The Graduate Hotels network consists of hand-crafted hotels located in more than 30 college towns across the world. As hotels in college towns often fill extremely quickly, the addition of a new hotel was a welcomed change for Princeton, NJ. In an effort to maintain the historic appearance, the project consists of both a large-scale renovation as well as a newly constructed addition.

Collado Engineering (CE) provided consulting engineering services for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP/FP) systems serving both the new and renovated building.

At 20 Nassau Street, the 5-story office building, with a basement, has been converted back to residential occupancy on the second through fifth floors. This space consists of 48 guestrooms and required the installation of new bathrooms and ventilation risers to the roof level mechanical equipment. A VRF HVAC system was designed to replace the existing window units. A modern elevator, new stair bulkhead, and screened mechanical enclosure were provided. The existing retail tenants on the first floor remained in full operation throughout the construction process.

The three-story structure adjacent to 20 Nassau Street along Chamber Street was demolished to make space for a new five-story hotel with street level lobby and covered valet parking drop-off. The new structure provides 148 hotel rooms, a spacious lobby, food and beverage spaces, and on-site valet parking facility. Similar VRF HVAC systems and ventilation systems with energy recovery units are provided which contribute to the hotel achieving LEED certification.