Gafcon Inc., a leading California-based construction management and consulting firm, announced today that construction is now complete on a new $1.6 million animal care facility located at 1395 First Street in Coronado, Calif.
Gafcon performed a constructability review and served as the construction manager for the 12-month project for the City of Coronado. The project involved the demolition of an existing parking lot adjacent to the Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace and construction of a new 3,400-square-foot single-story concrete masonry building. The facility houses a variety of functional spaces including seven dog adoption areas, three cat community rooms, holding areas, quarantine areas, examination/treatment area, "get acquainted" room, food preparation space, grooming room and exterior dog exercise yard.
The facility was built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver certification standards, incorporating a variety of sustainable elements including energy- and water-efficient fixtures, natural lighting, recycled building materials and construction waste recycling.
The new building reduces the environmental impact due to its proximity to public transportation, off-street parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, permeable concrete pavers and an infiltration system to reduce storm water runoff. The facility also reduces its potable water consumption through the use of water-efficient landscaping and artificial turf. The exterior masonry block walls utilized in the structure have a high recycled content and 50 percent of all wood products used are Forest Stewardship Council certified. The interior finishes all meet or exceed the standards for lowering indoor air contaminant levels and mechanical systems were flushed out prior to occupancy to further reduce volatile organic compounds. The project design also included multiple clerestory windows and skylights to optimize natural light and further reduce energy consumption.
The Gafcon project team included John Wilson, project manager; Penny Kronberg, constructability review/oversight; Anthony Trinca, constructability review; and Jamie Roberts, labor compliance.
Other members of the project team included Bill Cecil, capital projects manager for the City of Coronado; Davy Architecture, architect; Grahovac Construction, general contractor; Stedman Dyson, structural engineer; SB&O, civil engineer; Turpin & Rattan Engineering, electrical engineer; Rao Engineers, mechanical engineer; and Howard Associates, landscape architect.
The project was developed as the result of a joint-funding agreement between the City of Coronado and Pacific Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, of Coronado. The previous shelter located on Orange Avenue was torn down to make way for senior housing units in 2006. Since that time, animal services have been housed in the basement of the Coronado Police Department.
The City of Coronado has retained Gafcon to provide construction management for a second project, the new Coronado Tennis Center.
About Gafcon Inc.
Founded in 1987 by Pam and Yehudi Gaffen, Gafcon Inc. is a leading development and construction management firm providing professional construction consulting, construction program management, real estate economics consulting, design management and construction-related claims support. The company employs more than 150 construction project managers architects, civil engineers, financial analysts, estimators, schedulers, quality inspectors and computer professionals. Gafcon maintains corporate headquarters in downtown San Diego, with branch offices in Irvine, Los Angeles and Oregon.
Related Stories
| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library and museum, plus the Bush Institute, is aiming for LEED Platinum. The 226,565-sf center, located at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, was designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.
| Nov 16, 2010
Brazil Olympics spurring green construction
Brazil's green building industry will expand in the coming years, spurred by construction of low-impact venues being built for the 2016 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee requires arenas built for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro meet international standards for low-carbon emissions and energy efficiency. This has boosted local interest in developing real estate with lower environmental impact than existing buildings. The timing couldn’t be better: the Brazilian government is just beginning its long-term infrastructure expansion program.
| Nov 16, 2010
Green building market grows 50% in two years; Green Outlook 2011 report
The U.S. green building market is up 50% from 2008 to 2010—from $42 billion to $55 billion-$71 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction's Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth report. Today, a third of all new nonresidential construction is green; in five years, nonresidential green building activity is expected to triple, representing $120 billion to $145 billion in new construction.
| Nov 16, 2010
Calculating office building performance? Yep, there’s an app for that
123 Zero build is a free tool for calculating the performance of a market-ready carbon-neutral office building design. The app estimates the discounted payback for constructing a zero emissions office building in any U.S. location, including the investment needed for photovoltaics to offset annual carbon emissions, payback calculations, estimated first costs for a highly energy efficient building, photovoltaic costs, discount rates, and user-specified fuel escalation rates.
| Nov 11, 2010
USGBC certifies more than 1 billion square feet of commercial space
This month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world. Since 2000, more than 36,000 commercial projects and 38,000 single-family homes have participated in LEED.
| Nov 9, 2010
Just how green is that college campus?
The College Sustainability Report Card 2011 evaluated colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada with the 300 largest endowments—plus 22 others that asked to be included in the GreenReportCard.org study—on nine categories, including climate change, energy use, green building, and investment priorities. More than half (56%) earned a B or better, but 6% got a D. Can you guess which is the greenest of these: UC San Diego, Dickinson College, University of Calgary, and Dartmouth? Hint: The Red Devil has turned green.
| Nov 9, 2010
U.S. Army steps up requirements for greening building
Cool roofs, solar water heating, and advanced metering are among energy-efficiency elements that will have to be used in new permanent Army buildings in the U.S. and abroad starting in FY 2013. Designs for new construction and major renovations will incorporate sustainable design and development principles contained in ASHRAE 189.1.
| Nov 9, 2010
Turner Construction report: Green buildings still on the agenda
Green buildings continue to be on the agenda for real estate owners, developers, and corporate owner-occupants, according to the Turner 2010 Green Building Market Barometer. Key findings: Almost 90% of respondents said it was extremely or very likely they would incorporate energy-efficiency improvements in their new construction or renovation project, and 60% expected to incorporate improvements to water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and green materials.
