SQW I N E R T O N U A R T E R L Y

Volume 18, No. 3 Fall 201301888 22012

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Design-Build Healthcare in Bakersfield Pg. 23Swinerton and “The Future of the City" Pg. 7

A Roadmap for the Next 125 Years Pg. 4

BUILDINGEXCELLENCE

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The Swinerton Foundation recently issued a “Fall Giving Challenge” as a unique way to share the Swinerton spirit of community and wrap up our 125th anniversary year with a bang. Based on friendly competition among Swinerton’s offices, this is a call to action for all employees to raise donations of funds, goods, and volunteer hours to new heights by putting forth just a portion of the creativity, determination, and collaboration that we put into our work each day.

For those on our larger jobsites, think about how you can engage subcontractors in The Challenge—they live and work in the same places we do and may be willing to pitch in materials or hands. If you are on a smaller project, you may find a way to connect with the owner on a more personal level by sharing the story of The Challenge, strengthening the relationship while supporting local organizations. In the office, perhaps you can turn one of those awkward, silent elevator trips with your unknown floor neighbors into an opportunity to expand the reach of The Challenge.

In this Quarterly issue, you can read stories of how Swinerton’s people have supported our communities through golf tournaments, a volunteer build day, a bowling tournament, a weekend walk, and even the mock “arrest” and bail-out of one of our division managers! As a proud member of the Swinerton family and The Swinerton Foundation board, I am honored to work for a company that supports causes close to the hearts of its people.

So this fall season, take a moment to reflect on how you can step up and participate in The Challenge. I’ll leave you to your reading with an inspiration from one of my favorite musicians, Ben Harper:

“I can change the world/With my own two hands Make a better place/With my own two hands”

Now let’s put our amazing Swinerton hands (and minds) to work for The Challenge!

Letter from the Editor-In-Chief Table of Contents

Photo Contest Winner

Contributors

The Swinerton Quarterly is published four times a year. Contributions are encouraged. Submit articles and photographs to:

Meggie Hollywood, Swinerton Incorporated, 260 Townsend St., San Francisco, California 94107-1790 or email meggie.hollywood@swinerton.com.

Editor-In-Chief Meggie Hollywood

Design & Production Stephanie Mansolf

Printed on recycled paper/15% post-consumer content. Balance comes from sustainable forests.

Adam Snyder

Adhamina Rodriguez

Alan Wolf

Bobby Jennings

Carol Ann Stevens

Connor Madigan

Dan Mundle

Danielle Ridgeway

Daryl Cruser

Dave Higgins, Jr.

David Slomanson

Deena Takato

Devin Hemeon

Elaine Noble

Gabriella Marcheschi

Gena Roberts

Greg Tate

Holly Robertson

Jason Chupp

Jef Farrell

Jeff Good

Jeremy Templeman

John Hubble

John Stout

Jon Gregg

Julie Witecki

Karen Glover

Kristina Palmieri

Lana Odabi

Lidia Fraser

Mallory Buchner

Maria Balbierz

Mark Rafferty

Mark Tacazon

Michael Darling

Neal Roark

Nick Vovakes

Peter Hau

Phillip Bushell

Rachel Goldberg

Rich Howell

Robin Martinez

Sara Hall

Stacy Crestelo

Susan Namuth

Columnists

Brenda Reimche

Chris Day

Gary Rafferty

James McKenzie

Jeff Hoopes

Kevin Brooks

..........................................................................................Executive Letters

...................................................................................................Columnists

..................................................................................................In the Field

...............................................................................................Green Corner

....................................................................................In Our Communities

...........................................................................................Shared Services

...........................................................................................................Kudos

......................................................................................125th Celebrations

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Evolution of a LandmarkAlthough the Quarterly photo contest is usually reserved for Swinerton employees, in this issue we are making an exception to feature the dazzling images of local San Franciscan and photographer Kevin Shea. A neighbor of the NEMA (10th and Market) project, Kevin has captured its evolution in a series of thousands of detailed images (including this issue’s cover photo). A regular presence on the jobsite, Kevin is considered by many NEMA workers to be an honorary member of the project team. Highlights from his series can be viewed in the seventh floor board room of Swinerton’s San Francisco headquarters. Thanks, Kevin, for capturing the progression of this landmark project—the photos will be a treasured part of our archives for the next 125 years!

The LEED Certification Mark is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.

© Copyright Swinerton Incorporated 2013. An Equal Opportunity Employer

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Editor Madigan Talmage-Bowers

The quote below is from a picture on my office wall showing Walt Disney standing in a big open field at a groundbreaking ceremony for Disneyland in Anaheim in the mid-1950s. When I looked at this print recently, it made me reflect on the seemingly impossible things our Swinerton employee-owners achieve so often. And I’d like to think that you’re also having some fun while doing it. I know I enjoy participating in the many great things that you do.

Think about it: when you were a teenager in high school, could you ever have imagined yourself as part of a 125-year-old company that builds state-of-the-art hospitals, award-winning interiors, enduring federal facilities, college and university projects, and futuristic solar energy plants, not to mention casinos, hotels, airport terminals, museums, office buildings, and the like, all while working for an elite base of customers?

I don’t know about any of you, but I never could have envisioned the business that I am a part of in 2013 and what I do today. Every day for me is a new venture with new opportunities. It seems like just yesterday that the planning, design, and construction business was like my old ‘56 Chevy I drove in high school. And now the business is like a high-performing Tesla.

How many of us would have imagined that we would be planning and building complex projects with the aid of electronic plans tables and using iPads or tablets to access

“drawings” from a virtual model in the cloud? Would we, in the early years of our careers, have imagined sitting in a room full of architects, engineers, and owners, leading the problem solving of complex design and constructability issues?

Could any of us have grasped how much daily team building and communication would really be needed in order to get all the disparate stakeholders and their individual interests in alignment? Who would have thought that our main job would be to develop people so that we can successfully help develop and build projects for our customers?

And who ever would have imagined the idea of subcontractors and vendors submitting their invoices and getting paid electronically through the Internet?

Swinerton’s vision is to be the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market we serve—proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence. Our employees do some truly amazing things, and your dedication and hard work is what allows us to achieve the vision of our customers and of Swinerton, and allows you to achieve your view of who you aspire to become and the great things you can accomplish.

You define your own path, and at the same time you help define Swinerton’s path. Keep your eyes and ears open for what is on the future’s horizon—explore that edge. The vision of tomorrow may not be in focus today, but it is just around the corner. Sometimes what you achieve seems impossible to me. My hat goes off to you. And with all due respect to Walt, it’s a lot more fun to see all of you continually adapt, grow, strive for excellence, and achieve the impossible. Each day you bravely look over that edge and are not intimidated by the unknown. You make me proud.

The opportunity to assume the role of Swinerton’s CEO is both exciting and overwhelming. In my 30 years with the company, I have had the privilege to work closely with and be mentored by four excellent CEOs. While very different in their approaches, they all were immensely talented and skilled leaders. So as I began to prepare for this new role of leading Swinerton into the future, I first thought about how much there is to honor in our collective history. To envision our future, we must celebrate our unique culture and strive to understand our failures and successes. All of these historic events become our “filters” and lessons learned as we move forward, helping us make the best decisions for our future—and helping our clients do the same. As we celebrate our 125th anniversary year, let’s look at what the next 125 years might bring. In last year’s strategic plan update, the executive committee established two key metrics:

1. Retain 100% of our preferred customers

2. Earn a best-in-class 3% net fee by 2018

How do we achieve these goals?

Self-Perform: In addition to concrete, our teams can self-perform drywall, finish carpentry, demolition, and other trades to enhance our overall project fees by up to 1%.

Design-Build: As architecture, engineering, and construction firms continue a trend of merging to provide one-stop shops for clients, we need to develop a better system to manage our design process and associated risks. Design-build fees can double our normal CM at-risk fees.

Globalization: Swinerton already has several strong relationships in China through the purchase of curtain wall, millwork, stone tile, and furniture. We can make returns on the savings we are currently passing on to clients through these purchasing relationships.

Boost Production: As new technology continues to disrupt the industry, we must go beyond mastering new tools to become the most productive builder in America. We can differentiate ourselves with efficiency and lower cost through greater use of prefabrication, preassembly, modernization, and off-site fabrication.

Target Markets: We need to recognize opportunities early and be on the forefront of the markets. A good example is our thriving renewable energy division, which started out as the spark of an employee’s idea and just a few years later is making 8-to-10% fees on the bottom line. As employees, I need you to think like owner-entrepreneurs and look for these types of opportunities. If you have an idea, share it!

Will there be additional bumps on the road in our future? Will there be another recession or two? Yes to both! But working together—just like we did during both the Great Depression and the last recession—we will survive. As we envision our future, we must remember to study and celebrate our past, focus on our strategic plan goals, and treasure our culture.

I look forward to working with the executive team—Gary, Frank, and Eric—and to being your partner in our future success.

Letter from the President and COOLetter from the CEO

A Roadmap for the Next 125 YearsBy Jeff Hoopes

From the Operations CornerBy Gary Rafferty

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It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.

–Walt Disney

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COLUMNISTSEXPERT • LEADER • OPINION • INSIGHT • CHALLENGE INSPIRE • VISIONARY • TRENDING • MOTIVATIONAL

At a recent Center for Excellence summer lecture series entitled, “The Future of the City: Urban Building and Big Data,” we explained to attendees that by the year 2030, 5 billion people—60% of the world’s population—will live in cities. This population shift “is turbo charging

the world’s economic growth,” according to the consulting firm McKinsey in their publication, “What Makes a City Great.” The McKinsey report explains that cities can serve their populations and become great by focusing on smart and inclusive planning that includes regional considerations, integrates the environment, and provides benefits to citizens of all socioeconomic levels.

Economists agree that urban building has a powerful “multiplier effect” on economic recovery, creating not only housing, but jobs and growth. For example, Swinerton’s NEMA (10th and Market) project in San Francisco had more than 600 craft workers on site at its peak. Once tenants move in, it will still need a workforce to support such a large, mixed-use community. The surrounding neighborhood will see a boost from the local spending of new residents and visitors. It’s a “chain reaction of growth.”

Well-managed cities have entered the era of “New Urbanism”—a city planning movement that promotes walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods containing a range of housing, building, and job types. It encompasses traditional design principles and mixed-use development oriented around sustainable transit options. The concepts of New Urbanism began as a response to post–World War II suburban sprawl, in which cars became the central transportation mode and building type segregation (housing, retail, industrial, office, etc.) was accepted as the norm. New Urbanism gained popularity in the United States in the 1980s and has gradually influenced real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use strategies. New Urbanists believe their strategies can reduce congestion, increase the supply of affordable housing, and limit suburban sprawl.

In the future, we can expect urbanization to meet digitalization as planning, design, construction, and operation of urban buildings will be guided by large streams of data coming from a myriad of sources. Applied Materials CEO Mike Splinter goes so far as to say that digitalization is allowing us to enter the “Age of Connectivity” and that this new age “will be the greatest game changer since the commercialization of

the Internet…We are entering an age where every device, from the phone in your pocket to the refrigerator in your kitchen, is not only intelligent, but networked, communicating, and operating as an extension of yourself.”

Future cities will be so well networked that driverless and electric vehicles, smart buildings, and energy monitoring will be common features of the urban landscape. Sustainability is a major driver of New Urbanism and will be the cornerstone in the strategy to combat carbon emissions.

Associated with New Urbanism is the concept of deep energy retrofits—a new business model that achieves much greater energy savings than traditional retrofits by emphasizing a whole-systems approach. Deep retrofits are characterized by using an integrated design approach and science-based analysis very early in the design process. A recent co-publication by the AIA and the Rocky Mountain Institute entitled, “Deep Energy Retrofits: An Emerging Opportunity,” states that “most of the buildings erected in the second half of the 20th century were built with little regard to energy use or impact on climate.” The amount of existing building stock that could benefit from deep energy renovation is enormous. Some the same technologies that we now use for designing and building high-performance buildings (such as BIM, reality capture, energy analysis software, and advanced visualization tools) can also be used for deep energy retrofits.

Swinerton has a strong legacy of urban building in world-class cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, stretching back to the late 1800s. We continue to build in markets that will be in demand in the modern urban environment: commercial office, historic renovation, renewable energy, residential high-rise, hospitality, educational, healthcare, and cultural.

Our local building knowledge, urban building capabilities, and ability to manage vast amounts of data will help propel the target market cities we serve into the future. Culture, business, technology—everything cutting edge is converging in cities. Swinerton will play a major role in making this convergence a reality!

Human Resources Center for Excellence

A Different Kind of Sailing LessonBy Brenda Reimche

You may know that in the last few weeks, the America’s Cup—sailing’s biggest competition—has been taking place on the San Francisco Bay. The catamarans have been truly amazing to watch, racing at speeds up to 40 knots (or 50 miles per hour). I’m always amazed that a boat, being pushed around by what seems to me an arbitrary wind, gets where it wants to go. If you’ve never been on a sailboat, it’s a great experience, but it can be confusing. Half the time, you’re not even looking at where you’re trying to go and are actually sailing away from your destination.

As I watched the skippers of the amazing vessels in the race, I marveled at how they were able to use that arbitrary wind to their advantage. Not being much of a sailor myself, I asked someone more knowledgeable how those crews knew what they were doing. She replied that it was easy if you understood the basic principles, worked as a team, and always kept in mind where you were headed.

Understand the basics, work as a team, and keep in mind where you’re headed. Great instructions for a sailboat, but it struck me that it really goes way beyond just that. The concept seems simple—so why is it that this is where things so often seem to go wrong for employees, managers, and teams?

You’re probably asking yourself how I got from sailing to communication at work. Well, even at 40 knots, sailboat races leave you with quite a bit of time to think. It really comes down to three things: understanding the rules, practicing, and knowing what the end result should be. Take a moment and consider this. As an employee, do you understand the rules and what’s expected of you? Are you clear about your role as part of a team? Do you know what harbor you’re headed for and what the end result of your work should look like?

As a manager, have you taken the time to explain the rules and chart the course for your employees? If not, how can you expect them to succeed in reaching their destination? A manager may be frustrated that someone just “doesn’t get it.” Before reaching this conclusion, perhaps a manager might consider how well they’ve explained the “it” and the employee might consider asking more questions. In the LeaderBuilder program, we talk about avoiding “management by telepathy”—the idea that someone ought to know how things should be done. Unfortunately, this theory doesn’t work any better for change order management than it does for a starboard tack upwind. Both actions must be explained and practiced. They’re not instinctive.

Those of you who are experienced sailors may laugh at novice me and my simple example. But remember, if you already have the necessary knowledge, someone else, at some time in your life, took the time to explain it to you, practice with you, and point you in the right direction. Our work in the office or on the jobsite is no different. Take the time to ensure that employees understand your expectations, follow up with them on a regular basis, and share that larger perspective with them so they know their role in its outcome. Be the one who takes the time to chart a clear course, explain the wind direction, and point your team toward the right harbor.

Swinerton and "The Future of the City"By James McKenzie

It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.

–Jim Rohn

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IN THE FIELD

By Mark Rafferty

In July, Swinerton Builders San Diego was selected as general contractor for Pechanga’s latest project. Located in the Temecula Valley off Interstate 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino is run by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. Although Swinerton has done significant Native American gaming work in the past, this is the first project working with the Pechanga Development Corporation. The project team is excited to work with a new client and hopes to forge a strong bond that paves the way for future jobs.

The Pechanga lobby, restaurant, and coffee remodel project began on September 3, with an estimated completion date set for December 20—just in time for the holiday rush. Scheduling is of the utmost importance on this project, as casino jobs are known for being driven by schedule. Casino projects wait for nothing, and the team is ready for the challenge. Swinerton provided preconstruction services on the $8 million job during GMP development to create an accurate budget for the project. Several small business enterprises have been brought onboard as part of the subcontractor buy-out, underlining Swinerton’s outreach commitment to finding historically underutilized businesses. The San Diego drywall group will be self-performing various items on the project, adding to its ever-growing list of jobs.

