Project Schedule
Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Building Replacement
Project
INTRODUCTION
The Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Building
Replacement Project is to be completed in an approximate four-year
schedule of activities, culminating in the relocation of District
7 employees to the new building in 2004. The project is to be
built using the "Design/Build" process in which the State Department
of General Services contracts with a single, combined team of
architects, engineers and builders to design and construct the
project, as opposed to contracting separately with each of these
entities. This is a process that allows public buildings to benefit
from collaboration of the entire design and construction team
from the outset while preserving cost competition and quality
control. This process compresses the time frames between design
and construction, allowing a more efficient, rapid completion
of the project. This format requires a somewhat different set
of phases than the traditional sequence of designing, bidding
and then building, each of which is described as follows:
PROJECT DEFINITION - approximately 7 months
The first step in the process is to identify
all of the important aspects of what the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Building needs to do for its occupants. This is a collaborative
effort of Caltrans District 7, the State Department of General
Services and two primary professional organizations selected to
assist in leading the development of this project; A.C. Martin
and Partners and their team of engineering consultants acting
as the Master Architects, and O'Brien Kreitzberg-URS providing
Project Construction Management. Project Definition involves many
complex steps including programming the size and requirements
of each space in the building, developing "stacking diagrams"
indicating relationships of spaces on various floors, studying
various massing schemes to begin to envision the building's appearance,
conducting energy analysis, meeting with various public agencies
to understand local concerns, confirming the project cost remains
within budget parameters and developing a detailed schedule of
project activities and milestones. This information is used for
the next step, the preparation of the Design Builder Solicitation
Package.
PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC APPROVAL - approximately 12 months
As a significant project in the Civic Center
area of downtown Los Angeles, various public agencies and the
community will review the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Building
project before it can be constructed. Myra Frank and Associates,
selected by the State Department of General Services and Caltrans,
is leading the preparation of the Environmental Review Report.
The process is described in detail in the Public Process section
of this web site. Briefly, the process involves archival research
and various studies to determine the current conditions on and
around the project site. The potential impact of the project is
then assessed against the current conditions. Action plans are
formulated to avoid or mitigate impacts and are documented in
the report as a condition of the project approval. Once the report
is completed, the State of California certifies and formally adopts
the report as the basis for the project to proceed.
PREPARE DESIGN BUILDER SOLICITATION PACKAGE - approximately 9 months
The Design/Builder Solicitation Package compiles
the information derived during the Project Definition Phase into
a set of design guidelines, performance criteria, contract requirements
and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for seeking
(soliciting and solicitation can be confusing when used in the
same paragraph) proposals and completing the contractual agreement
with the Design/Builder.
DESIGN/BUILDER SELECTION - approximately 3 months
Selection of the Design/Builder begins with a
public advertisement requesting written qualification submittals
from interested teams of architects, engineers and builders. Upon
review by the State Department of General Services, Caltrans and
the project consultants, five teams will be chosen for interviews.
From these interviews, three teams will be chosen to prepare design
submittals depicting the nature of the building they intend to
construct. A select jury of design professionals and community
representatives, along with a technical review committee, will
evaluate and rank the submitted designs; then make the final recommendation
of the Design/Builder to be selected.
PROJECT CONSTRUCTION - approximately 27 months
Starting with a notice to proceed, the Design/Builder
will commence to design and construct the new headquarters for
Caltrans District 7. The teams' architects and engineers will
finalize the design of the building, addressing the building's
floor plan layout, exterior enclosure, interior design and all
systems necessary for the building to operate. Caltrans, the State
Department of General Services, and its consultants will review
the design as each component is completed to confirm compliance
with the standards set forth in the contract. The Design/Builder
will then complete preparation of construction documents depicting
how the various materials, equipment and finishes are to be put
together. Trade contractors will then prepare bids under State
public bidding rules assuring that the cost of the project is
derived from an open, competitive process. Construction will be
scheduled and directed by the Design/Builder's project management
team in conjunction with the various trade subcontractors. The
State Department of General Services' building inspectors and
other consultants will monitor the quality, cost and pace of the
work. The building will be ready for occupancy when all interior
and exterior construction is complete, the State Fire Marshal
approves the building's life safety systems and a certificate
of occupancy is issued.
BUILDING COMMISSIONING - approximately 12 months
Shortly before completion of construction, the
building's mechanical, plumbing, electrical and elevator systems
will be placed in operation. This is not just a process of flipping
the start switch! Each system's components are thoroughly inspected,
started and tested before being placed "on-line". Subsystems are
similarly reviewed prior to acceptance as part of the entire building.
Finally, the entire building is operated as a totally integrated
entity to confirm that all is in working order. Building commissioning
extends well beyond the move-in date; continually measuring that
the building's performance lives up to the goals established at
the beginning of the project.
CALTRANS MOVE-IN - approximately 6 months
Finally, the building is ready to occupy. Everyone
picks up their papers and chairs and moves across the street!
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Moving over 1600 people into
their new home will require a coordinated, well-planned series
of activities over several months. Phones must be installed, office
equipment set up, files packed, computer systems relocated and
locations for each person identified. Working with a move-coordinator,
each department's relocation will be scheduled to minimize work
disruption and is to be completed as quickly as possible.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
|
