construction communications gold medal edition - kyrene utility services building
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Special Gold Medal Edition of the Real Estate and Construction Review features Arizona's Kyrene Utility Services Building. The Gold Medal Building of America Award is presented by the Real Estate & Construction Review to honor the region’s most innovative, unique and challenging projects.TRANSCRIPT
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www.constructionreviews.com
Kyrene Utility Services Building
Kyrene Utility Services Building
High-quality Resinous Flooring with Aesthetic Appeal
Before they became owners
of their own business, Pete
and Tim Schlink worked as
laborers,apprenticesand jour-
neymen for many years. Their
pastexperienceshaveprovided
them with versatile industry
knowledge that they draw on
today.ArizonaConcreteRepair,
Inc. (ACRI) opened in 1975,
and both Pete and Tim have
worked at the company since
its inception. Pete and Tim
worked for ACRI on weekends
andthroughouttheirsummers,
but in 1983, they decided to
buy the company and made it
theirown.SincethenACRIhas
grown significantly, and now
boasts a 32-person team and
three profitable divisions. The
company specializes in seam-
less epoxy flooring and wall
coatings, commercial and cus-
tom residential terrazzo floor-
ing, industrial coatings and lin-
ings,andmoisturevapor-reme-
diationsystems.
ACRI is one of only a few
contractors that can offer
both terrazzo flooring as well
as commercial and industrial
epoxy flooring. Its team’s abili-
ties range from large-scale,
workhorse industrial projects
to highly artistic architectur-
al finishings. This unique skill
setplaces thecompanyat the
forefront of its industry and
allows it flexibility in any type
of project. After nearly 30
years,PeteandTimhavedealt
with countless installation sce-
nariosand the full lot of epoxy
product manufacturers, giving
them the ability to handle any
typeofprojectsituation.
Individualized Services, on Budget
Whether you’re looking for
flooring installation in a pro-
duction plant, a restaurant or
evenawatertreatmentcenter,
ACRIwillofferyouacost-effec-
tive solution that is tailored
around your individual needs
and requirements. Above all,
they focus on the customers
and assure them excellent
service, which is why so many
have returned throughout the
years. Building strong client
connections and relationships
with suppliers are the crucial
componentsthathelpthecom-
panyprogress.
Most notably, ACRI has
designed and installed terraz-
zo flooring — complete with
a company logo — for online
auction and shopping web-
site, eBay, at its Distribution
CenterinPhoenix.Otherfamed
projects include the Mercy
Gilbert Medical Center, where
the team members installed
terrazzo flooring through-
out the entrance, lobby and
cafeteria; and the City of
Peoria Development and
Community Services Building,
where they also installed ter-
razzoflooring.
FortheKyreneUtilityServices
Building in Tempe, ACRI was
eager toworkwithAdolfson&
Peterson, thegeneral contrac-
tor on the project, a company
it has sharedmany successes
with in the past. Before ACRI
wasworkingontheproject,an
attempt to stain the concrete
floor had resulted in less than
desirable results, prompting
Adolfson&Petersontoturnto
ACRIforasmartandfastsolu-
tion to thedebacle,whichwas
fixedexpertlyandontime.
Withtheexperiencetocreate
a lasting foundation,ACRI also
keepsanaestheticsensibilityin
mind at all times. By carefully
modifying the installation of a
typical epoxy floor, the team
provided Kyrene with a floor
that can be used for years to
come, while employing its own
artisticpizzazz.Bringingwith it
theknowledgeofterrazzofloor-
ing,theACRIteamwasableto
consider an endless array of
designsandcustomartwork.
For Kyrene, ACRI designed,
manufacturedandinstalledthe
logo and incorporated it into
the epoxy flooring, as it would
inaterrazzofloor.
With growing success,
Schlink’s future plans are
extensive, and reach all the
way toNevada,Colorado,Utah
andCalifornia.Until then,ACRI
has a growing clientele base
inArizona,andwill continue to
serve itscustomerswithsupe-
riorserviceandauniqueteam
toseetheirprojectsthroughto
success.
—CorporateProfile
ARIZONA CONCRETE REPAIR, INC.2031W.LoneCactusDr.•Phoenix,AZ85027
Tel:(623)780-4570•(800)266-EPOXYFax:(623)780-4544•www.acriepoxy.com
Kyrene Utility Services BuildingTempe, Arizona Facts & Figures
Owner: City of Tempe, Water Utilities Department Type of Project: A new administrative/warehouse facility Size: 19,500 square feet Cost: $6.7 million (total construction costs) Construction Time: June 2006 - December 2007 The Need: A new office/warehouse for the city’s water utilities department The Challenge: Fitting all the necessary components onto the small site without disrupting the existing water reclamation plant on site
Gold Medal Award-Winning Team Members
Deutsch Associates Architect
Bosak CPMConstruction Manager
Adolfson & Peterson Construction General Contractor
Arizona Concrete Repair, Inc.Epoxy Flooring Contractor/Designer
For workers at the Kyrene Utility
Services Building in Tempe, Ariz.,
being on the job has just gotten a
little brighter.