The Pechanga tenant improvement project will renovate 24,000 square feet of space, with work taking place in several distinct areas of the casino. There are three restaurants inside the casino—a noodle bar, a seafood restaurant, and a café—and each of them will be completely renovated. When work begins, the interiors of the existing restaurants will be demolished. Each of the restaurants will be redesigned and remodeled,

giving hotel guests and card players a more vibrant place to eat and drink. A portion of the retail space will be converted as well, transforming it into a coffee bar for a quick pick-me-up.

In addition to the overhaul of the restaurants, the registration desk and VIP areas will also be renovated. They will receive new millwork and finishes, giving a sleek design feel to guests as their first impression upon arrival. The existing water features will be removed, and an impressive new fountain will be built in the lobby. The existing lobby flooring will also be torn out, making way for the fresh changes to follow. The entire lobby will receive new marble flooring, covering approximately 14,000 square feet of space. On the mechanical side of the scope, six elevator interiors will also be renovated throughout the casino.

Work on the Pechanga project will take place in an occupied facility, as players and staff will be present around the clock each day. Because casino and hotel guests and workers will be playing, sleeping, and working throughout the area for the entire duration, the project team is taking every precaution to avoid disruption to ongoing activities. They designed a well-thought-out plan, which was developed with several iterations of owner concerns. Noise, dust, and vibration levels will be measured, and mitigation strategies will be employed to minimize their impact. The project team deserves kudos for their hard work on the Pechanga project, including: Operations Manager Steve Flint, Project Manager Stephen Campion, Superintendents Andy Dillavou and Jon Morton, Project Engineer Jon Cummings, and Project Assistant Maggie Sierra.

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San Diego

Riverbank Elementary Has Lunch on the RiverBy Maria Balbierz

Swinerton just completed the most recent phase of work at Riverbank Elementary School in West Sacramento, and school is back in session this year with a beautifully updated kitchen and multipurpose room.

While major work was done last year to bring this 50-year-old school up to date, this summer the facilities updates were completed. The old kitchen was completely remodeled to create a commercial kitchen, which will allow the school to prepare meals on site. The multipurpose room got a facelift with a fresh coat of paint, new acoustic panels, and a beautiful stained concrete floor.

Sacramento

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Game On at Pechanga Resort & Casino

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By Mark Rafferty

Over the past few years, the concrete services team at Swinerton Builders Orange County has greatly expanded its capabilities. The group is currently working on about 20 different projects, which range widely in scope and scale. Not only have they been taking more jobs recently, they are also taking larger ones. In the past couple of years, they have self-performed most—if not all—of the concrete work on several large parking structures. The group recently purchased over 100 beams and 60,000 square feet of deck panel formwork, equipping them with the stock necessary to self-perform these large scale projects. With a 100-strong labor force, they have the expertise to self-perform concrete work on any parking structure across the Southland.

In early 2011, the Orange County concrete services team finished work on a new parking structure at John Wayne Airport, finishing on time and on budget to help establish a name for Swinerton in the ever-expanding concrete services market. At five stories tall and 725,000 square feet, the 2,000-stall parking structure was Orange County’s largest self-performed concrete project to date. In late 2012, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena selected Swinerton Builders to perform design-build services on their new West Arroyo Parking Structure. A four-and-a-half-story, 460,000-square-foot, 1,436-stall, cast-in-place concrete parking structure, Swinerton self-performed 100% of the concrete work. Prior to the start of the job, the team heavily utilized BIM.

In spring 2013, the concrete services team completed work on a new parking structure for the Ayres Hotel in Orange, self-performing 100% of the concrete work. At Viejas Casino in San

Diego County, the group is currently working on a four-story, 280,000-square-foot parking structure—its largest 100% self-performed concrete project to date. Swinerton recently celebrated topping out of the 840-stall structure with a barbeque in early September. Employees, subcontractors, and end users were all invited, making the event an all-around success.

Orange County’s concrete services team performs an extensive range of services, including:

Structural and Foundations: wall forming, tilt-up, restorations, site work

Architectural: stamp, color, stain, polishing, sealers, overlays, slab beveling, ADA upgrades, detailed modeling services

BIM Concrete Components: concrete reinforcements, embeds, excavations

Model-Based Estimating: extract quantities from model and attached cost data, which automatically update as the design changes

Robotic Total Station: survey existing conditions and integrate into model; accurate layout performed using model data

Quality Control: check installations of all types; as-built conditions recorded and uploaded to model

Swinerton Builders Orange County’s concrete services team is excited by this recent growth and is committed to keeping up with the changes in an ever-evolving industry. Many thanks to everyone involved in the group, including: Tony Martin, Ken Courtney, Shawn Murphy, Jeff Goodermote, Ken Li, Mark Hurlock, Robert DiPietro, Steve Chamber, Stanko Vavan, Tom Boughton, Mike Torres, and Robert Roberts.

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IN THE FIELD

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By Nick Vovakes

Swinerton Builders Northwest recently completed a new 25,000-square-foot project to relocate an existing manufacturing plant in Raymond, Washington, to a new facility in Bothell, Washington. The client, Halosource, specializes in solutions for drinking water, pool and spa water, and environmental water. The scope of work included constructing a “tank farm,” which is home to large mixing tanks used to create Halosource’s specialized product.

Swinerton teamed with SABArchitects on this design-build effort to make certain all catwalks, raised mixing tanks, process water

piping, and high-end control panels all were coordinated correctly in this highly sensitive area of the production facility. We also completed a QC lab consisting of custom-built lab benches, a new fume hood, and new finishes. There is a possibility of another phase for this job in 2014, and the Seattle office will stay close to the owner during the coming months.

Congratulations to the project team for creating the right mixture for a successful delivery: Senior Project Manager Nick Vovakes, Senior Superintendent Tom Hatfield, Project Engineer Matt Berry, Project Coordinator Melinda Dumadag, and Operations Manager Dave Worley.

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Northwest

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Mixing It Up in Washington

Orange County

San Francisco

New Client, New High-Rise, New Technology

Orange County’s Concrete Services: Building on Recent Success

By Elaine Noble

Swinerton Builders San Francisco earned the general contractor award for the long-awaited 399 Fremont residential project in San Francisco. Initially awarded to Swinerton in 2006, the project went through a number of owner changes until UDR, Inc., entrusted Swinerton with the task of building its first-ever residential high-rise. Designed by architect Soloman Cordwell Buenz, the soaring, 440-foot tower includes 42 floors comprising 447 ultra-luxury rental apartments averaging 800 square feet each and 251 parking stalls nestled next to an eight-story podium. Slated to start as rental apartment units, the developer is maintaining its rights to convert them to condos at a future date. The two structures will be close to 600,000 square feet.

This new tower is located on the corner of Fremont and Harrison Streets, within walking distance from the exquisitely renovated Embarcadero Waterfront. The Rincon Hill district is in the heart of one of San Francisco’s most rapidly developing residential areas, near the Financial District. Designed to celebrate the dynamic and urban lifestyle of the city, 399 Fremont features expansive glass providing panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. Planned amenities include 24-hour valet parking and security, attractive resident walkways, a dog run, rooftop outdoor sky terraces, a library, a lap pool, a spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, designer landscaping, and a club house suited for high-class entertaining. Most amenities will be housed in the podium structure.

Our extensive experience constructing multifamily high-rise buildings played a huge role in re-winning this project. When building in a high-density urban environment such as downtown San Francisco, expertise in space use, material planning, permitting, curtain walls, and neighborhood relations is essential to a successful and smooth delivery. The knowledge gained from NEMA (10th and Market) working with the off-shore curtain wall manufacturer weighed heavily in securing this contract. The high-rise curtain wall will be a mix of polished glass and aluminum covering the post-tension concrete structure. In addition, our strategic know-how with phased-in occupancy and LEED® proficiency set the company apart from others. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification.

For the first time, Swinerton Builders San Francisco will employ BIM 360 Glue throughout the entire process, and this is the first time it will be used on a high-rise project in our history. BIM 360 Glue streamlines collaboration by hosting the latest building model files on the cloud and will be accessible to everyone on the project, including subcontractors and field managers. This will be critical during the construction phase, as crew managers can access the latest models on their tablets. It will be very exciting to watch how BIM 360 Glue will play its role to streamline schedules, eliminate confusion, and significantly cut the time required for file management.

Preconstruction is already underway on the approximately $170 million project, with Swinerton developing the 3D models, preparing the construction documents for permitting, and finalizing the GMP budgets. On-site mobilization is now scheduled for mid-January 2014 with a projected completion date of April 2016. UDR hired PMA as their owner’s representative.

Big congratulations on a job well done goes out to: CEO Jeff Hoopes, Division Manager Steve Johnson, Operations Manager Terry McKellips, Project Executive Ryan Ruhl, Business Development Manager Marv Peper, Vice President of Estimating David Green, Chief Estimator Paul Hinz, Senior Estimator Tom Paulling, Estimator Maria Juachon, Corporate Quality Manager Karl Joerger, Senior Superintendent Issa Tams, Project Manager Melanie Lapointe, Senior Marketing Coordinator Jeff Heermann, and Proposal Manager Sandra Kim. Your contributions made a difference to secure this important project. Well done!

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IN THE FIELDIN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

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French Immersion School Welcomes Students to New Burbank CampusBy Mark Rafferty, Daryl Cruser & David Slomanson

Located in Burbank, California, Lycee International de Los Angeles (LILA) opened its doors in late August to the school’s first students. A French immersion school for 350 students in grades 6–12, the majority of classes are taught entirely in French. Starting in 1978 with nine students in a teacher’s home, LILA now has five campuses around the Los Angeles area. The new five-acre campus features a one-story, 38,000-square-foot, mid-century structure built in 1954 as the General Motors Training Center. While reviewing the original building permits, it was discovered that Swinerton had constructed an addition to the original building in the late ‘50s. Over half a century later, Swinerton Builders Los Angeles returned to transform the aging structure into a state-of-the-art educational facility.

Swinerton provided significant preconstruction services on the project, which required a substantial amount of value engineering. From summer through fall of 2012, Swinerton worked diligently with the owner to get the budget to where it needed to be. Spearheaded by Operations Manager Kim Grant, the team reduced the owner’s original estimate from $7 million down to $4.2 million. We then contracted for that amount, marking this the first time that we did the actual budgeting before contracting for that same number.

Work started right away in January, as the owner needed the building completed in seven months’ time for the start of school. A high-level tenant improvement project with a large structural component, existing spaces were renovated and seismically

retrofitted. The original building was set up in somewhat of a classroom configuration, but a significant number of new walls had to be put in place to make it suitable for teaching. New bracing and new sheerwalls were put into place, with through-bolt connections that ran all the way up through the roof. As part of the design, the school has very few hard ceilings. All systems are exposed, with the fire line painted a bright red to contrast with the black-and-white ceiling.

Apart from the structural component, the biggest change to the building involved the use of natural lighting. Dozens of skylights and solar tubes were installed, flooding the school with natural light. HVAC systems were reused by 50% tonnage wise, heavy lead paint abatement was done, and a property line wall was surveyed and constructed on the north end. New bathrooms were built, while floor-to-ceiling whiteboards were painted on some classrooms’ 15-by-30-foot walls. In all, there are 23 classrooms, four labs, an auditorium, an art room, a library, and two indoor sports rooms.

Although the space has been completely transformed, it still retains some of its past glory as a former General Motors facility. The floors were sealed in their current condition, revealing outlines of the building’s past use as auto shop rooms. The “archaeology of the building” also shows through in the new storefront windows. They used to be roll-up metal doors for bringing cars inside the shop bays, and one original door was left in place for the wood shop class. Its old character is evident on the auditorium stage as well, where a large yellow barn-style door sits at stage left facing the alley. General Motors’ newest models were brought through this door under the cloak of secrecy, using the school’s existing stage to display these vehicles for employees’ eyes only.

Félicitations (congratulations) to the entire job team for doing an A+ job. Merci a (thanks to): Operations Manager Kim Grant, Project Executive Daryl Cruser, Project Manager Carla Barry, Superintendent David Slomanson, Project Field Administrator Christine Parham, Estimator Adli Batnij, and Accountant Dansen Lee.

Los Angeles

Swinerton Builders Texas, alongside the San Antonio Fire Department, celebrated completion of the new $6.4 million Fire Service and Logistics Facility with a “hose uncoupling” ceremony. Joining Director of Operations Scott Tomhave for the ceremony were San Antonio Fire Chief Charles N. Hood and Councilman Ray Lopez of District 6. This is Swinerton’s second project for the San Antonio Fire Department.

The new Fire Services and Logistics Facility will serve as centralized maintenance and repair provider for more than 360 fire and EMS vehicles from 51 department stations across San Antonio. In addition to ensuring that vehicles meet fire and EMS standards, personnel will repair essential equipment like gas detection monitors, breathing apparatuses, and thermal imaging cameras on site. The building features six heavy-duty bays and a covered area that can accommodate a total of 24 large trucks. Up to 12 smaller vehicles can be serviced at three light-duty bays and a separate covered area.

Warehouse storage space totaling 16,000 square feet will be used to store extra facility supplies and equipment like axes and hoses. Fire and EMS personnel can make use of 16 offices, several common work areas, a kitchen and dining space, and a locker room.

Texas

San Antonio Fire Department Celebrates New Facility

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IN THE FIELD

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Government San Diego

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By Sara Hall

Problem solving seems to be an everyday occurrence for our project teams, and sometimes making the simplest of suggestions produces the greatest results for our clients.

For instance, Swinerton Builders Government is wrapping up phased construction of the Cadet Gym Modernization project at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This project has a variety of spaces within the 107,000 square feet we are renovating, including locker, shower, and team rooms for the men’s and women’s soccer teams and lacrosse program; visitor locker rooms; a judo studio; combative studios; a spin cycling room; an indoor firing range; and wrestling and aerobic dance studio spaces. With all of these spaces plus their associated equipment, storage comes at a premium. In an attempt to problem solve and better serve our client, Swinerton’s project team value engineered the construction documents to find more space through redesign efforts, ultimately saving the Air Force Academy money.

On the fourth level there was an existing 10-by-100-foot dirt floor storage room with four columns and an overhead structural slab serving as the ceiling. Structural and demolition drawings called for the four existing columns to be underpinned and the overhead structural slab to remain while removing one of the three concrete walls that supported it. Plans called for us to shore the overhead structural slab, demolish the wall, build back a new wall, and resupport the overhead structural slab. In this scenario, the storage area would have been limited to 4-by-100 feet.

Our value engineering idea was to remove the overhead structural slab and concrete columns that needed underpinning;

excavate 6-by-100 feet of dirt; pour back a small concrete retaining wall; install steel, metal decking, and lightweight concrete for the slab ceiling; and then pour a 10-by-100-foot slab-on-grade in lieu of a 4-by-100-foot slab-on-grade. This idea provided 9,600 cubic feet of storage, compared to the original plans of providing 2,400 cubic feet of storage. This effort, and other similar value engineering ideas, relieved some of our client’s storage issues while saving project costs.

As we near completion of this $14 million renovation project, one of the last major structural milestones included installing structural steel and pouring 220 yards of concrete to create a new building level that serves as a ceiling for one level and as the floor for a large outdoor patio. With the structure complete and the building exterior wrapping up, the interior finishes are continuing and the project team is well on its way to early delivery by the end of 2013.

Keep up the great work and problem solving! Congratulations to: Superintendent Kris Klickna, Quality Control/Project Engineer Eric Coffy, and Project Manager Mark Gowler.

Adding Space, Solving Problems

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

By Mark Rafferty

In the coming months, Swinerton Builders San Diego will begin work on four separate projects at Palomar College in San Marcos, a suburb of San Diego. These include clear and grub for a new baseball field and Child Development Center, site utilities work, and construction of the Child Development Center and baseball field.

The San Diego division has completed several projects for Palomar College in the past, including the award-winning planetarium project completed last year. With Swinerton serving as the CM at-risk, preconstruction services are currently underway on all four projects. In-depth coordination with the design team, Palomar College, the DSA inspector, and the environmental consultant is necessary to develop a clear level of understanding about the means and methods for construction. This is due to the complexity of the project site, continuous school activity in the day and evening, and the availability of access for construction activity to be productive.

