Soon after budgets were approved and a notice to proceed for construction was issued on the Texas Southmost College Arts Center, the building team was notified that the owner and architect were changing the exterior facade of the new, three-story, 57,528-sq-ft building. Photo: Keith Talley, Talley Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Construction documents had been previously bid and subcontracts awarded at the time of the change. Alterations affected site improvements, the building footprint and the structure’s shape. The switch to a nautilus shape affected every finish, mechanical and electrical system. The team was tasked with a detailed constructability
The new Richland College Science Building is awaiting LEED-platinum certification. It features a white reflective roof that reflects the sun’s hot rays particularly in the summer, as well as external louvers, light shelves and light monitors that automatically control the amount of daylight that enters the building. Photo Charles Davis Smith, AIA Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Additional features include an exterior green terrace and living wall at the second floor, and a 40,000-gallon underground cistern that will be used to irrigate landscaping and provide grey water for sewage conveyance. The cistern collects rainwater from the building site through
Notre Dame Catholic Church in Houston needed a new worship space to seat 1,100 parishioners in its main worship space and another 100 in an adjoining chapel. Photo G. Lyon Photography Inc. Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Crews responded with a new 20,300-sq-ft space built with glue-laminated timber and a brick and stone exterior. The church’s stained-glass “Mary Window” was relocated from the former church to the new facility’s main entrance. The orientation of the site made not only design but construction challenging. The site was rectangular in shape and the final plans proposed to preserve several of the
The Texas A&M Health Professions Education Building began on a true greenfield site—raw land requiring more than 26,000 linier ft of underground utility service. The 138,000-sq-ft building, 13,000-sq-ft central utility plant, support structures and site improvements sit on approximately 45 acres. Photo: Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The site created substantial challenges because the soil conditions are not conducive to drastic grade changes. With 50 ft of elevation difference, phasing and material handling was a project within the project. The education building and an adjacent building, also built by general contractor, Satterfield and Pontikes, have
The remediation project involved repair of the ticket booths and main entrance to Fair Park Esplanade and Parry Gate in Dallas. Work included partial demolition of existing exterior finishing systems, concrete repair, waterproofing and sealants, traffic coatings and painting. Photo: Justin Tennison Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards One of the project’s most detailed jobs was the waterproofing of the esplanade’s fountain, which required seven stages of work. The job began by shot-blasting the concrete slab and grinding all vertical walls and edges to obtain the proper profile for waterproofing adhesion. Next, a vapor barrier was applied that required 24
The new four-story, 600,000-sq-ft, phase-two addition to Fidelity Investments’ Westlake campus will accommodate an additional 1,500 employees. Photo: The Beck Group Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The facility mirrors phase one with a similar three-wing design. Use of the same natural stone veneer and other materials as the original building also preserves continuity of the property. Interior spaces accommodate 2,600 employee workstations in addition to a fully staffed fitness center and kitchen. A 838,000-sq-ft, cast-in-place parking garage is adjacent to the new office building, and the two buildings connect via a tensile structure walkway that culminates at a stone
In the heart of Central Texas, the Miller-Whitaker Fire Station No. 1 is designed to accommodate emergency response personnel serving the population and projected growth of the growing Kyle community. Photo: Harmon Shoots Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The 24,000-sq-ft fire station functions 24/7 with specialized emergency response notification systems and high tech design. The project team worked to meet the aggressive nine-month schedule—a shorter time frame than the 12- to 15-month construction schedules proposed by other bidders. To overcome the challenge, the team agreed to have weekly, onsite meetings to make critical project decisions. Another challenge tested
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is a showcase for some 175,000 historic objects and scientific specimens. Photo: Rhonda Hole Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The new building includes The Museum School, Dino Dig, Nobel Planetarium and an Omni IMAX Theater. Also included are new exhibits such as the 4D Energy Theater/Exhibit, a children’s gallery with outdoor water play, paleontology lab and display of Native American artifacts. The central educational feature of the museum is its highly visible Studio Learning Galleries, five glass-walled studios for learning and outreach education programs central to the museum’s mission. The
Preserving the terrain of the Texas Hill Country was a priority for the team building the 376-unit Preserve at Fredericksburg. Photo: Richard L. Muniz Photography Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards Crews surrounded more than 100 mature Live Oak trees with water barrels to protect them and lessen the impact of construction and the Texas drought. A rainwater catchment system will permanently irrigate the landscaped site, which features a nature preserve with walking trail, pet park, bilevel swimming pool with waterfalls, outdoor kitchen and fireplaces. The campus includes 34 buildings on 25 acres. The developer and contractor had a “green”
An increasing student poplation and an aging facility meant big changes for Giddings Independent School District. The project included a new 170,000-sq-ft high school, conversion of the existing 90,000-sq-ft high school into an intermediate facility and new parking and site infrastructure. Photo:Gaeke Construction Related Links: Best of 2010 Awards The new high school includes two, two-story classroom wings; two gymnasiums; computer and science labs; a performing arts and athletic training area; a library and student lounges. The contemporary architectural design incorporates glass, stone, brick and metal into a collage of colors and textures that creates a unique working and learning
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