skylineW i n t e r 2 0 0 5 / 0 6

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MHoffman SkylineVolume 31 / Number 3

Measuring the Real Benefits of Technology

We can see the future from here: complex projects completed in a common digital environment. Seamless integration from the architect’s sketch to the fabricator’s shop drawings, tied in real time to the contractor’s schedule and the owner’s budget. It is called Building Information Modeling (BIM), and it promises more effective collaboration, better decision-making, improved productivity, safer projects, and reduction of the total cost of ownership over the life of a building.

While the term BIM had not yet been coined at the time Hoffman built the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project in 1999, the new technologies we embraced on that project were a glimpse of things to come. In particular, the use of CATIA, a sophisticated 3D computer modeling program, was crucial in creating the geometric data needed by fabricators and subcontractors to manufacture and install EMP’s highly complex elements.

With the recent incorporation of Gehry Technologies’ Digital Project software, Hoffman has added another powerful tool to help teams coordinate and control projects down to the smallest detail.

But while the tech revolution swirls around us, we keep in mind that there will never be a software substitute for delivering on your promises, and the sense of personal ownership at the heart of every great project. Sometimes the “inclusiveness” of the online world can blur the lines of responsibility so critical to seamless project delivery.

That’s why, before adopting any new technology, we ask ourselves: Will it help our people do their jobs better, smarter and faster? Will it allow our customers to reach their goals more efficiently, productively, and profitably? Will it help us deliver the architects’ vision and the owners’ needs?

When all the answers are yes, we add something new to our toolbox.

Because in construction, real life is the context into which technology must fit, not the other way around.

President’s Message

Wayne DrinkwardPresidentPrinted on Recycled Paper using Soy-based Ink

Justin Paterson, Editor

Diego G. Diaz, Art Direction

Feedback welcomed:

503-221-8924 or

justin-paterson@hoffmancorp.com

Published by Hoffman Corporation

for Hoffman Construction

Companies in the interest of its

personnel at various projects and

offices.

Oregon Office

805 SW Broadway, Suite 2100

Portland, Oregon 97205

Washington Office

1505 Westlake Ave. N, Suite 500

Seattle, Washington 98109

Cover photo:Cranes over the River Blocks

Redevelopment

Photo by Kent Anderson

For EMP, Hoffman used CATIA to translate Gehry’s vision into a 3D model that supported precise fabrication and installation.

The finished interiorFabricating in the shopThe 3D model

2D

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3D

Winter 2005/06ContentsUW’s New Home for Innovation and Discovery .............................. 4

Teaching and Learning at University of Idaho ................................. 6

Gateway to New Development ...................................................... 10

The Future of Public Safety Training in Oregon ............................ 12

Civic Pride ........................................................................................ 14

Building From ‘The Top Down’ ....................................................... 16

At the Seattle Central Library, Building Information Modeling progressed from 2D drawings into 3D images. This set the stage for digital laser scans of the

structural steel, which were then overlaid on the 3D model to achieve ultra-tight tolerances of +/- 1/8th inch for the curtainwall installation.

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UW’s New Home for Innovation and Discovery Ground breaking research will open new frontiers in medicine

As a leader in national funding for

scientific and medical research, the

university will use the new facility

to support cutting edge work and

help leverage its recruiting efforts.

A $70 million gift from the Gates

Foundation jump-started the $110

million project’s construction.

Prominently located on campus,

the 260,000 SF project connects two

building wings with glazed bridges

at every level and forms a new

quadrangle with the Health Sciences

Center. CO Architects (formerly

Anshen+Allen Los Angeles)

At the University of Washington, researchers, faculty and students are pushing

the envelope on discoveries in life sciences research. Hoffman’s newest project

on the campus will house the University’s BioEngineering and Genome Sciences

departments, with wet research labs, and teaching labs for bioengineering

physiology, molecular bioengineering and instrumentation.

designed the building to take

advantage of the site with a glassy

transparent façade that offers

views of the quad and Portage Bay

beyond. Within, shared common

spaces will promote interaction

and cross-disciplinary research.