Extensive environmental issues required a complex approval process simply to enter the site. The critical dates revolve around the Department of Fish & Game allowing access into the project sites for the baseball field and Child Development Center; access is anticipated for approval on October 15. The soils engineer will explore and confirm the rock formation and generate a Final Soils Report. This will be followed by the clear and grub and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, which will be placed with the help of aerial topography to clarify the actual existing grade elevations. With this information, the balance of the project site can be determined.

On opening day in February 2015, the Palomar Comets will be playing in a new state-of-the-art baseball stadium. To achieve this, Swinerton must start construction on March 1, 2014. Over 24 feet of fill will be used, along with blasting and 100,000 cubic yards of earthwork movement. For the Child Development Center, three independent buildings will be constructed. The project involves a considerable amount of earthwork and blasting, along with 20-foot-high retaining walls. An elaborate playground with artificial sod will be built outside for the children, while unique interior design work will flank the inside walls. Each trade will create BIM models for clash detection, and the team will implement their findings in the field.

Since first being awarded the contract, Swinerton’s team has been asked to do an additional $1.5 million in site utilities work, including infrastructure, gas, water, sewer, storm drain, electrical/power, data, and street lighting. The project also involves a street improvement scope, including the installation of multiple transformers to feed the ballpark, Child Development Center, and any other future projects located nearby. The entire project is being funded through the Proposition M ballot measure, which voters approved in the 2006 elections. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification, with plans to incorporate significant sustainability factors and green features. The project team is ready to start work, and is aware of the challenges of working on an occupied school campus. With 30,000 students and faculty on campus year-round, the team has developed a plan to lessen the impact of construction on classes, meetings, and athletic events.

Kudos to the entire project team for stepping up to the plate, including: Senior Project Manager Scott Kube, Project Director Mike Casey, Senior Project Superintendent Kurt Kunz, and Senior Estimator Darrell Torres.

Team Swinerton Looks to Knock It Out of the Park

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IN THE FIELD

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IN THE FIELDInteriors

By Elaine Noble

Like a samurai who sharpens his blades and practices with precise, deliberate moves, Heroku (pronounced her-row-koo) took the same philosophy to its new headquarters. Every aspect of the building was explored, considered, and executed with a precise intention cultivating ingenuity, sharpness, and an open, collaborative working environment.

Heroku is a subsidiary of Salesforce, specializing in open software platforms allowing application developers the freedom to build and deploy apps in a variety of software languages. Outgrowing its former headquarters on 11th and Harrison, Heroku found a new home at 7th and Townsend, deeper into the SOMA district of San Francisco. The office is walking distance from CalTrain with Zynga, Adobe, and Advent as close neighbors.

Overall, this $12.5 million corporate tenant improvement employed 150 crew members at the peak of construction. Two months of preconstruction planning and demolition was followed by 10 months of construction. About 105 Heroku

employees moved into the new headquarters in mid-August 2013, with room to accommodate up to 350 people.

What’s So Different About This Place? Throughout the basement, three floors, and the penthouse, the atmosphere of openness, sharing, and collaboration is evident. Not one cubicle can be found and very few permanent desks.

Every piece of furniture is movable and reconfigurable

based upon the team’s needs. Conference rooms are abundantly placed throughout the 85,000 square feet: 12 on the first floor, 22 on both of the next two, and one more in the penthouse. Offices are also notably missing; one has to know where to look for the one private office. (Hint: It’s not in a corner.)

Heroku chose to design a stadium seating arena with carpeted, wide seating areas and ample electrical outlets throughout. This allows the entire team to easily gather, listen, and discuss company-wide issues and presentations. Very high-tech video conferencing equipment is installed along with a laser microphone array and projection technology. The kitchen and dining areas also are quite open to collaboration, as staff enjoys catered lunches and snacks throughout the work day. The tables are configured to encourage conversation and fellowship. The gym, a music room, a meditation area, and a bar are in the basement, whereas a juice bar and a yoga studio are in the penthouse with wide-open views of The City.

Building Exposure Taking a cue from the bones of the building, Heroku wanted to incorporate as much of the brick and wood structural features into the purposeful design as possible. After demolition, Project Manager Steffan Ravizza used 3D laser scanning to capture

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Heroku: When Intentional Detail Delivers More Than Just an Office the nuances and characteristics. From the laser scan, 3D models were presented to the team to create, plan, and lay out each of the various components as well as resolve any conflicts.

Keeping the duct work exposed meant no false ceilings and strict attention to how the duct work appeared. “Fashion over function” was the guideline in the design of the MEP/FP systems. Bright silver pipes and white paint on wood crafted precise lines in a highly tailored manner with beams of bare wood peppered throughout.

Over the years, many firms occupied the historic building since its birth in 1908 and painted the original wooden columns with each new move-in. Paint was stripped off to the bare first-growth Douglas fir, exposing more of the building’s coveted brick and timber. Two floors of stairs connect the first floor to the third floor. The architect found a reclaimed wood sourcing company called TerraMai to obtain reclaimed red oak for the treads and handrails. Hand-blackened steel frames the structure.

Raising Craftsmanship Through Detailed Differences Using a cookie-cutter formula to build 56 conference rooms was not even a consideration for this project. A mix of wood and metal shaped each one to house high-tech conference technologies, sound systems, and drop lighting fixtures with no fluorescent bulbs. The walls were created using one of three cladding choices: corrugated plastic called PolyGal, corrugated sheet metal, or reclaimed wood from a Tennessee silo barn. Matching up the plastic or sheet metal to the fastener and its placement was a challenging detail. True craftsmanship merged the mixed materials seamlessly. Yet in these conference rooms, you won’t find any traditional white boards. Instead, ApplePly plywood was used with a special coating to create the dry erase surface.

While the rest of the building is either brick, wood, or painted, there is one exception: the center core walls. Now covered in distinctive swirls, bold lines, and thick bands of color, street artist Victor Reyes put his mark on the new headquarters. Not What Anyone Expected…At First When Ravizza first got this assignment, he believed it would be quite similar to other tenant improvements. “I thought that this was going to be like the other Salesforce projects

downtown. But as I got into the drawings, I began to see that this was nothing like downtown. I couldn’t picture how all of these different finishes would look, let alone fit together.”

As the demolition wrapped up on the first floor, things clicked for Ravizza. “My only fear is that I will never get to build anything like this again. I’m incredibly proud of my contribution and my teams. We were given a huge challenge

and it raised our levels of craftsmanship. It made us think, be creative, and be successful. That’s what makes it great to work at Swinerton.”

Ravizza gives credit to his leadership team for their guidance and expertise: Director Peter Hau and Superintendent John Campbell. “Without them listening and brainstorming and working to find solutions, this project would have been a lot more challenging,” said Ravizza. “Great teams are so vital for success here.”

Photographer Peter Hau

Interiors Continued

On August 20, Swinerton Builders Sacramento and members of the Administrative Office of the Courts successfully kicked off the new $38.4 million Yuba City Courthouse in Sutter County. More than 100 dignitaries and guests attended the groundbreaking for the new 73,500-square-foot building. This was Swinerton’s fourth bid for a courthouse. After coming in second on the last two bids, we put the right formula together to become the low bidder on the Yuba City project. Competition was stiff, as the next contractor was half a percentage point above our bid. This project is scheduled to be complete in less than 20 months.

Congratulations to the entire team: Estimators Sterling Graham, Russell Green, Daniel Cervantes, Ron Madison, Justin Reginato, and John Hoeppner; MEP Coordinators Greg Ignoffo, Jim Conn, and Jesse Jones; Senior Estimating Coordinator Shari Trejo; Project Engineers Lamont Hurren, Lars Sequeira, and Brian Piper; Intern Project Engineers

Alyssa Zayas, Evens Thoussaint, and Michael Artinian; Project Managers Scott Swartz and Amy Casado; Marketing Manager Karen Glover; Marketing Coordinator Mallory Buchner; VDC Engineer Vincent Marquez; Purchasing Manager Mika Reckers; Chief Estimator Kirk Thompson; Project Executive John Stout; Operations Manager Bryan Holt; and Division Manager Alan Wolf.

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IN THE FIELD

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By Mark Tacazon

This January, Swinerton Builders Hawaii began the renovation of the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore. This involved updating the existing guestrooms and corridors as well as expanding the existing spa, which included demolition, construction of new spaces, MEP upgrades, elevator work, finish carpentry, and tile work. The renovation consisted of a total of 410 units, of which 106 units were converted into “premium” guestrooms. The corridors were also refreshed with new carpeting, furniture, fixtures, and equipment, as well as wood wall covering at the entries of each room. On top of all the requirements, the project team faced a highly aggressive work schedule leaving very little room for error.

Starting with the spa, the project team faced the initial challenge of constructing new custom walls. “The spa treatment rooms were unique in that the walls were prefabricated from scratch and constructed with marine plywood, covered with a weave mat material, and framed out with two-by-four-foot mahogany hardwood,” says General Foreman Jeff Nieva. “This was installed between a solid six-by-six-foot teak post that ran from floor to ceiling.” Each treatment room is entered through louvered mahogany

doors and the floors are made of large lava stones with small pebbles sprinkled between the grout joints. All materials put together provide a very tranquil look that embodies the island spa experience. “The team did a great job in a short amount of

time, working two shifts to get the exterior completed,” notes Senior Project Engineer David Tu. “Because of the teams’ perseverance and die-hard attitude, we were able to complete the project in time for the staff to operate and service their hotel guests.” In the end, the newly renovated spa was unveiled as the Nalu Kinetic Spa.

The renovations of the guestrooms were executed in three phases throughout the three-tower, six-story resort. Designed by WCIT Architecture, the guestrooms feature high-end finishes and a modernized interior for each unit. One of the unique features of the guestrooms is the five-by-seven-foot sliding glass bathroom doors, which required delicate handling and precise installation. “There were many design issues with these large pieces of glass,” says Project Engineer Chad Cataluna. “It was one of the largest installs from the manufacturer.”

The project team is currently on their last phase of the renovation, which is expected to be completed by the end of October. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Turtle Bay Resort is a truly special place and we are proud to be a part in this important historic milestone for of one of Hawaii’s iconic destinations.

Sacramento

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Sutter County Courthouse Breaks Ground Finishing Touches at the Turtle Bay Resort

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Orange County

Full House at Hawaiian Gardens CasinoBy Mark Rafferty

This summer, Swinerton Builders Orange County was selected to build the new Hawaiian Gardens Casino. Located on Carson Street just east of Long Beach, the project was won through a combination of factors. While this is not a Native American casino, Swinerton’s past experience in building numerous Indian gaming facilities helped pave the way for a win. Swinerton Builders Orange County was assisted by the San Diego division, who has a strong relationship with the project’s architect, JCJ Architecture. JCJ introduced us to the project, allowing our pursuit team to submit a successful proposal for the new casino.

Non-Indian gaming casinos are uncommon in Southern California. The project, set at a cost of $50 million, will begin in October with an estimated date of completion set for April 2015. The new casino, dubbed “The Gardens Casino,” will be several times larger than the existing one. Built in 1997 as a tent membrane structure, the existing casino was only meant to be a temporary space until a permanent one could be built. Eighteen years later, card players will finally have the casino they’ve long been waiting for.

At the start of the project, make-ready work will be done to accommodate off-site guest and employee parking. Electrical relocation will be done at this time as well, to be ready in time for the construction of the new casino. With over 200,000 square feet of space, the new two-level casino will be built next. Not only did the casino want to avoid any interruption in playing time for guests, but it wanted to avoid downtime for staff as well, as it is the City of Hawaiian Gardens’ biggest employer by far. As a result, the 60,000-square-foot existing casino won’t be demolished until the new one has been built. Its porte cochere will be demolished first, followed by the casino itself.

A new porte cochere will be constructed after the new casino is built, while the parking lot will be reconfigured and repaved as the job wraps up. Swinerton will be self-performing some of the concrete work, adding to our portfolio of work on casino jobs. Site work includes new landscaping and lighting improvements, which will help spruce up the local neighborhood. After receiving award of the project, Swinerton provided preconstruction services as part of the GMP estimate. In the months leading up to groundbreaking, the team is cost cutting and value engineering to get on budget. Total station has already been used to find the location of utilities, while BIM will be utilized for coordination purposes.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this successful win, including: Project Executive Steve Flint, Project Manager Besim Fejzagic, Superintendents Frank Perry and Andy Dillavou, Project Engineer Derek Mosiman, BIM Engineer John Hallgarth, Chief Estimator Pete Shin, and Estimators Khristina Stone and Jon Oh.

Hawaii

By Madigan Talmage-Bowers & Jack Carter

The future of urban building is flying high in San Francisco’s Mid-Market corridor, as several Swinerton projects are helping energize this historic neighborhood. In July, the first residents moved into the newest addition at Trinity Place after an aggressive 23-month construction schedule. With 22 stories towering over Mission and Eighth Streets, Phase 2 of the four-phase Trinity Place residential project features 418 studio and one-bedroom units in the heart of the action. Swinerton’s San Francisco team worked long hours for the last two months of construction in order to complete last-minute change orders and deliver the project on time to a very happy owner.

Exceeding the client’s expectations on Phase 2, Swinerton was selected to provide preconstruction services for Phase 3—a $228 million project that includes a 19-story residential tower with six levels of below-grade parking. Designed by Arquitectonica, the sculptural, L-shaped complex will complement the existing towers of Phases 1 and 2 with an exterior of precast concrete panels and glazing. Residents will have their pick of 546 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units featuring spacious floor plans and quality finishes. Ground-level retail and restaurant space will facilitate true city living.

A landscaped plaza will span between the towers of Phases 2 and 3 for a 40,000-square-foot green oasis amidst the concrete bustle of the neighborhood. Modern water features and sculptural elements of mythic proportions will make a visit to this urban garden no ordinary stroll in the park.

Swinerton already has received the green light to proceed with excavation, shoring, and dewatering of the site and plans to submit a GMP for construction services in December. Planned for a 36-month schedule, Phase 3 is set to welcome tenants in early 2017. Once all four phases of Trinity Place are complete in 2020, the complex will add 2,000 much-needed units to San Francisco’s notoriously tight rental market.

Hats off to the Trinity Phase 2 project team for a job well done and for maintaining a valuable relationship with a long-time client: Project Executive Jack Carter, Project Manager Marina Nunez, Senior Project Manager Mike Nebozuk, Senior Project Engineers Keith Morehouse and Juan Restrepo, Assistant Superintendent John Collins, MEP Superintendent Cary Thompson, Superintendents Gary Bernardini and Steve Bicknell, Senior Project Field Administrator Yolanda Orellana, Project Accountant Nancy Beckley, Chief Estimator Paul Hinz, Senior Scheduler Mike Raney, and Operations Managers Don Bourne and Tony Williamson.

Congratulations to all who helped secure the win of Phase 3 and to the project team as they continue to bring the Trinity vision to life: Project Executive Leonard Hayden, Senior Project Manager Mike Nebozuk,

Operations Managers Don Bourne and Tony Williamson, Senior Superintendent Mike Duran, Senior Project Engineer Juan Restrepo, Senior Project Engineer Chase Torres, Senior Project Field Administrator Yolanda Orellana, Chief Estimator Paul Hinz, Senior Estimator Dale Molyneux, and Senior Scheduler Mike Raney.

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IN THE FIELD

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Renewable Energy

By Adam Snyder, Carol Ann Stevens & Lidia Fraser

Swinerton Renewable Energy’s Technical Services division proudly offers our clients a highly sophisticated, proprietary, solar power plant monitoring and operation solution. “Solar Operations Live View,” aka SOLV™, is a robust, web-based, solar plant monitoring tool that improves operations and maintenance (O&M) tasks and puts photovoltaic system performance and detailed plant data at the fingertips of owners and asset managers. In addition, SOLV provides event and security information; email alert notifications for new alarms, which are tracked until resolution; performance tracking and reporting; and plant and portfolio asset data and information, all in a centralized cloud storage environment. SOLV does this by monitoring and analyzing performance data from thousands of points within the solar site, allowing operations and maintenance professionals to quickly identify and understand operational issues before the O&M truck rolls. The collected data also allows operators to identify potential problems, thereby minimizing downtime, increasing plant availability, and maximizing output.

