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Area Design-Build Team to Construct New University of Maryland Event Center and President’s Residence


Image by University of Maryland Press Releases
Aerial: President’s residence. Shot 5/6/2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md.–The University of Maryland College Park Foundation, concluding a rigorous search and evaluation process, will hire the design-build team of Forrester Construction/Barnes Vanze Architects/Gibson Builders to design and construct a new University Event Center and President’s Residence. The action follows earlier approval from the USM Board of Regents to build the much-needed University Events Center and to either upgrade or replace the newly vacated President’s Residence.

The Foundation, a private 501.c3 corporation, will raise private support to fund the project. The Foundation was established to raise and manage private support to advance the University’s mission and goal to become one of the top public research universities in the nation.

The University of Maryland is in the last two years of its ambitious billion capital campaign, Great Expectations: The Campaign for Maryland, one-third of which is committed to raising much-needed student scholarships and other types of student financial aid. It has raised more than 0 million to date. Maryland’s new president, Wallace D. Loh, will be a significant asset in raising the funds to successfully close out the campaign.

As we all know, a significant and measurable component in the role of any effective president today is to raise funds – both public and private – on behalf of the university. More often than not, the president’s residence doubles as the major venue in this regard, said John N. Lauer, ’63, Chair of the Foundation’s Executive Committee. The University of Maryland has sorely needed a presidential venue in which to host the level of cultivation and recognition events that help advance its mission and fundraising goals.

According to an American Council of Education survey in 2001, university presidents were polled on the four areas that occupy most of their time. Presidents at public institutions spent approximately 44.2 percent of their time actively engaged in fundraising, building partnerships with other organizations, and representing the institution to stakeholders (American College President, ACE, 2002).

The planned Event Center will be integrated with the new residence into a single structure but with public space and private (i.e., residence) space largely separate. With an estimated seating capacity of 125 and a standing capacity of approximately 350, the planned venue will greatly enhance business conducted on behalf of the University of Maryland. The room will be dividable for smaller gatherings. There will be handicapped accessible restrooms, a catering kitchen, storage space, a loading dock, and office and work space for staff. The Events Center will be built to meet or exceed LEED Silver Certification standards.

In addition to fundraising, the new Center will be used for a wide range of university initiatives and activities that will continue raising the university’s profile and visibility — hosting high-level conferences, ambassadors, and guest speakers. The new Event Center will also be located within a short walking distance of other major campus venues, such as the Clarice Smith Center, allowing the university to host events connected to performances at the performing arts center.

The new residence will include the kinds of spaces on the main floor and second (top) floor of the current residence with the addition of a garage and possibly a screened porch. It would be built to meet or exceed LEED Silver Certification standards, smaller in actual size, with much more livable space and more energy efficient than the current residence.

The Project Team
Maryland-based Forrester Construction Company is one of the Washington Metropolitan area’s leading commercial general contractors, having earned an industry-wide reputation for consistently delivering exceptional construction services on projects ranging from small tenant interiors to national landmarks including the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. It has more than 20 years of design-build experience and a 10-year relationship with the University of Maryland. Barnes Vance Architects, Inc. has had a long, successful design history in the Washington, DC area and beyond, providing imaginative architectural solutions carefully tailored to client needs. This is achieved by combining a respect for tradition with the quiet incorporation of the latest technology. Forrester has enlisted Gibson Builders, a company with expertise in residential construction, to be an integral part of the team.

Design-Build Approach
The Foundation opted for a design-build approach, in which the architect and builder work together as a team from start to finish. This typically allows for a project to move forward on a faster schedule and assures rigorous cost control as adjustments can be made easily along the way. Current expectations are for the new facility to be completed by June 2012.

The Foundation has set a cap on the cost of the project at .2 million. All funding will be provided by private donors. More than one-third of the maximum cost was secured before selection of the design-build team and before any concepts or renderings were available.

The Selection Committee
The Committee that selected the winning design-build team consisted of several Foundation representatives, Frank Brewer (Associate Vice President for Facilities at the University), Carlo Colella (the University’s Director of Capital Projects) and two members of his staff, and Steve Hurtt, former dean of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Historic Preservation.

The Current Residence
All proposals submitted to the Foundation’s selection committee deemed the current unsuitable for renovation and use as a residence. The cost of renovation would likely exceed the cost of new construction, achieving a LEED Silver or better Certification level would be unlikely, and the basic structure would remain problematic. One proposer characterized renovation options as if not putting lipstick on a pig, at least it would be dressing up a broken down wreck . The Foundation will work with the University to determine whether the residence can be converted to other uses or should be demolished.

UM Facilities Management as Owner’s Representative
The Foundation has engaged the University’s Facilities Management (FM) Office to provide technical and administrative support and coordination for the project and to ensure that design and work complies with all University standards and policies.

Contact:
Millree Williams
301 405 4621 or millree@umd.edu

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Tags: Area, Center, Construct, DesignBuild, Event, Maryland, Presidents, Residence, Team, University