The Building Team for Taylor Place faced a devil of a problem-you could even call it a Sun Devil of a problem: how to squeeze two 13-story residence towers for Arizona State University students into a tight 1.21-acre site in downtown Phoenix, even as another large-scale ASU project, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, was being built just across the way.
That they did so, and in only 22 months' time, has earned Gold in this year's Building Team Awards for the Phoenix office of architect/engineering giant SmithGroup; Dallas-based general contractor Austin Commercial; owner/developer Capstone Development Corp., Birmingham, Ala.; and Paul Koehler Consulting Structural Engineers, Scottsdale, Ariz., as well as Arizona State University and the city of Phoenix itself.
The genesis of the project dates to 2005, when Arizona State made a commitment to expand its presence in downtown Phoenix, 15 miles from its main campus in Tempe. Taylor Place, which would provide housing for 1,284 students, and the Cronkite School were seen as crucial fixtures in Phoenix's efforts to inject fresh vitality into its otherwise drab city core.
To meet the tight schedule, the Building Team divided the total project into several packages, with the design staff working far enough ahead to allow the general contractor to be in a position to jump into the next phase of construction; in fact, 80% of the drawings were ready when construction began in May 2007. Project management brought in a hand-picked group of subcontractors during the preconstruction phase to work with the developer, designer, and general contractor to align the budget with Capstone Development's rather ambitious vision for the project.
To move the job along more quickly, Austin Construction dug into its trick bag and pulled out a 20-year-old construction technique known as column-hung shoring. This system, done properly, eliminates the need for re-shoring by transferring the load of the new deck through the column structure itself, rather than through the slab below.
This was crucial for Taylor Place, because the schedule did not allow time for two or three floors of post-shores and re-shores to lag behind the active deck. The technique also allowed MEP work and framing of common exhaust shafts to follow close behind the concrete work. The system also afforded the follow-up trades the opportunity to stock the floors with their MEP, structural, and metal stud framing materials. This allowed them to start their work sooner, thereby cutting labor time for this portion of the project by as much as 50% and increasing overall productivity by an estimated 40%.
The tight site also made crane picks worrisome and constricted the flow of materials deliveries. To overcome these difficulties, the team developed a first come, first served scheduling process whereby all deliveries and crane picks had to be scheduled in the main construction office. This system sped up deliveries and enabled the team to maintain an organized site without the need for a laydown yard.
Quality control was an important consideration for the Building Team. In addition to its own in-house review of details for the buildings' exterior metal panels, window systems, and roofing, the general contractor went so far as to hire a third-party consultant to review all building envelope shop drawings, perform inspections, and conduct performance testing on the wall and roofing systems.
Another QC initiative was the construction of mockups for several of the key architectural features related to the concrete work. These were used not only to confirm that the construction method being employed would work but also to make sure the finish of the concrete was up to the standard set by SmithGroup designers. All mockups had to be approved by the architect, contractor, and the owner, Capstone Development.
The designers took extra steps to make sure the living environment was sensitive to the desert climate. This was accomplished first by siting the structures along an east-west access to maximize natural daylight for occupants while at the same time minimizing openings on the east-west facades to cut down on solar heat gain. Windows on the south facade were fitted with horizontal overhangs to block the summer sun. In the southwest corner of the site, a shaded exterior garden plaza provides a refreshing outdoor oasis for students to lounge in; pedestrians using Taylor and First Streets are protected from the sun by a horizontal cantilevered trellis system incorporated into the building's design.
Capstone Development, which will manage the property in collaboration with ASU for 30 years, threw in every bell and whistle it could think of to make Taylor Place the place for ASU's Phoenix student base to reside: a fitness center, a ground-floor lounge, plasma screen TVs throughout, private study rooms, laundry rooms with online connections to let students know when their clothes are dry, "sky lounges" in the staircases between floors, a 10,000-sf dining hall, and of course wi-fi and cable TV. The top floor features so-called "city-view" rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. The project includes an 11,000-sf convenience retail mall, although only about 1,100 sf of space has been rented.
While the university did not require LEED certification, the team made sure the project was at least LEED equivalent, according to the chief designer, SmithGroup's Edward F. Garcia, AIA, LEED AP. Active shading devices on all south-facing openings, high-efficiency lighting, programmable thermostats for all regularly occupied spaces, operable windows in the living units, a recycling and sorting facility for residents, low-VOC materials and finishes, and a green housekeeping program were all employed.
To reduce water usage in the desert location, the Building Team specified dual-flush toilets, low-flow bath fixtures, waterless urinals in public areas, and a system to collect condensate from fan coil units for landscape irrigation. This has resulted in an estimated 43% reduction in water usage in the twin towers compared to baseline design.
A key component of the whole process was City Hall's involvement with the Building Team. The city owned a piece of the site, but its main motivation was to inject some life into its relatively moribund downtown, with help from the university. In addition to Taylor Place and the Cronkite School, ASU has also renovated a nearby building for its College of Nursing and the College of Public Programs.
The city assigned a team leader to the project to expedite minor plan revisions through the maze of city hall departments. More importantly, the city established a phased permitting process for Taylor Place. This allowed Tower One to be opened in August 2008 with a temporary certificate of occupancy, just in time for the first group of ASU Sun Devils to settle into their new rooms; Tower Two was completed in early 2009.
Going into its third year of operations, Taylor Place is tracking Capstone Development's four-year lease-up plan nicely, with 85% occupancy set for fall 2010.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Gold Award
Taylor Place: Arizona State University Downtown Student Housing
Phoenix, Ariz.
Building Team
Submitting firm: SmithGroup (architect/engineer, AOR, interior architect)
Owner/developer: Capstone Development Corp.
Structural engineer: Paul Koehler Consulting Structural Engineers, Inc.
General contractor: Austin Commercial
General Information
Project size: 352,000 gsf
Construction cost: $71,007,264
Construction time: May 2007 to February 2009
Delivery method: CM at risk
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
EwingCole to merge with healthcare specialist Robert D. Lynn Associates
EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design, and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination will create the Delaware Valley¹s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIANY partners with New York's building department to launch design competition for safer, more appealing sidewalk shed
The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY) today announced the launch of the urbanSHED International Design Competition with support from the Alliance for Downtown New York, ABNY Foundation, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section (IESNYC), and the New York Building Congress.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declines in 48 states in August compared to last year
Construction employment saw significant declines in all but two states this August compared to last year according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government. The analysis, conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, however did show that the number of states gaining construction jobs increased slightly in August compared to July 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
Stimulus funding helps get NOAA project off the ground
The award-winning design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) replacement laboratory saw its first sign of movement on Sept 15 with a groundbreaking ceremony held in La Jolla, Calif. The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), resulting in a rapidly advanced construction plan for the facility.
| Aug 11, 2010
New book on ‘Green Workplace’ by HOK’s Leigh Stringer, a BD+C 40 under 40 winner
The new book The Green Workplace is a comprehensive guide that demonstrates how green businesses can reduce costs, improve recruitment and retention, increase shareholder value, and contribute to a healthier natural environment.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms
The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.