On the building’s public face, the

designers employed a terra cotta

rainscreen system to relate to the

brickwork common on campus.

Traditionally built piece by piece,

the specialized system incorporates

cast stone trim, sunshades and

glass. But the project’s aggressive

schedule required a faster application,

so Hoffman challenged bidders

to produce the rainscreen in pre-

fabricated panels that attached to

each floor.

“We formed a highly collaborative

process with Hoffman to investigate

different systems and building

solutions,” said CO Architects

Principal-in-Charge Peter Stazicker.

“Hoffman’s people have been great

to work with, especially on a project

with such a complex construction

schedule.”

Carved into a sloping site, the

BioEngineering wing has three

stories below grade that reach

11 feet into the water table and

into contaminated soil. Hoffman’s

Project Director Lyle Martin said

preconstruction services focused

on a de-watering plan and

contamination mitigation. For long-

term protection, underground

construction is entirely encased with

a waterproof membrane.

Construction began while design

was still underway. Custom-

designed air handler units that

needed to be located below grade

threatened to delay the project.

The BioEngineering and Genome Sciences wings are

linked by a multi-story glass bridge.

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Hoffman shaved eight months

off the schedule by creating a 20-

foot by 20-foot shaft through the

building as it was constructed.

Project Superintendent Forest

Goodhart said the structure was

nearly complete when the finished

air handler units were lowered

through the shaft into place.

“The university has worked with

Hoffman on other facilities and

their familiarity with how we

operate really helped to keep the

project rolling along,” noted UW

Project Manager Bryan Hall. “This

project is a continuation of the

good working relationship we’ve

developed.”

“We formed a highly collaborative process with Hoffman to investigate different systems and building solutions.”

—— Peter Stazicker, Principal-in-Charge CO Architects

UW BioEngineering / Genome Sciences Building

Location: South campus, just west of UW Medical Center on NE Pacific and 15th Ave

Size: 260,000 SF

Budget: $110 Million

Architect: CO Architects

Completion: BioEngineering Wing - January, 2006

Genome Wing - February, 2006

Flexible labs with mobile casework can be easily adapted to new research programs. Interior spaces feature exposed concrete, wood paneling and glass railings.

The building’s distinct design steps down the hillside towards Lake Union.

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Teaching and Learning at the University of Idaho

The University of Idaho’s

sparkling new Teaching

and Learning Center is a labor

of love from a talented team fueled

by Idaho pride. Hoffman’s project manager

and superintendent are both natives of the “Gem

State.” The project architect is a UI graduate. And the

son of the owner’s representative is a current student, one of

the first to enjoy the new facility.

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The 77,000 SF building, housing 30

classrooms, a 32-computer lab, the

Dean of Students office, plus student

lounge and meeting areas, is a bold

example of “before and after” in a

major renovation. What was once

an antiquated classroom building

has become a modern learning

center packed with state-of-the-art

technology. For example, classroom

touch screen projectors, power

projection screens, DVD players,

wireless microphones and wall-

mounted cameras can all be run from

a single podium.

The TLC ties into the Commons

Building, previously constructed by

Hoffman. UI Project Manager Norm

Yandt said TLC’s completion helps

realize the University’s “Living and

Strong Relationships Create a Great BuildingLearning” concept. “The idea is to

expand the contact time between

teachers and students by doing

things like putting classrooms in

dormitories. The Commons was

designed with unscheduled space

and small conference rooms, so

that students can meet outside the

classroom for team assignments. My

son goes to school here so I know

that the Teaching and Learning

Center is already a place where

students hang out and meet their

friends. They’re not just waiting in

open spaces to go to class.”

In transforming the aging structure,

“We stripped the building down to

the skeleton and then even took out

a few bones,” said Hoffman project

engineer Colin Okada. He said that

unforeseen conditions and odd

structural quirks greeted workers

throughout the demolition phase.

