Project Case Study
As part of this project, the team provided construction services for the 40-acre site which includes a 285,000 square-foot academic integrated science facility (a specialized facility dedicated for teaching, learning and interdisciplinary research in with dry and wet lab spaces for chemistry, medicinal chemistry, physics, molecular biosciences and related fields), a 26,500 square-foot student union, 1,200 beds of student housing in three buildings, and approximately 2,000 parking spaces.
Ensuring flexibility in laboratory design was of utmost importance. In addition to the clean rooms, a unique element to the project included a cleanroom for nano-technology research, one of the first in North America. Early in the integrated preconstruction process, we conducted a vibration isolation analysis, allowing the team to make informed decisions on where specific scope of work should be placed. The building was the first steel construction on campus and was designed around isolation and vibration criteria with both centralized and point of use lab systems.
We addressed their immediate infrastructure needs and helped position the university for long-term success. With many projects being built on the campus at the same time—and managed by different construction managers—the new central utility plant was a top priority for the client as it needed to serve six new buildings as well as future developments. The central plant facility includes 1,900 cooling tons with associated cooling towers on the roof, 28,000 heating MBH (boilers) and an emergency generator system. We also added parking spaces and a 617-space, four-story parking garage structure.
Safety was a concern with construction taking place on an active campus and a daycare nearby. We worked closely with stakeholders and the daycare to develop a logistics plan, phasing plan and traffic flow plans to minimize disruption. The daycare schedule was tracked in our detailed construction schedule. To keep daycare staff and parents informed, we hosted Q&A sessions and shared weekly updates on construction.
