The facility also includes a 175-seat black box theater, backstage support, classrooms, 230-seat lecture room, rehearsal and events space, and a new broadcast facility for the college�s KCSN public radio.
To help make all the pieces fit on a project of this magnitude, C.W. Driver heavily utilized BIM, says Brett Curry, the firm�s vice president of operations.
�A building as complex as this really lends itself to modeling,� says Curry.
He says BIM was instrumental in clash detection and for attracting bidders.
�Clash detection is a big sell for BIM,� says Curry. �You can run the computer through it, and if there are two objects that shouldn�t be touching, [BIM] will point it out.�
He says this problem occurred on some large duct work that was designed to go through trusses, but that modeling says wouldn�t work.
�We went back and forth with the architect and finally convinced them that it wasn�t going to fit, so we shrunk the duct down and pushed it out a bit so it would fit,� he says. �That could have been something very costly had we not caught it in the shop drawing, and tried to have fabricated duct hung.�
He says BIM was also used to give interested contractors a clear idea of the project.
�We put this project out to bid in 2007, when the market was still pretty hot and we used it as a sell tool,� says Curry. �We had it on our FTP site so all of our bidders could look at the model and understand the complexity.�
The center, which is headed for a LEED silver rating, will employ a maze of underground concrete tunnels to silently push air through 622 floor diffusers throughout the theater. The air units help save energy because they�re four-times smaller than the norm and deliver air at a lower rate.
�It�s a much more efficient way to heat and cool the building because we are doing it at the audience level rather than having to cool the entire chamber,� says Curry.
And for even fresher air, the center will boast an outdoor park area surrounded by a grove of existing oak trees, 173 new trees, drought resistant plants and meandering walkways.
On Nov. 1, a performance by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra will complete the �tuning� process of the adjustable elements of the hall. The inaugural season begins on Jan. 29, with a spectacular gala evening featuring performances in classical, pop, jazz, country music, Broadway and dance by leading artists. This will be followed by a black-tie dinner.
