Lillibridge Healthcare Services
Sarasota, FL

Maxfield Medical Office Building

Modernizing a Central Plant to Meet Decarbonization & Indoor Air Quality Goals

The Maxfield MOB is a three-story, 43,000 square-foot healthcare facility. The building’s original water-source heat pump system—including a cooling tower, heat exchanger pumps, and natural gas boiler—had deteriorated due to prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions.

Lillibridge Healthcare Services engaged Pearson Engineering to develop a comprehensive HVAC upgrade strategy focused on system sustainability, improved reliability, and better control integration.

Project Goals

• Replace failing HVAC infrastructure exposed to harsh conditions
• Improve system energy efficiency and support decarbonization efforts
• Enhance indoor air quality and ventilation performance
• Integrate central plant and zone-level HVAC control

Engineering Solutions

Pearson provided mechanical design and technical consulting for the replacement of the central plant. A key component of the project was evaluating the feasibility of converting from a natural gas boiler to an electric boiler in support of Lillibridge’s decarbonization targets.

The final design solution included:

• Refurbishment of the cooling tower and the addition of a variable frequency drive (VFD)
• Replacement of the natural gas boiler with a new electric boiler to reduce carbon emissions
• Design of a prefabricated mechanical skid equipped with:
  • New circulation pumps
  • Plate-and-frame heat exchanger
  • Electrical panels and integrated controls
  • A new chemical treatment system
  • Single-point power connection
  • Weather-resistant protective roof structure and new fencing.

In addition, two new Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) units were added to deliver consistent ventilation and active dehumidification. The DOAS units decouple ventilation from heating and cooling, helping to manage indoor humidity, reduce airborne pollutants and CO₂ levels, and maintain thermal comfort.

Controls Integration

Pearson Engineering also supported the implementation of a new building automation system. This allowed for integration of all water-source heat pumps inside the building with the upgraded central plant, providing consistent control and operational visibility and connecting it to the Owner’s enterprise platform.