Meeting Critical Public Health Demands: Using Building Information Modeling to Accelerate Solutions
David Livingood, AIA, CSI, Treanor Architects
Bill Spillar, LEED AP®, JE Dunn Construction
The utilization of building information modeling (BIM) gives a design and construction team a tool that all parties can use for project delivery. When the architect, engineer, contractor, and subcontractors are using BIM, a clearly delineated platform shows where each discipline is integrated. This integration identifies potential conflicts that may have schedule and cost impacts.
The School of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas needed to quickly expand its class size to meet the public health demands of the region. The demand for pharmacists was not being supported by the current class size; some areas were without a licensed pharmacist. A previously-completed planning exercise by Treanor Architects and the School of Pharmacy evolved into a fully-funded new teaching and administration building. The demand for more pharmacists would be met with a $50 million, 112,000-square-foot facility completed in a construction manager at-risk delivery system. This delivery system teamed Treanor with JE Dunn Construction to fast track the construction, eliminating five months from the proposed construction schedule through the use of BIM.
The BIM approach gave the team a seamless discipline integration that mitigated conflicts. By limiting conflicts through BIM, schedule impacts and cost increases were also limited. The construction delivery was released in multiple bid packages that also minimized the construction schedule, thereby enabling the design team to work on subsequent packages while previous packages were under construction. The BIM system provided a platform for each of the bid packages to be identified and quantify the materials used for each. The software used and modeling completed was not only an indispensable design and coordination tool, but also provided a platform for integration and efficiency that will only improve with technology and enhance the commitment of all parties to continue to work together in new ways.
This technical session will be given by the architect and construction manager for the project. Each speaker will share perspective on why the project was able to be delivered with the effective use of BIM and how other building owners can do the same in the future.
Biographies:
David Livingood, one of 12 principals leading an 85-person architectural firm, maintains an active role in his projects, often serving not only as the project principal but also as the project manager. Mr. Livingood's relationship with the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy began with the planning and programming for a three-phase West Campus expansion and continued with the design and construction documentation for phase one of the School of Pharmacy's new Teaching and Administration Building. During his 30 years of architectural practice, Mr. Livingood has focused on higher education clients and has held a particular interest in educational spaces and research facilities. Mr. Livingood is conscious of the constant changes occurring in the life sciences, as well as the critical importance technology plays in today's research and instructional environments.
Bill Spillar is a vice president of JE Dunn Construction company with more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry. The first nine years of Mr. Spillar's career were spent as a project manager for a major national mechanical contractor. This early experience working in the mechanical industry has served Mr. Spillar well in constructing health care and laboratory projects for JE Dunn Construction. Mr. Spillar has constructed pharmaceutical and laboratory facilities for Marion Laboratories and SmithKline Beecham, as well as laboratory facilities for the University of Kansas (KU) which include the KU Multidisciplinary Research Building, KU School of Pharmacy, and KU Measurement, Materials, and Sustainable Environment Center. Mr. Spillar is a LEED AP and a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers.