“Partnering provided a safe venue in which concerns could be expressed honestly and openly with others respecting the position being represented. Through this process, the entire team was able to work together to determine the most effective means of resolving an issue, ensuring the solution was one that served the project best. Addressing the project’s needs was always a top priority.”
– Charlie Atkinson, Project Manager, Jacobs
Partnering Results
- Completed on-schedule and within budget.
- Designed to meet LEED Platinum Certification.
- Achieved zero lost-time safety incidents
- Aligned the design and construction team, as well as third-party project stakeholders through partnering workshops and monthly teamwork surveys.
- Achieved common team goals for design, post occupancy satisfaction, community outreach, budget, schedule, sustainability, safety, quality, security and teamwork.
- Developed innovative cost- and time-saving solutions to meet design criteria.
- Enhanced quality and eliminated rework using BIM and Virtual Reality technology.
- Established an environment of open and honest communication.
Project Description
The General Service Administration’s (GSA) $350 million United States Courthouse project represents the best of the best in team collaboration and innovation. A monumental engineering feat, the landmark facility features a distinctive floating cube design meeting LEED Platinum-level certification requirements. The 633,000-square-foot, 10-level courthouse includes 24 courtrooms and 32 judicial chambers, housing the U.S. District Court, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorneys’ Office and the Federal Public Defender. The building is anchored by one-level of parking, as well as mechanical and back-of-house space.
Achieving the project’s design goals while obtaining the highest level of value for the publicly-funded facility was paramount to the team’s success. Modern partnering processes coupled with design-build delivery helped foster an environment built upon teamwork and trust, enabling the team to meet these objectives and more. Seven partnering workshops were conducted with representatives from GSA and the design-build team over the course of the project. During the first workshop, the team shared expectations and established common goals, which were updated as needed at subsequent workshops to ensure the various team members worked toward the same definition of success. Earning World Class™ team status, the project team has garnered more than a dozen industry awards, setting a new bar for other civic projects to follow.
Project Details
Design-Build
633,000 SF
$350 million
LEED® Platinum-designed
Project Team
Owner:
General Service Administration
Design-Builder:
Clark Construction Group
Construction Manager:
Jacobs
Architect:
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill