December
13, 2004
Several years ago, I received an e-mail from local attorney and construction industry consultant Tom Frisby giving me some feedback and suggestions on a construction article we had written. What Tom didn’t know then, and I’m sure has learned by now, is that I have a little habit of accepting feedback from readers and then talking them into doing stuff with the Business Journal. The “stuff” I talked Tom into back then was a wonderful series of columns he wrote for us under the title of Best Practices in Construction as well as masterminding the creation the PACE Awards.
I don’t want to mislead you into thinking I somehow “tricked” Tom into doing the Palmetto Architecture Construction and Engineering Awards. Those of you who know Tom are aware of what an intelligent and energetic professional he is and certainly not easily tricked by the likes of me. Rather, the PACE Awards came from Tom’s true passion for the construction industry and the Business Journal’s mission of creating events and programs that provide value to the community. Tom articulated a vision of a future construction industry that thrived on collaboration and where attorneys like him were, well, obsolete. Tom’s vision of collaboration aligned perfectly with our thinking about our region as a whole because, despite our strengths and successes, our survival ultimately depends on our ability to work together.
Hence the PACE Awards. The projects we honored last month at our second annual event are highlighted on the following pages. The winners were chosen not only for the quality of the projects themselves but for the successful collaboration between owners/developers, architects, engineers, contractors and sub-contractors and the performance used to develop, design, engineer and build those projects.
And speaking of winners, another of Tom’s ideas has been set in motion through this year’s PACE Awards, as well—the creation of an award recognizing the very best in those who really make things happen: craftsmen. Hence this year’s Craftsman of the Year Award, which you’ll find on page 37.
PACE Awards submissions were received for renovation or new construction in the following categories: residential, health care, institutional (schools, parks, public buildings), infrastructure (roads, bridges), commercial (office, hospitality), industrial (processing, assembly) and historic.
The judging team had a difficult task. (By the way, these guys gave me feedback after last year’s event—see the pattern?) When Tom and I took a first look at this year’s submissions, I had a hard time talking him out of giving an award to every one of them. They were all that good. In the end our vision of setting the bar at its highest level prevailed and we tasked the judges with not only recognizing successful collaboration, but also identifying outstanding projects.
After all has been said and done, a comment Tom made to me two years ago has been validated: our local construction industry is not just good, it’s world class. For those considering building in the Charleston region, our local architects, engineers and contractors are some of the best. So read on and see this year’s PACE Award winners, the best of the best.
Grady Johnson, publisher
And the winners are…
Honor Award—Historic
Eastside Center for Human Concerns
Merit Award—Historic
Tiger Lily
Merit Award—Commercial
Victoria Center
Merit Award—Commercial
SouthTrust Bank
Merit Award—Institutional
Hungry Neck Boulevard-Phase 1
Merit Award—Institutional
The Citadel
Padgett-Thomas Barracks Replacement
Merit Award—Institutional
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Merit Award—Institutional
College of Charleston
Craig Residence Hall HVAC and Interior Renovations
Craftsman of the Year Award
Gary A. Lindner
From the judges
PACE Awards judge Matt Silveston, geotechnical engineer and business development manager with WPC, says the single Honor Award recipient, Eastside Center for Human Concerns, presented a signature example of an outstanding project. Owner Agape Ministries worked with Liollio Architecture, NBM Construction Co. Inc. and Larkin Engineering to restore a 19th-century home on Charleston’s East Side, turning it into the neighborhood center.
According to Silveston, all of the entries had merit, but he looked at those that went the extra mile. “We immediately got the feeling that [the Eastside Center] went above and beyond,” he says. “It was a terrific project.”
PACE Awards judge Chris Cullum, president and chief operating officer of Cullum Constructors Inc., says one of the key criterion in judging each project was how teams dealt with problems. All construction projects have problems, he explains, but he looked for those projects where all parties addressed those issues early on so as not to end up with delays, increased costs and ruined relationships.
“Did they get things done without compromising quality or losing money and did they leave the project without a sour taste in the mouth? For almost all these projects, we found that the entrants were proud to have been involved,” Cullum says.
One of the benefits of awarding collaboration is that it raises the bar for Lowcountry construction companies, says Jamie Kilgallen, another PACE Awards judge and executive director of Hightower Construction. Collaboration, he believes, is where the construction industry is heading. “The design/build concept allows the project owner or developer to have one contract with the contractor and design team, and that concept lends itself to collaborative efforts,” he says.
The intent of the PACE Awards, Killgallen adds, is to reward those construction industry businesses where “everyone who started project was still holding hands at the end and would want to work together again.”
“I think [the PACE Awards] brings the design/construction community together and is something very unique for this area,” Kilgallen notes.
Honor Award—Historic
Eastside Center For Human Concerns
701 E. Bay St. • Charleston, S.C
Owner: Agape Ministries Inc.
Architect: Liollio Architecture
Contractor: NBM Construction Co. Inc.
Engineer: Larkin Engineering
Subcontractors: Coastal Roofing, Salem Contracting, Dillon Construction Services, Metro Electrical
The last grand antebellum home built before the Civil War, the Josiah Smith Tenant House had fallen into ruin. Located on Charleston’s East Side, this house was in a need of restoration. Built in 1859, the house served many functions and underwent various modifications before it was closed for demolition in 1995.
Dr. Dallas H. Wilson Jr., president of Agape Ministries Inc., decided to resurrect the Josiah Smith house, converting it into a neighborhood center to serve one of the city’s poorest and most dilapidated areas. The first phase of the project involved stabilizing the home’s structure, reconstructing the chimneys and repairing the slate roof.
The next phase addressed the piazza, windows and doors, shutters and the interiors. Those involved in the project carefully researched the home’s history, using historic photos and other information from buildings constructed during that time period.
Restoration of this historic home—totaling almost $1.6 million—is now complete and it is being converted into a center that will provide needed services for those living in inner-city poverty. The ground floor has been designated as the children’s floor with 24-hour child care and a parenting center. The second floor will be used for occupational skills training, including teaching computer literacy, and will house a cosmetology center that will provide a variety of personal services. On the third floor, the Charleston Bar Association will provide and coordinate pro bono legal services and a non-violence center. Dental and health services will be located on the fourth floor.
Merit Award—Historic
Tiger Lily
131 Spring St. • Charleston, S.C.
Owner: Manny Gonzales
Architect: Goff D’Antonio Associates Ltd.
Contractor: Mashburn Construction Co. Inc.
Subcontractors: Consolidated Electric, Platts Heating and Air Conditioning,
Parker Rigging Co. Inc.
This 7,000-square-foot facility is no longer an old gas station but a modern flower shop with water access at each designer’s table, floor drains, natural light, seven climate control zones and ramps to make the company’s use of carts easier.
Teamwork was important because the time frame for completing the project was so tight as Tiger Lily needed a new building by the time its current lease expired. In order to speed up the work, the architects designed the new structure even before permitting was completed, which enabled Mashburn Construction to order materials in advance. Weekly team meetings also kept the process flowing and the deadline was met.
Merit Award—Commercial
Victoria Center
205 King St. • Charleston, S.C.
Owner/Developer: The Beach Co.
Architect: LS3P & Associates Ltd.
Contractor: Gulf Stream Construction Co. Inc.
Engineer: ADC Engineering Inc.Subcontractors: Buford Goff & Associates, Forsberg Engineering & Surveying Inc., ADC Engineering Inc., Electric Supply Co., Collins and Wright
The Victoria Center is a four-story, mixed-used building nestled in Charleston’s downtown antiques district. The project team had to create a facility that would blend with both the high-end shopping side of King Street as well as the close-knit Harleston Village neighborhood on the Fulton Street side of the site.
This 55,000-square-foot facility occupies the eastern portion of the property and shares a mechanical core and parking garage with its western, three-story sister building. The Victoria Center will house a retail tenant on the first floor, while the top three floors are reserved for South Carolina law firm Nexsen Pruet Jacobs Pollard & Robinson LLC. On the fourth floor, the reception suite/waiting area and the board rooms are positioned around a staircase that is in the shape of an elongated boomerang. The staircase is designed with a formed balustrade of wrought iron, leather-encased handrails and wood stringers.
One of the project’s greatest challenges was having two contractors as well as two designers working side by side. The development team structured the overall project as hands-on, with all team members being involved in decisions across disciplines to create a true team environment. The development team was involved in all meetings and aspects of planning to ensure the construction and design team were adhering to the vision of the Victoria Center. The Beach Co. found this process highly effective and has implemented it in other new projects.
