Integrated Design Build – The ‘A’ Team

10/31/14

In light of the completion of the 2014 World Series, a team analogy seemed appropriate here. Congrats to the San Francisco Giants for a stellar championship victory!

Question: How are we completing a project in a third of the “normal time” expected, given its scope and budget? How does a sports team travel to its event location? 

Answer (to both): Everyone rides together.

Seems like a fairly simple concept–all entities working together instead of “riding separately”. However, that doesn’t guarantee results. The other key piece here is the team itself. How effective are the assembled “players” able to communicate, add value per skill sets and trust each other’s ability to execute his/her “position” the most effectively.

Team Roster

JE Dunn Construction (GENERAL CONTRACTOR) JE Dunn is a family and employee owned commercial construction company. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, JE Dunn has 20 offices nationally and employs over 2,500 employees. The Company provides General Construction/CM @ Risk, Construction Management – Agency, and Design-Build Services.

CPI Group (PROGRAM MANAGER/OWNER LIASON) The CPI Group was founded in 1994 and is a single point-of-contact, total solutions provider for the high-tech industry. CPI offers Total Program Management when needed; and provides focused, project-specific services when it is not. They specialize in bringing order and balance to the project development and delivery process through team selection and an absolute commitment to meeting clients’ needs. CPI provides as much, or as little, service as needed to ensure success.

Mazzetti (ENGINEERING LEAD) We make the world a better place by creating better environments. In healthcare, mission critical, science and technology, higher education and other markets, we deliver transformational services in: MEPT Engineering, Equipment Planning, Sustainability, Commissioning

Game Plan

Together with JE Dunn and CPI Group, we formed our design-build approach around LEAN thinking. Our primary objective was to integrate the detailing and fabrication drawings from the MEP subs into the design process. Typically, we would design a project to completion, followed by the MEP subs who would then start over and redraw everything for detailing, coordination and fabrication.

With this modified approach, design is essentially done once instead of twice, resulting in high speed design.

As the Design Team Leads, under the general contractor JE Dunn, we’re managing the architect and structural engineer as sub-contractors, while also managing the Facilities group. To fortify this TEAM, we’ve made it a priority to build good relationships. e.g. With the Program Management team and Facilities staff, we regularly check-in, ask pertinent questions, LISTEN, and provide a feedback loop for the work. CPI group has been a tremendous help in providing leadership in program management and providing the design team resolution to design and program questions as an owner liason. The ability of the owner and CPI Program Management team to provide good direction has been critical to the success of the team.

Results: Little ‘W’s leading up to a big ‘W’

By the 1st of next year, we will have built in excess of about $100M in design and construction in just 14 months. A typical project of this size & scope may take 3 or 4x longer to complete.

We reached a major milestone this spring, with the topping out of the core and shell structure. Topping out signified the placement of the last piece of structural steel, where we recognized the project’s significant safety achievement of 185 days without a lost time accident. ISO Class 6 certification for the first 8,000 sf of cleanroom was received in August. Phase two (second 8,000 sf) occurred in September, and the remainder of the entire tenant improvement is scheduled for early 2015.

This project represents an evolution of integrated project delivery that has proved to be highly successful. We are excited to have the opportunity to TEAM UP with good partners to successfully deliver this fast track project. The camaraderie and collaboration has been a key for the success to-date. This project is proof of what is possible with the right team members “riding together”. For more specifics on the project, contact Phil Gioia.

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