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Downtown Presence

When the YMCA of Columbia decided to move from their historic 100-year-old facility, SSOE was brought on to help them envision a new downtown presence that would meet the needs of the Main Street Business community.

Central Location

Located one block from their previous location, the new facility is centrally located within the Business District and convenient for the area’s business community and downtown residents to use.

Modern, Sleek & Inviting

The two-story facility provides a new image for the YMCA and incorporates a modern, sleek, and inviting environment. The main level, which houses the fitness and aerobic equipment, is connected to the upper level by an open stairwell. The second level houses a large group fitness room, a small cardio training room, and yoga / exercise room. Corporate-style locker rooms are also provided for men and women and include a sauna and steam room in each space.

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“Back-Of-House” Transformation

The Georgia Tech Russ Chandler Stadium focuses on the complete transformation of the field level “back-of-house” facilities supporting Georgia Tech Baseball’s operational, academic, and recruiting environment.

Narrating Georgia Tech’s Baseball Traditions

The players and coaches’ locker rooms were redesigned with new mahogany-stained lockers, custom carpet, LED lighting, and fully integrated audio visual components. Other new spaces include a study, players’ lounge, training room with whirlpools, and equipment room with a high-density storage system. The entire facility is enhanced with custom-designed branding graphics narrating Georgia Tech’s rich baseball traditions.

New Below-Grade Weight Room

The project also included the addition of a new below-grade 3,000 SF weight room. The main pedestrian entrance plaza was demolished to facilitate excavation for the new weight room, additional field-level access, and bleacher reconfiguration. A new plaza, complete with fencing, lighting, and new ADA access features was installed back above the weight room.

The new Russ Chandler Stadium was a Design-Build project that was completed in eight months.

 

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Tech Tower Renovation

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, commonly known as Tech Tower, is an 1888 historic building and focal point of the central campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Uncovering Building Amenities

One of the goals of the construction process was to uncover previously hidden building amenities and highlight them to show historic character.

Scope Of Services

The planning and design work includes the following: 1) Restroom renovations throughout the building; 2) ADA accessible enlarged elevator within the existing building; 3) New MPE / FP systems throughout the building; 4) Reprogramming the garden level, first, second, third and fourth floors, dean’s suites, meeting spaces, corridors, and support spaces. In addition, the design team created shared office support locations on all floors and added a new interior exit stair throughout Floors 1-4.

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Seventh Floor Renovation

SSOE worked hand-in-hand with the Owner, Great Southern Management, to renovate the seventh floor of the TD Bank Building (former Carolina First Building). Located on Main Street, in the heart of downtown Columbia’s Business District, the design team utilized a more open office concept – one that would foster interactivity and encourage teamwork.

Varying Work Environments

Challenged to reduce the overall square footage per employee by more than 20 percent, a departure from the more traditional design style commonly associated with architecture, engineering, and interior design firms, the team was able to creatively incorporate work areas of varying styles; allowing staff to interact in an environment better suited for collaboration.

Space Efficient Floor Plan

Originally renovated by our firm in the late 1990s, the TD Bank Building, a former Belk’s Department Store, is a seven-story “Class A” speculative office building with a garden-level terrace, hardscaped plaza, and spacious main lobby area. Designed using a space-efficient floor plan which utilized the building’s existing column locations, this recently completed tenant upfit features open office areas, private meeting rooms, conference rooms, and a flexible, work / life collaboration lounge.

Located in the heart of downtown Columbia, SC’s Business District, the design team utilized a more open office concept, one known to foster collaboration and encourage teamwork.

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Project-Based Immersive Learning

The Ronald E. McNair Middle School is Fulton County Schools’ first example of a facility design based on the principles of project-based immersive learning. By introducing immersive learning concepts and further developing district-specific ideas originally presented in a two-day charrette, SSOE and immersive learning consultant, LITTLE, transformed the conventional wing design of their previous middle schools into groups of instructional spaces organized as “neighborhoods.”

Interconnected Neighborhoods

Individual classrooms and science labs in each wing were reconfigured into three distinct yet interconnected neighborhoods, also known as learning communities. The redesign allows teachers to interact with more than one class at a time, evoking a greater sense of community and communication between learning areas. Students can remain in their neighborhoods for the better part of a school day, freely circulating between productive spaces designed for class, labs, and teamwork.

Collaborative Spaces

The neighborhood includes four connected classroom areas and a workshop / lab, along with a series of adjoining collaborative spaces for individual study, small group activities, and a tiered lecture space. In addition, a strategically located teacher planning area is at the center of the neighborhood.

New Design For Upcoming Middle Schools

The outcome of this effective immersive learning design has proven so successful for the McNair Middle School that the same design principles were developed for a series of middle school additions in a separate part of the district.

 

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Reducing Stress, Stimulating Healing & Enhancing Personal Well-Being

Opening its doors in January 2015, the new Healing Waters Spa at Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge offers a number of traditional spa treatments and aesthetic cosmetic services designed to reduce stress, stimulate healing, and enhance the personal well-being of patients.

Incorporating “Transformational Change Principles”

Lead by a team of highly trained professionals, the design highlights the brand’s “Transformational Change Principles” – CALM, BALANCE, CORRECT, RESTORE – which were creatively interwoven throughout the design of the facility.

Spacious Environments

Located on the first floor of the recently completed Baptist Parkridge Hospital, Healing Waters features a spacious retail area, numerous medical procedure rooms with associated office and consultation spaces, esthetician and massage therapy rooms, relaxation area with a food and beverage bar, full-size locker rooms, and customized water features.

