Design Build Archives - Page 2 of 3 - CAM Construction

Holy Angels Catholic School at Seton Keough High School

CAM was employed as the CMaR to convert a portion of the Seton Keough High School into the new Holy Angels Catholic School to quickly accommodate the relocated pre-school, kindergarten, and/or elementary school children. CAM met their commitment to working within the stringent deadline of less than 2 months for opening the new school.

While few exterior modifications were required, the entire new school needed to be separated from the high school’s interior, complete with fire separations and fire alarm upgrades throughout. Asbestos needed to be abated, classrooms and restrooms needed to be created or modified, and new restrooms were added to meet the needs of the new elementary and pre-school students.

The seven existing “gang” restrooms were completely gutted and reconstructed with all new fixtures, partitions, and accessories, and ceramic tile floors installed. The administrative area for the high school needed a facelift, and a portion of the former convent was also renovated for use as office space.

New administrative offices were constructed to accommodate the Holy Angels Catholic School staff. and a new Health Suite was constructed to serve both schools. CAM renovated two existing classrooms for use as a Computer Lab and Library and also added air conditioning to the space, while several of the existing rooms were converted for use as Pre-K and K classrooms. All new IT cabling and systems were installed throughout the school, and fire separations were constructed at both the corridors and all staircases to meet new fire code regulations. Additional fire alarm work needed to receive a certificate of occupancy and was added to the scope during the course of the renovation.

CAM was also charged with adding onto work that had already been designed and at an increase of more than 40% if the cost of the original project in added scope or work were necessary due to the discovery of unforeseen conditions. These tasks were all completed without the ability to add time to an already foreshortened schedule. For example, previously unforeseen asbestos-containing materials were abated under full containment regulations as an addition to CAM’s scope of work.

The existing school structure now has two separate and secure entries, one for each of the schools, as well as distinctly different classrooms, administrative areas, restrooms, etc., and it is able to share the auditorium and athletic facilities without interrupting the curriculum of either schools.

Although classes end in June each year, a school remains occupied throughout the summer break, and CAM was able to complete their work throughout all three floors of the building without adversely impacting the school’s summer schedule. CAM’s commitment to “doing what it takes” to meet a schedule was once again demonstrated when the staff and students returned on time to the newly renovated schools.

LSOP St. Martin’s Home

In early summer 2007, CAM was retained by the Little Sisters of the Poor as a Construction and Design Advisor for the construction of their new 180,000-200,000 square foot Provincial Home, one of only three in the US, serving the needs of the 80 residents, 20 Sisters, and the needs of the entire Eastern Province for the order.

Originally accepting the role as owner’s expert construction advisor, CAM would have been precluded from constructing the facility. Throughout more than 18 months of regularly scheduled design and planning meetings, CAM was an integral part of all discussions regarding programming, materials selections, budgets, cost analysis, parallel estimates, and value engineering. At CAM’s urging and advice, environmentally conscious materials and green building techniques were incorporated into the plans and program for the new structure. Plans for the new structure were halted at 100% design development drawings, and the Little Sisters of the Poor elected to renovate their existing occupied facility, hiring CAM as the Design/Build Construction Manager at Risk for the project. This faith-based home has required extensive pre-construction work to allow it to proceed to final design and construction, all completed at the originally quoted price. Multiple phases of construction have been added as contributions have been received to allow the project to proceed.

CAM aided the Sisters in preparation of an RFP for design services and selection of the team to complete this multi-year, multi-phased project. Challenges that CAM has overcome during this project include providing for independent and assisted living needs as well as those requiring skilled nursing care, with a convent for the Sisters themselves, while constantly evaluating cost and durability.

The 200,000 sq. ft. renovation project is planned for at least five phases, three of which are completed, including the complete design, the chiller replacement, and most currently, the renovation of four “cottages” totaling 56,000 sq. ft. as well as the renovations to 22,000 sq. ft. of the lower level’s laundry wing, boiler wing, corridors, and cottage mechanical rooms.

Phase IV work will renovate the large chapel, the convent, and the Postulate. Future plans include renovations to major administrative areas, creation of a new Main Street, and the balance of the lower level.

Like many faith-based retirement communities, St. Martin’s Home includes a chapel, an auditorium, dining rooms, a commercial kitchen and laundry, administrative areas that were quite expensive, a medical suite, offices for Social Services and physical therapy, a publication office, and a planned “Main Street” area, which contains resident amenities such as a game room, beauty salon, and gift shop. Construction costs for the complete renovation project are estimated at approximately $25 million.

MTA Police & Automotive Maintenance Facility

CAM was selected in a Design/Build proposal with a guaranteed max price to develop and construct the 46,000-square foot Administrative and Automotive Shops facility. The two-story administrative area houses 21,150-square feet for the Maryland Transportation Authority, including an exercise room, holding cells, and administrative support areas. The 13,300-square foot Shops facility includes a Vehicle Lube System, Vehicle Lifts, Wash Bays, and an Overhead Crane.

By modifying the limited structural design in the RFP, CAM was able to afford the owner more usable floor area as well as more headroom with the new continuous spread-footing and wall-bearing structural system. Our structural analysis revealed a lack of structural flexibility, so we deleted perimeter columns and beams to alleviate the stress and improve interior space.

