Top 10 Lessons Learned in School Design

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Top 10Lessons Learned inSchool Design
Construction

• Steve Brucker
• Skanska USA Building
• steve.brucker_at_skanskausa.com
• 503-641-2500

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FramingBuilding the Best Students

• Building the Best Students is the business of
  Oregons Schools (Teachers, Staff Members and
  Administrators) by delivering educational
  excellence
• The quality of our school facilities directly
  contributes to, or detracts from the Business of
  Building the Best Students
• The Top 10 Lessons Learned is a key step in
  delivering high performance/low maintenance
  buildings that provide environments conducive to
  Building the Best Students
• Lessons Learned today can be applied to current
  and near term challenges

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Top Ten Lessons Learned

• Cost Escalation
• Balancing Design Concepts with Function
• Measuring Quality Determining Value
• What Can Be Learned from Other Industries
• Getting Maximum Benefit from Suppliers
• Partnerships
• High Performance Buildings
• High Performance Teams
• Renovations Present Unique Challenges
• Not just the Building

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1 Cost Escalation Lessons

• Estimating the Cost Predicting the Future
• A Macro Perspective

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1 Cost Escalation Lessons
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1 Cost Escalation Lessons
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1 - Cost Escalation Learned

• When acquiring funds, through Bonds or Ballot
  Measures, include components for escalation based
  on current and projected market conditions
• Minimize Risk Exposure - Shorten the Time to
  Market, specifically the time between the bond
  measure and project completion
• Transfer cost risk
• Change the Bond Measure system to address current
  and project cost issues. E.g.. Combine operating
  budget for the building with the capital budget
  for the term of the bond measure.

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2 - Balance Design with Function Lesson

• Many of the school facilities programs are
  similar, and the design solutions for program
  elements vary widely
• As a result, the project teams spend an
  inordinate amount of time balancing the value of
  design solutions with stated functions
• Project teams use primarily objective data to
  evaluate solutions that have a substantial amount
  of subjectivity

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2 - Balance Design with Function Learned

• Take the time to define what Success means for
  your project and your project team.
• Determine you Guiding Principles
• What are those elements that are essential for
  success?
• What are the project elements that are
  important ?
• What are the elements that could be deferred,
  deleted or substantially modified if required to
  meet budget constraints.
• Decision making is streamlined because criteria
  is determined in advance.
• Can you articulate the 3 to 5 principles that are
  or will guide your project team through the
  challenges?

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3 - Measure Quality/Determine Value Lesson

• We have seen limited consistency in the way
  project teams optimize their programs
• The simplest form of measure is Bond / Square
  Foot
• If our real mission is Building the Best
  Students is there a set of measurements, which
  have universal application?
• Our mission is creating High Performance/Low
  Maintenance Buildings (Building the Best
  Students) rather than creating the greatest
  square footage of space

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3 - Measure Quality/Determine Value Learned

• There Is More Than One Yardstick
• Square Foot Model
• SF of Classroom / Student
• SF of Flex Space / Student
• Human Model (adapted from Green Building)
• Number of absentee hours per total student hours
• Number of sick days per total student days
• Efficiency Model
• Usage Ratio - the total number of Building Hours
  Used vs. Total Building Hours Available

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4 - Learn from Other Industries? Lessons

• Some school districts that have developed
  prototypes, however most projects are one-offs.
  
• Prototype solutions for building elements and
  programs can be applied to multiple projects.
• Standardized building criteria can help deliver
  high performance / low maintenance building
  systems.
• Site costs can be a substantial part of your
  project cost.

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4 - Learn from Other Industries? Learned

• Setting standards can reduce construction costs,
  shorten turn-around times, improve building
  functions and deliver consistency results
• Tightening site selection criteria can reduce you
  project costs.
• (We have seen site cost range from 20/sf to
  50/sf of the total building cost)

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The Opportunity Industrialize
Waiting
Production

• Planning
• Pre-fabricate
• Standardize

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Moving
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5 - Maximum Benefit from Suppliers Lessons

• There are a number of suppliers involved in the
  process of delivering new and renovated
  facilities to the public.
• 11/2006 Election
• Approximately (18) General Obligation Bonds
  approved.
• Approximate value of approved bonds - 800MM

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5 - Maximum Benefit from Suppliers Learned

• School Districts collaborate in pre-Bond Measure
  phase to verify pricing assumptions.
• School Districts collaborate in post-Bond Measure
  phase to coordinate schedules and competition for
  resources.
• Collaboration strives to share lessons, improve
  delivery and enable project teams to deliver a
  better product at a lower cost.