“There were nine different levels on

three floors. If a duct went through

at ceiling level on one side of the

building, half way through it would

be chest level and end up at floor

level. We had to work with it.”

One challenge was the discovery

of some concrete beams with no

rebar connecting them to the

wall. Fortunately, the crew had a

concrete cutter and a big crane. The

beams were cut into 24-foot pieces

weighing about 3000 pounds each

and removed. The process, from

discovery to removal, took about 12

hours.

The Teaching & Learning Center is a focal point of the UI campus.

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UI alum and Project Architect Ned

Warnick (of Design West in Pullman,

WA) understood first hand the need

for the project. He said that in the

old building classrooms opened to

the outdoors, and recalled wearing

gloves in class. “Winters were a very

cold experience for students.”

He said that one key design goal was

a seamless tie-in between the old

and new. “We found that many of

the original materials from the earlier

building were still available and were

able to find the same red brick.”

Warnick was especially pleased when

the building opened to students at full

Lawrence also met with the

stakeholders often to review the

upcoming three-week schedule. “We’d

tell them what was coming next,

such as needing to shut off electricity.

And they could inform us about their

upcoming activities like the jazz festival

that happened over one weekend.”

Because complete food service

continued in the Commons during

construction, Hoffman built a

temporary sheetrock wall to separate

the construction area from people

eating. “The students painted a

great mural on their side of the wall,”

said Lawrence, “It was a shame we

had to tear it down!”

Hoffman superintendent Wade

Chriswell called the job, “A tight fit.

The demo was extensive and campus

operations had to be maintained. The

building was in the middle of campus

and our access road was one of the

main routes through the college.”

Classes were in session during the

construction, so deliveries had to stop

for ten minutes each hour as students

changed classes. Project Manager Cade

Lawrence said, “With two or three

thousand students passing right by the

site, we made sure every delivery was

escorted.”

Before: A dark, drafty and outdated classroom

building built in 1966.

After: A modern, multi-purpose university

building designed to bring students

and teachers together in a community

setting.

�Winter 2005/06

capacity and all systems ran smoothly.

“Hoffman did a wonderful job of

keeping the subcontractors on task,”

he said. “Cade Lawrence and Colin

Okada were great to work with.”

Funding for the project was

spearheaded by Idaho Governor Dirk

Kempthorne, (also a UI alumnus), who

introduced a new bonding system

approved by Idaho lawmakers to pay

for this and eight other public projects.

Because the State of Idaho, and not

the University, was the actual owner of

the project, Yandt had to balance the

needs of the two entities. He credits

Hoffman with helping keep all the

stakeholders happy. “It’s a point of

pride that this bond-funded project

came in on time and on budget. None

of the contractors actually worked for

the University, they worked for the

State. Hoffman used every tool in their

toolbox to coordinate the work and

make it happen.”

The Teaching and Learning Center

is Hoffman’s third project on the

UI campus. The team has built

strong relationships as well as great

buildings, and Norm Yandt sounded

almost sorry to see the TLC project

come to a close. “I’ve spoken with

Cade Lawrence nearly every day for

the past seven years and I’m going to

miss my ‘Cade’ calls,” he said. “The

University of Idaho has thoroughly

enjoyed the relationship we’ve had

with Hoffman.”

“The Teaching and Learning Center is already a place where students hang out and meet their friends. They’re not just waiting in open spaces to go to class.”

— Norm Yandt

UI Project Manager

Governor Dirk Kempthorne spoke at the building dedication.

Teaching & Learning Center

Owner: University of Idaho

Size: 77,000 SF

Budget: $10.9 Million

Architect: Design West

Completion: September, 2005

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Inspired by its prime location

and growth estimates, the city

targeted Gateway as Portland’s

next Regional Center – a vibrant

urban community on the East Side

– and Hoffman is setting the stage

for this transformation with the

first development under the city’s

master plan.

