BOND Completes First Integrated Project Delivery Project at Brown University

BOND, a leading Boston-based construction manager, has announced it has completed construction of a two-phase infrastructure upgrade to theBarus & Holley Hall/Prince Laboratory Building, the largest research facility on the Brown University campus. The project was delivered via an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, the first foray into this contractual delivery model by Brown and BOND.

Components of the upgrade included: a new fire alarm system, modernized elevators, and replacement of the building’s air handling unit. The building’s chiller plant and cooling towers, heat exchanger, electrical switchgear, and summer boilers have also been replaced. These upgrades prepare the facility for continued use as a first-class research and engineering building.

Sited on the Brown campus, the seven-story, 220,000 square-foot Barus & Holley/Prince Laboratory Building houses the University’s Engineering and Physics departments, and includes 117 laboratories, 150 offices, 15 classrooms, 29 laboratory classrooms, and three lecture halls.

Built in 1965, the building’s infrastructure had not undergone renovations and was lacking in reliability and capacity to meet current building codes. BOND worked closely with Brown University and the project’s design team of Imai Keller Architects and WSP Group Engineers to develop a comprehensive phasing plan and related sequencing/cutover protocols that would allow more than 100 scientists to not only remain in place but to be assured that no disruption of their science experimentation transpired.

Capacity of the high voltage electrical and HVAC systems were increased to accommodate science and experimentation in the 21st century. Upgrading these major systems around an active, sensitive environment required comprehensive planning, sequencing and much communication. The results were impressive with on-time completion and approximately 12% of additional scope completed within the original budget.

"The BOND team’s flexibility, ability to react swiftly to changes and uncompromising approach to the success of Brown’s first IPD is truly appreciated," said Michael Guglielmo, Director of Project Management for the University.

The IPD delivery model – a first for Brown, BOND, and the project’s design team – is a collaborative alliance of people, systems and practices that come together to optimize project results, minimize waste and maximize efficiencies. This contractual relationship allowed the project team members to collectively manage and share project risks.                               

Since 1907, BOND has been involved in some of the region’s most complex vertical and horizontal construction projects. With two distinct groups, operating as Construction Managers for academic and healthcare clients, and self-performing General Contractors for the power and energy industries, BOND is well known for delivering reliable, safe and high-quality work. The Building Division has completed high-profile projects such as Harvard Business School’s Tata Hall and MIT’s famed Media Lab, and the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge for the American Cancer Society; while the Civil & Utility Division has successfully completed two of the largest regional underground high-voltage electrical transmission line projects in New England’s history. For more information, please visit www.bondbrothers.com.