Merit Award—Commercial
SouthTrust Bank
158 Meeting St. • Charleston, S.C.
Owner: SouthTrust Bank
Architect: Liollio Architecture
Contractor: B. L. Harbert Construction
Engineer: GKA LLC
Subcontractors: Advanced Concrete Inc., Atlantic Coast Steel & Supply Inc., CDS Painting Inc., ALPHA Sheet Metal Works
The construction team for SouthTrust Bank faced the challenge of building a new, modern facility in the midst of an old, historic city. The trick was making this new bank fit into the historic look of downtown Charleston. The project, which cost more than $5.5 million, needed to be sensitive to its historic neighbors, while representing itself as a 21st-century building. In its 30,000 square feet, SouthTrust Bank houses retail banking on the first floor, commercial lending on the second floor, credit administration on the third floor and executive offices on the fourth floor.
The SouthTrust Bank was an exercise in material study—finding a way to bring a 21st-century building into an 18th-century context. The bank is located atop a fortification bastion of the original walled city. The curved corner entry symbolizes the area that was original to the English settlement.
Communication and collaboration were key for this project. Even though the SouthTrust representative was based out of state, he recognized the importance of the local design review and approval process and was an active participant in working closely with all design influences in the city to define the design parameters.
Additionally, the construction team had to deal with the project’s location on two streets, the fact that Meeting Street could not be closed during the day, as well as the restrictions of sharing a property line with the historic Congregational Church and graveyard. Crews had to be careful that demolition of the existing building and construction of the new building did not disrupt any of the site’s historic neighbors.
Merit Award—Institutional
Hungry Neck Boulevard-Phase 1
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Owner: Town of Mount Pleasant
Contractor: Gulf Stream Construction Co. Inc.
Engineer: PBS&J
Subcontractors: Mead’s Tree Service, Jennings Surveyors LLC, D.H. Hankins Trucking LLC, Walker Brothers Inc., Superior Utilities Inc.
This $4.6 million project included the planning, designing, right-of-way acquisition and construction of Hungry Neck Boulevard between the intersection of Interstate 526 and U.S. 17, proceeding north toward Venning Road, then connecting to the Isle of Palms Connector behind Towne Centre. The entire project spanned 1.97 miles.
During the design phase, efforts were made to avoid impacts to the man-made and natural environment, including the residential areas along Venning Road, commercial businesses and Towne Centre. The project team selected a new roadway alignment among several feasible alternatives to avoid impact to these community facilities. Also of major concern was minimizing the number of residential relocations and right-of-way acquisition. There were also wetlands and small ponds in the roadway corridor to avoid.
Merit Award—Institutional
The CitadelPadgett-Thomas Barracks Replacement
Charleston, S.C.
Owner: The Citadel
Architect/Engineer: Davis & Floyd Inc.
Contractor: Ellis-Don Construction (Altanta)
Subcontractors: Summerville Mechanical Inc., Prez-Chem Inc., Columbia Cast Stone
This project entailed the demolition of the original four-story barracks (circa 1922) and permitting, design and construction of new, 112,335-square-foot barracks. The design challenge was to create a new replacement building that would replicate the Padgett-Thomas Barracks to the greatest extent possible while providing safe, modern living space for cadets. The architects and engineers carefully studied the original barracks’ design drawings. The details and proportions that make this building unique were faithfully copied.
The unique shape of the barracks structure created many construction challenges. The shape is essentially a rectangular “doughnut” with exterior quadrangle space in the center surrounded by cadet rooms and exterior walkways. The building layout consists of four quadrants of rooms. Ellis-Don opted to build all four floors in each quadrant before moving to the next quadrant. This gave subcontractors the chance to install electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems—and to fine-tune the process for the next three quadrants.
Davis & Floyd worked closely with the Charleston Architectural Review Board to save significant historical items from the original building. Wrought-iron gates, bronze plaques and signage were all reused. The clock located high in the tower had not worked for years; it was removed and restored and now keeps accurate time.
The Citadel had a detailed budget, and the final cost was $16.8 million—less than the school’s budget before design. Funding included $15 million from the federal government that had to be spent within a certain period of time. Many items, such as doors, windows, flooring, were purchased early and stored in campus warehouses.
The team also faced a tight deadline because the barracks had to be ready for the start of classes in August 2004. Davis & Floyd had a full-time construction administrator working on-site to quickly resolve any questions or issues.
Merit Award—Institutional
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
3871 Betsy Kerrison Parkway • Johns Island, S.C.
Owner: Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Architect: The Boudreaux Group
Contractor: Gulf Stream Construction Co. Inc.
Engineer: Forsberg Engineering & Surveying
Subcontractors: Gulf Stream Construction Co. Inc., Soil Consultants Inc., Low Country Tile Contractors Inc.
The 1,000-seat Holy Spirit Catholic Church serves a growing population on Johns Island and nearby Kiawah and Seabrook islands. The 16,000-square-foot cruciform church plan has been carefully positioned on the site to maximize the existing landscape elements. Custom round brick piers supporting exposed wood trusses along with the natural exterior materials lend an inviting charm to the building. This sanctuary completes the first phase of a full master plan of the site that has been developed for The Diocese of Charleston.
The $4.9 million project faced a variety of challenges. Deciding where to locate the church took a great deal of balance as the team had to take into consideration the existing wetlands and tree preservation. The bell tower, a landmark and source of identity for the church, required zoning variances for its height.
The Boudreaux Group added subtle details, such as angled glass at the rear walls and small gaps between the boards of the wood ceiling, to enhance the project value and acoustical success. Three-dimensional computer models were used to generate the church’s interior.
Gulf Stream Construction established an aggressive schedule that allowed for site work elements and building elements to work simultaneously. The company assembled a team of contractors that created several scale mock-ups of the project to best determine how the construction materials would work together.
Project organizers credit collaboration, knowledge of the owner’s long-term goals and vision, creativity, innovation and clear communication as factors that contributed to the success of this project.
Merit Award—Institutional
College of Charleston Craig Residence Hall HVAC and Interior Renovations
Charleston, S.C.
Owner: College of Charleston
Architect: Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects Inc.
Contractor: Brantley Construction Co. Inc.
Engineer: DWG Inc.
Subcontractors: Port City Electric, Providence Paint Co., Excel Acoustical
This $1.58 million project included a major HVAC renovation as well as renovations to the interior and roof of an existing 150-bed residence hall on the College of Charleston campus. The team renovating Craig Residence Hall faced a tight deadline. Work could not begin until students moved out for the summer and had to be completed when students returned in the fall. This left crews with 82 days to complete a major HVAC, roof and interior renovation of the hall and most of the cafeteria. This project required detailed planning and a commitment from all involved that the schedule stay on track.
Other challenges were equipment delays and tropical storms. In addition the team had to work within the budget the college had established. Through intensive value engineering, the crew was able to reduce the initial estimate and ultimately bid the project under budget. Design and engineering challenges included determining finishes that were both long-lasting colors and visually interesting.
Craftsman of the Year
Gary A. Lindner
Cullum Constructors Inc.
Gary A. Lindner is a plumbing foreman at Cullum Constructors Inc. with more than 20 years of experience in his craft. Lindner takes personal responsibility for his work and has played a major role in such projects as the Lonnie Hamilton Public Services Building, Comcast Cable offices, Colleton Medical Arts Center renovation and addition, the new Salvation Army Community Center, Bristol Condominiums and a new studio and offices for WCSC Channel 5. Lindner uses his experience in math and plumbing principles to accurately fabricate and install plumbing systems. He is a South Carolina licensed journeyman often overseeing code compliance, testing and inspection completion of a project’s plumbing system.
Chris Cullum nominated Lindner for the award, noting, “Gary Lindner is the kind of employee you would like to clone. He inspects and corrects work on his job based on a high standard of excellence. Gary insists that a job be done to his level of acceptance for his sense of pride and loyalty to his company…He understands what an impact his work has on the long-term life and functionality of a building.”
Lindner has been with Cullum Constructors 12 years, helping train younger workers and pass along his knowledge and expertise. Lindner is enrolled in a Medical Gas Certification Seminar that will allow him to install medical gas systems in health care facilities, which have strict code compliance guidelines. Few people in the region are certified under these new code requirements.
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