The new facility houses the water
department’s utility construction
crews, the utility/city warehouse,
the utility’s customer service/map-
ping section and the field site
mechanics, in addition to all the
associated vehicles. For the past 40
years, the department had called
the city’s water treatment plant
home, but a planned expansion of
the plant meant relocation. “The
expansion at our old facility was
programmed to take up the area
associated with our vehicle park-
ing, warehouse and some of our
existing office space,” said John
D. Mann, transmission and col-
lection administrator for the City
of Tempe. “Since these changes
were necessary for the treatment
and storage of our potable water,
it was decided the best choice was
to move the functions of the utility
services section.”
So, a new building was con-
structed on the site of an existing
water reclamation plant. The new
two-story facility includes offices,
a warehouse, crew rooms, locker
rooms, kitchens and a wellness
room. The site also accommodates
storage of vehicles and common
areas for spoils containment and
disposal.
According to David Calcaterra,
principal for Deutsch Architecture
Group, the project’s architect, the
form of the building follows the
function of each of its spaces. “The
first floor includes the warehouse
and staging areas as well as lock-
er rooms and conference space.
The second floor is operations and
meeting areas in which operations
begin and complete their days,”
he said. “The second floor also
Photo courtesy of City of Tempe, Water Utilities Department
up, and remaining parts can be
unloaded into the warehouse at
the end of the day. “This is a beau-
tiful and durable configuration that
maximizes employee efficiency,”
he said.
One of the big design goals
was incorporating sustainability
into the design and construction
of the facility. “The City of Tempe
is committed to building ‘green’ in
the community,” said Mann. “With
this in mind, the building was
designed to incorporate as many
‘green’ materials and processes as
possible.” The building recently
received the U.S. Green Building
Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED®) gold
certification.
The benefits for building “green”
are significant, and sustainable
includes office space (support and
management for all operations
below) for housing management,
mapping and CAD.”
The building is based on a lin-
ear organization with a circula-
tion spine connecting two verti-
cal circulation nodes, continued
Calcaterra. This circulation pattern
is used to divide the building into
two distinct lower level areas: a
warehouse/maintenance and util-
ity services field operations area,
and then a utility services stag-
ing area, which is located on the
exterior. A spine connecting the
two zones then becomes the link
between them, allowing for parts
and equipment to be ordered and
loaded onto vehicles. Through this
set up, employees can use the
field operations area for cleaning
Visit our website:www.constructionreviews.com
to view additional Gold Medal Award-winning
projects.
continued on page 6
arizona/neveda editiongold medal award winner �
The Owner’s PerspectiveQ: What is the most unique or important feature of the facility (or of the design/construction
process)?
JM: The City of Tempe is committed to building “green” in the community. With this in mind, the build-
ing was designed to incorporate as many “green” materials and processes as possible.
The building used high ceilings, lots of windows and skylights for natural illumination, open spaces for
the inhabitants, expanded locker rooms for comfortable before and after shift changing, laundry facilities
for hygiene as needed, a wellness room, and reclaimed water from the reclamation plant is used for the
toilets and also the landscaping.
Q: What is the most innovative aspect of the project (or of the design/construction process, financ-
ing, environmental)? What could others learn from?
JM: The philosophy of the City of Tempe is to try to take the employees’ work spaces into consideration
whenever possible, as well as work-related efficiencies. With this in mind, the entire project was designed
to provide work areas that would lead to comfortable spaces that in turn lead to better work environments
and therefore lead to better productivity and a healthy work lifestyle.
The building used plenty of muted outside natural lighting, open quiet workspaces, high ceilings [and]
calming earth tones in furnishings and walls. The architect also used exposed ceiling and structural and air
handling appurtenances to reflect the type of work we are involved in. Again, the use of reclaimed water
for toilets and landscaping was quite innovative in our area.
Q: How did the strengths and experience of the project team contribute to the success of
the project?
JM: I believe the real strength of the team was their experience. All except myself had been involved in
design and construction of many different types of facilities, including working with municipalities. This
enabled the team to sit and regroup as issues such as material availability, unforeseen grading issues,
designs that needed to be modified, or weather became apparent. No job this large goes as planned.
