Inspired by French baroque architecture, The Olana by Walter Wedding Estates, located in Hickory Creek, Texas, boasts an iconic mansion for weddings and events on an expansive 40-acre estate, complimented by its own lake. Known as "the largest house in Texas," it also features a tea room, an indoor and outdoor pool, a tennis court, a bowling alley, a basketball court, and expansive private suites.
Unfortunately, its previous owners had to shut down part of the estate because the energy costs were so high to operate on chilled water. In addition, the chiller wouldn't modulate down at all, which led to diminished levels of comfort on the property. Piping started to pit due to lack of maintenance, and water leaks began to pop up, which threatened to damage the estate’s extensive artwork and antique collection.
The new owner wanted quality, longevity, and energy efficiency, delivered via a system that could react very quickly to large influxes of people while still offering the high levels of comfort you'd expect in such an opulent setting. Furthermore, they wanted something expandable to handle the next phase of the estate in the future, and decided to use Samsung HVAC's DVM S heat recovery VRF system. The system was customized to the layout of the facility, allowing for energy cost savings, and the zoning capabilities increased comfort for guests by allowing users to adjust individual climate settings. The upgrade also eliminated the water problems, and the system is set up to be easily expandable down the road.