The builder of the city of Houston’s new 11,000-sq-ft replacement Fire Station 37 was able to keep the complex project on budget and in full compliance with all city of Houston minority and women hiring goals during a volatile period in the construction industry.

At the time the project was being developed, there was an extremely high volume of work across all markets that was either being planned, in design or under construction. As a result, material and staffing were at a premium and costs were escalating wildly, both locally and in the world commodity markets.

Against this backdrop, the contractor was tasked with providing extremely accurate estimates over the course of a design phase that lasted almost a year. Gilbane was able, through careful documentation of the various design changes and close interaction with the subcontractor community, to deliver accurate budget forecasts.

Throughout the design process, Gilbane meticulously noted all scope changes and other inflationary pressures, while offering constant advice and suggesting ways to keep the project on budget.

During design, Gilbane provided construction estimates for each of the four drawing phases and helped the owner identify areas of higher costs and budget issues. The contractor involved the subcontractor community to ensure that the most current pricing on the building components was being provided and also completed a constructability review to find any possible issues before proceeding.

The station is Houston’s first LEED-silver fire station. Sustainable efforts during the project’s construction included the recycling of nearly 100% of construction debris. Gilbane was able to attain that by hiring a third-part recycling company to sort all debris offsite instead of using multiple waste receptacles on the jobsite.

Incorporating operable windows into the project also contributed to the LEED silver certification, although a radius designed atop the windows complicated construction significantly. The architect worked intensely with the contractor to find windows that fit the bill, and they were successfully made and installed.

Key Players

Submitted by: Gilbane Building Co.
Owner: City of Houston Building Services Dept. and Fire Dept., Houston
General contractor: Gilbane Building Co., Houston
Architect: NATEX Architects, Houston
Structural engineer: Henderson and Rogers Inc. Structural Engineer, Houston
Civil engineer: REKHA Engineering Inc., Houston
MEP engineer: DBR Engineering Consultants, Houston
Landscape architect: Lauren Griffith Associates, Houston
Electrical contractor: Kenmor Electric Co., Houston
Plumbing contractor: Walton Mechanical Services, Houston
Earthwork and concrete contractor: Keystone Concrete, Houston