Short Takes

March/April 2008

‘Build-Design’ Renovation in Boston

Condos quickly transformed into student urban housing

By Tom Nicholson

Interior work called for redesigning floor plans to fit student residences with four to six bedrooms, and new mechanical systems.

Tight working quarters, a fast-track schedule and a completion deadline with zero wiggle room were the rules Boston-based Suffolk Construction Co. had to play by last summer when it undertook a $12-million transformation of two former condominium buildings into college residence halls.

Owner Suffolk University in downtown Boston selected the contractor to renovate the two 9-story, conjoined buildings, which total more than 90,000 sq ft. The university needed the project done in less than six months in order to house 274 incoming students before the start of the school’s spring semester.

The project started in August and was completed in January, just days before students arrived. It was a daunting task, says project superintendent Joe Callaghan.

Aiming for a LEED-Silver certification, Boston-based CBT Architects integrated recycled products throughout the structures in a design that called for major interior demolition and fit-out and construction of an interior mezzanine.

Suffolk, which served as construction manager and also performed construction, formed a close relationship with the architect as the project sped along.

“This project was so fast, it might be better to call it a ‘build-design’ job,” Callaghan says, adding that constant communication with the architect was critical to the fast-tracked project. “We met with the architect every day to discuss design issues that had cropped up the previous day. It was an unusual approach, but we needed the architect onsite every morning so that we could avoid delays.”

The team converted 73 units into four- and six-bedroom student residences, including construction of new floor-plan layouts, mechanical/electrical/plumbing modifications and new interior fit-out and finishes.

The cramped working conditions on the urban site at 10 West St. complicated matters. Offsite staging and sequencing were mandated by the city to avoid impediments to downtown traffic flow.

“There was an incredible amount of logistical planning.” Callaghan says. “In addition to working 10 to 12 hours, six days per week, we had to do a lot of work at night to avoid stopping traffic, and we had to handpick the subcontractors we knew could work the aggressive schedule, sometimes in 24-hour shifts.”

Challenged by a short schedule and complicated by Boston's congested urban environment, Suffolk Construction Co. completed this fast-tracked renovation project in a rush, including a interior fit out designed to accommodate college students' needs.

All photos courtesy of Suffolk Construction Co.