ISSUE 5 TURNING OVER BEFORE THE BELL RINGS Delivering a seamless transition DON'T JUDGE A BUILDING BY ITS FAÇADE Changing the way we see buildings MAKING DREAMS A VIRTUAL REALITY Using VR to take veterans to D.C. landmarks When the bell rings, it's time to change classes. For general contractors when August comes, it's time to hand over the keys to the building. Gilbane recently completed three very different buildings at Salisbury University, Ron Brown Preparatory High School and Georgetown University. Although one was a library, another a high school and the third a residence hall one thing remained the same; each was seamlessly handed over to the client before students set foot on campus. Page 2 Page 3 the common areas. These were Everyone remembers that feeling, reserved for the final phase in order to your heart beating out of your chest minimize disruption to the students. ready to unpack those new pens you To further assist with the transition of bought for the first day of school. The the building, Gilbane arranged on-call excitement that would build up inside service for electrical, mechanical and you over the long, hot summer. What plumbing over opening weekend, you probably don’t remember are for the entire building, in case of any the construction crews that worked emergencies. through the night to move in those brand new desks or the tradesmen finishing up the roads to prepare for When building a residence hall or the fleet of buses in the morning. It’s any other building on a university’s campus, you need to think about the hard to believe, even with reflective Above: The finished exterior of Ron Brown College Preparatory High School neon safety vests on, we can somehow big picture. By closing off a road you remain invisible. could be increasing a student’s walk The last month of the project the workforce grew between classes by ten minutes or hindering a prospective student's Luckily, that’s our ultimate goal. to 220 workers, with the team increasing their campus tour experience. Keeping workload to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. this in mind, the team at Georgetown The first day of school should be renovations to the first floor. The last stakeholders needed immediate expedited the improvements to seamless, whether a new residence Above: Aerial view of the new Salisbury University Academic Commons. month of the project the workforce access to the building. Since residence Condor Road so that they would be hall is opening on campus or a high grew to 220 workers, with the team assistants (RAs) and faculty are required complete for move-in. As a part of the school is opening its doors for the first The Academic Commons replaces to handle such delicate artifacts, we increasing their workload to 14 hours to be on campus prior to incoming final turnover process, Gilbane will time in 20 years. Finding ways to make the old Blackwell Library, a facility that needed to find a moving company a day, seven days a week to complete freshmen and returning students, guide students through the rooms of this transition from under construction was outdated and therefore under- who had the experience and expertise the project. Despite the delays due Gilbane had to maximize efficiencies the new residence hall teaching them to fully operational can be challenging utilized. The grand opening was the to manage the complex move from to unforeseen conditions, material in the close-out process. Punchlists about what went into each aspect of at times, but having a dedicated team culmination of a design/build effort Blackwell and the Nabb Center. deliveries and design revisions; the were completed for each RAs room the building, from its brick exterior with the client's best interests in mind that Gilbane started in early 2013. We We turned to Gilbane’s Transition team successfully met the client’s on each of the eight floors before a to the wireless lines that allow 24/7 is one of the keys to success. broke ground in May of 2014, knowing Planning & Management (TPM) team. that the building had to be open for They prepared the RFP, prequalified expectations. On August 22nd Ron single floor could be completed in internet access. Now the reflective REPLACING THE OLD WITH THE NEW the fall semester of 2016. In July of this potential bidders, and managed the Brown College Preparatory High its entirety. Once the RA rooms were neon safety vests that we try and hide year we still had nearly 150 workers in bidding and award process. By the School officially opened its doors. It is completed, the rest of the 217 dorm throughout the project finally have a now home to 110 “kings”; the young rooms were closed out before starting reason to be seen. On August 25, 2016, President Janet the building, but the fall semester was end of August they had successfully men that make up the first all boy