Dallas Baptist University Jim and Sally Nation Hall
Dallas
Award of Merit
General Contractor Austin Commercial
Owner Dallas Baptist University
Lead Design BMA Architects
MEP Pat Reed Construction Inc.
Plumbing/Mechanical SCG Mechanical
Excavation RPM xConstruction LLC
The 23,000-sq-ft academic facility houses the Gary Cook School of Leadership and is an exact, but slightly larger, replica of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The site is located on the steep downward slope of a 60-ft hill, which meant that crews had to build two retention walls, both 25 ft high. The lower wall employs a mechanically stabilized earth system, while the upper wall utilizes rock anchors to stabilize the site. Heavy rainfall during six months of the construction schedule also added to site complexities.