Occupied building? No problem.
Staying fully functional during construction was critical to Boys & Girls Club of Atlanta
Decatur, Georgia
It’s tough enough to manage a construction site when everyone who lives or works there has vacated the building. Try doing it when everyone is still there and expects full access all the time.
“This is what we faced when we needed work done on our facility in Lawrenceville,” says Natasha Rice, Chief Administrative Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. “The project was the installation of a new HVAC system, but we couldn’t shut down our programs during construction.”
Her solution: Hire SamT Construction.
“I worked with Samir Doshi when we were both in the multifamily renovations department at Home Depot,” Natasha says. “I already knew he was competent, creative, flexible and what he describes as schedule-centric.”
The project faced multiple challenges. It was financed by a Community Development Block Grant, which required strict adherence to federal regulations governing payrolls and expenses. Natasha also mentioned that SamT was superb at balancing the tight schedule, complicated regulations and a club filled with activities.
Natasha and SamT Construction worked together on a second project for the Boys & Girls Club, this one in Decatur. This project required a rigid deadline to conform to conditions of a grant from Lowe’s Home Improvement. The kitchen to be renovated was small and dated, with multiple elements such as fire prevention vents that couldn’t be altered. And, of course, the club needed to keep the kitchen functioning during construction.
“Samir spends a lot of time up front creating the budget and construction schedule,” Natasha says. “He doesn’t like surprises any more than clients do.”
“Samir is reliable, produces quality work and has a high degree of integrity. He is always trying to figure out how to make the most of a budget, and frankly, he’s very good at it.”
“I already knew he was competent, creative, flexible and what he describes as schedule-centric.”
The SamT Perspective
Renovations present great challenges for general contractors:
- The deadlines tend to be more rigid because the current users of the facility may still be at work in the building.
- Versatility is a must. New equipment gets placed in spaces not initially designed for it.
- A contractor can’t just remove the old and put in the new. If it’s a heating or air conditioning system being installed while the building is still in use, turning off the heat for a couple of weeks is not an option. The old has to remain in service while the new is being installed.
SamT Construction faced these and other challenges in our Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta projects. In Lawrenceville, for example, a federal grant added layers of complexity to everything from additional safety requirements and payroll management to piles of paperwork.
What’s more, the work had to be done even though the club was open for a full schedule of activities. That meant starting work at 5 a.m. and finishing for the day as children began arriving at noon.
Weather was a factor, too. The Lawrenceville project included the installation of a HVAC system while maintaining the existing environment to enable continued use of the building. Preparation took several weeks, and we were able to switch from old to new overnight.
In another BCGC location in Decatur, the deadline for an extensive kitchen upgrade was dictated by a corporate grant. And, of course, the kitchen had to stay in service throughout construction. For us, that was no problem.
Samir Notes: “Construction in occupied buildings has unique challenges but having the team with that experience is the key to overcome those challenges”