The former parking lot of TriMet’s

Gateway Transit Center is a hub

of activity with two concurrent

projects: The Oregon Clinic and

a TriMet parking structure. The

transit-oriented development

Gateway to New Development

is a collaboration involving The

Oregon Clinic, TriMet, the Portland

Development Commission and

Gerding/Edlen Development

Company.

Consolidating physicians from

numerous locations, The Oregon

Clinic’s 101,000 square-foot

medical office building will

offer highly technical spaces for

specialists in gastroenterology,

pulmonology, neurology, medical

oncology and cardiology. Hoffman

Project Manager Jeff Lindquist

said the team fortified the three-

story building’s foundation and

structure for flexible expansion

capability. In the future, the clinic

can add three more floors of office

space or five stories of housing to

the $21 million facility.

GBD Architects designed the core

and shell of The Oregon Clinic

as well as the TriMet parking

structure and contracted with

Griffin, Bolte Jurgens Architects

for the clinic’s interior. Senior

Associate Kyle Andersen said GBD

and Hoffman share a very positive

partnership.

Two Hoffman projects kick off a strategic urban renewal plan

All roads lead to the Gateway district, one of the most strategic locations in the Portland metro

area. At the center of two interstate freeways, light rail service, and multiple bus lines, Gateway is

projected to become the most accessible location in the Portland metropolitan area by 2015.

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“We explored alternatives for

reducing costs, and Hoffman

helped the projects stay in line

with the client’s budget while

supporting our architectural

objectives,” explained Andersen.

The clinic employs traditional

materials but maintains a modern

sensibility. GBD added a sense

of playfulness to the three-story

TriMet parking structure with

mesh screen panels and concrete

detailing. Initially providing 564

parking stalls, the garage has the

capacity for future additions.

The site is surrounded by

pedestrian and vehicle traffic and

a public road leading to the station

that bisects the construction

site. These roads and sidewalks

must be constantly open and

ADA accessible. According to

Superintendent Rick Jenkins, the

team holds daily coordination

meetings to stage construction

traffic and ensure public

protection.

TriMet Project Manager Amy L.

Fandrich appreciates Hoffman’s

responsiveness to the complex

situation.

“Constructing two major projects

right in the middle of one of

TriMet’s busiest transit centers is

a challenge. Hoffman has been

proactive in working with TriMet

to develop plans to provide good

access to the project sites while

maintaining existing bus service,”

said Fandrich.

“Hoffman has been proactive in working with TriMet to develop plans to provide good access to the project sites while maintaining existing bus service.”

— Amy L. Fandrich

TriMet Project Manager

Flying steel for the new clinic TriMet Park and Ride Garage

The Oregon Clinic

TriMet Gateway Park & Ride

Size: 564 stalls

Budget: $7.4 Million

Architect: GBD Architects

Completion: May, 2006

The Oregon Clinic Size: 260,000 SF

Budget: $21.5 Million

Architect: GBD Architects

Completion: September, 2006

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Taking Public Safety to a New LevelA new training facility will make Oregon a safer place to live

Protecting the public welfare is a big job. So it seems fitting that construction of

a new home for Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training

(DPSST) is one of the most wide-ranging projects ever built by Hoffman.

Spread over �1� acres, the new

campus includes five buildings

and a multitude of features that

will help public safety providers

throughout Oregon be better

prepared to handle tough

situations in the line of duty. It

allows the state to consolidate

functions that are currently spread

over various sites and leased

facilities.

While state-run training facilities are

becoming a national trend, Hoffman

Project Manager Cade Lawrence

said the DPSST academy is the most

comprehensive facility of its kind in

the region. “This is the only training

campus in the Northwest that brings

together so many disciplines – fire,

police, sheriffs, corrections, parole

and probation, 911 dispatchers and

private security.”

The multi-faceted training campus

includes tactical training spaces

that duplicate real-life experiences.

