DENTON, Texas—Construction management and contracting firm Adolfson & Peterson has completed two projects at the University of North Texas, one for arts and the other for engineering.

The contractor renovated UNT’s Jazz Lab, updating nearly 4,000 square feet of space dedicated to rehearsal for the university’s various jazz ensembles. Among the renovations were updates to the performance spaces themselves, as well as adding in recording and webcasting equipment and upgrading the interior’s acoustical performance.

AP also built the Advanced Air Mobility (UAAM) Test Center, a 120x300x80 netted facility dedicated to research in unmanned air systems as well as autonomous ground vehicles. The new building offers the ability to create various internal weather so that unmanned aircraft can be stress-tested for various meteorological conditions. Under these parameters test-pilots can see how the remote-piloted aircraft fare against collisions and impacts, as well as the amount of control needed in harsh weather.

AP worked with designer Smith Group on the music project and Walter P Moore on the Air Mobility Lab.

“As one of Texas’s largest universities, UNT is a premier institute of higher education for DFW and the entire state, and it’s a privilege to complete two building projects for the campus,” Michael Ortiz, Project Executive for AP, said of his firm’s work. “To continue having an impact, these facilities need to be updated with the latest technology and offer new research opportunities.

“The facility upgrades and the new building help UNT continue to thrive as a top university.”

Added Jeff Brown, associate vice president for facilities at UNT: “We’re excited about the renovations made to the College of Music’s Jazz Lab. These improvements will support our talented students as they continue developing their skills for many years to come.”

“The UAAM Test center is amazing. We look forward to seeing the research that takes place in this facility, propelling drone technology forward.”

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DALLAS—Construction management and contracting firm Adolfson & Peterson Construction has successfully delivered renovation work at the Clements Hall Scholars Den at Southern Methodist University (SMU). The building supports SMU’s Honors and Scholars program, including the Hilltop Scholars Program, the University Honors Program, the Rotunda Scholars Program, the Mustang Scholars Program, the Office of Engaged Learning, as well as the President’s Scholars Program.

In consultation with Moran Architects, AP renovated 6,411 square feet of space in such areas as Clements Hall’s lobby, offices, study rooms, meeting rooms as well as a lounge. The contractor upgraded the technological capabilities of the building to ensure it meets the needs of modern pedagogy.

Among its renovation duties, AP installed new quartz countertops, wood paneling, trims, doors, a glass railing system, millwork, as well as decorative metal paneling. Additional project details included installing new tiles and flooring, as well as giving the interior a thorough paint job. AP also installed an ADA wheelchair lift, MEP systems, modern AV systems, as well as updated the HVAC, electrical, and security systems.

“AP has a history of working on amazing higher education projects across the state,” said Terry Loreth, vice president with AP Gulf States. “As a premier university, SMU’s partnership with AP to renovate one of its oldest and most revered buildings is truly an honor.”

In a subsequent statement sent to ���سԹ�, AP Vice President of Preconstruction and Estimating Granger Hassman said that the firm was privileged to renovate an educational building as historic as Clements Hall Scholars Den.

“Working on an active campus presents a challenge, but we were able to work closely with our trade partners and the university to ensure we completed the Scholars Den with as little interruption to students and the campus as possible as it serves as the host location for SMU’s Honors & Scholars community,” Hassman said. “There’s also been a robust push to upgrade existing higher education facilities. Most higher education institutions build facilities with a 100-year design life; many structures are now approaching the time frame for renovations, repurposing or replacement.”

SMU is home for over 12,000 students. Clements Hall Scholars Den, the second-oldest building on SMU’s campus, is located in the central part of the campus on Mockingbird Lane.

“These are great opportunities to be part of helping these organizations continue to thrive and teach future leaders,” added Hassman.

AP’s other educational construction projects across Texas include past work at the University of Texas Permian-Basin, the University of North Texas, Midland College, the University of Texas in Austin and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

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MIDLOTHIAN, Tex.—Construction management firm Adolfson & Peterson (AP) has completed modifications to Midlothian Independent School District’s (MISD) Heritage High School.

Commencing in the summer of 2020, the $53 million worth of renovations included redesigning a two-story wing at Heritage to entail a fine arts complex, storm shelter, gym facility and science laboratories.  All told, that meant AP had to add 185,000 square feet of space to the high school, which also included a cafeteria and expanded workout space and turf field.

AP worked in conjunction with Texas’s own VLK Architects at Midlothian.

“Completing this expansion during the fall semester adds to the enthusiasm for the whole community,” Zack Rogers, AP’s vice president and project executive, said in a recent news release about work at Midlothian.  “Students are welcomed by a new entrance that immediately catches your attention with its large radiused cast stone wall, colored concrete, brick pavers and landscaping in addition to the new classroom wing.

