Pfeiffer Partners, Devcon complete Santa Clara University Library

Construction is complete on the Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara.

The architect on the project was Pfeiffer Partners of Los Angeles, and the general contractor was Milpitas-based Devcon Construction.

The new 194,000-sq-ft, four-level building occupies the site of SCU’s former Orradre Library and has nearly twice the square footage. The building boasts a number of environmentally-friendly features, including 11 waterless urinals, access to natural light in more than 90% of the public space, and furniture that is recycled and/or recyclable.

The building offers the capacity for more than 1.1 million volumes and features 25 collaborative workrooms, laboratories for faculty development and multimedia, three video viewing and taping rooms, wireless networking throughout, and 1,050 reader seats — each with a wired network connection and electric power.

Other features of the new facility include three “incubator spaces” for experimenting with new educational technologies; an Information Commons featuring the fastest, “hottest” machines on campus, with nearby support staff; a cafe; an automated retrieval system capable of storing one million volumes in special shelving; and expanded and climate-controlled storage space for the university’s archives and special collections, as well as a dedicated reading room for researchers using these materials.

Construction on the $95 million library began in summer 2006.

ROEL completes two projects for National University

San Diego-based ROEL Construction Co. has completed construction on two of National University’s three new buildings in Kearny Mesa. One building is a 39,000-sq-ft concrete tilt-up and steel building that is home to classrooms, labs and offices for the students and staff of the university as well as a production studio for the school’s media and communications program. The second is an 8,000-sq-ft masonry and steel building for the National Polytechnic College of Science that includes a dive tank and two hyperbaric chambers. ROEL is currently building the third building a 15,000-sq-ft masonry and steel building to house the operations staff of the university. The National University Kearny Mesa campus has remained open and fully operational during construction.

The architect on the project is Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker. Consultants to the design team include Hope Engineering, RBF Consulting, and TKG Consulting Engineers. Subcontractors for this $15 million project included Quality Reinforcing, Modern Masonry, International Iron Products, McBride Door & Hardware, Sunset Glazing, Otis Elevator, Schmidt Fire Protection, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Demcon Concrete Contractors, Raymond Corp., Horizon Painting, Hess Roofing, Bingham Mechanical and Prime Electric.

Gkkworks selected as master architect for prison expansion

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Construction has chosen gkkworks as the master architect for the construction of a 1,900-bed prison expansion in Wasco.

Irvine-based gkkworks was one of seven finalists for the master architect contract. The prison is slated for completion in 2011.

Construction of the planned 528,572-sq-ft prison expansion is the result of California AB 900, a $7.7-billion bill approved by the state legislature to construct facilities for 53,000 new prison and jail beds over the next five years to alleviate the state’s overcrowded prisons.

The new high-security facilities will be located on adjacent property to the existing 4,000-bed prison in Wasco. The existing prison was built about 20 years ago and will remain operational after the new prison is completed.

Gkkworks will handle programming, site planning and architecture, engineering design and construction services. There will be multiple bid packages with a traditional design/bid/build selection of general contractors.

The expansion will include more than 50 buildings with 10 housing units and facilities for vocational and academic education, healthcare, recreation, visitation and administration. Other buildings will contain a central kitchen, food service functions and a warehouse.

The project will pursue a LEED silver rating. In 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order that requires designing, constructing and operating all new and renovated state-owned facilities paid for with state funds as LEED silver or higher-certified buildings.

Ratcliff-designed, Overaa-built St. Mary’s College project is completed

Richmond-based C. Overaa & Co. recently completed the two-story, 36,671-sq-ft Filippi Academic Hall at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga.
Emeryville-based Ratcliff was the architect for the project.

The first floor includes eight classrooms and three offices; student lounge, student computer lounge and curriculum library; four breakout rooms; tutoring; and academic skills center. The second floor has 49 offices, private and semi-private; three conference rooms; and administrative assistants’ work area.

The steel-frame building contains stucco exterior, a terra cotta tile roof and ornamental ironwork.

Energy efficient measures were installed throughout the building by incorporating intelligent building controls for heating/cooling systems and lighting.

“Breakout rooms” for informal student-faculty meetings or group project work were also installed.

Outdoors, the U-shaped building was designed to create a courtyard with benches and a large oak tree at the center of the space where students can gather and socialize.

Reno Contracting starts building Gaslamp Quarter hotel in San Diego

San Diego-based Reno Contracting has started construction on a $50-million Marriott Residence Inn in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The San Diego architectural firm of Awbrey Cook McGill designed the hotel.

The firm’s design incorporates brick and metal exterior finishes that replicate the materials used in existing structures within the historic warehouse district.

The 240-suite, 13-story hotel is being built on a site located at Sixth Avenue and J Street, a block from the San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park. The extended-stay hotel will have more than 8,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail space and three levels of subterranean parking. The post-tensioned, concrete building will include a street-level bar and lounge, meeting rooms, banquet facilities and a rooftop pool and deck overlooking Fifth Avenue. The hotel is scheduled for fast-track completion by November 2009.

DES, DPR complete research building in Pleasanton

Roche Molecular Diagnostics reported the completion of a new research facility at its global headquarters in Pleasanton. The building represents the final phase of consolidation of RMD’s West Coast operations into one campus in Pleasanton, which now houses close to 500 employees, including 120 members of RMD’s research teams previously located in Alameda. RMD is a world-leading molecular diagnostics company, developing diagnostics that provide information to select the best therapy for a particular patient by enabling physicians to monitor response to treatment or identify molecular characteristics of a disease.

The research building encompasses more than 135,000 sq ft on RMD’s 33.4-acre campus in the Hacienda Business Park. Designed by DES Architects + Engineers under the leadership of Craig Ivancovich, architect and principal, it was then built by DPR Construction of Redwood City.

RMD is working to implement final operational improvements that will enable the new facility to qualify for LEED certification and PG&E’s “Savings by Design” program.