The U.S. Navy's new $455-million Replacement Hospital project in Oceanside, Calif., is not only $100 million under budget and six months ahead of schedule but also one of the first major U.S. design-build projects of its kind to use a unique 100% turnkey equipment procurement process, according to the project team. Related Links: Clark/McCarthy JV Breaks Ground on $394-Million Naval Hospital Clark/McCarthy Joint Venture is performing the design-build contract with full medical planning, including all equipment procurement, coordination, installation and training. "We are not aware of another major health-care facility where the same entity was responsible for design, construction and
The world's largest solar thermal powerplant is nearing completion in the Ivanpah Dry Lake, 50 miles northwest of Needles, Calif. Comprising three units that will begin staged operation in the fourth quarter, the 377-MW Ivanpah complex will generate enough electricity for 140,000 homes and displace more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, says the owner-developer. Related Links: Solar Sees Growth But Clouds Loom Ivanpah Solar Project Renews Power Market BrightSource Energy Inc., Oakland, has power-purchase agreements in place with PG&E and Southern California Edison. By generating more than 1-million-MWh annually, the $2.2-billion plant will nearly double U.S. commercial
Phase 2 of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Expo Light Rail project is closing in on its quest to reach the Pacific by 2015. About 45% complete as of late July, the $1.5-billion, 6.6-mile-long line from Culver City to Santa Monica faces obstacles above and below ground. Related Links: Opponents Seek to Stop L.A. Light Rail Project Condo, Transit Projects Dominate California's 2012 Top Project Starts The project continues the Expo Line's $930-million, 8.6-mile-long Phase 1, which opened last year and links downtown Los Angeles with Culver City. Phase 2 broke ground last summer and will extend the line
California’s largest dam removal project ever will take advantage of the area’s unique topography to allow builders to permanently divert the Carmel River into a new channel. Photo courtesy California American Water The San Clemente Dam was built in 1921. Image courtesy California American Water Crews will divert the river and leave the accumulated sediment in place. Related Links: Elwha River Restoration Project Involves Largest Dam Removal Effort in U.S. History As Funds Line Up, a Tall Dam In California Will Come Down Built in 1921 about 18.5 miles upstream of the Pacific Ocean in Monterey County, the 106-ft-tall San
The new $110-million Life Sciences building at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles is designed with an array of state-of-the-art learning equipment inside. But when complete in two years, the three-story project will also dazzle with a unique and complex exterior. Image courtesy of CO Architects/C.W. Driver The building skin is made up of cement and metal panels, unitized glazing, stick-framed glazing, point-supported structural glass walls and a green roof system. Related Links: Read Other ENR California Project Stories First Net-Zero Bio Lab Nearing the Finish Line "The greatest challenge on the LMU-Life Science Building is the design, coordination
Design firms in California are feeling a renewed—though cautious—sense of optimism. The top firms posted $3.49 billion in billings during 2012, an increase of just 1% over the previous year, but many company executives expect the pace of growth to pick up in the rest of 2013 and beyond. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record "We started 2013 with the largest backlog in our firm's history, and while the market remains somewhat unsettled, we're seeing much more enthusiasm in our clients and they are embarking on new developments," says Rick Emsiek, partner at architectural firm MVE & Partners Inc.,
For 20 years, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has advanced the study of the genetic code through innovative research and policymaking to improve human health and further environmental sustainability. Related Links: New Bayside Museum Seeks Net-Zero Energy Goal David and Lucile Packard Foundation Designed for Net-Zero Energy Consumption The research institute now is applying its vision of sustainability to its new 45,000-sq-ft Western headquarters in La Jolla, being constructed by McCarthy Building Cos., San Diego. When completed in the fall, the $39-million campus will be on track to become the world's first net-zero energy use biological laboratory."We realized that
The Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif. is renowned for classic Beaux-Arts structures and lush, sprawling lawns. So when the 96-year-old museum recently decided to build a new $60-million Education and Visitor Center, a major landscaping component was naturally part of the project. Image courtesy ARG Entrances to the new buildings are shaded by transitional trellises which blend into the landscaping. Related Links: Read About Other California Projects "This is the construction of a garden, not just of buildings," says Laurie Sowd, vice president for operations at The Huntington Library. "And that dictates very different construction techniques and sequencing."The project,
Crews are rapidly placing track sections in advance of the spring 2014 opening of the Oakland Airport Connector. Conceived in the early 1970s and started in 2010, the $484-million project will connect the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to the airport. The project is about two-thirds complete, with system testing commencing later this year, a BART spokesperson says. Related Links: Video: Oakland Airport Connector Nighttime Crane Lift Flatiron/Parsons JV Awarded Contract for Oakland Airport Connector Bigge Crane and Rigging, San Leandro, Calif., is providing and operating the cranes on the 3.1-mile project. Several of the lifts have occurred during overnight
As Silicon Valley grows its tenant portfolio of high-tech companies, local cities, developers and architects are preparing to meet the demand for more space and sustainable buildings. A case in point is the city of Mountain View, where San Francisco-based TMG Partners is constructing a $100-million build-to-suit research and development center for Samsung Information Systems America (SISA) Inc. Photo courtesy of TMG Partners The 385,000-sq-ft project includes two, six-story research and development buildings and two, five-story parking structures. Related Links: View Other California Project Stories Last July, the city enacted a new general plan which allows for projects with a
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