Rather, it is how the unknown is reacted to. Experience shows at times like these. Our team handled all
unforeseen issues in a timely manner and with professionalism. Alternate plans were always at someone’s
fingertips, which kept things running smoothly.
As issues were handled, and no one panicked, it also built trust into the relationships of all involved, which
made the project more enjoyable.
with John D. Mann, Transmission and Collection Administrator, City of Tempe
City of Tempe, Water Utilities Department
255 E. Marigold Ln.Tempe, AZ 85281
480-�50-26�1www.tempe.gov
Photo courtesy of City of Tempe, Water Utilities Department
The Architect’s Perspectivewith David Calcaterra, Principal, Deutsch Architecture Group
4600 E. Indian School Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85018
602-840-2929 www.2929.com
Q: Describe the project in relative detail, incorporating what you
think makes the project unique, innovative, important or sets it apart.
How does the design complement the overall mission of the facility/
owner?
DC: Program: The City of Tempe’s charge to [the] design/construction
team was to design a new space for this facility that combines the ware-
house services and water utility services in a new centralized location to
promote efficiencies of use. Following the U.S. Green Building Council’s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) silver criteria, the
building will be a healthy and environmentally friendly space. Accordingly,
utility costs will be lower, and occupant comfort higher, than in convention-
ally designed buildings….*
Q: What were some of the drivers behind the design? What design
materials or concepts were used? Please note any design innovations
on this project, especially those that would be helpful for other owners
to learn from.
DC: Many components of the facility will appear conventional, but actually
serve to achieve points within the LEED® rating system. For example, myriad
components such as the roofing system, insulation and exterior walls will
be constructed from products [that] use recycled household products like
Styrofoam trays and aluminum cans. Effective natural lighting and window
placements will serve to decrease annual electricity use as well as provide
occupant comfort and flexibility in workspaces. Additional energy savings
will be recognized due to thorough HVAC design, lowering energy usage
over a standard building.
From a plumbing perspective, the most innovative aspect of the Kyrene
project is the wastewater reduction measures. The building uses an on-site
water reclamation facility that treats all wastewater from the building to an
acceptable standard for use as gray water. All flushable fixtures in the build-
ing are supplied with gray water and are on a water distribution system
separate from the potable water system. The wastewater reduction for this
building is calculated at 80 percent from that of standard EPA 1992 fixture
performance requirements.
Q: What were the greatest challenges encountered on this project,
either from your firm’s point of view or as a project team?
DC: Under-floor HVAC in the second-floor office areas without chillers;
this was overcome by utilizing standard direct expansion split systems.
Other challenges are related to assuring that the design and build team
are experienced in utilizing the new building materials associated with a
LEED® project.
Q: What were some of the lessons learned from this project?
DC: Communication is key.
*Editor’s note: After completion, the project was awarded LEED® gold certification.
Photo courtesy of Jessie McGaskill
arizona/nevada edition gold medal award winner6
resources helped foster a healthy
working environment at Kyrene
and also cut utility costs drastically
when compared to conventionally
designed buildings. “The essence
of our design intent for this facil-
ity lies in maximizing light and
views for all occupants, creat-
ing bright spaces conducive to a
productive working environment,”
said Calcaterra. Furthermore,
natural lighting will help decrease
annual electricity use while provid-
ing occupants with a more comfort-
able atmosphere.
While many components of the
structure may appear “convention-
al,” they are designed to achieve
LEED® certification, thereby making
them more structurally and tech-
nically complex. “Myriad compo-
nents such as the roofing system,
insulation and exterior walls will be
constructed from products [that]
use recycled household products
like Styrofoam trays and aluminum
cans,” he said.
Structurally, the project consisted
of three separate components: insu-
lated concrete forms (ICFs), struc-
tural steel and concrete masonry
units (CMUs). Bringing these three
components together efficiently
demanded the involvement of engi-
neers and subcontractors at the
outset. David A. Bosak, AIA, LEED
AP, president/principal architect for
BOSAK CPM, the project’s construc-
tion manager, said that “insulated
block was utilized as a sustainable
option to metal studs or concrete
block, thus providing an exterior
wall that provided the required
insulation value….”
John Tomasson, senior project
manager for Adolfson & Peterson
Construction, the project’s general
contractor, elaborated on the envi-
ronmental methodology that the
team stood by. “The design, materi-
als and construction of this building
have provided for a life cycle of 50
to 60 years rather than the current
designs and construction that have
an average anticipated life cycle of
20 years,” he said.
Arizona Concrete Repair, Inc.
(ACRI) served as the project’s epoxy
flooring contractor/designer. Pete
Schlink, president and designer for
ACRI, said the company has had
numerous successes with Adolfson
& Peterson, so it was glad to help.
