Photo Courtesy of E-J Electric Installation Co.

The team had to move quickly after Superstorm Sandy submerged the entire MEP infrastructure of this 22-story office tower. As the building was nearly fully leased, temporary service had to be supplied until the permanent infrastructure was rebuilt.

The design-assist project was mostly a relocation and replacement of the core and shell. E-J Electric says the main challenge was engineering and installation functionality.

Temporary services were installed, inspected and approved for occupancy by January 2013 and complete reconstruction and inspections were completed nine months later.

The overall scarcity of materials in the wake of the storm was another hurdle as the team set about relocating services above the new federal 100-year flood line. The team addressed the problem by having interface components custom fabricated, a move that decreased the lead time and cost.

Space constraints were an issue, so the team built waterproof areas and mezzanines to keep the equipment raised. E-J Electric says this was a unique form of construction involving much effort from the structural team. The goal was to maximize the use of space.

Because there was no available storage space on site and space was tight, the team had to make sure that areas to be worked on were ready to accept equipment. Long lead times meant that equipment had to be coordinated and released immediately. Under such conditions, the electrical contractor would work on pipe in the floor while the mechanical contractor would work on pipe overhead.

One judge praised the team for a "neatly done job that also achieves functionality." Another credited the team for its commitment to meeting the project deadline.

Key Players

Owner Edge Funds

General Contractors Henegan Construction

Lead Designer Edwards & Zuck, Diaz Architects

Structural Engineer Thornton Tomasetti

Development Manager Hines Construction

Electrical Design Assist E-J Electric Installation Co.