Villa Mystery

How can Dan Curl, your Eco-Inspector, solve the mystery of the cold laundry in the basement of Villa International?

Villa International is a place where scientists, physicians and many others from around the world stay when they are in Atlanta. Located across from CDC Villa provides a safe haven for them; a place to call their own while they work and visit in Atlanta.

The basement laundry is freezing, freezing cold in the winter.

Here are the facts in the case:
A commercial type laundry (two large gas dryers) vents outside
The walls are 8″ concrete, the room is well sealed and it is separated from the stairwell
There is an elevator opening into the room
A capped trash chute now used for laundry has a fire damper that is rarely closed
Gas and electric space heaters do not help warm the room

I might ask the cats……or try a bit of Building Science