For many, change be scary, but it can also drive creativity. Boss Magazine highlighted some impactful commercial construction developments and the effect these solutions have cast on the built environment. In my eyes, the most impressive part is that these improvements progress several sectors, from both a cost and design perspective.
Case Study 1: A School’s Integration of The Folia System
Point blank—implementing a sophisticated middle school concept in California’s North Bay Area is conventionally not cheap. A particular project gaining recognition caught my attention: a two-story, 44,000 square foot middle school utilizing a new concept known as Folia. This method of construction was the brain child of the structural engineer, architect, and CM on the project that took a leap to think outside the traditional scope of work.
Some key points:
– Building Design + Construction Magazine elaborates that, “Folia, which derives from the Greek word meaning “nest,” provides an alternative to traditional steel-framed classroom construction. Unlike modular construction, the Folia system offers design flexibility for any campus or classroom configuration.”
– A large degree of standardization allows for simplicity and pre-engineered options paving the way for cost savings. How much exactly? The architect on the project explained, “A Folia school costs about $400 per sf, compared to $500-plus for a traditionally built school. As important, the Building Team took 10 months to complete Central Middle School, which Kwok says is much faster than conventional building methods.”
– These schools are also exceeding green building standards. What’s even more intriguing? This methodology has applications in converting older spaces to be more efficient.
Case Study 2: New Approaches to Hospital Construction
Taking operations into deep consideration, stations are being integrated into hospital designs so that the care process can be optimized. With virtual care growing in popularity, these stations allow professionals to have a location meeting the A/V connectivity needs this support requires. Boss Magazine specifically discussed virtual care’s utility in an Alabama hospital as they looked to uphold care during construction.
The article summarizes “With everything in place, the hospital can continue serving patients in Clark County that otherwise would have to travel to surrounding counties for treatment in emergency situations. Medical centers don’t have the luxury of shutting down during renovations or expansions. That creates the need to find a way to handle the construction and still provide healthcare to the community.”
Through virtual care for medical accommodation, the hospital created a mobile unit for provision of emergency care as the construction project advanced. By thinking outside of the box, the Grove Hill Memorial Hospital in Alabama is able to complete their project without interruption, and still service their patients.
Case Study 3: Modular Construction in Franchise Prototype Enhances Safety
With the traditional challenges of opening a new franchise, a large-scale chain had a goal of opening doors as quickly as possible. As they sought to accommodate this goal, they found an all-around more efficient option through modular construction.
The typical turn-around with standard construction practices to complete all phases of construction and design for this franchise averaged about 128 days. With the integration of modular construction, managers were not only able to achieve delivery in 88 days, but they soon learned that the finished product is a Type II non-combustible building. This grade material often qualifies for lower insurance rates, but more importantly offers an enhanced level of safety should there be a fire incident during food preparation. From a cost perspective, there are lower maintenance costs and these materials are insect resistant. Through this innovation for one small location among hundreds the franchise owner oversees, the overall prototype was shifted to become more efficient and safe for occupants.
JH Greene has repeatedly found that small innovations such as this often have a larger effect than anticipated. This case study brings to mind our new service page, the product of years of innovating for franchise organizations. Having finally transferred these advisory skills we’ve exercised to a defined service on our webpage, we see countless parallels between this case study and different improvements we’ve shown franchise organizations over the years. Learn how our franchise representation is different from any other contracting solution here.
These case studies emphasize the importance of pushing the status quo and continually striving for more impressive construction outcomes. Although not all projects are a front page, note-worthy success, if there is value engineering potential pursued in some form, I’d chalk that up as an accomplishment.
Sources referenced:
thebossmagazine.com/commercial-construction-trends/
www.bdcnetwork.com/novel-construction-approach-speeds-k-12-school-projects
www.modspace.com/en/resources/case-studies/taco-bell-franchise