SOLV is now under contract to operate and monitor over 250 MW AC of utility-scale solar facilities in 2013 and is under contract for an additional 340 MW DC in 2014. Naturally, each solar project is unique, requiring unique system integration and components. For that reason, the SOLV team offers custom integration for each and every site; our clients receive a unique added value with SOLV, above and beyond other industry monitoring solutions. Swinerton’s SOLV engineers and managers are constantly analyzing data from numerous plants and developing ways to improve SOLV’s performance and capabilities across the board. The Swinerton SOLV team produces a monthly bulletin, “SOLV Evolves,” to keep clients and end-users regularly informed of new developments and enhanced features.

Swinerton Renewable Energy’s SOLV team, in partnership with the Technical Services O&M team, is not just meeting the sophisticated and highly technical needs of a dynamic solar industry—it’s leading the way! This advanced, integrated use of new

technology not only maximizes owner’s profits, it also maximizes the use of nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy—a goal dreamed of by Thomas Edison 82 years ago, now shared by everyone in the field of renewable energy.

Special thanks to the brilliant and dedicated team at Swinerton Renewable Energy Technical Services: Technical Services Manager Angelo Purpura, SOLV Manager Mark Boissevain, SOLV Product Manager Adam Snyder, SOLV Software Developer Arti Ramnathkar, SOLV Project Engineer Ben Rogowitz, and SCADA Engineer Ryan Ness. Thanks also to Performance Manager Mat Taylor and Service Contracts Compliance Manager Carol Ann Stevens for their dedication to the continuous improvement of SOLV.

To be added to the “SOLV Evolves” bulletin distribution list or to read past issues, please contact Lidia Fraser at lfraser@swinerton.com.

Making Edison Proud

San Francisco

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Trinity Place Evolves with Phase 3 Kickoff

Design-Build Healthcare in Bakersfield

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IN THE FIELD

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Colorado

BUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Swinerton Builders Colorado’s Special Projects group continues to win more diverse project types and grow into the preferred builder and trusted partner for a variety of clients. This evolution began in 2012 and prevails today. So far, we have completed tenant improvements for major companies that are expanding their operations in Denver, as well as a local school district, an area hospital, and an international software corporation, to name just a few.

In 2013, both Kaiser Permanente and Fidelity Investments opened new offices in Denver and hired over 1,000 new positions between the two organizations. Swinerton served both companies for their office build-out projects.

Kaiser’s Information Technology Center totals 121,000 square feet over six floors and consists of a 1,000-square-foot data center with supporting IDF closets on each level. Supporting equipment includes two CRAC units and two UPS systems with preaction fire suppression. Work took place over an existing three-inch raised floor and included build-out of a fitness center and installation of branded graphic wall coverings, extensive window film, decorative modular art wall panels in lounge areas, and new LED light fixtures with a new lighting control system. The project is aiming for LEED Gold, with RNL Design of Denver as the architect.

Swinerton continues to serve Fidelity Investments with the fit-out of a three-floor, 91,285-square-foot call center, including a primary data center on the sixth floor and supporting IDF closets. Our team installed a new 1,500 kW generator in the

parking garage and built a fitness center, locker rooms, and bike storage areas on the first floor. Additional work included construction of eight large training rooms, a skyfold operable partition on the sixth floor, new break rooms, mother rooms, lighting and controls, and 250 motorized shades at perimeter windows. This project is on track for LEED certification, and our local team worked closely with StructureTone as Fidelity’s project manager.

Over the summer, Swinerton also completed a two-floor administration office for Denver Public Schools, Colorado’s second largest school district. This fast-paced project required complete interior demolition, repairs to existing windows, a new fire alarm system and panel, plumbing fixture additions in core restrooms, installation of new energy-efficient lighting and controls, casework, and a new operable partition. Several Denver Public Schools departments now occupy this space, including the Construction & Planning Department, so exceeding our client’s expectations was exceptionally critical for this project.

Additionally, interior renovation work has begun for our first healthcare client in recent years—North Suburban Medical Center. This extensively phased project will renovate and repair floors one through five in this operational hospital.

Lastly, build-out continues on a sales and customer center for SAP, an international software corporation. This project includes selective demolition and installation of new woodwork, upgraded finishes, and installation of an extensive audio visual package throughout. The work occurs in an occupied environment with no loss of SAP production.

Colorado’s Special Projects group is proud to continue its expansion to serve wide-ranging clients.

Healthcare

Special Projects Group Nurtures Varied Projects and Clients

It’s been a bit over two years now since Swinerton Builders broke ground on the MOB-I Cancer Center, a design-build healthcare project for Adventist Health on its San Joaquin Community Hospital campus in Bakersfield, California. The Cancer Center houses radiation oncology, medical oncology, and outpatient surgery in a four-story, 60,000-square-foot facility. Shortly after completion of the project this January, Swinerton broke ground on the MOB-2 Imaging Center, located just north of the Cancer Center. Work on this three-story design-build project, also 60,000 square feet, continues on schedule and under budget in preparation for a targeted completion of March 2014. The building will provide space for imaging services, including x-ray, MRI, PET, and mammography.

When dedicating the Cancer Center in December, Robert Beehler, then president and CEO of the San Joaquin Community Hospital, commented that not long ago it was common for Kern County residents to leave their communities to receive special medical care. Previously, nearly 20% of cancer patients needed to leave Kern County to receive treatment. “We don’t think that cancer should be fought as an away game. We need to have home-field advantage with family support nearby,” emphasized Beehler.

In concert with our Swinerton colleagues working on Kern County projects for Chevron and others in the oil industry, developing a similar “home-field advantage” is something the healthcare group has been working towards since we first rolled into town. Bakersfield sits on what is thought to be one of the largest shale oil formations on the planet—the Monterrey Shale. It is said to contain as many as 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil, development of which could unleash a surge of employment, growth, and revenue for the entire region. As the community grows, so grows the healthcare market.

After struggling to obtain adequate bid coverage on the Cancer Center project, the healthcare group recognized the importance of reaching out to the local subcontractor community, not as a temporary outsider, but as a local presence and permanent business partner to the many well-qualified subcontractors who call the region home. To help our cause, we joined several local building exchanges and directly sponsored a number of subcontractor outreach events targeted specifically to meet more local contractors and to start them through our prequalification process. The exercise paid off with a high response from local bidders we connected with on the Imaging Center project.

We have also recognized the importance of building a team of local “new hires” as opposed to manning new projects with “travelers.” Accordingly, plans are being discussed to start a recruitment effort to connect with local talent ready to help meet the challenge of localized market potential. Although somewhat behind the increased building pace the Bay Area has experienced, opportunities are on the rise in Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties. We need to be there ahead of time to take advantage of the growing market.

So the next time you’re on your way to or from the Grapevine on Interstate 5 or Highway 99, take a bit of time to stop in Bakersfield and look at our work completed and in progress. You’ll find that Bakersfield is a growing community with a huge potential for economic development worthy of establishing a real presence as the local contractor of choice.

A huge thanks to all those who helped Swinerton develop a strong presence in the Bakersfield healthcare community: Steve Johnson, Brendan Bloom, Ken Schultz, Tim Moffett, Tonya Bojorquez, Stewart Price, Patrick Connolly, Curtis Johnson, John Stout, Jeff Garcia, Michael Stewart, and Shannon Fryer.

Northwest

New Year, New School for Childpeace MetroBy Jason Chupp

Childpeace Metro School, a private school in Portland, Oregon, recently expanded its middle school program and found that it needed a larger building to accommodate its growth. After purchasing an 80-year-old building in Portland’s Pearl District, the City of Portland required Childpeace to conduct substantial seismic upgrades before moving into the building. As the private school is a long-term client of Jason Chupp and Tim Robinson, Swinerton Builders Northwest was hired to complete the needed upgrades. Within 12 weeks, in addition to the seismic needs, the Swinerton team stripped the building to the walls and transformed the building into a middle school. On the exterior, new signage, paint, and a new roof were installed. Students started their new school year with smiles and excitement as they arrived at their school eager to explore the new space.

Congratulations to the project team: Operations Manager Jason Chupp, Superintendent Steve Farrell, and Senior Project Coordinator Danielle Ridgeway.

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IN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Swinerton Management & Consulting

By Jeremy Templeman

This summer saw the start of three diverse San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) projects, for which Swinerton Management & Consulting is handling construction management. In addition, Swinerton is providing design management services on three other SFUSD projects, which will move into construction next year.

First up was Phase 1 of a two-phase seismic retrofit at Lowell High School, one of the highest performing schools in the nation in academics. With construction beginning the day after school let out and a substantial occupancy deadline of August 19, Senior Project Manager Pam Welty and her contractor had only 100 days to complete this challenging endeavor. Shaking things up 75 days into construction, the district moved up the turnover date by a week, forcing the entire team to push to a seven-day schedule. Besides placing 10 roof drag beams and a horizontal truss 32 feet in the air in the auditorium, the crew seismically separated the kitchen from the adjacent building, adding a new shear wall with a 14-foot-deep footing. The first day of the new school year, Lowell High School

opened its doors to the incoming freshman class of 2017, and the entire 2,640-student contingent was able to start off the year in style. The second phase, beginning in summer 2014, will feature the seismic upgrade of the three-story classroom building, with each floor receiving concrete shear walls and drag beams while the other two floors are occupied.

Meanwhile, Senior Project Manager Scott Glover has his hands full over at Monroe Elementary School in the Excelsior District with the addition of a new $4.8 million, two-story modular classroom building to be completed by the end of the year. The next phase, the $6.7 million modernization of the existing classroom building, will be completed during 2014. Along with all the normal challenges of construction, Scott and the team at Jeff Luchetti Construction have had to execute work within an extremely tight, occupied jobsite. This project has also required eight teachers and more than 150 children to move to an alternate school site for the next year until the project comes to completion in 2015, providing additional moving and logistical challenges.

Construction on the new $44.6 million Willie Brown Middle School also has recently mobilized. The 88,000-square-foot school in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood is the first design-build project for SFUSD. This school is designed to be a hub of the community with public access to the gymnasium, library, and multipurpose room. In addition, the school will include a wellness center that will provide dental services, healthcare, fitness help, and counseling to district students. The new school will be designed with sustainable principles in mind, using California High Performance School criteria. Sustainable features will include natural lighting, photovoltaic panels providing a large share of the site’s energy needs, and rainwater collection for irrigation of teaching gardens. Project Executive John Baker and Senior Construction Manager Ed Westland are heading up this project, which is scheduled to open in fall 2015.

In various phases of design are modernizations for three other schools within the district: Sunnyside Elementary, Mira Loma Elementary, and the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts high school. Headed by Program Manager Ned Phillips and Project Manager Faby Guillen, the $8.7 million Sunnyside project and the $6.7 million Mira Loma project are both located near Twin Peaks.

Moving and Shaking in San Francisco

Swinerton Management & Consulting Continued

With similar scopes of work, both schools will receive seismic and accessibility upgrades as well as classroom, gymnasium, kitchen, and play yard renovations. Additionally, Sunnyside Elementary School will replace a number of obsolete portable buildings with a state-of-the-art, two-story building. This new building will also house a media center that will serve the entire school. Currently under DSA review, both projects will start construction in early 2014.

The SFUSD team will soon be managing the $24 million modernization of Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, located on the old McAteer High School campus in Twin Peaks. The work will include new performance spaces; auditorium lighting and acoustical improvements; seismic, fire, and life safety upgrades; and accessibility upgrades on a steeply sloped site. Design management will begin this fall, with a construction start in January 2015.

With such a diverse workload, the team is pulling together to make sure each of these exciting projects is a success. Teamwork and communication have been the key to the program’s accomplishments so far, both within the team and with the client. So hang on to your hats everyone—once the dust has settled we predict there’ll be a lot of happy kids and teachers in San Francisco!

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IN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Fidelity Investments Expands in BellevueBy Devin Hemeon

Swinerton Builders Northwest recently completed a tenant improvement for Fidelity Investments’ office in Bellevue, Washington, on the 10th floor of the Bellevue Place Building. Located in a desirable Kemper Development–owned building in the heart of downtown Bellevue, it is part of “The Bellevue Collection.” The 10th floor houses senior accounts for Fidelity and is an expansion of the retail office that Swinerton built several years ago. After a competitive bid with several contractors, Swinerton won the project through StructureTone and Fidelity. It was a fast-track project to be completed in less than 10 weeks.

The project showcased the will and strength of both Swinerton and our top subcontractors to meet lofty goals. Our clients have high expectations from our previous projects during which we displayed speed and high quality. This successful project supports our alliance with partner StructureTone and will hopefully create additional opportunities with Kemper Development.

Many thanks to the Northwest team for a job well done! Project Manager Chad Cone, Project Engineer Devin Hemeon, Superintendent Gary Foote, Project Coordinator Judith Helt, Operations Manager Dave Worley, and the Corporate Services team.

In late July, Swinerton Builders Orange County started work on two separate projects for Kaiser Permanente. Conveniently located 10 minutes away from the Irvine office, the two Sand Canyon projects bring Swinerton additional work with a valued repeat client. While these are smaller in scale than most Kaiser projects, Swinerton’s Orange County team has a trusted working relationship with the owner and was honored to be selected to perform tenant improvement work on two of their currently operating medical office buildings.

Both projects were bid separately as lump-sum, low-cost bids, each with their own contracts and subcontractor lists. Kaiser Construction Services is overseeing the project as a whole. While not a design-build job, the team is working closely with Taylor Architects, with whom they have created a positive rapport through a significant amount of past work. Work on both projects will be done concurrently and is significantly phased due to the nature of working in an occupied medical facility.

Work on MOB 1.1, the larger of the two projects, consists of a remodel and tenant improvement to the first floor general surgery space. Work on the $2.3 million, 11,291-square-foot project has an estimated completion date set for mid-November. Work on MOB 2.3, the smaller of the two projects, will renovate 2,900 square feet of OB/GYN training and office space. The $650,000 project has an estimated completion date set for mid-October.

Procedure and exams rooms will be refitted with standard interior finishes and millwork, while specialty curvy ceilings will be installed to highlight the wave theme throughout the building’s tile, ceiling, and millwork. High-end specialty glass will be installed at the storefront lobby, which serves as the main check-in for the building.

Swinerton will be self-performing concrete work on trenches, as well as a nonstructural put-back related to an extension of the building storefront not affecting its foundation.

Since the facility needs to be ready for patients every morning, the project team is working a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. night schedule on weekdays. The project is significantly phased as a result, with a complex color-coded phasing plan delineating paths of travel and quantity move-ins/move-offs. Weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays, while topic-specific meetings and coordination meetings are held to discuss logistics, path of travel, location of barricades, and what’s open to the public. Quality control meetings for glazing and millwork are frequently held as well, as these are the two biggest key elements that have to arrive on time and be just right.

Patient safety is Kaiser’s number-one concern. A site-specific safety plan was developed with this in mind, and all subcontractors received safety training and infection control training during their orientation. When working in a live environment, everything has to be clean and dust-free in the morning. Full containment was implemented in each room within the construction zone, while gradational infection control measures were instituted based on the work activity taking place. When demolishing, for example, the team built anterooms, laid down walk-off mats, and employed negative air circulation.

The project team deserves congratulations for the successful start of these two projects, including: Project Manager Mike Kearon, Superintendent John Van Such, Project Engineer Jared Delatorre, Project Accountant Melissa Morton-Jackson, and Accountant Delilah Gomez.

Orange CountySan Diego

Work Kicks Off for Kaiser Sand Canyon ProjectsBy Mark Rafferty

Sunroad BMW Revving Up in El CajonBy Mark Rafferty

Last spring, Swinerton Builders San Diego was selected by Sunroad Enterprises to build a new BMW dealership in El Cajon. Swinerton has forged a great working relationship with Sunroad Enterprises, having worked with them on over a dozen projects in the past decade. Swinerton also recently completed a medical office tenant improvement for Sunroad in Rancho Bernardo and is currently contracted for building the Sunroad Centrum II parking garage at their Kearny Mesa office campus. Later this year, the division will start work on Sunroad’s Harbor Island Restaurant and Banquet on the water in the San Diego Bay. A San Diego-based company with over 700 employees, Sunroad Enterprises has nine car dealerships in San Diego County and five in Mexico.

Work on the new Sunroad BMW in El Cajon began on July 17 and is estimated for completion in April 2014. A $7 million project, the future car dealership is located on a 3.9-acre, 169,000-square-foot site with seven existing buildings. Swinerton’s project team started demolition immediately after mobilizing to the site, and all seven existing buildings were successfully brought down without complications. When grading began in August, the team ran into contaminated soil, which caused several weeks of delays and a nearly $500,000 change order for the owner. The schedule is being reworked, and the team has plans to make up the time by the project’s completion. By the time the site has been graded, over 23,000 cubic yards of soil will have been exported.

As soon as grading is completed, construction of the new 40,000-square-foot BMW dealership will begin. Mainly a single-story structure, a second story will rise from the middle of the building to house offices. The dealership will include a large show room, along with 33 service bays for mechanics to perform repairs. There also will be dedicated space for parts and equipment storage, parts delivery, and tech support, along with restrooms for both clients and staff. A free-standing CMU carwash will be built behind the main building, and a three-acre parking lot will be built to house the latest BMW makes and models.

The dealership’s exterior will feature glass storefront, EIFS, and CMU block walls. The service bays are masonry with wood roof trusses, while some structural steel will be present with the rough carpentry to complete the structural framing. Metal stud framing will be used for all non–structural-bearing walls and soffits. One of the most unique aspects of the project is the retaining wall on the property’s back side. After the wall was created with shotcrete, carvers followed behind hand-carving a rock formation in the wet shotcrete, then staining the wall as a final touch. Piles were drilled 35 feet deep every 5 feet, and the wall itself is about 15 feet high on average. A very impressive wall, it looks reminiscent of those found at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

The team is holding subcontractor meetings regularly and can’t wait to start construction on the main car dealership building. A tip of the hat goes out to the entire project team, including: Division Manager Mark Payne, Operations Manager Steve Flint, Project Manager Ray Lehman, Senior Superintendent Scott Atwood, Senior Estimator Darrell Torres, and Project Administrator Michelle Alford.

Northwest

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IN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

Behind the Scenes at El Dorado High SchoolBy Mark Rafferty

This August, I visited El Dorado High School in Placentia to follow up on the article I had written for the Winter 2012 Swinerton Quarterly. After interviewing Will Carpentier and Jessica Drake over the phone, Dave Cramp invited me to the jobsite for a tour of the completed performing arts center. When I last visited nine months earlier, it had no roof and the concrete had yet to be poured for the house steps. Upon arriving, I was immediately impressed by the metal canopy over the entrance to the theater. Encased in glass paneling, the lobby features a large, iridescent, green metal wave pattern against the wall.

As I entered the theater, I was struck by how expansive it felt. With high ceilings and stadium seating, the stage is large enough to fit a 250-person orchestra. At 18,000 square feet, the $11 million performing arts center has 600 seats. All work below was completed off scissor lifts, and the only way to access anything was via scissor lifts and zoom-booms. With nine zoom-booms packed inside a tight footprint, it required precise coordination and careful planning to make it happen.

Because all the major mechanical work was located below the elevated lighting and control booth at the back of house, the team had several meetings to coordinate the construction of the steps. In most theaters, the steps are usually placed first, then the dance floor, followed by the work below. On this job, however, all of the electrical and major overhead was done first when the house was flat, leaving the seating until last. It was then stair-stepped back up before the seating steps were placed, done in the opposite order than most jobs of this nature.

Los Angeles

After showing me the interior, Dave took me backstage and up a ladder to one of the two catwalks. Because the steel above was laid first, the catwalks were hard to put in. They had to be erected from below with a crane, lifted into place, and suspended off the previously installed tresses. From a bird’s-eye view, I was shown the orchestra shell, which separates and rotates according to the number of people on stage. With a state-of-the-art sound and acoustic system, three stacks of nine speakers hang from the ceiling between the two catwalks.

We left the catwalks and went under the house, where one of the two large air handler package units was installed. Using linear air diffusers throughout the building, a significant amount of ductwork was installed. Upon exiting the theater, I noticed large architectural metal panels flanking the CMU block walls. The block pattern was changed from a freeway pyramid projection to a unique checkerboard pattern. The subcontractor had a rolling scaffold that was capable of being erected in place, which saved us both time and energy. Instead of adding a layer of scaffolding each time, they wound it on a winch and raised it up to the next level.

The entire project team deserves a standing ovation for their hard work on the El Dorado High School Performing Arts Center, including: Project Executives Chris Tallon and Raj Turun, Project Manager Dave Cramp, Superintendent Will Carpentier, Assistant Project Manager Jessica Drake, Project Field Administrator Christine Parham, Senior Accountant Katie Henderson, and BIM Intern Marcos Aragon.

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IN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

By Mark Rafferty

This summer, Swinerton Builders San Diego wrapped up work on the Salvation Army’s Door of Hope Transitional Living Center. Located near Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital off of Highway 163, the new center provides a home for single mothers in need of a safe place to raise their children. Last summer, Swinerton held a groundbreaking ceremony at the jobsite with emcee Bill Griffith, morning anchor for ABC 10 news. Over 100 people attended the feel-good celebration, and less than one year later, the center has opened its doors to families who might otherwise be homeless.

The project is Salvation Army’s first phase of a complete overhaul to its campus, which was built in the 1960s. A $5.5 million job funded primarily from private donations, the Door of Hope is not merely a place to live. The Salvation Army also provides significant health and career support to the mothers and children living there so that they can learn the skills necessary to become fully independent. They offer after-school tutoring help for kids, job placement support, marriage and parenting classes, counseling sessions with licensed therapists, interactive therapy for mothers and their children, and recovery assistance for drug and alcohol addiction.

At the Door of Hope, Swinerton built three new two-story, wood-framed buildings with eight units each, totaling 12 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments. A new wood-framed community center was built as well, which includes office space, a laundromat, and a large common room used for recreation, education, and group meetings. A 5,400-square-foot playground was also built outside for the children, including a partial basketball court. On an adjacent building, the team repainted and added stone veneer to help the new work blend in with the existing campus. This was the first project for the Swinerton Builders drywall division, who did a great job with quality workmanship. At the end of the project, they also installed the shade structure as a change order.

Work was done on a constrained site at an existing campus, which required careful coordination of deliveries. The team also dealt with complicated site utilities, which were the result of a couple of major factors. Because the campus was built 50 years ago, the as-builts were nonexistent. The soil was also filled with large cobble and hard pan, complicating the excavation and recompaction process because screening for rock was required. The team met with their subcontractors and developed a plan, saving time and money by avoiding costly rework.

The project team hopes this job’s success opens the door to more work on Salvation Army’s San Diego campus and throughout Southern California. Swinerton Builders San Diego’s successful work at the Door of Hope has already led to one new project, as Swinerton Builders Los Angeles won work in Big Bear on a remodel of cabin bathrooms for the Salvation Army.

Thanks to the entire project team for their hard work, including: Project Manager Tom Storer, Superintendent Bobby Badillo, Project Administrator Michelle Alford, Field Project Assistant Jenny Clough, and Project Accountant Katie Henderson.

San Diego Government

By Phillip Bushell

The F-35 Aerospace Group Equipment project at Nellis Air Force Base continues at a steady pace for Swinerton Builders Government, despite several days in which extreme heat closed down the jobsite this summer.

The 45,000-square-foot, pre-engineered metal building will ultimately support the training, operation, and maintenance of the F-35 jet, a mainstay of the United States military branches for air-to-air combat and support of ground combat units. With just a few more scopes of work to complete, the project is well on its way to an early completion.

Interior finish work continues within the building, including installation of translucent panels and bathroom tile, taping of impact-resistant drywall in the maintenance bays, and paint. To date, all underground utilities, structural steel, and roofing have been installed, as well as the five-foot, four-inch CMU block wainscot that runs around the exterior of the building. Metal siding and insulation are in place, as are interior metal stud framing, interior and exterior hollow metal doors, and MEP and fire sprinkler rough-in work.

Work on the 1,700-square-foot wash rack continues with the structural steel, CMU block, and roof already completed. Once the roof is in place, the wash rack equipment will be installed. The boilers, water heaters, and HVAC equipment have been set and are being hooked up, and the electrical transformers and panels are being installed. The exterior roll-up doors and man doors have been installed, and the two retention ponds have been completed. The last of the asphalt to tie the site into the adjacent aircraft approach way has also begun. The big item left to complete is the site grading, and the 120,000 square feet (or 3,000 cubic yards) of concrete that surround the perimeter of the building. Our team is in discussions with the client for early turnover of the running track and parking lot.

Designed and being built to LEED Silver certification, this project will soon join the F-35 Flight Simulator facility, which Swinerton completed in April. Things are on course as the Swinerton team and our 8(a) small business partner, R.L. Reed, diligently work together to complete this successful $11.1 million project by the end of the year.

Keep up the great work, project team: Project Executive Dan Seier, Project Manager Mark Gowler, Superintendents Bret Long and Ken King, Quality Control Manager Phillip Bushell, Project Assistant Mari Kay Parry, and Project Accountant Katie Henderson.

F-35 Support Zooming to CompletionSalvation Army Door of Hope Opens Its Doors

Northwest

A New Home for Swinerton in the NorthwestHaving just signed a new 10-year lease with Boston Properties, Swinerton Builders Northwest needed to transform its Bellevue office with Class A appointments and finishes. Partnering with architect Burgess Design, Swinerton demolished the 8,000-square-foot existing space, including the ceilings and lighting fixtures. The beautiful new reception area is circular with a flat screen monitor showcasing projects and local personnel. Reclaimed wood shelving and colored LED lighting highlights awards in a recessed soffit. Near the reception area is a large conference room housing an 80-inch flat screen monitor with an integrated sound and phone system. The café, home of the new kegerator, will be used for networking events and employee social gatherings on Friday afternoons.

To maximize space, the office layout was designed with efficiency in mind, including aluminum frames for relites and cost-effective, long-lasting maple doors. Sitting next to the windows, the engineering staff and project coordinators enjoy the natural light that flows through the office.

While everyone in the office gave input, Derek Jaschke managed the entire project, smoothly and professionally absorbing the huge amount of requests and ideas. Thank you for creating an outstanding office! Congratulations!

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IN THE FIELDBUILDERS • SMC • GOVERNMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERIORS • CRITICAL FACILITIES • CORPORATE SERVICES

After 17 months of meeting with users, finalizing design, and coordinating a unique project with OSHPD’s permitting process, Swinerton Builders San Diego’s design-build team is ready to start construction on an $8.5 million renovation and expansion project at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital.

Based on best value, the design-build project was awarded to Swinerton Builders and Cuningham Group Architecture in spring 2012. Located in Serra Mesa, the hospital was constructed in the 1960s and is the largest privately operated psychiatric hospital in San Diego County. It offers a wide range of behavioral health services and treatment for chemical dependency, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues.

The project will be completed in multiple phases. Phase 1 includes the renovation of one-third of the first floor in the east wing of the main hospital building. Upgrades include renovating patient bedrooms and other room types. The project team will also renovate an existing gym building to create a new multipurpose area consisting of a new double-height second floor. First floor renovations will consist of new treatment and recovery rooms, a pharmacy, and other various support spaces. The second floor will be a new administrative floor with conference rooms, restrooms, and open offices.

Phase 2 will involve renovation of another one-third of the first floor in the east wing of the main hospital building, including a new nurse station, patient bedrooms, and various other room types. The existing treatment and recovery rooms and the pharmacy will be relocated to the new multipurpose area within the same phase. Work on the second floor of the building that houses children and adolescent programs includes a facelift of patient bedrooms. Support and communal spaces, such as the nurse station and day room, will be redesigned and reconstructed. Work on the front entrance canopy of the main hospital will consist of the removal of the existing canopy structure, planters, and flatwork, followed by the construction of a new exterior entry façade and canopy.

San DiegoOrange County

Continued Success with Sharp HealthCareBy Bobby Jennings

Following the Path to Success in Riverside

By Mark Rafferty

In June, Swinerton Builders Orange County began work on the UCPath Center tenant improvement project. Swinerton has done significant work for the University of California (UC) system, and looks to add another notch to our list of successful jobs with this valued client.

Through UC’s Working Smarter initiative, the UCPath Center is being created to better serve the university system’s 190,000 employees more efficiently and effectively. Located near UC Riverside, the $5.6 million UCPath Center renovation involves converting the existing space into a new shared services center that will offer a user-friendly portal, as well as a staffed call center that may employ up to 500 people.

The UCPath Center renovation project is a design-build venture with the DLR Group, with whom Swinerton has done many jobs in the past. Design work began soon after receiving the award, including value engineering and sustainable alternatives. A highly green job, the project is targeting LEED Gold certification. Work is expected to take about six months, with an estimated date of completion set for mid-December. The scope of work for the project involves a third-floor build-out in an existing three-story tech office building. Work will be done on over 44,000 assignable square feet of space, including both office and support space. Infrastructure requirements associated with the UCPath Center suite will be included as well.

The scope also includes approximately 53,000 gross square feet of raised flooring systems and finishes, ceilings, and pendant lighting. A specialty raised-floor plenum HVAC system will be installed, and complete low-voltage systems will be utilized. An under-floor electrical/tele data line required to feed the space will be installed. Several glass-fronted offices will be constructed anew, as well as glass-fronted shared support spaces often seen in corporate or institutional call centers with high-density office use. Swinerton will self-perform some of the concrete work, as well as some of the demolition.

A well-deserved shout-out is in order for the entire project team for their hard work so far, including: Project Executive Kevin Robertson, Project Manager Rick Vaughn, Superintendent Dave Hutchins, Project Engineer Johanna Eckstein, Project Assistant Erica Guzman, and Estimator Khristina Stone.

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GREEN CORNERREDUCE • PRODUCTIVITY • RECYCLING • ENVIRONMENT LEED • SUSTAINABLE • USGBC • COST SAVINGS • REUSE

Back to a Green Future…AgainBy Kevin Brooks

In the early 1980s, experimental physicist Amory Lovins founded the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable and market-driven innovations in energy and resource efficiency. Lovins had come to fame in the late 1970s with the publication of a variety of articles on pursuing a “soft energy path”—a strategy of replacing the United States’ conventional dependence on fossil and nuclear fuels with alternative strategy of investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. In the 1980s, the Rocky Mountain Institute was best known for its green retrofits business model of retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient upgrades at no upfront cost to the building owner in exchange for receiving the annualized savings from the building’s reduced operations and maintenance costs.

Today, Swinerton is embarking on a new path of pursuing its own green retrofit business model. Since the founding of Swinerton’s initial green initiatives almost 15 years ago, we have been an industry leader in promoting innovative sustainable methods and technologies and tirelessly pursuing the integration of sustainable practices into every facet of our professional and personal lives. Like safety, green has now become a standard consideration as part of the planning and execution of our projects.

Grant French, Swinerton’s first corporate director of sustainability, laid a rock-solid foundation of increased awareness and standardized integration of green building into Swinerton’s daily operations. Under his leadership, not only was Swinerton recognized as the country’s top green builder, but our ranks of LEED Accredited Professionals swelled and, most importantly, our percentage of LEED projects (as part of our overall revenue) grew exponentially.

Recently, Adhamina Rodriguez has taken the reins as Swinerton’s next director of sustainability. She brings with her an incredible passion for sustainability and green building. Her efforts will involve not only corporate support and education, but also helping develop and lead Swinerton’s green consulting services and our new green retrofit business model.

Sustainability ConsultingBuilding green is building smart. Green buildings have lower operational and maintenance costs, increased occupant productivity and health, and greater market value. Our sustainability experts work with clients to identify green opportunities at every step of a project, from concept development to building operations. Whether we are constructing a project or are brought in as external consultants to assess the green potential of a new or existing building, we will help maximize the sustainable features of a building at any stage.

Green CertificationGreen building certification provides third-party recognition of achievement and displays corporate environmental commitment.Whatever a client’s certification rating system or goal, our team of green building professionals will guide them through the detailed administration process so they can proudly show that they live, work, or play in a smart, green building.

Green RetrofitsStrategic upgrades can significantly improve existing building performance, occupant health and comfort, and increase the overall building value. With innovative new financing methods available towards energy or water efficiency, a building can be cash-flow-positive from day one.

A One-Stop Shop Swinerton offers a single point of project responsibility for any type of green or deep energy retrofit. We bring a whole-building integrated approach that includes auditing, design and engineering, rebates, financing, procurement, construction, green building certification, and operations.

Green Retrofit Approach

Sooner is better than later, and it could cost less than you think.

–Deloitte and Charles Lockwood

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By Elaine Noble

Shouts of encouragement were heard all over the course as 13 brave Northern California Swinerton employees made their way through the 10-mile Tough Mudder course at Northstar at Tahoe earlier this summer. It’s not for the weak at heart or muscle. It takes endurance and muster to complete just one obstacle course; even more to complete 18 obstacles in several hours. While none of them were a cake walk, the toughest obstacles were measured by the amount of pain experienced by the team. They included crawling 30 feet through six inches of muddy water under dangling live electrical wires, jumping into four feet of ice water to swim under a submerged wall, scaling three separate 12-foot walls, carrying a teammate 100 yards down a dirt trail, and going through a two-foot-deep trench of muddy water covered by a chain-link fence with only six inches of breathing room.

But in the end, the run was probably the most mentally challenging aspect of the day, due to the fact that it’s next to impossible in the Bay Area to train for a 2,000-foot elevation gain and that thin, dry mountain air. Project Manager Adam Lulay explains, “People were cramping up pretty bad by the time we reached the top of the mountain at 8,000-some feet, and that was only the halfway point. It was tough, but we started as a team and finished as a team, no ‘Swiners’ left behind.”

Yet, it wasn’t all fun, sweat, and mud. Tough Mudder is partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps injured veterans with employment services, benefits counseling, adaptive sports programs, and combat stress recovery programs, as well as raising awareness and aid for these brave men and women. “I am most proud of the fact that The Swinerton Foundation kicked in $3,000 for this amazing program. Teammates also generated donations on their own to add to the total donation amount,” shared Adam. “It really says something when your company backs you up like that.”

This whole event was a total team effort. John Ebneter had the idea to sign up; Steffan Ravizza designed and ordered the jerseys; Adam asked Swinerton to sponsor the event and petitioned The Foundation for the charity donation. “We were all leaders at one point or another. It was a team effort from start to finish,” he explained. “Our team stayed together on the course obstacle to obstacle, encouraging and supporting each other.” Are they up for the next one in 2014? “You want in?” asked Adam with a smile.

The Tough Mudder teammates were: Adam Lulay, John Ebneter, Steffan Ravizza, Matt Berriatua, Marc Boulland, Jason Johns, Zach Satt, Maggie Mitchem-Flanigan, Scott Colbeck, Alison Stevens, Ryan Wasell, Sara Magallon, and Jennifer Walker.

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Lift Donation Aids in Public Art CompletionBy Connor Madigan

What was once just an Interstate 70 underpass bisecting the low-income Denver neighborhood of Globeville has been transformed into a work of art. Swinerton Builders Colorado assisted in this transformation with the donation of a boom lift and fall protection training to the artists who painted the mural depicting the area’s history and heritage.

With the help of well-known local muralist Jolt, children in PlatteForum's ArtLab created this one-of-a-kind mural. However, with most of their funds spent for painting supplies, the nonprofit organization was challenged with obtaining additional donations to complete the project—including a boom lift to reach the top portion of the mural. Swinerton saw this as a great way to use our connections with rental companies to donate an S-45 Genie boom lift for one week, allowing completion of the mural in late July. Swinerton is proud to help out in a minor way to help bring art and beauty into a community undergoing transition.

GIVING BACK • VOLUNTEERING • CONFERENCES CHARITY • TRADESHOWS • FOUNDATION • EVENTSOUR COMMUNITIESIN

Run! Run! Swim! RUN!! GO GO GO!!!

Derek Mosiman: If you felt you couldn’t continue, someone was always there to pick you up. Bobby Van Hollebeke: Developing even better relationships with my co-workers, which creates a strong sense of community/family within our company. Joe Neilly: Hearing different parts of co-workers lives that I otherwise may have never. Scott Kubiszewski: Working as a team through the day and night. Bobby Jennings: Definitely the camaraderie of the team. The second-best part is that the San Diego team consistently leaves the Los Angeles and Orange County teams in the dust.

Jessica Drake: Having so much fun doing something pretty crazy.

Lauren Nunnally: Even though I wasn’t technically employed with Swinerton at the time, they all welcomed me as if nothing had changed.

Los Angeles Lends a Hand for HabitatOn June 22, Swinerton Builders Los Angeles participated in a Build Day with Habitat for Humanity in Long Beach. The Long Beach residence is part of Habitat for Humanity’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which buys foreclosed blighted homes and works with the new owners on 0% interest loans with payments equal to 35% of their take-home income. The result is a less than 1% default rate on these loans.

The future homeowner is a single mother from Ethiopia who works as a nursing attendant at Martin Luther King Hospital. She will be a first-time home buyer. As part of the program, she has put in over 250 hours of labor on her future home.

The team spent the day installing wall base, installing and grouting tile in the kitchen and bathroom, fabricating and installing foundation vent screens, and painting multiple rooms in the home.

Thanks to all who pitched in to support a family’s dream of homeownership: Sherita Bernardez, Kyle Burnham, Irving Corrales, Isabelle Johnson, Kim Grant, Fernando Guillen, Leticia Householder, Stephanie Jakus, Robert Lowery, Emery Molnar, Diego Perez, Joseph Wathen, Kristina Krause, Jeffrey Visava, and Chayaniz Chonsinwit.

Arresting Executives for a CauseBy Robin Martinez

July 17 was an unusual day at the Sacramento office. It was close to noon when two Sacramento County sheriffs showed up with a warrant and arrested Division Manager Alan Wolf! Let me quickly clear up what might be swirling through your mind; his arrest was for a worthy cause. Alan was participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Sacramento Executive Lock-Up. Executives actually volunteer to be “arrested” and then hauled off to a location organized by the Association to continue their fundraising efforts. He was able to avoid a court date with Judge Judy by quickly raising the $3,200 bail. He was released within a couple hours with his community service work complete thanks to many generous employees and friends!

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GIVING BACK • VOLUNTEERING • CONFERENCES CHARITY • TRADESHOWS • FOUNDATION • EVENTSOUR COMMUNITIESIN

By Mark Rafferty

On September 9, Swinerton Builders San Diego held its biennial Swinvitational golf tournament. Held at Maderas Golf Club in Poway, North San Diego County, the links are tucked between rolling hills blooming with lush vegetation. Thanks to a nice breeze, players managed to stay cool under bright blue skies. The San Diego division looks forward to this event every time it comes around, both for the fundraising efforts and the camaraderie it instills. All Swinerton partner companies are invited to sponsor the event, bringing a cross section of the entire construction industry to the tournament. Thanks to the game of golf, business partnerships are allowed to flourish in a nontraditional social environment.

The San Diego Swinvitational welcomed 124 participants from 33 different companies. The event was an unquestionable success thanks to the support received from key subcontractors and suppliers from both Swinerton Builders and Swinerton Renewable Energy. Because of the generosity of participants and sponsors, The Swinerton Foundation is able to donate money to the various charities and organizations it supports. In one of the most successful tournaments to date, the effort easily surpassed 2011 fundraising totals and raised an estimated $85,000. Thanks to the high number of slices, hooks, and water hazards found by the players, The Swinerton Foundation netted an additional $3,000 in mulligan sales. A portion of the funds raised from the tournament will benefit two of The Foundation’s favorite organizations: the American Heart Association and the Ronald McDonald House.

The tournament was capped off by a post-round mixer, which included light appetizers, drinks, and networking for everyone involved. The sponsors were thanked for their contributions, and the tournament winners were awarded their prizes. This year’s event was won by Construction Innovations, who also had Operations Manager Garrett Cope on their team. Winning with an impressive 18-under-par round of 56, the team graciously donated its financial prize back to The Foundation. At the beginning of the day, Division Manager Mark Payne kicked off the tournament by thanking sponsors and telling them about The Foundation’s origins and charitable goals. At the end of the evening, Project Executive Brian McCarthy made a closing speech reminding everyone about the causes behind the event.

Swinerton Builders San Diego and The Swinerton Foundation would like to thank all the sponsors of the 2013 San Diego Swinvitational, including: Advanced Energy, Array Technologies, CSI Electric, Construction Innovations, Blymyer Engineering, Dynalectric, EPC Services, Granite Construction, Helix Electric, JT Whimsatt, KHS&S, Sachs Electric, A&D Fire Protection, Alpha Mechanical, Component West, Control Air, Gerdau Reinforcing, Gould Electric, JR Concrete, PCI, Baker Electric, Condon Johnson, Bentek, Berg Electric, Cal Comfort Systems, California Sheetmetal, DFS Flooring, Horizon Painting, Morrow-Meadows, Sylvester Roofing, Wirtz Tile, Pacific Coast Cleaning, and Reprohaus.

Many thanks to the following Swinerton folks for making the Swinvitational possible: Mark Payne, Brian McCarthy, Holly Robertson, Ashley Young, Karen Gauthier, Jen Hall, Shawna Adams, Kim Heinz, Meagan Erickson, Dominica Alvarez, Michelle Alford, Tracy Wilkes, and K. Lorena Quintanilla.

San Diego Tees Off for a Cause

Swinerton Hosts Army of Architects in DenverIn June, Swinerton Builders proudly sponsored the Colorado host chapter lounge at the 2013 American Institute of Architects National Convention in Denver. Over 19,000 people from around the world visited the expo floor. Swinerton attended many accompanying events and scheduled valuable business development meetings with local, regional, and national architects to strengthen our position as a world-class builder seeking strong partnerships with design leaders. Our booth attracted nearly 1,500 visitors who stopped by to play Giant Jenga and compete in the Lincoln Log building contest. Despite the talented representation of architects and designers, no one could out-build Business Development Manager Julie Witecki’s 9-year-old son, William, who helped man the booth.

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GIVING BACK • VOLUNTEERING • CONFERENCES CHARITY • TRADESHOWS • FOUNDATION • EVENTSOUR COMMUNITIESIN

4140

Swinerton Builders successfully completed the construction of a new community-

funded playground at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.

This project came from one of Swinerton’s committed employees, Adhamina Rodriguez, who started this quest over three years ago. Adhamina, a mother of three, identified the need for a safe place for children to play in her neighborhood—there was not a single playground within a mile of San Francisco’s Ferry Building—and raised the issue with city officials and the community. After co-founding and becoming a managing member of “Friends of the Waterfront Playground,” Adhamina worked through the design and approval process, raised funds for the project, and brought Swinerton on board as general contractor for what is now known as the Playground in Sue Bierman Park. Once the playground was built, Friends of the Waterfront Playground donated it to the City of San Francisco as a gift-in-place for all children to enjoy.

The $1 million project consists of 5,500 square feet of dedicated play areas serving children ages two through twelve years. The scope of work included removal of the existing lawn; relocation and planting of trees and underground conduits; grading; and installation of new drainage,

irrigation, and playground equipment. The play area, with a recycled rubber surface, is enclosed by a custom low fence on top of a concrete retaining wall and is surrounded with new landscaping to blend in with the existing park. Scope of work also included the installation of ceramic tiles and plaques to recognize the main donors. Swinerton was not only the builder but was also one of the donors that helped make this dream a reality.

The playground grand opening on July 20 was attended by Senator Mark Leno, District Supervisor David Chiu, head of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Phil Ginsburg, Zynga Founder Mark Pincus, and many community members, including Adhamina, who helped cut the ribbon after delivering an emotional speech thanking the community. Since its opening, this has been one of the most used playgrounds in San Francisco. Please come out to play, and look for the “Swinerton Builders” and “The Swinerton Foundation” red tiles bordering the inside of playground. For more information, please visit www.waterfrontplayground.org.

Congratulations to Adhamina and all those who worked to create a safe, engaging play area for many future generations of San Francisco children. Thanks to Superintendent Bill Green and laborer Eduardo Cisneros, whose hard work was instrumental to the project’s success.

Let’s Play at the Newest Playground in San Francisco! Interns Receive Broad Exposure Through RotationsBy Jeff Good

Swinerton Builders Colorado and Swinerton Builders Government have wrapped up another successful summer internship program, ending with two stellar Colorado State University seniors joining Swinerton as full-time project engineers!

This summer saw our second class of interns complete a comprehensive three-part rotation program that provides broad exposure to our industry through experience in estimating, special projects, and field engineering. This internship program is a unique departure from typical industry internships that often place students on a single project for the summer, limiting their experience to important but mundane tasks such as posting RFIs or performing basic layout.

Rotating through various departments gives our interns the opportunity to manage a set of trades, including: estimating, from solicitation through bid day; interface with owners, architects, and subcontractors in special projects; and working side-by-side with a superintendent to manage logistics, schedule, and subcontractors in the field. Most importantly, our internship program contributes to our long-term goal of developing talent from within by way of thorough and thoughtful entry-level hiring. Providing a unique summer experience also enhances Swinerton’s reputation on campus and allows us to select top juniors and seniors from our targeted universities.

This summer’s intern class of Connor Madigan, Dillon Rodriguez, and Regan Lundin actively contributed to everything from bidding a family entertainment center to managing the quality control program at our US Air Force Academy Cadet Gymnasium renovation project. In addition to gaining a valuable breadth of industry exposure, our interns provided meaningful feedback on their experience—a critical contributor to our plan-act-study approach to optimize our program for future students.

A program of this magnitude required substantial effort and commitment from the Colorado and Government teams. Special thanks are due to Senior Estimator Greg Borst; Estimator Grant Brownback; Senior Project Manager Nick Elmont; Project Managers Mark Gowler, John Spight, and Ryan Shaw; Superintendents Dave Britton and Kris Klickna; Quality Control Engineer Eric Coffy; and Project Engineers Tre Scott, Kris Kreymborg, and Paul Hurchanik.

By Stacy Crestelo

In September, a dozen of Sacramento’s “craziest” Swinerton employees took part in an annual Crazy Bowl tournament to help support Junior Achievement of Sacramento. This year’s theme was “All Things Science Fiction” and marked the 15th year in a row that Swinerton Builders Sacramento sponsored a team to participate in the event.

The money donated directly impacts local youth by bringing economic and business concepts to life for thousands of young people in the greater Sacramento area. The event raised more than $100,000 that will touch the lives of over 10,000 Sacramento area students. All proceeds benefit Junior Achievement’s workforce readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship programs in local K–12 schools.

This year’s Crazy Bowl team members included: Henry Meier, Melanie Price, Steve Harless, Zach Price, Dexter Morris, Tim Moffett, Brian Piper, Jay Panos, Rachel Panos, Jessica Andrews, Rich Howell, and Kim Braga.

Raising Funds for the Next Generation

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GIVING BACK • VOLUNTEERING • CONFERENCES CHARITY • TRADESHOWS • FOUNDATION • EVENTSOUR COMMUNITIESIN

By Julie Witecki

With no notable injuries, the Swinerton Builders team completed the 192-mile Colorado Ragnar relay race from Copper Mountain to Snowmass Village in exactly 29:35:03 hours, finishing 41st out 204 teams. In addition to a near miss with a skunk and snake, a close encounter with a bat, and an all-out dog chase, the team was successful in working together to accomplish this phenomenal endeavor. Our well-coordinated exchanges, exceptional navigation skills, and healthy group of runners secured a finish of which we were all proud.

The 12-person relay race was yet another display of integrity, leadership, passion, and excellence. When we stole the van signs from a Colorado construction competitor, we offered a ransom note promising the return of the signs at the next exchange. When we were lost and desperately trying to find the next exchange along poorly marked mountain roads, we quickly turned to the leadership support of our navigator Siri. When we were tired and worn out from the first leg, we displayed excellence in muscle relaxation techniques at a friend’s ski retreat hot tub. And when we woke after a two-hour nap, we pushed forward with a passion to win and a will to finish the final leg on pace.

Special thanks to: Jared Hoeflich for organizing the team, serving as team captain, and delivering the proper dose of pranks and laughter; Scott Conrad for his flawless driving skills and impressive nine-minute-per-mile run at 2 a.m.; Audra Post and her husband Chad for representing our team as volunteers along the race course; Julie Witecki for securing post-race accommodations on Westin Heavenly Beds and a much-needed 2,000-calorie dinner; and finally, thanks to Amy, a random runner who helped Neal Roark get back on course during an evening run. Great job all!

Race entry fees support the Colorado Outward Bound School, SOS Outreach, and the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation.

Notable Statistics:

Superintendent Brendan Summers: 17.1 miles (his second leg was a sprint…2 miles in just over 12 minutes) Senior Project Engineer Mark Schaefer: 16 miles (he had a brutal 4 a.m. final run with extreme elevation gain, snakes, and ankle-busting cattle guards) Safety Manager Neal Roark: 14.5 miles (he pulled it off in style despite Vegas odds) Project Executive Jared Hoeflich: 17.2 miles (his steep climb up Swan Mountain on a 9.2-mile starting leg was rewarded with a cool dip in the river) Project Engineer Tre Scott: 15.6 miles (he ran extremely well even with a questionable style of facial hair) Senior Project Manager Nick Elmont: 19.3 miles (he ran a few bonus miles for poorly marked trails in the dark) Superintendent Kerry Swain: 14.4 miles (he took us up Vail Pass in the rain) Superintendent Adam Haviland: 17.3 miles (he took us down Vail Pass, running 9 miles down a 6% grade) Superintendent Stephen Love: 13.4 miles (he made it look easy: steady pace, calm demeanor, and happy to be outdoors) Assistant Project Manager Jeff Good: 22 miles (his last leg was 10.4 miles about 30 hours into the race with three hours of sleep—he was right on pace!) Business Development Manager Julie Witecki: 9.5 miles (her 2 a.m. run was supported by van driver Scott Conrad and she proudly served as Team Mom, making sandwiches, checking for injuries, and distributing Advil) Grant Brownback: 15.1 miles (his last leg was an 8.2-mile hike in the heat of the day with 2,000 feet in elevation gain along the ridge overlooking Snowmass Village—can you say ROCK STAR?)

By Mark Rafferty

On August 12, Swinerton Builders Orange County and Swinerton Builders Los Angeles held their annual Swinvitational Golf Tournament. Like in previous years, the event returned to Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach and was played under bright blue skies and beautiful summer weather. The golf tourney is one of The Swinerton Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year, and everyone was thrilled by the turnout at this year’s event. Not only is it an important event for the company, but it is equally important for the subcontractors, architects, and consultants who attend as well. The tournament allows employees from each aspect of the construction industry to use a unique medium—golf—to create lasting relationships that will lead to shared success.

Over 40 subcontractor firms participated in this year’s Swinvitational, with 144 players pitted against each other on the 18-hole scramble tournament. After tallying up all the scores, trophies were presented to the winners by The Swinerton Foundation. The event was a resounding financial success, enabling the company to raise significant amounts of money for the various charities and causes it supports throughout the year. Thanks to everyone who participated via sponsorships, donations, and raffle tickets, The Swinerton Foundation raised over $60,000 at this year’s event. Executive Vice President Frank Foellmer raffled off dozens of prizes for many lucky attendees, including golf clubs, rounds of golf, an Xbox, and a camera.

Swinerton Builders would like to thank our Gold Sponsors at this year’s event, including: Mark Beamish Waterproofing, Seeley Brothers, Morrow Meadows, Dynaelectric, University Mechanical, Anning Johnson, BEC Electric, Briggs Electric, Cosco Fire Protection, ISEC, Martin Bros/MarcoWall, Murray Company, Randall/McAnany Company, Performance Contracting Inc., Control Air Conditioning, CSI Electrical, Tangram Fabricators, M.B Herzog Electric, Inc., Unison Electric, ACCO Engineering, J&M Concrete Contractors, Pacific Wall Systems, Limbach, Penhall Company, Control Air Conditioning, Condon Johnson, Belco, and John Jory.

Special thanks to all the Swinerton employees who made it possible, including: Rachel Goldberg, Kristina Palmieri, Veronika Bendl, Ashley Gitlin, Jessica Drake, Dianna Albarran, Meggie Hollywood, Nancy Figueroa, and Debra Leyden.

Win-Win at 2013 Orange County/Los Angeles Swinvitational Ragnar: Run, Drive—“Sleep?”—Repeat

By Robin Martinez

Swinerton Builders Sacramento, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., Turner Construction Company, DPR Construction, and Whiting-Turner participated in a friendly competition, dubbed the “Clash of the Titans,” in support of the American Heart Association. The challenge was based on fundraising and the most registered walkers for the 2013 Sacramento Heart Walk at William Land Park on Saturday, September 21.

Swinerton Builders had 22 walkers participate and raised $3,780. Overall the five teams raised $26,006 to support the American Heart Association and all had a great time contributing to a worthy cause.

Big thanks to our Clash of the Titans team: Kim Braga, Stacy Crestelo and family, Cathy Hernandez, Bryan Holt, Macey Flores and family, Robin Martinez, Jason Miller, Brian Piper and family, Melanie Price, John Webber, and Alyssa Zayas.

Clash of the Titans

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SHARED SERVICESFinally Out of the Ground and Off to a Safe StartBy Greg Tate

The 535 Mission Street project in San Francisco was originally scheduled to come out of the ground back in August 2007. As the excavation began, piles were being driven, shoring was installed, and the dewatering process was underway, the US economy began to tumble in late 2008 and the funding for the project disappeared. A disappointed project team watched as their hard work was covered up with dirt and the lot left empty.

Now, nearly six years after the dirt first started to move, the 535 Mission Street project, owned by Boston Properties, is up and going once again. The hole was dug again and the mat slab poured, followed by an impressive performance by the Swinerton Builders site team coordinating the efforts of rapid steel erection to bring this 26-story office tower to life in an incredibly tight space sandwiched between two occupied buildings along Mission Street in busy downtown San Francisco.

In just a few short weeks of steel erection, the building is currently at the eighth floor and ready for concrete to begin. Seven months of fast-paced work and no injuries reported for anyone on site is a great accomplishment. This speaks very highly of the Swinerton Builders teams’ dedication to the safety of the project. With a tight space, lots of construction activity, high hazards, and public on all four sides of the project, this team has to be at the top of their game when it comes to safety, and they are doing a fantastic job!

Safety

QUALITY • HR • SAFETY • CORPORATE MARKETING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • SPECIAL SERVICES

The Colorado State Bank building has surpassed the halfway point of its facelift, and the on-site team celebrated the progress and safety success of this challenging project taking place above one of downtown Denver’s busiest pedestrian and automobile intersections.

The 27-story reclad project has taken extensive planning to ensure not only safety compliance, but protection of employees on site, the building structure, and the traveling public. Workers are reskinning 18 vertical precast concrete columns

with an aluminum composite metal panel system while working off a suspended scaffold system, similar to how window washing equipment swing stages operate. These swing stages are engineered to sustain 1,000 pounds of live loads, including up to three installers, their tools, and rigging and safety equipment, along with the panels weighing anywhere from 75 to 125 pounds.

Panels are fabricated and finished at the subcontractor’s facility, palletized, crated, and brought to the site for just-in-time delivery. Installation of the 3,000 panels requires close considerations for quality installation to meet architect Gensler’s design intent by aligning panels with window mullions and column-to-column alignment. To accomplish this modernization, up to four precast columns receive metal panels concurrently during daytime work hours, while night crews install vertical girts to which the panels are attached. Each swing stage swallows a precast column, and a third swing stage between these two columns supplies materials to the adjacent swing stages.

As the project began its preplanning phase, both Swinerton and safety equipment provider Spider provided project-specific competent person training in areas of scaffolding, rigging, fall protection, and anchoring systems.

100% Tie-Off Since work is occurring on all four elevations of the high rise, it is critical that no equipment, tool, panel, or person fall off the building. Any accident would seriously impact workers and the public. Each worker in the swing stages wears a life safety harness that is tied off to the building structure. All electrical

or battery-operated tools have a lanyard connection from the stage to the tool at all times. Hand tools are tied to workers’ tool belts and hard hats are tied to the safety harness, as are radios and phones. All metal panels and temporary supports are tied to the stages until installed on the structure. The tie-off lanyards for the panels are engineered for fall protection in case they fall from the stages. Rope grabs move up and down vertical lifelines to provide continuous fall protection and lock immediately in case a worker falls.

Senior Superintendent Doug Schnorr and his team inspect all tie-offs, lanyards, and knots daily, and at random times, to ensure all working conditions and equipment are safe. Additional safety inspections are completed by local and regional Swinerton safety managers, as well as personnel from safety equipment supplier Spider and metal panel installer Gen 3.

Primary and Secondary Safety Electrical cords that power the stages have both a primary and secondary safety procedure, which entailed drilling holes in the building’s structure to hold rated carabineers. These carabineers attach to strain-relief devices, which connect cable enclosures and prevent cable pullout at the point of termination due to tension, vibration, flexure, or motion. A secondary rope with approved knots ties to the structure in case the primary strain device becomes dislodged.

Public Protection A covered walkway borders three sides of the building as an extra protective measure for pedestrians. A wide scaffold platform consisting of I-beams and shoring equipment forms a covered walkway 18 feet wide to provide protection for pedestrians below and staging for workers and equipment above. Fencing prohibits close pedestrian traffic, while additional protected walkways provide safe passage to smoking areas and an exterior ATM. As an additional layer of safety, concrete was poured around the walkway tubular columns in high-traffic areas, and these are painted yellow and black striped, with flashing lights. Daily inspections are completed randomly by project leadership to monitor every aspect of safety compliance. Swinerton will complete this project for LBA Realty in November 2013.

Congratulations to the project team members, who continue to make safety priority number one while adding visual interest to the Denver skyline: Senior Superintendent Doug Schnorr, Senior Project Manager Nick Elmont, Project Engineer Katy Hodson, Foreman Tony Wendt, and Estimator Jeff Good.

Safety

Colorado State Bank Builds Safely in the Denver SkylineBy Neal Roark

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SHARED SERVICESQUALITY • HR • SAFETY • CORPORATE MARKETING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • SPECIAL SERVICES

Superintendent Spotlight: Defender of Safety Safety is a part of Swinerton’s culture, and Superintendent John Hubble knows that it plays a major role in a project’s overall success. During the 11-month construction of the Defender’s Lodge—a $9 million hotel in Palo Alto that will host veterans receiving medical care at the nearby VA health center—not a single injury or safety incident occurred on the jobsite. This spotless safety record is the result of unwavering commitment from John as the site’s Designated Safety Person, as well as participation from every member of the project team and crew.

All workers received a site-specific safety orientation their first day on the job and were encouraged to notify John about any potentially unsafe working conditions. “Safety affects everyone, so at the get-go, I always make sure we’re working hand-in-hand with subcontractors toward this common goal,” he says. “I remind workers to come to me with any safety concerns, and they do. It’s a system that works.” John also collaborated with the VA safety officer who visited the site daily, combining their expertise to identify and resolve any potential hazards. During job walks, he always keeps a sharp eye on quality of work and cleanliness, knowing that a clean, controlled work area helps reduce risk for slips and falls. Jokes John, “I think the only time I even opened the first aid kit on this project was to get an aspirin for a headache!”

Hats off to John and the entire Defender’s Lodge team for working together to deliver not only a quality project, but a perfect safety record!

Sacramento Safety RoadshowBy Rich Howell

“What I would hope each of you would consider doing is taking this message to a personal level with your employees and craft workers.” This message, delivered by President Gary Rafferty in August, was heard loud and clear by the Sacramento division. That was all it took, and the next thing heard from Division Manager Alan Wolf was, “I have these three days open, let’s go!”

Alan, Bryan Holt, and Rich Howell completed a three-day “Safety Roadshow” August 21–23, including seven jobsites plus the Sacramento office, for a total of 825 miles, all the while demonstrating a commitment to safety. At each location, they conducted a 30-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Over those three days, they spoke to more than 100 Swinerton employees.

The Safety Roadshow agenda included:

• Lessons learned from recent incidents. • Current fall protection regulations and the various exceptions. • A policy for transparency and timely reporting of all accidents. • The “Stop Work Card” initiative where every employee is empowered to stop work anytime they observe an unsafe act or condition. • Opportunities for Improvement (internal project safety audits).

Alan, Bryan, and Rich also took a tour of each jobsite they visited. It was a great chance to see different Swinerton teams in their element and demonstrate a commitment to safety on their projects.

On September 12, Swinerton Builders Sacramento presented to AGC of California as a finalist for the Contractor Safety Awards based on worker hours in California. As the most prestigious safety recognition in the California construction industry, the awards showcase AGC member company safety achievements and recognize those who have worked so hard throughout the year to keep their employees safe. Swinerton Builders Sacramento presented in the category based on worker hours of over 1 million hours.

Judging is conducted in two rounds by panels composed of construction industry professionals, both internal and external to the AGC organization. Companies who progress to the second round of evaluation and final ranking present a live presentation. An awards event luncheon will be held on November 1 to announce companies who placed first, second, and third by judges.

Congratulations to all whose safety efforts contributed to making it this far! Thanks to the presenters: Operations Manager Bryan Holt, Regional Senior Safety Manager Gena Roberts, Division Safety Manager Rich Howell, and Senior Superintendent Roberto Marquez.

Swinerton a Finalist for AGC of California Safety Award

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SafetySafety

46

Swinerton Builders Northwest

continues to maintain an exemplary

safety record, with zero lost time or

recordable incidents for six years and

counting. “This result does not happen

without dedication, hard work, attention

to detail and passion. You should all

be very proud of this record,”

commended Executive Vice President

and Regional Manager Eric Foster.

Keep up the great work!

Northwest Celebrates a

Stellar Safety Record

Safety Boot Camp Hits the RoadSwinerton’s Designated Safety Person (DSP) Boot Camp is on the move—this time to the Bellevue office. Foremen with Swinerton Builders Northwest completed specialized training that they can take to the jobsite, while enhancing their leadership skills and bonding as a team.

Special thanks to Regional Senior Safety Manager Gena Roberts and Safety Manager Scott Kubiszewski for leading the program. Congratulations to Swinerton’s newest DSPs: Wallace Johnson, Troy Cone, John Vigil, Michael Hedlund, Jorge Mendoza, and Roberto Chavez.

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SHARED SERVICESQUALITY • HR • SAFETY • CORPORATE MARKETING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • SPECIAL SERVICES

By Lana Odabi

Do you lose sleep thinking about your future retirement, especially if you don’t feel confident that you’re saving enough? Maybe it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee!

It’s the small adjustments that can help you reach your retirement goals faster. Have you considered reviewing your spending habits to look for even one small adjustment that could affect your readiness for retirement? How about that cup of Starbucks or Peet’s coffee that is critical to starting your day? How about limiting the number of times you purchase that cup of coffee from seven days to two days per week? The average tall cup of coffee at Starbucks costs $2 per day—that adds up to $14 per week, and $728 for an entire year!!! Could you try the coffee your employer provides at your workplace? By doing this, you could potentially save $520 per year. This added savings could be applied to your accumulated 401(k) contributions by

increasing your deferral rate; over time, your retirement account may grow, getting you closer to your retirement goal.

