ARCHITECTURAL/STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL CONSULTING SERVICES ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT APRIL 7, 2021 April 7, 2021 Essex Westford School District Attn: Bruce Murdough, Director of Property Services 51 Park Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 RE: EWSD Comprehensive Facilities Assessment Dear Selection Committee, You will likely find that this proposal is different than others that you have received in response to your RFP, and that is intentional on our part. You are seeking professional Facility Conditions Assessment (FCA) services and that requires a very specific skillset, so we have teamed up with one of the leading assessment firms in the nation. Last year FFF and Accruent successfully completed an FCA for the entire Norwich University (NU) campus of 54 buildings, 11 categories of site elements, and all their kitchen equipment. To demonstrate the capabilities of professional assessors I can tell you that we completed the field assessment phase for all of NU’s buildings totaling 1,267,369 square feet in approximately three weeks. The data we collected was extensive and all of it was organized in an industry standardized database. We have included a very detailed description from Accruent of what an FCA is, the power of using it for planning purposes, and how we will create an FCA database for you from which a myriad of reports can be generated. Please do take extra time to read this information because I believe you will find it represents exactly the services you are looking for. We understand that EWSD is also in the process of researching software platforms that will manage the data collected as part of this FCA effort. Accruent has a powerful facility management software package that you can subscribe to and can also maintain in-house so that your data is always up to date. If you chose not to subscribe, our team will provide you with pivot tables containing the FCA data that you can import into whatever software you choose. We not only want to provide you with the capabilities of a national FCA firm, but we know you need us to be responsive and accountable to you. Our team accomplishes this by drawing upon the Vermont-based knowledge and leadership of FFF. I have lived in Essex for the past 17 years and will be personally leading this effort, guiding you through the process and addressing any questions you may have. FFF will focus on local aspects of the assessment such as Vermont codes and regulations. Similar to our role at NU, FFF will also calculate any required local factors to Accruent’s integrated cost estimating data provided by RSMeans, one of the industry leading national construction cost databases. We want nothing more than to ensure that our team is the best fit for EWSD, so do not hesitate to contact us for any additional information. Respectfully, Shawn Brennan, AIA Principal/Vice President Contents A. Firm Information B. Scope of Work C. Deliverables D. Our Team E. Experience & References F. Schedule G. Firm Capacity H. Proof of Insurance I. Fee Proposal J. Accruent Information Packet Firm Information FREEMAN FRENCH FREEMAN, INC. ABOUT US FIRM ORGANIZATION CHART Established in 1937, Freeman With over eight decades in business, our firm is stable and our financial French Freeman has been a footing is sound. The only change to our organizational structure over the leader in Vermont architecture past five years is two promotions: Catherine Lange and Josh Crandall were for over eight decades. Our promoted to Associate Principal in 2019. firm remains at the forefront of Vermont architecture thanks to a combination of experienced leadership, the cultivation of new design talent, and enduring relationships with satisfied clients from across New England. Jesse Beck, AIA, NCARB Shawn Brennan, AIA, CDT Alex Halpern, AIA, NCARB Principal Principal Principal TEAM LICENSED ARCHITECTS LEADERSHIP BECK: VT, NY, NH, ME BURSEY: VT, MA Catherine Lange, AIA, LEED AP Josh Crandall, AIA BRENNAN: VT Associate Principal Associate Principal CRANDALL: VT HALPERN: VT LANGE: NY LEET: VT PICKELL: IIDA (NATIONAL) ROBBINS: VT WAGNER: OH Tom Bursey AIA, LEED AP. CSI Jesse Robbins, AIA, LEED AP Jane Pickell, IIDA, LEED AP Architect Architect Interior Designer TEAM DESIGN Brian Leet, AIA, LEED AP, CDT Jamie Wagner, AIA, LEED AP Architect Architect 84 years in business Nathalia Ellis, ASSOC. AIA Jamie Gravel, ASSOC. AIA 15 staff Architectural Designer Architectural Designer 9 licensed architects 6 LEED accredited professionals Multiple awards for architectural and environmental excellence 81 Maple St., Burlington, VT 05401 TEAM SUPPORT Mike Ballard Cam Barrows Alyssa Frederick 802.864.6844 www.fffinc.com Marketing Director IT Administrator Office Coordinator VFA Facility Condition