“The new fine arts complex and athletics fields will set up Heritage High School students for success as they prepare for their futures.”

MISD was founded in 1906 and now hosts nearly 10,000 students and over 1,000 employees at the district’s 12 campuses.

AP’s other recent Lone Star educational projects include the Arts and Athletics Complex for the Arlington ISD and an educational facility for the Fort Worth ISD.  The firm has also recently commenced work expanding Midland College.  AP isranked among Engineering News Record’s Top 100 Contractors list.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—General contracting and construction management company Adolfson & Peterson has worked in concert with charter school operator Candeo Schools on a revision to Candeo North Scottsdale, located in Phoenix’s greater metropolitan area.

The renovation and expansion of Candeo North Scottsdale, located at 7191 Ashler Hills Dr., entailed a two-phased approach necessary to both add new educational space as well as update older classrooms and facilities on the campus. Adolfson & Peterson built two new buildings entirely from scratch, as well as renovated existing buildings. The general contractor also gave some nip-tuck treatment to recreation areas and various other outdoor spaces used by students, visitors and staff.

The first phase of work at Candeo North encompassed extensive updating to the school’s administrative building. Adolfson & Peterson had to renovate the building’s concrete floors, which needed to be sealed and painted to make them as moisture-proof as possible. Other Phase I work entailed upgrading the school’s courtyard and expanding its playground, as well as landscaping the parking lot.

Phase II labors entailed the two new buildings themselves. One was a 7,902-square-foot edifice that will be home to a half-dozen classrooms, lockers, break rooms and storage areas. The second building, encompassing 2,470 square feet, contains three up-to-date classrooms, a mechanical room, electrical closet and “fire riser” room. On the exterior, Adolfson & Peterson also fashioned a covered courtyard as part and parcel of the second phase.

SPS+ Architects, based in Scottsdale, designed the school’s renovations and new buildings.

The sizzling summer sun caused several delays, likely for worker safety. Furthermore, the ongoing pandemic required extra cautions to ensure the safety at the jobsite for workers. However, Adolfson & Peterson was still able to bring in the project months ahead of deadline.

Scott Salyer, vice president of operations for Adolfson & Peterson, said that his firm has worked with Candeo Schools on various other projects throughout the years, and thus there was a common aim to surmount such obstacles.

“When the pandemic hit, we collaborated closely with Candeo Schools, SPS+ Architects and local subcontractors to problem-solve many of the issues that other projects were experiencing,” Salyer said. “We’re pleased with the outcome and confident the school’s additions and renovations leave it fully equipped to effectively educate and accommodate students in one of the fastest-growing suburbs of Phoenix.”

“Our work with Adolfson & Peterson has been a smooth and impressive experience,” added Dr. Stephanie Musser, founder and CEO of Candeo Schools. “The care and responsiveness they have shown in meeting our school’s goals has been readily apparent from the start. The result is a customized, beautiful campus tailored to the needs of our community and our education program.”

Adolfson & Peterson has operated in the Phoenix area for decades. Their other local school construction projects include the Academies of Math and Science, BASIS Charter Schools throughout the Valley, Williams Field High School and the Maricopa Institute of Technology.

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CASPER, Wyo.—The restoration of the nearly century-old Natrona County High School in Casper has been completed.

Originally designed to house both Casper College and Natrona County High School, the Collegiate Gothic-inspired complex was constructed between 1924 and 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This project included a complete renovation of the existing 145,000-square-feet historic building and a 137,000-square-feet addition. To ensure continued occupancy during construction, the project was divided into six phases of construction spanning nearly five years.

Adolfson & Peterson (AP) Construction was the general contractor, and Bassetti Architects was the architect.

This impressive project included removing one-third of the historic concrete structure, while keeping the remaining structure intact; installing new foundations in the historic theater; installing a new elevator shaft through the existing concrete structures; and using swing stages suspended from the roofs to complete the masonry and terracotta restoration.

“The restoration of NCHS was shaped by three overarching ideas: a shift in the educational approach focused on career-based learning opportunities; upgrades to the historic campus targeting preservation, resilience and vitality; and safe continuous occupancy for students and staff,” explains Lorne McConachie, principal at Bassetti Architects.

The design takes its inspiration from the district’s guiding principles—a culture of empowerment, inventive learning settings, collaborative learning environments, a memorable campus and meaningful community partnerships.

The revitalized 22.5-acre school campus is organized around the four career academies with shared facilities (historic theatre, student commons, library and physical education) that are aligned through the center of the building.