An 80,000 SF Firearms Training

building with three firing ranges

can accommodate vehicles to

simulate roadway encounters. The

Scenario Training building offers

flexible room spaces that will

replicate business and residential

environments for strategic exercises,

The project commenced with a massive sitework effort covering over 213 acres.

1�Winter 2005/06

Taking Public Safety to a New LevelA new training facility will make Oregon a safer place to live

and a 1.6-mile Emergency Vehicle

Operation Course and a Fire Training

tower will give safety professionals

hands-on practice with hazardous

conditions. Additional buildings

will provide special skills training,

administration services, classrooms,

multi-purpose uses and a 350-bed

dormitory.

Yost Grube Hall Architecture (YGH)

designed the facility as a communal

educational environment and

selected brick for the building

exteriors to maintain an informal

campus character.

“This campus required many

different building types and a lot of

site work,” said Nels Hall, principal

designer at YGH. “Despite the

complexity of the project, Hoffman

made the process smooth and

efficient. They’ve done an excellent

job.”

The preconstruction teamwork

between Hoffman and YGH

was an exercise in creative value

engineering and responsible

stewardship of taxpayer money. A

mandate by the state legislature

calling for “minimally adequate”

facilities required the team to devise

the simplest and most cost-effective

ways of fulfilling the aggressive

program. Building concepts and

systems were analyzed on a 25-year

life cycle cost basis, while materials

were selected to balance initial

cost, sustainability and long-term

maintenance.

Other challenges came in the form

of legislative decisions and on-site

archeological finds that delayed

the project’s start by one year,

further constricting the budget and

squeezing the schedule. In response,

Hoffman developed a phased

construction plan with different

crews working on various parts of

the site to maximize efficiency.

“Hoffman added tremendous value,”

said DPSST Construction Manager

Richard Ross. “They brought us

opportunities that reduced costs

and improved the facility. Because of

Hoffman, we’ll actually finish three

months ahead of schedule.”

Slated for completion in July,

2006, the new academy will serve

Oregon’s public safety providers

into the next century.

“Hoffman brought us opportunities that reduced costs and improved the facility. Because of Hoffman, we’ll actually finish three months ahead of schedule.”

— DPSST Construction Manager Richard Ross

Hoffman’s phased construction plan cut three months from the original

schedule. Early sitework, October, 2004

The housing, training and support buildings take shape. November, 2005

Oregon Public Safety Academy Owner: Department of Public Safety

Standards and Training (DPSST)

Size: 300,000 total SF

Number of Buildings: 10

Budget: $60 Million

Architect: Yost Grube Hall Architecture

Completion: July, 2006

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The CivicArt and construction mingle as

a new neighborhood is born

At the intersection of Burnside Street

and SW 19th Avenue, an impressive

mixed-use project is radically altering

the landscape in a venerable old part

of Portland. The changes started with

the demolition of the original Civic

Apartments, which had stood on

the corner since 1945. When the dust

settled, there were new sightlines,

new connections and a new dynamic

between surrounding areas that run

the gamut from new upscale condos

and galleries, to older apartment

buildings and neighborhood

businesses.

In effect, a whole new neighborhood

is taking shape, a fact well

understood by the owner, Gerding

/ Edlen Development. In response,

the forward-thinking company

added a unique layer of community

involvement to the project. Dubbed

“the Burnside Project,” it is a two-

year initiative designed to celebrate

the West Burnside area’s cultural and

historical significance through the

work of local artists.

“We wanted to heighten public

awareness and create something the

neighbors would appreciate,” said

Tom Cody, Principal of GED. “A public

arts program is a collaborative effort,

which seemed perfectly suited to this

community-based project.”

The Burnside Project has three

components, and the first puts a

new spin on the construction site.

Every four months a different artist

will convert the construction fence

into an expressive piece of art. The

first installation took place in August Rendering from GBD

In the early stages of the project, mobile cranes were used to negotiate the tight site at Burnside and 19th.

