Project Manager Karen Williams and Interior Designer Martha Wassweiler took the PIVOT team on a tour of the Eugene Family YMCA as construction nears completion. The tour provided our team a chance to see how a large-scale, complex project progresses and how our drawings and specs are translated into physical construction.
The translation between what is designed “on paper” and how it is manifested in construction requires extensive coordination, countless hours of on-site collaboration with the construction team, and much, much more.
Fitting a complete tour of the 75,000-SF facility into an hourlong visit wasn’t feasible, so Karen and Martha hit the highlights, imparting lessons learned and practical advice from their real-time experience.
Some details:
• In the Teen Space, ductwork was arranged around the steel support beams to allow for proper air flow in the space. The positioning of the ductwork was key because it then determined the height of the light fixtures.
• With so many building systems running through the facility, specifying lanes helped the team track the cables and pipes and keep them in an organized fashion.
• With the welcome desk integrated into its surroundings, the design had to be adjusted due to the limitations of the saw-cut concrete grid lines.
The new YMCA remains on schedule and on budget to finish construction in mid-November and open in mid-December.