Due to the fast-track nature of the contract, the redesigned footings were completed during the design phase of the project, and the steel fabrication proceeded to maintain the tight completion schedule. Numerous finish enhancements were also added to the project during design; no additional costs were added to the contract as a result of these changes.

In addition, CAM moved the entire Bay Bridge surveillance and communication system from one building to the new Police and Automotive Facility. The Control Room consisted of running new fiber optics, data lines, video communications, monitoring, and the state police “MILES” system. This transition was completed flawlessly, without any interruption of use.

1820 Lancaster Street – Union Box Co. Building

CAM Construction provided construction management and design/build services to Mason Dixon Capital Management for Lancaster Square in Fells Point. Savings of over 5% were achieved by utilizing the Construction Management Guaranteed Maximum Price delivery method. CAM utilized a value engineering process that permitted the project to proceed on a fast track basis to meet the developer’s needs.

The Lancaster Square renovation consisted of a group of five separate structures originally built in the 1880s and varying significantly in construction materials and floor plate elevations. The main building, The Union Box Co., is a timber-framed, three-story, 16,000-square foot brick warehouse. The other buildings are a two-story, steel-framed building, a two-story steel- and wood-framed building, and a 3-story brick townhouse.

Among the main challenges to this project was integration of the five structures into a single cohesive development while completely renovating the existing structures. The project called for major restoration including extensive masonry cleaning and re-pointing as well as cleaning and sealing the wood beams. The integration of the five structures unified 12 different roof elevations all of which were re-roofed and to which several large wood decks were added. Approximately 120 historic windows were replaced as part of the renovation.

Both a new five-story and three-story elevator shaft were installed within the existing footprint of the building. The project also added three stair towers, two of which were steel, and one was a concrete scissor stair.

As a part of the redevelopment, CAM constructed a three-story, light gauge addition between two irregularly shaped brick walls to integrate the structures. The project added another three-story addition that provides space for 10 luxury apartments atop the existing two-story structure.

At the main entrance a railroad motif with asphalt brick pavers, solid maple ties and stainless steel tracks lead visitors and residents from Lancaster Street to inside the Union Box Co. building. Once inside, the building glass walls seamlessly interface with the large wood timbers and provide aisles and office space while maintaining the historical character of the building. The apartment entrance is accessed through a large teak door flanked by tubular steel frames with stainless steel rods and an illuminated barrel vault canopy awning. The teak door gate is electronically interlocked with a secondary all-aluminum entrance at the other end of the courtyard, providing security for the apartment residents.

BCPS Board of Education HQ

Partial demolition, reconstruction and total renovation of a four-story, 300,000 square foot historically significant, former Baltimore Polytechnic Institute masonry structure for new administrative offices for the Baltimore City Public School System. The project was fully funded by CAM Construction Company under a Lease Agreement and in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement, returned to the City of Baltimore after completion. The center of the building was demolished and reconstructed, a new plaza entry was completed and all existing historic masonry was totally restored making it difficult to distinguish the original home to Baltimore’s engineering students from the new infill addition.

900 S. Wolfe Street – TBC Headquarters

This three-story, 31,000 sq, ft., historically accurate, iron spot and glazed brick office building in Fells Point is home to Trahan Burden Charles (TBC), one of the largest advertising agencies on the East Coast. The design challenge was to provide a structure of this size, capable of being leased to multiple tenants, in keeping with the height and scale of the adjacent structures. The geometry of the site required that the building front on each of the three streets and provide as much natural light as was possible from the narrow ends of the building.

The resulting structure features intricate, articulated, brick facades and corbeling, with incised granite accents at the exterior. Operable windows, exposed 2-by-8 wood plank decking, exposed composite wood/steel trusses, exposed spiral duct and interior brick walls, recycled wood flooring, glass block, rubber tile, and carpeting all create a modern interior belying the more traditional exterior construction.

Spaces constructed for TBC’s work include special audio visual areas, a dubbing/editing room for voice over work, a film studio, arts department, first floor executive lounge, large client conference room, and the computer server room with its separate Liebert HVAC unit.

The third floor clerestory provides natural light throughout the studio space, and interior office partitions include fixed light accents to transmit natural lighting. Private balconies on the third floor are accessed from the conference room and executive office. Core areas for stairways and back-of-house spaces are located along the side walls to assure the fullest impact of the window walls. The 5-foot grade differential between the two ends of the building is barely visible to all but the most vigilant observer.

Villa Julie Infirmary Renovations

This 2-phased project was broken up into a ramp and canopy project, which offered additional indoor/outdoor amenity space to elderly residents, as well as interior office renovations. It entailed the construction of a multi-level enclosed porch addition, replete with exposed wood ceiling, screened in fencing, fans and lighting systems. New and replacement roofing work was done to the existing building, in addition to various improvements to the nurses station, as well as upgrades to the basement corridor, as utilized by residents and the Sisters of Notre Dame in their caretaking functions. CAM self-performed some of the carpentry and wood decking work, which yielded cost savings to the owner.

Bay Ridge Garden Apartments

This suburban community consists of 198 affordable, garden-style apartment units in suburban Annapolis, MD. CAM acted as a liaison between the ownership group, which developed these newly constructed units using HUD/HCD financing. The project involved significant sitework, grading, paving, new utility connections, and landscaping/site furnishings. The units remain income restricted and offer a critical source of housing in a submarket of Maryland which suffers from a shortage of affordable rental options for lower to middle income residents.