Increased Bed Count, Lower Cost for ISU Residence Hall

Iowa State University (ISU) selected our Client Direct Services group to add a new high-profile, student residence, making room for 784 more students to live on campus in the 2016 – 2017 school year. Scheduled for completion in November 2016, the design showcases how we can deliver more value for less money by applying our unique design-build process.

Our unique approach takes design-build to the next level, effectively integrating all stakeholders – client, architect and builder – for meaningful collaboration that elevates the whole project delivery experience.

ISU selected us for the project because of the overall value of our design concept. Our team submitted an aesthetically pleasing design that exceeded all ISU requirements – at a guaranteed maximum cost $1.1 million below the other bidders and under their maximum budget. During the competitive bidding process, we demonstrated our significant experience in student living and design-build delivery. As the only integrated design-build firm vying for the project, we drew on our collaborative design-build approach to listen to university needs, and then maximized value by focusing dollars on the areas most important to ISU.

The primary improvement the university sought to achieve was to optimize bed count. The design accommodates 784 beds – a 12% increase over ISU's required minimum – at a cost per bed up to 47% less than that of other similar public residence hall projects. Sharing our knowledge of education living trends, we proposed a brick-clad precast enclosure and a clear-span interior floor structure that resulted in minimal interior columns. The flexible floor layout enables ISU to reconfigure living spaces in the future to adapt more cost-efficiently as student living trends evolve.

ISU welcomed our expertise, ideas and commitment to accommodate all project requirements without compromise. At ISU's request, we made changes to the placement of mechanical rooms. The experienced project management and design team was able to incorporate other betterments as well. The specified LEED Silver design was upgraded to LEED Gold, without increasing the project budget. The residence hall also includes a new heating and chilling plant for an existing residence hall adjacent to the site.

Design and construction is on an aggressive 20-month schedule, which will be fully managed by our team, with regular communication and input from all parties.

Our design-build approach integrates all stakeholders for meaningful collaboration that drives maximum value.

• More about ISU Geoffroy Residence Hall