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5 - Maximum Benefit from Suppliers Learned

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6 Partnerships Lessons

• Partnerships can create an avenue to extend the
  reach of School Bond Dollars
• Different users or districts can collaborate to
  build facilities that collectively meet each of
  their needs.
• Entities or users work together to
• Offset initial capital costs and/or operating
  costs
• Multiple user groups reach Full Utilization of
  facilities and site improvements
• Is there an opportunity for collaboration and
  partnership with your project?

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6 Partnerships Learned

• Potential Partnerships are typically indentified
  through Long Range Master Plans or Strategic
  Facility Studies.
• Partnerships can leverage Facility funding by
  focusing on shared needs.
• Creative solutions expand the benefits for both
  partners.
• The gestation period for partnerships can take 1
  to 5 years.
• Staff turnover Partnership Sponsors can delay
  or void partnership opportunities.

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6 Partnerships Learned
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7 - High Performance Buildings Lessons

• High Performance/low maintenance elements of
  buildings are the first Value Engineering
  targets.
• The value of sustainable practices and high
  performance buildings are not universally
  understood or applied to design solutions,
  programs and cost evaluation models.
• Common misconception is
• I cant afford the initial cost of a high
  performance/low maintenance building
• Challenge You cant afford not to build a high
  performance/low maintenance building

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7 - High Performance Buildings Learned

• Use the correct formula to evaluate the benefits
  of High Performance/Low Maintenance Buildings and
  Facilities.
• Education for staff, administrators, students,
  funding sources is required for to evaluate the
  benefits of High Performance/Low Maintenance
  Buildings.
• Long term operating costs should be taken into
  consideration when making capital cost decisions.
• Consider the human element and the goal of
  Building the Best Students

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7 - High Performance Buildings Learned
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7 - High Performance Buildings Learned

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8 - High Performance Teams Lessons

• Delivery of Design and Construction Services is a
  PEOPLE BUSINESS in that the projects success
  lies in the team(s) of people delivering the
  project
• Just assembling a group of individuals does not
  necessarily create a high performance team
• A high performance team is built on a Common
  Vision and requires commitment, coaching and
  leadership

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8 - High Performance Teams Learned

• Assemble your team early to affect positive
  outcomes
• Understand your Project Requirements and Time
  Commitments and take the time to assemble the
  right people to deliver your project
• Define your projects Story (common vision and
  criteria) early to ensure that individuals are
  informed and understand as the team grows

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8 - High Performance Teams Learned
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9 Renovations are Challenges Lessons

• Renovations present unique challenges in the form
  of Unexpected Construction
• Logistics and Parking Matter
• Hazardous Materials can derail project schedules
  and budgets
• Seismic, Handicap, Roofing, Systems Upgrades-
  create major political challenge
• Additions followed by Leap Frog remodels sound
  easy but are very difficult and expensive to
  accomplish

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9 Renovations are Challenges Learned
Productivity

Production
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Waiting
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Moving
Do you see the risk and the opportunity?
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10 Not just a Building Lessons

• Permitting and Land-Use issues are currently the
  1 reason for project delays
• Permitting and Land-Use issues are not limited to
  New Construction.

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10 Not Just a Building Learned

• Be aware of your jurisdictions, their
  requirements and the length of time it takes to
  get permits
• Think beyond your building. Is this the best site
  in terms of cost, access, traffic implications
  and safety, most central location, most usable
  location?
• Know your site. Are there wetlands issues,
  service access issues or contaminants that need
  to be mitigated?
• Are the cost and scope of improvements for your
  site understood in advance of submitting your
  budget?

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What we have covered REFRAME Process Thinking

• Traditional Project Path

Top Ten Project Path
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THANK YOU

• My Contact Information
• Steve Brucker
• Skanska USA Building
• 2555 SW 153rd Drive
• Beaverton, OR 97006
• steve.brucker_at_skanskausa.com
• 503-806-1263
• www.skanska.com
• Enjoy the conference!