pre-design phase schematic design phase construction documents phase design development phase construction phase occupancy phase
West Bend A Mutual Insurance Company: The Silver Lining

CASE STUDY: WEST BEND MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
————————  2005  ———————— ————————  2006  ———————— ————————  2007  ———————— ————————  2008  ————————
JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC JAN—MAR   APR—JUN   JUL—SEP   OCT—DEC


timeline | construction (july 2006–may 2008)



Demolition and site clearing preparation.
Photo credit: West Bend Mutual Insurance Company

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WEST BEND'S CONSTRUCTION PHASE

West Bend’s core principles of stewardship and continuity really shone during the construction phase of their addition.

Stewardship – limiting the impact of the construction on their prairie landscape was a primary goal. The general contractor, Schmidt Construction,

  • Carefully scheduled material delivery and use, and staged work phases to minimize the number of vehicles on site.
  • Preserved established trees and controlled silt and sediment erosion.
  • Recycled construction waste.

Continuity – ensuring that the company could function normally during the two-year construction process was also an important goal. Steps to minimize the impact on West Bend employees included

  • Staging construction to begin away from the existing building and moving toward the connection.
  • Completing noisy or awkward tasks on weekends or during off hours.

SOUND BITES
Martin P. Choren, Architect
Randall D. Stark, Facilities Manager
Mark T. Lillesand, Construction
Michael Hinckley, Facilities Engineer

CONSTRUCTION PHASE

The goal during the construction phase is to maintain the design intent of the project. This requires teamwork and commitment to the goals all the way through construction. Training of contractors and subcontractors, especially field workers, is critical to a successful outcome. The installing contractor, engineer of record or owner’s agent must be responsible for documenting the performance of the building in coordination with the Commissioning Authority to ensure the completed building meets the design intent.


CONSTRUCTION PHASE STEPS:

  1. Coordinate with the contractor and subcontractors
    Design team members who are familiar with the high-performance design should make a presentation to the contractor and subcontractors soon after award of the contract. Review the whole project and point out high-performance design features and systems.
  2. Review submittals
    Building performance can be compromised during the submittal and substitution process. Refer to project goals when considering alternative equipment proposals.
  3. Conduct acceptance tests and commissioning
    Provide the documents and information the architect, engineer, contractor or owners agent needs to review construction, conduct acceptance testing, and create the commissioning report.