Figure 1 - Rendering of South Elevation

 

GENERAL BUILDING DATA

 

Building Name: University Research Building*

Location: Eastern United States*

Building Occupant Name: University*

Occupancy and Function Type: University research and laboratory space

Size: Just under 430,000 SF

Number of Stories & Total Levels: 222 Feet above grade – 10 occupied floors, 1 mechanical penthouse (including mechanical mezzanine) and 2

                                                       basement levels

Dates of Construction: July 2013 – September 2017 (Including demolition of existing building)

Cost Information: Cost to remain private per owner request

Project Delivery Method: Construction Manager at Risk with Guaranteed Maximum Price

(All Fields marked with * have been altered to maintain anonymity of building at owner’s request)

 

 

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM:

 

Construction Manager: Barton Malow Company – www.bartonmalow.com

Architect/Engineer: Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) – www.hok.com

Structural Engineer: Cagley & Associates – www.cagley.com

Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: AEI Affiliated Engineers – www.aeieng.com

Plumbing/Fire Protection Engineer: WFT Engineering, Inc. – www.wfteng.com

Concrete Subcontractor: Miller, Long & Arnold Co., Inc. – no website available

Mechanical Subcontractor: Southland Industries – www.southlandind.com

Electrical Subcontractor: M.C. Dean, Inc. – www.mcdean.com 

Exterior Walls Subcontractor: TSI Exterior Wall Systems, Inc. – www.tsiwalls.com

 

 

ARCHITECTURE:

 

Architecture Components: This building is broken down into three major areas: North Tower, South Tower and Core.  The North Tower and Core will

                                           extend the full height of the building, while the South tower will only reach five floors.  An atrium will connect the North Tower

                                           to the South Tower and include bridges connecting each side.  Standing 222 feet above grade, the building is classified as a

                                           high rise, with ten occupied floors and one mechanical penthouse (with a mezzanine level) above grade.  In addition, there

                                           are two basement levels which include mechanical and electrical spaces as well as an MRI suite.  The South Tower will be

                                           used primarily for office space, keeping most of the laboratory and research spaces in the North Tower.  The core will include

                                           conference rooms and four elevators.  Additionally, a few floors will remain as unfinished shell spaces to be used for future

                                           expansion in the building. 

 

National Model Codes: 2012 International Building Code

                                      2012 International Mechanical Code

                                      2012 International Fire Code

                                      2010 Americans with Disabilities Act

                                      Various National Fire Protection Association Standards

 

Zoning: Within Central Commercial District

 

Historical Requirements: Not located in Historic District

 

 

BUILDING ENCLOSURE:

 

Building Facades: Multiple different building facades are being used on this building, including brick, precast concrete panels, curtainwall systems,

                              metal panels and granite.  The majority of the South façade will be curtainwall, with the East and West façades primarily brick.  

                              Precast panels will be used along the North façade and the elevator core.  Metal screening is designated at the mechanical

                              penthouse level and granite will be used in select areas along the ground level and in the atrium.  See Figures 1 and 2 for location of

                              each façade system. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2 - Rendering of North Elevation

 

Roofing: Above the atrium and South Tower, a green roof will be installed above the concrete structure.  This system includes roof barriers, rigid

              insulation, drainage panels and soil as outlined in Figure 3.  For the North Tower and core, a standard roof will be installed, following the detail in

              Figure 4.  The majority of the standard roof will be covered with concrete pavers as shown, placed above the roofing membrane and insulation.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             Figure 3 - Green Roof Detail                                                                                      Figure 4 - Roof Assembly Detail

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES:

 

This project is striving to achieve a LEED Gold rating.  To achieve this rating the project focuses heavily on the “Sustainable Sites”, “Indoor Environmental Quality”, and “Innovation and Design Process” areas of the LEED Checklist.

 

 

PRIMARY ENGINEERING SYSTEMS:

 

Construction: This building is using a CM at Risk contract, including a Guaranteed Maximum Price.  In addition, subcontractors listed in the project team

                      above were brought on in a design-assist role.  Included in the contract is the demolition of an existing building prior excavation and the

                      construction of University Research Building.  This project, with a 4+ year duration, was broken up into various bid-packages with

                      subcontractors being brought on overtime as the project progressed.  With future expansion in mind, the building is designed to have 10

                      occupied floors, however floors 5 and 6 will remain shell spaces to be occupied by university programs in the future. 

