October Building Progress

By Jessica Schultz

November 5, 2015

During the month of October, work at the site picked up momentum as two items that were on order arrived, allowing installation and subsequent building steps to occur. These items included: the grey water tank and pump, as well as the black HDPE conduit for our electrical service. Due to the red list requirements of the Living Building Challenge, HDPE (high density polyethylene) conduit is used in place of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe and PVC parts within the grey water pump need to be replaced with other products. These items are not yet standard substitutions in the building industry and as a result, delays are often encountered.

Take an image tour of what has happened this month!

: HDPE electrical conduit awaits installation

: HDPE electrical conduit installed.

: HDPE electrical conduit installed.

: HDPE electrical conduit installed.

: Electrical trench is back filled.

: Project team members and mechanical subcontractors gather at a project meeting to review drawings.

: Grey water tank installed in the basement.

: Grey water tank installed in the basement.

: Slab is finished in the basement.

: Slab is finished in the basement.

: Slab is finished in the basement.

: Electrical conduit installed in the south wing.

: Owner’s project manager Chris Riddle reviews electrical plans with Crocker Communications.

: Forms in place for footings that will serve the Ecotone (connector between north and south building wings).

: Footings cure for the Ecotone (connector between north and south building wings).

: Stairway installed to basement and steel support decking installed to support slab over basement.

: Concrete forms for the rear wall of the large classrooms in the North wing is erected.

: Forms are removed from the ecotone foundation.

: Completed concrete foundation for the Ecotone (connector between North and South building wings).

: Rear wall of large classrooms is complete and soil is back filled against it.

: Where hole have been drilled through the foundation walls for conduit, plugs are removed.

: The base is set for the constructed wetland.

: Concrete is poured for the constructed wetland.

: Concrete is poured for the constructed wetland.

: The base of the constructed wetland cures.

: Foundation walls for the constructed wetland .

: Gravel base is added under our office space in the south wing in preparation for insulation and slab.

: Electrical conduit is installed by Crocker Communications and located in wall partitions.

: Our first moment inside the building – our basement!

: Executive Director Julie Johnson and Sam Batchelor of designLAB Architects review plans while on site.

: Insulation for the building is delivered and unloaded by site foreman Jim Smalls.

: Our three water tanks arrived and the team discusses placement and long-term access for maintenance.

Jessica Schultz is Communication and Capital Project Coordinator for the Hitchcock Center. She guides on-going media relations, website and social media, publications, marketing planning and photography. She also supports the Executive Director and building committee in planning for a new environmental learning center.