The modernization of the Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse project in Atlanta, Georgia included the major renovation of the Federal district courts and MEP systems. The project was completed under a CM-at-Risk project delivery including phased Preconstruction and Construction services over a five year span.
The renovation included thirteen (13) existing Magistrate and District Courtrooms, the addition of three (3) new Magistrate Courtrooms, installation of a new roof, exterior building cleaning, a complete HVAC and Fire Alarm systems renovation, a complete renovation of the United States Marshal Service 16th Floor offices and detention facilities, renovation of forty-four (44) Public Restrooms, a complete plaza renovation with security renovation enhancements, the construction of a new Entry Pavilion with security screening functions, modernization of thirteen (13) elevators, replacement of the building generator, and window filming for blast protection for this 26 story building.
Holder utilized Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to assist with existing building condition coordination during the preconstruction phase of the Plaza renovation. Holder developed a model to assist the subcontractors understanding of the requirements of the polystyrene fill associated with the Plaza. Once the model was developed and communicated to the subcontractors, variances in pricing received decreased from 30% to 5% between pricing efforts.
The key to success on the Modernization of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse project was communication. The project required Holder to manage four (4) separate “mini” budgets for each owner/tenant and area of work with the added challenge of identifying and tracking tenant and shell costs. In order to effectively manage these costs, The team met every two weeks to evaluate the budgets and track progress of the design and pricing efforts. The project team took a “no surprises approach” and immediately dealt with any issues that could have an impact on the budget, schedule and quality of the project.