1�Winter 2005/06

when 1000 red balloons were woven

into the fence. The balloon’s ribbons

activate the site perimeter by moving

with the wind of passing cars.

Because public safety is the highest

priority at this busy urban location,

Hoffman Superintendent Scot

Wymer said the art program

demands detailed coordination

with work crews, the owner’s

representatives and the artist.

Hoffman is also helping to identify

the best sites for another aspect

of the Burnside Project called

Random Acts of Art, where local

artists’ installations on the streets

surrounding the construction will

engage the public.

The final project component is the

creation of The B Street Gallery in the

Pearl District, which will double as

exhibit space for emerging artists and

serve as The Civic’s showroom / sales

office.

When complete in the summer of

2007, The Civic will include: three

levels of underground parking

providing 400 stalls; a 15-story

condominium tower with 261 units;

a separate five-story wood-frame

“Hoffman has been a great partner. They realize we want the development to contribute to the community on multiple levels – environmentally, socially and economically – and they’ve been very supportive in our efforts to accomplish these goals.”

— Tom Cody, Principal of GED

One thousand red ballons adorn the construction fence as part of a public art

program connected with The Civic project.

apartment building with 140 low-

income apartments; and 40,000 SF of

retail space.

“Hoffman has been a great partner,”

Cody said. “They realize we want

the development to contribute to

the community on multiple levels

– environmentally, socially and

economically – and they’ve been

very supportive in our efforts to

accomplish these goals.”

The Civic Owner: Gerding/Edlen

Development

Program: Condos, Apartments, Below-Grade Parking, Retail

Location: Upper Burnside, across from Civic Stadium

Size: 545,000 SF

Architect: SERA Architects

Completion: July, 2007

Underground concrete retaining walls are installed first. Existing soil acts as the

form to support the concrete.

Work proceeds simultaneously, with excavators ‘burrowing’ out below the slab,

while the building structure rises above. Additional parking garage slabs are

installed as dirt is removed.

There’s a time-honored sequence to building a

high-rise tower. Below grade work is completed

first, and then the structure starts going up.

It’s a proven approach, so long as there is time in the schedule, and

room to maneuver on the site during excavation.

But what happens when you don’t have that luxury, when the site is

tight or the owner is in a hurry? One upcoming Hoffman project, a

16-story condominium tower in Portland’s Pearl District, will face just

those challenges. On the congested site, underground utilities and

adjacent building foundations make it nearly impossible to perform

conventional excavation and shoring. Meanwhile, the owner is looking

at an accelerated schedule to bring the project to market as fast as

possible.

The solution is “top down,” a unique approach that addresses

both challenges. With top down, perimeter foundation walls are

constructed first, followed by an “at grade” structural slab. The

foundation walls serve to keep dirt out as the excavation proceeds

downward, while the at grade slab braces the foundation walls and

serves as a platform for the structural work to begin moving up. At the

same time, excavation continues below the slab, with additional slabs

installed as the dirt is removed.

In this way, crews can perform excavation inside a very confined

footprint. And, with construction proceeding up and down

simultaneously, the underground work is off the “critical path,” for

significant schedule savings.

Hoffman first employed top down in the early 1990s, for construction

of the 1000 Broadway Building in downtown Portland. We recently

employed a variation of the approach on a building for Oregon Health

& Science University, located in the new River Blocks development. To

better serve our customers, Hoffman brings expertise, flexibility, and a

wide range of potential means and methods to every project.

2. INsert rebar

1. excaVate

3. FIll wIth coNcrete

buIldINg up

dIggINg dowN

subgrade walls IN place

slabs INstalled as we go

Top Down 101

The first slab is then constructed. It serves two purposes. First, it provides the

platform for work to proceed upward. Second, it supports the retaining walls

as we begin to excavate the dirt inside what will become the parking structure.

Openings in the slab provide access for machinery and soil removal.

(Shafts omitted for clarity)

(Shafts omitted for clarity)

The Top Down Solution