The restoration preserved the historic facades of the landmark structure to the south and created a major, contextually responsive addition to the north. The entire building was organized around a protected inner courtyard with new secure entries located at the gaskets between historic and new construction. The renovation and additions have transformed the landmark school into a vibrant 21^st-century learning environment serving the academic, physical, and social well-being of students and staff, while simultaneously enhancing the building’s presence within the community.

The most substantial challenge was the historic theater. Because it was simply too small a volume for proper acoustics, the design solution demanded opening the bays of the old ceiling to expand the room into the interstitial roof truss area above the auditorium and enhance the balance of sound within it. An acoustically transparent fabric was stretched across the open ceiling bays to replicate the original plaster ceiling finish. Additionally, catwalks laid out in the open roof trusses were able to support critical lighting locations.

To execute the work, a scaffold dance floor system that took three weeks to install was used. Once installed, crews took molds of historic cornices that run across the theater, as well as the historic proscenium column, so they could be replicated. The old plaster ceiling was removed, including asbestos and popcorn texture. AP installed structural steel for the new catwalk systems and HVAC, mechanical and plumbing. Perfect execution was critical as there was no time to reinstall the scaffolding system.

The revised historic auditorium is home for statewide competitions and the Wyoming Symphony, greeting visitors with restored stained-glass windows, a larger stage and orchestra pit, resloped floors, and restored cornices across the now fabric ceiling.

The project also required numerous active and passive strategies to reduce energy and increased occupant comfort—including the installation of active chilled beams, condensing boilers and heat recovery units.

The design provided access to natural daylight and views to 98 percent of classroom and staff spaces. The remodel upgraded the envelope of the existing walls by adding continuous insulation behind the masonry, improving both thermal performance and air infiltration rates. Walls and roofs in the new addition were insulated beyond code minimums to provide a robust energy-saving envelope. Windows throughout the new and remodeled portions were upgraded with a high-performance, double low-e coating that achieves a u-value comparable to triple-pane units.

The reconstructed school reflects a bright future with lively colors, balanced daylight, and durable and handsome finishes.

Steve Harshman, a long-time teacher and coach at the school, had nothing but glowing comments about the project and general contractor.

“I was so pleased that AP was more than a contractor for our school. They were involved early in the project and continued to think big picture and to deliver total solutions, instead of just addressing short-term problems. I think their involvement and expertise, helped make the project a resounding success.”

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MINNEAPOLIS  — The University of Minnesota (UMN) in Minneapolis just completed a project so green that it won construction firm Adolfson & Peterson’s (AP) one of many awards at the Minnesota Construction Association (MCA) 23rd Annual Awards of Excellence Gala on Jan. 31.

The project included the renovation of the 104-year-old Main Energy Plant to add cutting-edge “co-generation” combined heat and power generation (CHPP) equipment to create a multi-functional building. The facility is 83 percent energy efficient (more than double the efficiency of a coal-fired power plant). The features of the power plant project are so unique and impressive, they won Adolfson & Peterson the MCA Award for Excellence for Green/Sustainable Project.

The new Main Energy Plant is connected to the Gopher substation as well as the university’s utility system, and generates electric power and steam for the Minneapolis campus. Fueled by natural gas, the Main Energy Plant will save the university an estimated net $2 million annually in utility operating costs and is a key investment in the university’s climate action plan to reduce campus emissions in half by the year 2020.

“The Main Energy Plant allows the Twin Cities to operate as an energy island so that critical university services at hospitals, clinics and research facilities can be maintained if there are external outage events,” said Jerome Malmquist, director of Energy Management at UMN, in a recent statement.

The updates on the main energy plant at UMN were made possible by a one-time $2 million rebate given to the school by the . In addition, the UMN’s new Main Energy Plant received $10 million from the state in a 2012 bonding bill. The project, under regulation from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, began in early 2015.

UMN reinvested in the former Old Main Heating Plant to replace the old boilers with a new 22.8-megawatt combustion turbine and heat recovery system. While operating, it reduces the university’s net carbon footprint by an estimated 10 to 13 percent and will provide the university with a more reliable source of energy.

During the conversion of UMN’s old steam plant to the new state-of-the-art CHPP) required unique construction and installation solutions during the design on the East Bank site, according to a university from 2017. Permitting and construction phases included the need for significant hazardous material abatement, approval for the cliffside location overlooking a national scenic river and park and its placement in the middle of a dense urban area.

“The Main Energy Plant marries a historic site and decommissioned plant with world-class technology and environmental stewardship to support the University’s long-term research mission,” said Mike Berthelsen, vice president of University Services, in a statement. “This is an exciting step that allows us to lessen our carbon footprint, while ensuring continuity of operations to campus and saving the University money.”

During its construction, builders began placement of equipment for chilled water production so the plant can eventually grow to a full-service utility that will provide chilled water for air conditioning.The plant went commercial on Nov. 17, 2017.

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