Serving to consolidate  student services operations for Grand Canyon University as well as provide new development to a crime-ridden area of Phoenix, the project team used extensive daylighting, color, glass and ceiling forms and textures to create a 325,000-sq-ft work environment. The facility has space for more than 2,700 Grand Canyon University employees.

Phoenix Vice Mayor Daniel Valenzuela says he is cautiously optimistic about the program’s success and falling crime rates. According to a study by Elliott D. Pollack & Co., the renewed corner created by the development will generate an estimated $670 million a year in economic activity.

Both architect suoLL and contractor Pono Construction co-located into an office space at the university for daily coordination. The city of Phoenix’s economic development and development services teams worked closely with the owner’s design team to ensure a smooth design and construction process.

The project team used post-tensioned concrete for the structural frame of the four-story building, which features training rooms, cafes, huddle spaces, conference rooms, casual working spaces and glass-enclosed manager offices.

With a north-south orientation, the facility—built under the tenets of integrated project delivery—capitalizes on solar energy. As designed, the project will save Grand Canyon University more than 60% in energy costs. Contractors completed construction in 14 months, logging more than 300,000 worker-hours with no safety incidents. Pono Construction maintained a full-time safety director responsible for all aspects of job safety, including daily audits and communicating with subcontractors in the field to answer questions and offer on-the-spot training when necessary.

Additionally, Pono offered free safety training to subcontractors for heavy machinery operators, crane rigging and OSHA 10-hour classes.

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