ABILENE, Texas—Since opening in 1968, Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum has been home to various sporting activities for this university located in Central Texas. Moody Coliseum provides the home floor for the school’s Division 1 teams, as well as a venue for graduations, concerts, campus-wide worship services and various other events for the university.

Hoar Construction, in conjunction with sports architect HOK embarked on a $39 million renovation of the 153,000-square-foot venue in order to return the well-known “Moody Magic” to the coliseum, which has diminished after over a half-century of use. The campaign, launched two years ago, called for a “pull planning” construction plan. This allowed for the early design of several components of the projects at the same time that work on the exterior field was also underway.

The phased approach to the work allowed for the saving of time in the overall construction timeline. The work had to be completed on a brisk 12-month schedule, which was not flexible given athletic schedules that were already set several years prior.

In addition to ongoing supply chain issues that have plagued the entire construction industry, the project partners also had to deal with hurricanes, asbestos abatement and floor load limitations. However, through various collaboration efforts, the team was able to still stay on the requisite delivery schedule.

Hoar and its partners were also able to save money in multiple ways on the project. The team shaved more than $400,000 from the budget thanks to working with the steel and engineering teams to develop design documents in real time, which allowed for the procurement and delivery of steel for the coliseum refurbishment faster than otherwise might have been possible.

HOK also envisioned a new facade for the outside of the venue. Their design called for adding two three-story towers, which are home to office space for athletic personnel. The architect also updated the interior by adding larger seats that also provided additional legroom for patrons.

Hoar and the engineering teams were also tasked with overhauling the smoke evacuation system in case of an emergency. This helped save an additional $300,000 on the eventual project budget.

“This project is a true testament to the power of effective pull planning and preconstruction practices in cutting both time and cost for client success,” said Grant Pallan, project executive at Hoar. “We were up against a tight timeline to ensure this renovation was completed by the start of the school year at a standard that students deserved.

“Given the ongoing supply chain issues, this project would not have been completed as smoothly as it was had our teams not utilized pull planning to its full potential.”

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Hoar Construction, working in conjunction with Davis Architects, Inc., is in progress on a $65 million redesign of the recreation and wellness complex at Samford University. In addition to a ground-up building, the scope of the 165,000-square-foot project entails renovations of several nearby buildings at the Birmingham campus. This work represents the largest capital investment project in Samford history.

Hoar will be renovating the existing Seibert Hall, Bashinsky Field House as well as the Dwight and Lucille Beeson Center. Seibert Hall, which host’s Samford’s multipurpose arena, will soon feature two new basketball courts, fitness course studios, workout room, esports studio, multi-use courts and other amenities. Hoar will also be constructing a coffee shop and 24-hour convenience store within Seibert.

At the Bashinsky Field House, Hoar will be fashioning new practice areas for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball games, as well as training spaces. Meanwhile, the Dwight and Lucille Beeson Center will enjoy new life as the homebase for Samford’s counseling and health centers.

In addition, a 20,000-square-foot, ground-up construction to be sited next to Seibert Hall will be a state-of-the-art home for various fitness amenities and machines, including basketball courts, performance spaces, outdoor athletic areas, a suspended indoor track, pedestrian walkway as well as a covered balcony overlooking the adjacent Bobby Bowden Field.

Hoar’s renovations and additions to the athletic complex are anticipated to be ready for the fall of 2024. The general contractor is aiming for LEED certification on the work at Samford.

“We take great pride in our lasting relationship with Samford, which has proven to be an invaluable partner as we work to continue bolstering the university’s facilities and offerings for the student body,” Tim Wilson, senior superintendent at Hoar, said recently. “We look forward to delivering this state-of-the-art recreation center and continuing our track record of excellence in higher education construction within our home base of Birmingham.”

In a subsequent statement to School Construction News, Wilson extrapolated that working on a smaller, and active, campus in an urban setting presents additional challenges for the entire construction team.

“Samford is very land-locked, so construction will require some strategic workarounds to accommodate this challenging setting without disrupting school operations or schedules,” he said. “Fortunately, our team at Hoar and our partners have extensive experience working in busy higher education environments, and understand the specific nuances that play into keeping construction flowing during this type of project.”

Hoar has worked on nearly two dozen projects at Samford in Birmingham worth a combined $116 million over the last decade, commencing with the Brock School of Business in 2014. The firm’s other education-related clients include Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and Memphis University.

Hoar operates from nine offices across seven states, employing over 4,000 professionals.

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TYLER, Texas—A recent groundbreaking ceremony was held for the 55,000-square-foot expansion to the Braithwaite College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Texas at Tyler. Personnel from the UT Tyler School of Nursing joined professionals from Hoar Construction and Fitzpatrick Architects to turn over the token premiere shovelfuls of dirt on the construction work, which will effectively double the amount of medical education space at Braithwaite College.

Fitzpatrick’s design aesthetic for the expansion entails concrete columns to match other nearby campus buildings. Additionally, the entrance will feature an extensive glass facade, and an overarching canopy is meant to encourage the notion that learning takes place not only inside the building but as students leave and enter the world.

The first floor of the new building will be home to modern classrooms, student meeting areas, office space as well as practical learning spaces meant to simulate the experience of working in a real clinical environment.

The expansion at Braithwaite was necessary given that UT Tyler’s enrollment is at an all-time high, the university reports, thus requiring campus-wide additions over the next decade.

Hoar’s aims for its general contracting job at UT Tyler include a goal of 21.1 percent of its partners on the job coming from Texas’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program, which aims to promote minority- and women-owned businesses’ inclusion in such work around the Lone Star State. As recently as the groundbreaking, the general contractor said it was on target to exceed that figure.

“As we continue to grow our footprint across North Texas, we are proud to work alongside UT Tyler in delivering this state-of-the-art facility to campus, which will greatly enhance the academic offerings for the next generation of nursing students,” said Hoar’s senior project manager, Sean Cagle, who added that his firm has a vaunted history of higher education work around the country as well.

In a subsequent statement emailed to School Construction News, Cagle said that his firm’s many years of experience in the educational building sector allows them to easily vault over such issues as disruptions to student life and working within the agreed-upon budget.

“No project is immune from both logistical and procurement challenges in today’s market,” Cagle said. “When we uncover a new challenge, we are able to leverage our strong relationships with vendors and suppliers across the country to find alternative solutions to help our owners make critical decisions with enough time to eliminate those procurement challenges from impacting the delivery and success of the project.”

Hoar’s North Texas office is taking point on the nursing school expansion. The firm, which has been in business for over eight decades, has worked on various projects for Abilene Christian University, and has also been contracted to build out a new basketball arena at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

The post Texas Nursing School Revamp Tracking Summer 2024 Completion appeared first on School Construction News.

FRONT ROYAL, Va.— General contractor Hoar Construction and its development partner Christendom College recently announced the topping out of the Christ the King Chapel, a new on-campus chapel in Front Royal.

On January 31, 2020, work crews laid the final beam of steel on the chapel’s 114-foot-tall main tower, which will be visible for several miles due to its location at the highest point of campus.

Hoar Construction was selected by Christendom College—a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Va.— to serve as general contractor for the project. Initial sitework began last September. The total cost of this project is not being disclosed at this time. However, Christendom College has a campaign goal to raise $40 million for the project.

Construction teams have already finished laying underground utility piping and installing the concrete footings and slab and will now focus on assembling the chapel’s remaining steel skeleton, which is expected to be completed this month. This phase of the Christ the King Chapel is tentatively slated to be completed in March 2021 with an anticipated final completion December 2021.

“Christ the King Chapel is an outward manifestation of our commitment to Christ, and we are so grateful to Hoar Construction for their magnificent work,” said Christendom College President. Dr. Timothy O’Donnell.

“This momentous occasion brings us another step closer to the Chapel’s completion and we could not be more excited as a college and a community. I want to thank our generous benefactors for making this project possible, which will serve as an inspiration for students, faculty, staff and visitors for years to come.”

The Gothic-inspired chapel will feature over 100 stained-glass windows and a seating capacity of more than 850, providing much needed space for Christendom College’s growing student body. The college raised approximately $45 million for its comprehensive capital-campaign titled “A Call to Greatness,” which ran for two years and was completed in time for the school’s 40^th anniversary celebrations in 2018.

O’Brien & Keane is serving as lead architect for the project, while Beyer Studio is overseeing design and production of the stained-glass windows. Other project partners include Meyer Consulting Engineers, Provectus Inc., and Pennoni.

Hoar Construction and its trade partners collaborated with the school throughout the pre-planning process to ensure the budget stayed within parameters while still holding true to the unique high-end design and finishes called for in the original scope of work.

Hoar incorporated several value engineering measures to help the development team navigate rising costs for steel and other building materials, and was able to save the college money on its original budget while still securing all of the steel that was needed to complete the 20,000-square-foot frame. Project managers also utilized a new type of mechanical system known as a variable refrigerant flow, which better controls the environment and lasts longer compared to the more expensive blue duct many churches typically use to transfer air underground.

“Hoar Construction is pleased to return to our roots by partnering with Christendom College on a project that is truly one-of-a-kind in this region,” said Dwayne Fleger, Vice President at Hoar’s Washington office.

“The chapel’s magnificent design and formidable structure tell a compelling story that will launch the college into the next phase of its development while also fulfilling its mission to equip the student body for their faith journey. We remain ahead of schedule and look forward to working with our trade partners on the next phase of construction.”

Christ the King Chapel will feature a new custom organ with 2,500 pipes built by Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, which will require several months of tuning before anyone can use the facility. In addition, the chapel will also have solid mahogany and red oak doors with leveled lead-pane glass and two 35-foot pre-manufactured bell towers. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI blessed the cornerstone for the chapel in 2008 and after reviewing the college’s original blueprints declared the plans to be “beautiful.”

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