CU - Leeds School of Business

Boulder

Project Features

Higher Education, Library, LEED Gold, Tight Site, Structural Steel Superstructure, Commercial Kitchen, Administration, Classrooms, State of Colorado Contract, Structural Renovation, Major Building Systems Retrofit, Multiple User Groups, Addition, Renovation, Occupied

Owner

University of Colorado Boulder (CU)

Project Description

The Leeds School of Business project was a 166,000 sf addition and renovation to a 33-year old building on a congested site at CU Boulder.

Owner Additions to Scope
When construction was 50% complete, $6 million in owner-additions added 24% more scope with no schedule extensions.

Scope of Work
The renovation and addition portions of the project were constructed concurrently. Original scope for the renovation was "paint and patch." Owner scope additions during construction resulted in Pinkard completely gutting and renovating 103,000 sf, virtually every square foot, of the existing building.

Scope included asbestos abatement and build-out of classrooms, teaching laboratories, team rooms/office space, and a 20,000 sf library. Significant structural improvements were necessary to meet current code, including seismic and fire upgrades that included new caissons and shear walls.

The 63,000 sf structural steel and sandstone veneer addition included classrooms, dining and kitchen facilities, office and board rooms, and a grand atrium with limestone tile.

The atrium is topped by a towering, copper-trimmed dome of red clay tile. A complex scaffold system six stories high was constructed to complete the atrium interior.

Very high-end finishes include Lyons, Colorado sandstone, Indiana limestone, oak and hardwood casework trim, and limestone floor finishes from Portugal and Germany.

Occupied Campus
The project was in the middle of a main pedestrian thoroughfare requiring complex phasing of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Sitework and foundations began while the school was occupied. Careful coordination of ingress/egress, signage, noise, dust and vibration control minimized impact. A three-acre greenbelt adjacent to the site received a significant makeover that included landscaping improvements, new sprinklers and improved pedestrian circulation.

LEED Certification
Although Pinkard's contractual obligation was to meet LEED Silver certification, enough LEED points were earned to qualify for LEED Gold despite the fact that the more challenging renovation portion was expected to conform to a New Construction (NC) rating. LEED Gold certification was received January 2008.

Winner, Associated Builders and Contractors' 1st place, National Excellence in Construction Eagle award.

Architect

Davis Partnership Architects

Size

166,000 Sq. Ft.

I saw firsthand many of the numerous challenges that Pinkard and the entire construction team had to face and ultimately overcome. These challenges were frequent occurences, and involved portions of the existing 40-year old concrete structure interfering with planned construction. Pinkard was always conscientious about communicating field issues, putting together detailed as-builts to clarify the changes, and to diligently work to sequence and oversee subcontractor performance. Thanks to all members of your team who made so many important contributions to the success of this project.

...our financially starved project required a lot of compromise. Rick gave us three or four options for virtually every line item, just so we could think about them.... Pinkard enabled us to save the soul of our building.

Stories From The Team