Dudley-Eshbach, Ph.D. greeted quickly approaching and we needed moved the special collections at the preparatory public high school in Below: The new Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall at Georgetown University the largest ever freshman class at to make way for furniture deliveries. Nabb Center to their new home at the Washington, D.C. the Salisbury University campus Working closely with Salisbury Academic Commons. on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She University, we coordinated delivery delivered her welcoming remarks sequences, loading dock access and A SPRINT TO THE FINISH LINE THE FINISHING TOUCHES from the front steps of the brand elevator use to accommodate dozens Sometimes projects, like the new new Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic of tractor-trailer loads of furniture and In Washington, D.C. Gilbane’s team Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall at Georgetown Commons. By that afternoon students equipment. was tasked with completing phase University, require crews to remain and parents were touring the building, 1 of the $50+ million modernization onsite to finish up punchlist items and admiring the four-story atrium, Gilbane was also responsible for of Ron Brown Middle School within ensure everything is running smoothly. enjoying a cup of locally brewed coffee moving the thousands of books and four months. Phase 1 included While remaining on campus, how in the café, and discovering the scores reference materials from Blackwell 180,000 square feet of demolition and do you manage to avoid disrupting of quiet seating areas where students into the Academic Commons. Even abatement along with 70,000 square students as they move-in? can plug in between classes. When more challenging was the relocation feet of renovations to the first floor; classes started the following Monday, of the Nabb Research Center for all of which needed to be completed returning upper classmen had also Delmarva History and Culture from its no later than August 22, 2016. This Sound like an unsolvable riddle? discovered the building. Students previous location on the other side of allowed three months from the initial were everywhere, and Bea Hardy, Dean campus. The Nabb collection includes award in January 2016 to develop Communication is paramount. At of Libraries, was thrilled! antique furniture, tools, quilts and 100% construction documents and Georgetown, Gilbane worked with museum quality documents. In order only four months to complete the student affairs to determine what Page 4 Page 5 SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY JOBS TO WARD 7 RESIDENTS = 5 HIRES MAR 2016 Making Veterans' Dreams a AGC WASHINGTON VIRTUAL REALITY CONTRACTOR AWARDS TIMELINE PROJECT Cooley, LLP, D.C. Office Renovation Washington, D.C. is filled with national 58,195 names etched in the reflective Office Retail Projects memorials and monuments dedicated stone or look up at the baldacchino Under $5 Million to the brave men and women that decorates the entrance to the who fought to protect America’s National World War II Memorial. “Any D.C. Dept. of General Services, MET INDIVIDUALLY WITH... freedom. The Stars and Stripes Honor opportunity for our frailest veterans Roosevelt High School Modernization Flight was created to honor these to see their memorials without the Renovation/Restoration 1 2 3 veterans by transporting them to physical strain of a flight to D.C. is an Over $100 Million Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect incredible and healing experience for Robert Hinderliter - Safety Director at the memorials built in their honor. them," said Karyn Roelke, Vice President As the Ron Brown High School Partnership these outreach efforts 4 5 6 Yet various health issues can prevent of Public Relations, Stars and Stripes 2016 Safety Professional of the Year Modernization project broke ground reached dozens of small businesses many men and women from making Honor Flight. "As we look down the 2016 Best Corporate Safety Program this past March, Gilbane looked for located in Ward 7. the trip to witness these memorials road toward another large group of ways to benefit the Ward 7 community 7 8 9 firsthand. With a great idea, passionate veterans who have been waiting for AUG in the process. Our search led us to The results have been astounding. 2017 employees and state-of-the-art their turn to take an Honor Flight, we ENR MID-ATLANTIC BEST the Dorothy A. Height Benning Library The Central D.C. Mission provided resources, Gilbane is looking to fulfill will need to be creative to get that where we set up a “hub” to meet janitorial services to the project, Jewel 10 11 12 this seemingly impossible reality for population an opportunity to see PROJECT AWARDS with local subcontractors, suppliers Landscape performed landscaping, our worthy veterans.