 

Electrical: Electrical service to the building is being supplied by a 13.2kV campus loop.  Medium voltage switchgear and dry type transformers located in

                 the basement electrical room and penthouse levels step this voltage down to 480/277 V.  From there, it is distributed to two electrical rooms on

                 each floor where additional transformers bring the voltage to 208/120 V.  From these transformers, the 400 A power serves various panel

                 boards which are specified for lab, general or lighting use.  In addition to typical electrical services, the building is also equipped with a

                 lightning protection system on the roof. 

 

Lighting: Linear fluorescent luminaries are the primary light source for most areas of the building, both occupied and unoccupied.  The elevator lobbies

               (in the building Core), are one of the few exceptions, with recessed LED fixtures being used.  To improve energy efficiency, various lighting

               controls will be used.  In all normally occupied areas, occupancy sensors will be in use.  Additionally, daylight sensors will be provided in

               offices and open lab areas, and corridors will use day/night cycles.  Override switches will be provided as necessary for non-scheduled use. 

               Corridors and open labs will be equipped with emergency lights in addition to the above controls, and utility areas will be controlled by timer

               switches.

 

Mechanical: University Research Building uses a variety of mechanical systems.  In total, there are 17 air handling units in the building.  8 of these are

                    custom air handlers, located on the penthouse level, with the others being packaged units located in the basement, penthouses and loading

                    dock area.  Two of the custom air handlers serve office spaces in the South Tower, Core, and North Tower with 35% outside air.  The other 6

                    custom air handlers, which serve laboratory spaces in the North Tower, provide 100% outside air and are also equipped with heat recovery

                    units.  Chilled beam systems are used to condition corridor spaces, and supply terminal units and fan powered supply terminal units are

                    used in all other spaces conditioned by the custom air handlers.  All lab spaces are completely exhausted directly to the roof level.

                    The campus steam loop and chilled water tie into the building at the Lower Basement level.  To allow room for future expansion, adequate

                    space is left beside three chillers (in the basement) and three cooling towers (on the roof) to install additional units.  Fin tube radiant heat

                    systems are used to provide space heating throughout the building.  To condition the 5th and 6th floor shell spaces unit heaters will be

                    used, and fan coil units will condition stairwells. 

 

Structural: The primary structure of the building is reinforced concrete.  To support all calculated loads, reinforced columns range in size from 12”X24” to

                  48”X28”, and beams vary in height and width from dimensions as small as 24” to as large as 102”.  Typical floor slabs are 8” thick, with drop

                  panels extending 6” below the adjacent slab.  A 44” thick mat foundation system is in place.  Structural steel is used minimally in the building,

                  located primarily at elevator and equipment shafts, as well as the atrium space.  The atrium uses steel for framing and as the structural

                  support for bridges crossing from the North Tower to the South Tower on floors 2, 3, 4 and 5.

 

 

ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS:

 

Fire Protection: A standpipe-sprinkler system is to be installed in University Research Building, and must meet all requirements of NFPA (National Fire

                         Protection Association).  Laboratory spaces in the building are classified as Ordinary Hazard – Group 2, while office and general

                         assembly spaces are classified as Ordinary Hazard – Group 1.  The building is broken into three zones, with Zone 1 being the North

                         Tower, Zone 2 including the South Tower and Core, and Zone 3 covering the Atrium space.  The fire alarm system is designed to allow

                         for integration into the campus fiber optic network.

 

Transportation: There are multiple elevators in use on this job.  In the core area are five passenger elevators.  In the main elevator shaft area, are four

                         side-by-side elevators, two of which serve floors 1-9 with the other two serving floors 1-10.  Directly across the lobby from this group is a

                         single elevator serving the MRI Suite in the Lower Basement (Floor 1 to the Lower Basement only).  Two additional elevators are located

                         in the North Tower of the building for service use.  One service elevator extends from the Lower Basement to the 10th floor and the other

                         from the Lower Basement to the Roof Level. 

 

Telecommunications: Each floor of the building contains two IT Rooms to provide telecommunication services to each space.  Telecom systems in the

                                   building include network connections, projectors, and technology systems. 

 

Special Systems: This building is unique in the diverse functions and activities which will take place inside.  From a full service MRI Suite in the

                             basement, to numerous different laboratory and office types on all ten floors, this building uses complex systems to accommodate

                             every function and all occupant needs.

 

 

*Photos courtesy of Barton Malow Company