The JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa’s compressed schedule was the biggest challenge on the project. The original opening date was moved from March 2010 to January to accommodate the Texas Open Golf tournament that would be using the adjacent courses the following month. Photo: Austin Commercial Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Obstacles encountered during the project included incorporating the architect’s design with Marriott design standards while still keeping the project within budget and on track. The number of changes throughout the project required the GC/CM, Austin Commercial, to work closely with the architect and owner to price
The popularity of the Jack E. Singley Academy of Irving, originally built in 2001, prompted a 64,000-sq-ft addition and 7,000-sq-ft renovation project. The job increased the total size of the school to 262,760 sq ft. Photo: Charter Builders Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The general contractor, Charter Builders, had to deal with a jobsite just large enough for the new building. Additionally, the existing fire lane surrounding the addition and the rest of the campus had to remain so that the fire department had access around the entire school at all times. Laydown area was only 60 parking spaces,
The 65-ft-tall Jerry Fay Wilhelm Center for the Performing Arts is the first performing arts center in Bastrop County as well as its tallest building. Photo:Clem Spalding Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The steel-framed facility was constructed under the construction-manager-at-risk delivery method and is built with brick, stone and stucco veneer on CMU and metal studs. The lobby is a wood beam and decking structure enclosed with a large glass curtain wall. The project was completed on schedule and more than $10,000 under budget. One of the project’s primary challenges revolved around site location. The site is located
Tucked into the woods, the new LEED-silver certified Kingwood Branch Library features large windows overlooking the forested landscape. Photo: Geoff Lyon Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The library has spacious meeting rooms; specialized rooms for teens and children; and more room for books than the current library. The design for the two-story, 30,000-sq-ft building leaves 70% of the site as a forested green space. SpawGlass, the general contractor, recycled 83% of construction materials, including concrete, wood, sheetrock, metal studs, paper and steel. The team used regional materials throughout the building. The bioflow in the parking lot creates drainage so
The LBJ Library Plaza Renovation and Lady Bird Johnson Center provided a facelift and upgrades to the presidential library at the University of Texas at Austin. Photo:Roy Mata Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards An important component of the project was to stop water infiltration into the auditorium and other areas of the building located below the main plaza. Water infiltration had been a constant problem since the building’s completion in 1971. Cleaning and masonry repairs were performed on the 10-story library tower along with new exterior lighting to showcasethe architecturally iconic structures. A new waterproofing system and new granite
The LEED Office Facility for Transition (or LOFT) at the Johnson Space Center complex in Houston is the first new building at JSC in more than 17 years and the largest construction project undertaken by NASA during the same period. Photo: Courtesy Of Satterfield & Ponitkes Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The three-story, 83,000-sq-ft building, which houses more than 500 NASA employees, was designed to achieve LEED-platinum certification. The LOFT is one of the first buildings in Houston and the first NASA structure to seek LEED platinum. It will be the first LEED-certified building at JSC and the first
Original plans for the four-story UTD Living Learning Center called for a concrete frame with a commons area built of structural steel. As planning progressed, the budget was stretched thin, and the structure of the student housing facility was changed to bed wings with the common area remaining structural steel. Photo: Austin Commercial Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Unfortunately, the mechanical and plumbing systems were drawn to fit in the structure as it was originally designed, and they would not fit similarly in a stick-frame system. The mechanical and plumbing subcontractors were brought on board early to help find
Building amidst occupied structures was one of the greatest challenges facing the SPJST Assisted Living Facility’s project team. New construction surrounded all sides of the existing facility while two new wings were added on the north and south ends of the building. Photo: Thomas Mcconnell Of Thomas Mcconnell Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards An expanded entry and a porte cochere were added on the east elevations of the building. The west elevation required grading and new sidewalk work, as well as a separate storage facility. Strict scheduling and coordination were required to avoid impacting the current residents. Everyone
Significant architectural, structural, and mechanical changes were made after the permit set was approved and construction had started on the Remington Medical Resort of Richardson. Revisions were made to lower the overall budget of the skilled nursing/rehabilitation facility without sacrificing the finish quality. Photo: Erick Magowan, Ebco Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Changes included switching metal floor and roof joists to hollow-core concrete planks; removing the spiral staircase, skylight and atrium; increasing floor-to-floor heights; moving the chiller from the ground floor to the first floor roof; and removing the kitchenette at the third floor during construction. The hollow-core concrete
The recent expansion project at the Methodist Charlton Medical Center—the center’s largest to date—adds 286,000 sq ft to the current hospital. Photo: Ron St. Angelo Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The nine-story tower includes mechanical, patient, and operating rooms; office, support staff, registration, and discharge areas; and four floors of shelled space. Connection of the new bed tower to the existing hospital without disrupting ongoing services presented early challenges during the foundation work. The project requirements dictated that Austin Commercial, the GC/CM, provide a slab-on-grade on top of 10 ft of select fill. An engineer and team provided the
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