Thurber Village was built as part of a larger commercial development featuring a new drug store, organic food market and parking lot on the corner of a busy urban intersection, near a major highway interchange, in a high-density area. While the new drug store was being built, the old one needed to stay fully functional until its replacement was complete. This meant managing the project so our construction work and material deliveries would not interfere with the store’s customers and deliveries. We needed to maintain parking, accessibility and construction laydown in a tight vicinity.

The same was also true for Thurber Village itself, as the residential units were being leased while the building was under construction. We needed to account for the needs of the property management team and support a positive experience for potential tenants.

While HGC led Preconstruction and site work for the entire development, a third-party construction manager led the construction of the drug store, organic food market and parking lot adjacent to Thurber Village. A shared job site meant an increased demand for collaboration across companies to ensure efficiency and seamlessness.

Finally, Thurber Village’s proximity to several established neighborhoods of tight-knit communities led to frequent queries from curious and concerned local residents wondering about the noise, the timeline, and the final product.

Our meticulous Preconstruction process laid the groundwork for a successful project by developing a comprehensive plan to mitigate risk, minimize costs and reduce schedule impacts. We anticipated the potential hazards and hardships of such a congested job site, so we implemented targeted procedures and engaged in ongoing dialogue with all parties to navigate logistical challenges. 

While the leasing office within Thurber Village was still under construction, we converted a maintenance office into a temporary leasing space where agents could meet with prospective residents and continue building occupancy. 

We met concerns from local residents with empathy and understanding, and assured them our goals for a beautiful development that would elevate the area aligned with theirs. We gave back when we could, such as donating to a local trash cleanup, further emphasizing our commitment to enhancing the local community.

Because this was an active waste transfer facility servicing four counties, all operations needed to remain at 100 percent for the duration of the project. We knew accommodating this would require meticulous planning and deep coordination throughout. Plans were further complicated by a late-stage change to the truck fueling system after schedules were already in place. 

In addition, during the demolition of the existing transfer facility, we discovered contaminated soil below the site, an environmental issue with safety and compliance implications demanding immediate attention.

Simultaneously constructing three new facilities on an active college campus brought multiple layers of complexities, from logistical constraints and tight laydown areas to safety and compliance considerations. Our work spanned multiple academic years (and college campuses never truly close), so our teams were constantly working alongside the hustle and bustle of busy students, faculty and staff. Due to the size and scope of the project, coordinating vast teams of subcontractors to promote efficiency and adhere to schedules was another challenging demand. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic brought its own set of complications with material and supply delays.

One of the most challenging aspects of school construction projects is completing the necessary work without disturbing students as they’re trying to learn. Often, major construction is reserved for summer months, which can delay timelines and bloat budgets. 

The renovation of the Seger Family Natatorium was a challenging project in and of itself. In addition to the complete demolition of the existing pool and superstructure, our team needed to remove two exterior walls, the roof and all MEP systems to pave the way for a significant expansion and modernization of the facility.

Our business was built on these values — and they continue to drive our people, our projects and our culture today.

Because of the historic nature of the building, all our work was required to follow strict historic preservation standards, such as limiting noise, monitoring vibrations, and maintaining tight temperature and humidity levels to protect the artwork. We also worked around asbestos, an underground cistern, and in an environment with very tight logistics. We removed all existing HVAC equipment from attic spaces and replaced them with new, modern equipment — all through a single 3-by-5-foot hatch.

Before any construction to the historic house began, our team engaged a historic consultant and spent a year in preconstruction and design to align on a budget and complete value engineering exercises. We addressed an urgent concern — rotting structural framing — by shoring up the house to replace the structural members, then removed all wooden boards that made up the exterior skin. We installed a rain screen and vapor barrier behind the interior walls, and utilized an environmental safe chamber to remove asbestos behind the siding. The initial plan called for tongue and groove siding, but we discovered that a shiplap assembly was a better option for water protection and gave the same historic look on the outside.

Another pressing issue involved short cycling air. Since almost every room had a fireplace, we proposed repurposing these old fireplaces and chimney flues as return-air paths to allow for cross-room ventilation

Our business was built on these values — and they continue to drive our people, our projects and our culture today.

Our business was built on these values — and they continue to drive our people, our projects and our culture today.