develop innovative deferred maintenance solutions that extend the life of critical campus infrastructure while significantly reducing project cost and operational disruption.

This project involves the renovation of a two-story office space in an equipment warehouse. The upgrades to the space include the installation of a new gender neutral restroom arrangement with four water closets, an upstairs restroom with a shower, multiple utility type sinks, and a VRF system to serve the building. This project demonstrates CJ Enterprise’s ability to adapt to changing end-user inputs, guide projects through plan check, and significantly reducing project cost and operational disruption.