In the end, ACRI designed “a floor
system that would not only have a
much greater aesthetic value, but
would far outperform the stained
concrete flooring [originally done
by another contractor] as well,”
said Schlink.
Although the end result of the
project was successful, there were
challenges along the way for the
team. According to Mann, one of
the challenges involved the small
site. He noted that being more effi-
cient with storage space for ware-
house and field goods and getting
rid of unnecessary items that had
accumulated during the past 40
years were essential to overcom-
ing this hurdle. “When we were
done, we feel we had only those
items left that we needed to per-
form our jobs. We are definitely a
leaner, more defined organization,”
he said.
On a related note, the new
facility and its operations had to
be located on the site in a way
that wouldn’t disrupt the opera-
tions of the existing water rec-
lamation plant. “We brought a
lot more activity to this site 24/7
than they were used to having to
operate with,” said Mann. “This
was [overcome] by meeting with
stakeholders and listening to
everyone’s needs and modifying
the designs as often as needed to
maximize the use of available
space [and] meet the needs of
both facilities as [they] related to
traffic patterns and safety needs.
It also required an architect that
researched us and our needs so
that he knew us and our operations
and needs, thereby guaranteeing a
workable facility could be construct-
ed that met all our needs.”
All stakeholders involved on the
project agreed that communication
was the key to a successful project.
Due to their efforts, the new Kyrene
Utility Services Building is up and
running for the benefit of Tempe
residents and the water utilities
department employees. n
— Megan Merritt
continued from page �
Photos courtesy of City of Tempe, Water Utilities Department
The Construction Manager’s Perspectivewith David A. Bosak Sr., AIA, LEED AP, President/Principal Architect, BOSAK CPM
Q: What is the most unique or important feature of the facility (or of the design/construction process)?
DB: The second-floor administrative offices are designed with a raised floor to provide heating and air conditioning,
controllable at each workstation to provide individual comfort.
Q: What were the greatest challenges encountered on this project and how, specifically, did you overcome
them?
DB: The project overall went relatively smooth. Unforeseen conditions and the usual opportunities to excel
occurred. Weekly owner’s meetings kept major challenges at bay through open communication and proactively
examining the critical issues at hand for that week, while not losing sight of the overall objective.
Q: How did you work with the architect and owner to save time and/or money on the project? How was
value engineering applied to your responsibility?
DB: Value engineering did not stop in design; the construction team actively pursued options throughout construc-
tion to ensure accountability of funds.
Q: What were some of the lessons learned from this project?
DB: Throughout the entire construction process, which can get rather chaotic at times, one cannot lose sight of
the fact that when the building is complete it will be inhabited by people who will be working and interacting in
the facility for many hours a day, and it is one of our many goals to make sure the environment is a pleasant facility
to work in.
7414 W. Louise Dr.Glendale, AZ 85�10
602-909-9507 www.bosak.biz
Photo courtesy of Bosak CPM
The General Contractor’s Perspectivewith John Tomasson, Senior Project Manager, Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Q: What is the most innovative aspect of the project (or of the design/construction process)? What
could other owners learn from for their future projects?
JT: The design and construction to provide two separate functions (office, warehouse) while maintaining
separation and continuity required proper planning and construction materials for life safety requirements. In
addition the design, materials and construction of this building have provided for a life cycle of 50 to 60 years
rather than the current designs and construction that have an average anticipated life cycle of 20 years.
Q: How did you work with the architect and owner to save time and/or money on the project? How
was value engineering applied to your responsibility?
JT: Working early in the design helped identify methods and materials to provide budgeting and value engi-
neering during design rather than after the construction drawings were completed. This allows the owner to
control their budget and design upfront in lieu of accepting a completed design and then finding out the cost
exceeds their budget. This also allows for value engineering to happen concurrent with the design and not
have to make any major changes or eliminations after the design is complete.
Q: What were some of the lessons learned from this project?
JT: The challenge of coordination of all the subcontractors that are affected by the energy-efficient design
of the mechanical, plumbing and electrical (MPE) systems; all three subcontractor disciplines were involved
and crossed over each other’s installation methods and the MPE designs complemented each other to ensure
maximum energy efficiency.
5002 S. Ash Ave.Tempe, AZ 85282
480-�45-8700 www.a-p.com
Photo courtesy of Jessie McGaskill
24445 Northwestern Hwy. Ste. 218 • Southfield, MI 48075 • 248-945-4700 • fax: 248-945-4701 • www.constructionreviews.com24445 Northwestern Hwy. Ste. 218 • Southfield, MI 48075 • 248-945-4700 • fax: 248-945-4701 • www.constructionreviews.com