Assessment Services PROFESSIONAL CONDITION ASSESSMENTS FOR BETTER FACILITY CAPITAL BUDGETING One burst pipe, one leaking roof, or one cracked foundation can put assets out of commission and prevent your organization Accruent assessment from delivering on its mission. experts can quickly and accurately gather Many organizations face growing objective data about backlogs of deferred maintenance that threaten day-to-day operations. the conditions of assets Unfortunately, there are stories in and facilities across your the news almost every day about entire portfolio. organizations facing disruptions caused by delayed maintenance. For facilities professionals, keeping track of asset conditions, prioritizing remediation, and building a plan are critical activities. With so many assets and facilities impacted by deferred maintenance, it’s important to monitor the condition of your assets to avoid disruptions caused by this “ticking time bomb”. To overcome these challenges, VFA Facility Condition Assessment Services can help you quickly get the accurate, objective and defensible condition data you need to understand current conditions, prioritize facility budgets and secure required funding. A professional team of Accruent assessment experts can quickly and accurately gather accurate data about the conditions of assets and facilities across your entire portfolio. This gathered data can then be quickly loaded into the proven VFA.facility® capital planning software to enable strategic corporate facility management. VFA Facility Condition Assessment Services 1 Objective and Trusted Results Because Accruent provides assessment services only (no remediation), customers can be assured of objective results. Accruent’s assessment methodology is: • based on industry standards from • refined by our experience of • integrated with the proven organizations such as APPA, IFMA, assessing over 5 billion square VFA.facility capital planning software BOMA, and RSMeans® feet of facilities worldwide By employing an outside team of assessment experts, you can quickly gather the objective condition data needed to make holistic capital planning decisions across your entire asset and facilities portfolio. Leverage Industry-Standard Benchmarks VFA software helps you accurately Facility Condition Index (FCI) benchmark your facilities using the Facility Condition Index (FCI). This industry-standard metric allows you An industry-standard measure used to compare relative building conditions to analyze the impact of investing in facility improvements. total cost of existing deficiencies FCI = current replacement value Using data gathered from Excellent Good Fair - Poor facility condition assessments, the Facility Condition Index (FCI) is calculated automatically in VFA.facility. 0% 5% 10% 50% 100% VFA Facility Condition Assessment Services 2 Scope of Work Your questions, answered: 1. How are our facilities right now? Our team will provide a highly qualified group of professional assessors to determine the condition of your facilities. The team members from Accruent are highly trained experts who follow the industry benchmark ASTM Standard Guide for Property Condition Assessments. The extensive data that our team gathers is entered into a facilities management software that is organized using Unfiromat II Elemental Classification. The systems and components are then assessed using BOMA’s average expected useful life, which can be adjusted based on the team member’s observations and information gathered from EWSD staff. Pages 2 & 3 of Accruent’s information packet explain this process in greater detail. 2. Are there current shortcomings, or building code violation in any of the building systems that should be expeditiously addressed? Each state typically modifies national model codes when they are adopted, and Vermont is famous for its unique code adoption. While Accruent’s team members are well versed in the model codes, FFF’s code expert will review the facilities in relation to the Vermont adoption of the model codes. This way we ensure the assessments are accurate and include elements that are specific to the State of Vermont. All items in the database we create can be prioritized according to your preferences, and issues related to code will be separately identifiable and given their own priorities based upon the criteria that we jointly determine during the pre-assessment phase of the project. Page 3 and Page 11 of Accruent’s information packet describe this process in greater detail. 3. Are there any repairs, improvements, or renovation that the district should be considering over the 1-3, 4-6, and 7-10 year timeframes to ensure its facilities continue to support the district’s aim of providing excellent educational services without interruption? Our report will identify the components