bTV

Sofia, Bulgaria

bTV, owned by Balkan News Corporation, is the first privately owned national television channel in Bulgaria. DFW Consulting Group was assigned the MEP design of this state-of-the-art broadcast facility located at the base of Vihren mountain range.

The six-story facility houses six studios: one news studio, three small production studios, a large production studio, and a studio for Slavi who is bTV’s late-night talk show host. The electrical system for the facility is fed from the power company through a loop switch which allows the station to have power from two parts of the electrical grid. This allows for a more diverse power feed to the station which will significantly reduce the possibility of power failure. In the event that the station loses power the design includes a back-up generator to keep critical areas of the facility running. The building air conditioning system is comprised of three chillers which supply chilled water to variable volume air handling units located throughout the station. Building heat is provided via gas boilers and is designed for the extreme Bulgarian winters. Additional heat is provided to perimeter glass exposures by baseboard heaters.