This is just one example of what might work for you. So take the time to review your budget and determine the small adjustments you might try in your daily life. It’s the small adjustments that help your retirement savings grow. Just like coffee beans, you plant the seeds (your contributions), they are watered for investment diversification and fertilized by increasing your 401(k) deferral rate periodically in order for the seeds and beans to grow bigger, and bigger, and bigger!

When you decide to harvest and grind the coffee beans, blend the mixture with hot water and a little cream to create a delicious cup of coffee (i.e., meet your retirement goal). You may be able to smell your savings brewing in the air and taste the good life of retirement!

For information and resources about saving for retirement, visit the Swinerton 401(k) and Savings Plan participant website at mylife.newyorklife.com.

In any large organization, there is a competing demand for resources, whether dollars or manpower, to help implement new processes and tools. At Swinerton, the Business Solutions Committee (BSC) reviews requests and prioritizes them to align the services provided by IT and other shared services teams with the needs of the operating groups. The BSC is composed of representatives from all parts of the company, including Operations, IT, HR, Legal, Marketing, Corporate Services, Finance, and Risk. The activities of the BSC can be tracked on SwinNet.

Swinerton Labs was established a couple of years ago to give employees a method to submit new ideas for anything we can do to improve our processes and tools and to research and develop innovative new practices. When a lab is completed and approved for implementation, a project plan is presented to the BSC, which then discusses the potential impacts and risks to our company and what priority it should have.

Depending on the size and type of project, approval may be sought from the Management Action Committee or the Executive Committee. When a project is started, its progress is tracked through completion.

Another process the BSC uses is a five-year look-ahead plan of future technology upgrades and new applications and tools. This plan is accessible on the “Business Solutions” SwinNet page. When you consider the amount of resources Swinerton invests in our technology programs and internal processes, having a five-year plan is essential to maximize the value of our investments. It also helps us implement technology platforms in a logical sequence, making sure foundational elements are in place to support future applications. All of our information comes directly from our employees; if you have an idea to improve our company, please submit it as a lab or contact a member of the BSC so we can move it forward!

Pulling It All Together

Business Solutions Committee

At Swinerton, we continue to maintain a commitment to achieve the highest level of execution in everything we do. As our vision statement says, “Building is not just what we do; it is who we are.” We also recognize that builders are made, not born. Our Better Builders program is designed to help us create the next generation of builders by providing a course of study and experience that will expose our project engineers to 26 areas of field construction. By teaming our engineers with project superintendents, we provide them the opportunity to interact with and learn from our own master builders.

Better Builders is organized around 26 modules, and each module is broken down into specific tasks. To complete a module, each participant must perform all of the required tasks under the guidance of a superintendent. As modules are completed, they are reviewed and approved by an operations manager. Participants can track their progress through Swinerton University. A complete and detailed explanation of the program is available on SwinNet under “Employee Resources/Training/Better Builders.”

One of the great things about the Better Builders program is that, even though it groups the participants into crews that are intended to work together, challenge one another, and complete group tasks, at its heart Better Builders is a program driven by individual effort. All that is needed to complete the program is the desire to learn, the willingness to seek out a superintendent to help guide the process, and the dedication to get it done. Even the group tasks can be completed as an individual if necessary. How much participants get out of the program is entirely dependent on what they put into it.

When reviewing the list of modules, one may notice that there is not a module for Quality. That’s because quality management is spread throughout the entire program. Every module has specific quality-oriented tasks. Reviewing drawing and specification requirements, preinstallation meetings, verifying testing and material deliveries, and first work inspections are all included. The idea is that as participants perform these quality assurance and control tasks, they will also be gaining a better understanding of what it takes to actually create the built environment.

The Better Builders program has the potential to help us fulfill our company vision, but only if we all do our part. Everyone has a part to play in this program. So if you’re a project engineer, get it in gear; Curtis Chism and Deena Takato have blazed the trail for you, so let’s get some other divisions represented. If you aren’t a project engineer but you know one, encourage them, support them, and make it possible for them to take the time needed to complete as many tasks as possible.

How to Build a Better Builder

Quality

Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort. There must be the will to produce a superior thing.

–John Ruskin

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

Benefits

On a separate note, while we have been building quality projects for 125 years, for most of that time we didn’t have the formal, effective, well-documented quality management program we have in place today. And to paraphrase John Ruskin, this program didn’t just pop into existence by accident; it took intelligent effort and force of will to create it. At our annual shareholders meeting in June, Jeff Recob was recognized for the significant contributions he has made to our quality management program. Each of us benefit every day from Jeff’s stewardship that led to the development of our quality program; now it’s up to us to continue to improve it. So from all of us: Thanks Jeff!

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SHARED SERVICESQUALITY • HR • SAFETY • CORPORATE MARKETING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • SPECIAL SERVICESBusiness Development

You know the answer, right? We all do. Sometimes it’s hard, though, isn’t it? Awkward? You bet. Here are some helpful hints to think about to make your prospecting and selling easier and more effective: 1. Focus on making a difference for your client: Nobody likes salespeople who just talk about their own products. Sell with your ears, ask questions, and find out what your customer needs.

2. Treat it like a first date: When you first meet your prospective customer, there should be no one else in the world that is as important as them. Show them the attention and respect they deserve and you will be doing better than 90% of your competitors.

3. Research, research, research: There is no need for anyone to do cold calls anymore. With the advent of Google there is so much information out there about your customers that you should feel like you know them before you walk in the door. Before each and every meeting make sure you Google them! Learn as much as you can about their business.

4. Be patient: You will hear “no” a lot. The majority of people you sell to will say no at first, but be politely persistent and don’t lose heart. As long as you are disciplined in your processes and presentations, each “no” is bringing you closer to a sale. Here Are Just Some of Our Recent Wins:

• Sacramento has received Notice to Proceed to build a new 10,400-square-foot chapel building at Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California.

• Silicon Valley is working with Boston Properties to reposition an existing office campus in North San Jose.

• Hawaii was selected to build a $24 million Community Learning Center in the Ma‘ili area of Oahu.

• The Northwest was awarded the $8.2 million contract to construct a four-building, high-end apartment community in Bellevue, Washington.

• San Diego has been selected as the general contractor for new client Pechanga Casino’s 24,000-square-foot interior lobby and restaurant renovation project.

• Orange County was selected by new client Conifer Health Solutions, a leading healthcare consultant with locations across the United States, for a tenant improvement project in Anaheim, California.

• Los Angeles was awarded another project at the Bank of America Pasadena Center.

• Colorado was selected to renovate the historic Byers Middle School into a new Denver School of Science and Technology.

• Swinerton Builders Government has secured its third project at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

• San Francisco won the award to build the long-awaited 43-story, 453-unit 399 Fremont residential project in San Francisco.

• Swinerton Renewable Energy has been awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the Westlands Solar Farms project in Huron, California.

• Stanford Medical Center has selected Swinerton Builders Healthcare to provide preconstruction and construction services for its new outpatient cancer and imaging center in San Jose.

• Sacramento was awarded a $38.4 million project to build a new courthouse in Yuba City, California.

• Tishman Speyer awarded Swinerton Builders San Francisco a new mid-rise residential tower on the corner of 10th and Mission Streets.

• The Northwest was awarded the two most visible and sought-after tenant improvement projects in downtown Portland: Cambia Health Solutions and the Block 300 remodel.

• San Diego was chosen to perform interior remodel work at the Scripps Musculoskeletal Center.

• Orange County was awarded two tenant improvement projects for repeat client Kaiser Permanente at the Sand Canyon Medical Center in Irvine, California.

• Colorado soon will begin interior renovations to a series of patient care rooms at North Suburban Medical Center.

Good stuff. Keep crankin’!

Who Sells?

What's Trending

By Dave Higgins, Jr.

Do you ever wonder where your data is stored if you use Gmail, YouTube, Hotmail or any other Internet-based applications? Ultimately, the 2.4 billion users of the Internet store all of their data on a hard drive in a data center. As more and more users store more and more data, the growth of digital storage is driving the need for more data center capacity, with the associated growth of power consumption. It is estimated that the amount of data stored in data centers will quadruple in the next four years.

As data centers consume increasing amounts of power, the current trend is to make the operation of data processing facilities as efficient as possible. On a global basis, data centers now consume 30 GW, or 1.5% of all power in the world. To limit the impact of this power demand on the global environment, data center operators are looking for ways to improve operating efficiency.

One of the key factors that has come into play is the durability of server equipment. The days of keeping computer rooms at a constant 68 to 72 degrees with a tight control of humidity are long gone. The American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers has recommended that computer room temperatures be raised to a set point of 80 degrees, with a wider range of humidity allowed. This enables computer rooms to utilize free cooling (essentially drawing in outside air when it is cooler than the inside air), which eliminates the need for a form of mechanized cooling, such as a chiller or packaged air conditioning unit.

To help data center operators compare their efficiency, the Green Grid, a consortium of data center operators and vendors, has created a simple metric known as PUE, or Power Utilization Effectiveness. It is a measure of the overall facility power consumption, including all of the UPS and cooling systems, divided by the computer equipment. The ideal number is 1.0, best-in-class is currently 1.11, and the national average is 1.8.

To help our clients reduce their electrical demand, Swinerton’s Critical Facilities team is pioneering the use of hybrid cooling systems that utilize a combination of air side economizers (free outside air when it is cold enough), direct evaporative cooling (basically like a swamp cooler inside the unit), and, when the cooling demand is highest, direct expansion (similar to a residential air conditioning system). These systems are very cost effective and, when combined with other energy-saving measures, can deliver a PUE as low as 1.2. The feedback from the facility managers regarding these new systems is very positive as we continue to implement innovative solutions to help our clients improve their operating efficiencies.

Data Center Design

How long did it take you to complete the program and

how did you balance it with your work load? I completed the program in about five years. Balancing the program with my workload was a challenge. When Better Builders rolled out, I was taking on a new career path as an entry project engineer and also studying for the LEED AP test. Performing with high standards in my new position and keeping up with the program was challenging, but at the same time beneficial. I did most of my tasks during work hours while we were building each trade. I tried to do the write-ups of what was learned soon after the task was completed, but often times I completed my write-ups on weekends and nights as well. Don’t be discouraged! Many of you don’t also have three kids to raise, so it shouldn’t take you as long as I did!

What was your strategy for tackling the tasks? Stay focused on completing as much as you can one module at a time, but don’t get too hung up if you don’t complete a task within that module. Take advantage of tasks that you can complete at your jobsite. Find a good mentor and do not refrain from asking questions if you don’t understand. Try to attend crew tasks on other projects that you know you will not be able to accomplish on your current project. For example, different types of pile driving, elevators, window washing equipment, etc.

Of the 26 modules, what was your favorite? Structural steel. The details and complexity of this discipline fascinated me.

What tasks that you accomplished are now part of your daily routine, if any? A number of the tasks are component oriented. I use the information that I learned from the modules on a daily basis. Reviewing submittals, quality control, and compliance of specifications and building codes are a few examples of the skills that I have gained.

Did you have any mentors that helped you through the program? The superintendents and project managers that I’ve had the privilege to work with are all great mentors. You know who you are and I am very grateful for all that you have taught me. Great mentors are more than willing to take the time required to teach and share their knowledge. But always remember, you have to steer your own ship and ask questions, and don’t hesitate to ask them for help.

What was the greatest lesson you learned? Learning how various components are required to put together systems and how systems operate simultaneously. Lessons learned that are shared by experienced superintendents are invaluable.

Any words of advice or encouragement to others going through the program? Do not get hung up on task write-ups. Remember that the notes are for you to understand and use. Your mentors are looking for understanding of building concepts and components; they are not so focused on your notes. Treat your binder as your Bible and you will be fine. Don’t ever give up! Time constraints are a reality, so make the time to increase your knowledge, which ultimately is an investment towards your future. In the end it is up to you to succeed; this program is set up to help you get there.

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CONGRATULATIONS • WAY TO GO • JOB WELL DONE GREAT WORK • SUPERSTAR • OUTSTANDING EFFORTKUDOS

Earlier this year, Deena Takato became the second employee to complete Swinerton’s Better Builders Program—an intensive training program designed to help project engineers gain valuable field experience through 26 hands-on modules covering a wide breadth of construction tasks. Deena shares some insight on her Better Builders experience and offers tips for others thinking about starting the program.

How long have you been with Swinerton and what has your career path been like? I will have been with Swinerton 19 years this December. In my time with the company I’ve had many titles, including: administrative manager, office manager, senior estimating coordinator, and entry project engineer. Currently, I’m a project engineer on the Miramar College Fire Science/EMT Training Facility project.

Where did you go to school? What are some things you like to do in your spare time? I earned a degree in business from the University of Hawaii and completed the Construction Practices program at San Diego State University. I became a LEED AP in 2008. In my spare time, I like to cook; I would call myself a “foodie” because I love to eat good food. I also enjoy quality time with my three daughters and Greg.

Q&A

Swinerton’s Second Better Builders Graduate Shares Tips

Los Angeles & Orange County

125th Celebration

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INTEGRITY • LEADERSHIP • PASSION • EXCELLENCE INTEGRITY • LEADERSHIP • PASSION • EXCELLENCE OUR 125TH YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Northwest Colorado & Government

By Danielle Ridgeway

Hosted in the beautiful wine cellar of the Hotel Vintage Plaza, the Portland office celebrated Swinerton’s 125th birthday and 40 years of building in the City of Roses. The intimate location provided abundant opportunities to chat with clients, architects, and subcontractors. Guests spoke highly of Swinerton Builders, shared stories of projects past and present, and even offered a little Swinerton Builders trivia acquired from the 125th anniversary video! President Gary Rafferty and Executive Vice President and Regional Manager Eric Foster joined about 90 other guests, who enjoyed local microbrews, wines, and Italian antipasti and desserts.

Portland Hosts a 125th Birthday Party

By Dan Mundle

Celebrating 125 years, the Seattle office hosted its Swinerton Birthday Bash with style, offering guests private-labeled beer and tours of the newly renovated Bellevue office. Clients, architects, brokers, and employees joined the celebration, including Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee, developer-partner Hossein Khorram, Executive Vice President and Regional Manager Eric Foster, Senior Vice President and General Manager Andy Holden, and Director of Global Construction Services Dana Jones.

Earlier that morning, a monumental groundbreaking for the Milano Townhomes project was held alongside owner Hossein Khorram, so it was fitting to celebrate our history the same day. Mayor Lee spoke very highly of Swinerton throughout the evening. Many comments from other guests were very positive, expressing how they were impressed with our staff and the depth of our organization. Approximately 85 people enjoyed TI Blonde and Gaming Amber Ale, great food, great conversation, and fun celebrating this major milestone. Here’s to our long future ahead!

Seattle Celebrates 125 Years in Style

Swinerton Builders Government and Swinerton Builders Colorado jointly celebrated the firm’s 125th anniversary in addition to being named as one of the Denver Post’s Top Workplaces with a family picnic July 13.

Employees and their families enjoyed a catered barbeque lunch and special ice cream treats from food truck Scrumptious in a tree-lined park in Golden. Fun activities included a bouncy house, a piñata, and a variety of yard games—including the ever-popular Corn Hole, all while listening to some fabulous tunes played by DJ extraordinaire, Senior Estimator, and 5D BIM guru Richard Creveling. Every family received an insulated backpack and sunscreen adorned with the Swinerton logo.

With picnic-goers traveling to the festivities from Colorado’s Front Range, Houston, and Las Vegas, the party was a great opportunity to reconnect with fellow employees and reflect on the firm’s grand history and recent successes.

A triple-scoop ice cream cone full of thanks to Marketing Coordinator Drew Rippel and Senior Marketing Coordinator Audra Post for putting on a fantastic picnic!

Milestone Anniversary + Top Workplace Recognition = Fun Family Festivity!

San

Diego 125th Client Party

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San Francisco125th Client Party

Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego & San Francisco Photo Snapshot

I N T E G R I T Y | L E A D E R S H I P | P A S S I O N | E X C E L L E N C E

Proudly Celebrating 125 Years