Army Materiel, Security Assistance HQ, Huntsville, Ala.

Cost: $105 million

The first female 4-Star General in U.S. Army history, General Ann E. Dunwoody, will use the new Army Materiel Command building on Redstone Arsenal for her headquarters.

“This is a very high profile project because we are building a command and control facility where General Dunwoody will handle her operations,” says Mark Bounds, B. L. Harbert senior project manager.

The project includes a six-story Army Materiel Command Headquarters building with a basement, a three-story U.S. Army Security Assistance Command building, and a single-story Central Utility Plant that houses main electrical and mechanical systems’ equipment.

The AMC and USASAC are constructed of structural steel with precast façade. The two main buildings are connected by a two-story lobby with exposed structural steel, skylights and Terrazzo flooring in the vestibule imbedded with the AMC insignia. Together, both the AMC and USASAC buildings measure 450,000 sq ft.

Materials on the project include approximately 15,000 cu yds of concrete, 2,000 tons of structural steel and 285 tons of reinforcing steel. All the buildings also have intricately detailed wiring systems for telecommunications and increased security.

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The project also includes a 4-acre parade field on the south elevation of the buildings. The 6th level of the AMC building will have a balcony overlooking the parade field where General Dunwoody can preside over military formations.

Key Players

Auburn University Student Housing, Auburn, Ala.

Cost: $99,300,000

Named The Village in reference to its village-style approach to campus living, the development is located on the west edge of the Auburn University campus.

The Village consists of eight four-story brick residence halls and meeting facilities constructed around a collection of quadrangles and green space, all connected by a series of sidewalks.

The suite-style residences include a common living room with a large bay of windows in the main living area, kitchenette, four bedrooms and two baths. The design takes advantage of as much natural light as possible. Individual bedrooms give each student a private sleeping area, closet and study area.

The residence halls will also include group meeting and study rooms on each floor, equipped with state-of-the-art communication and data services.

More than 2 million bricks were used to build the residence halls and 425 18-wheelers were required to haul the lumber to the site. More than 6 million ft of wire, equaling 1100 mi, was used for various systems including electrical, fire alarm, security, television and telephone.

“This project is notable for its sheer size — it is a mammoth undertaking,” says Deborah Geiger, White-Spunner communications director. Approximately 500 to 850 workers were on-site on any given day and there have been more than 1.5 million man hours worked without a loss time accident.

Slated to open in time for the fall term of 2009, The Village will provide approximately 1,650 student beds.

Key Players

Auburn University Basketball Arena, Auburn Ala.

Cost: $92.5 million

Andrew Francolini, Robins & Morton senior project manager, says Auburn University’s goal was to give spectators “the ultimate fan experience.” The 252,419-sq-ft arena has been designed so that spectators will never be more than 43 ft above the court, creating an intimate environment for both fans and players.

“We wanted to build the best arena in the Southeastern Conference, not necessarily the biggest,” says Randy Byars of the Auburn University Athletic Department. “There may be other arenas that hold more seats but there won’t be one with more amenities or a more competitive atmosphere. We wanted this to be an intimidating place for visiting teams to come.”

The arena features more than 29,000 sq ft of student-athlete space, a two-court practice facility, coaches’ offices, an athlete strength and conditioning area, the Auburn University Athletic Ticket Office, an Auburn University Team Store, a state-of-the-art interactive athletic museum, two food courts and 12,000 sq ft of banquet and entertainment space, and other high-end amenities. Fans can choose from 12 luxury suites on the lower level and two entertainment suites above.

Robins & Morton is using BIM for change orders, RFI’s, clash detection, finish modeling, scheduling, crane sequencing, steel erection and precast seating. The seating capacity of the arena will be 8,640 for an event and 9,230 for a commencement.

Key Players

Ridgecrest StudentHousing, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Cost: $47,200,000

According to project manager Wade Kennedy, the new residence hall will bring an additional 262 living rooms or suites, with a total of 962 beds, to the University of Alabama campus.

The residence hall consists of five levels over the garage for a total of 350,000 sq ft. A typical suite features four bedrooms, two baths and a shared living room and kitchen. There will be 220 four-bedroom suites and 38 two-bedroom suites available.

The concrete frame has a metal truss roof system with shingles, an aluminum cornice system, 1,500 aluminum hurricane-rated windows and an automatic sprinkler system. The exterior has a brick and stucco veneer with a cast stone entrance.

The project also includes a three-level, 426,000-sq-ft parking deck with a gated entrance at each level.

The residence hall’s concrete post-tensioned frame was built by ARD Contracting in Birmingham, Ala., and the rest of the building is being constructed by Jim Parker Building Co. in Auburn.

“Inclement weather has been a challenge throughout this project,” Kennedy says. Construction is slated to be completed in time for students to begin moving into the new residence hall in August 2009.

Key Players

Start/Complete: April 2008/August 2009
Owner: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Contractor: Jim Parker Building Co. Inc, Auburn, Ala.
Architect: Ward Scott Vernon Architects Inc., Tuscaloosa, Ala.

George Washington Carver High School, Montgomery, Ala.

Cost: $35,076,000

This new 180,000-sq-ft school will feature brick architecture, split-face CMU on the exterior with additional brick detailing and a metal roof system, says Mike Rabren of Rabren General Contractors.

“The new facility is being constructed to be hurricane-proof. All the classrooms and the bathroom facilities are being built of hurricane-safe CMU block with a concrete lid on each block,” he says. The facility will include a new cafeteria, athletic facility, basketball gym and auditorium.

“Currently we are running slightly ahead of schedule. We have at least another year of construction on the new high school, which is being built directly behind the existing high school, then we will demolish the old school building,” he adds.

Key Players