Developed as a joint enterprise between Dallas College and the Construction Education Foundation, the $26.3-million Construction Sciences Building was designed to inspire future technical college and construction programs and to meet LEED Silver standards. Among the 96,355-sq-ft facility’s unique features are its exposed building systems—plumbing, wiring and mechanical—to allow students access to the inner working of these systems.

To make the project a reality, the Dallas College and CEF partnership initiated a capital campaign with sponsorship and in-kind donation opportunities. Joeris and its team of trade partners coordinated and incorporated more than $2.5 million in monetary and in-kind donations from fellow construction industry partners.

With construction starting in February 2020, the project began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although supply chain and material shortages plagued construction sites nationwide, no significant delays occurred because most of the materials were sourced locally.

The project site was located in a drainage basin that would hold water every time it rained, requiring a few days to dry. The project tallied a total of 48 rain days. When possible, the team utilized temporary drains and dewatering techniques.

Completed in 16 months in June 2021, the facility was delivered on time and on budget with no OSHA recordable incidents and no lost-time accidents.