SSOE worked with Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge on a new health spa for specialty client, Healing Waters.

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Integrated Primary Care Center

SSOE’s design team worked in tandem with Prisma Health and the local YMCA of Columbia to develop a new facility that combines an integrated primary care medical clinic with a new wellness and fitness center. Designed to further the Prisma Health brand, the new facility is similar in design to Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge.

Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles

The goal of the new Prisma Health Primary Care Center and YMCA Express is to inspire a more healthy lifestyle among the community. The facility seamlessly integrates a primary care clinic with the wellness center programs to create physical and emotional synergy between the idea of health and physical activity.

Shared Spaces

The building entry, lobby, gathering space, and classroom are all shared between the two programs, and the open layout provides interaction with and views to the workout spaces from both the main lobby and clinical check-in desk.

On-Stage / Off-Stage Concept

The primary care clinic design is based upon an “on-stage” / ”off-stage” concept, separating the individualized patient experience from the staff work areas. The clinic includes exam and workspace for four providers, x-ray, and on-site lab. The wellness center includes general cardio equipment, group exercise room, a specialized spin room, and a child-watch area.

The new Prisma Health Ballentine Primary Care and YMCA Express features a number of workout areas, a multi-purpose classroom, primary care spaces, and interactive group areas.

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Developing A Campus Master Plan

Faced with growing challenges pertaining to circulation and architectural identity, SSOE worked with School District Five of Lexington / Richland Counties to develop a campus master plan for Irmo High School that would artfully address concerns regarding contrasting architectural styles, school identity, and on-site circulation.

Addressing On-Site Circulation

By revamping on-site circulation and creating a clear delineation between vehicular and pedestrian traffic, our design team proposed an increase in on-site vehicle stacking in order to alleviate traffic backing up onto St. Andrews Road, the main thoroughfare onto campus.

Visually & Physically Reconnecting The Campus

By incorporating a number of new plazas and canopies in front of the existing academic buildings, C.A.T.E. facilities and proposed new auditorium, the design team was able to visually and physically re-connect the campus.

SSOE worked with School District Five of Lexington / Richland Counties to define a new architectural identity for Irmo High School.

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Creating A New Child Development Center

The new Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Family & Child Development Center house program activities for the Cooperative Extension Program and the Academic Program of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, both part of the College of Agriculture, Home Economics, and Applied Programs.

Three Building Components

This building is comprised of three specific components; the Cooperative Extension Program (Conference Center), the Child Development Center, and the Home Management Residence, each with its own separate entrance.

A Welcoming Aesthetic

The largest, most prominent entrance welcomes the public into the conference center and is located just off the main parking area. The main north-facing entrance opens into a two-story open entrance hall that allows lots of natural light to fill the space and serves as a beacon to visitors during the day or at night.

The new Fort Valley State University Family & Child Development Center features a two-story open entrance, Child Development Center, conference center, and on-site home residences.

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Renovations To Existing Facility

SSOE provided Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, and Electrical design services for renovations and additions to the existing Dougherty Comprehensive High School in Albany, Georgia.

Center For Excellence

The existing school will be transformed into a Center of Excellence for the Arts. The project will be completed in two phases.

Building Features

The Vocational Wing (High School CTAE Career Pathways) includes business labs; health occupations lab; engineering, drawing, and design lab; automotive service technology lab; engineering and technology multi-use lab; and personal care services / cosmetology labs.
The Arts Center of Excellence wing includes a renovated auditorium, along with a Black Box Theater, dance studio, and music and art labs.

The additions and renovations to Dougherty County Comprehensive High School transform the existing facility into a state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for the Arts.

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A Bold New Vision

The new Morgan County High School and Career Academy is the result of a bold vision by district leadership to create a new school with a central focus on college and career pathways. In a journey that began with the idea of a renovated high school facility and new career academy transformed through much planning and community input into an ambitious program that delivers both into one facility.

Building Highlights

The 42 instructional unit includes 28 classrooms; five science labs; a media center; gymnasium; band, choral, and art departments; F]family-living suite; and JROTC Suite. The two-story academy wing includes specific spaces for programs in healthcare, culinary arts, horticulture, ag mechanics, engineering, biotech science, business, cosmetology, and marketing. Also included in the design is a 500-seat auditorium.

The building’s plan features separate drop-off entrances for buses and parents as well as a third entry for the career academy program. The new facility, which is adjacent to and connects to the existing ninth grade academy, is situated directly across from the pre-existing stadium.

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Implementing A Contemporary Design

In order to comfortably accommodate a significant increase in the school’s student population, SSOE worked with School District Five of Lexington / Richland Counties to implement a contemporary design that successfully addressed the district’s challenges surrounding circulation and capacity relief.

Building Features

The renovation and expansion project included numerous instructional spaces, science labs, visual and performing arts facilities, ROTC training classrooms, and a new state-of-the-art athletic facility with adjoining practice fields.

SSOE worked with School District Five of Lexington / Richland Counties to develop a design concept that would better accommodate the growth in student population at Chapin High School.

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Cutting-Edge Facility

This contemporary, two-story cutting-edge facility is designed around a new model of care that completely re-evaluates the patient experience with emergency care services.

Innovative Model

The innovative “no wait” model features six rapid medical evaluation rooms with a patient and family “results lounge” for those with quick, in and out needs. For patients requiring further care or observation, the facility combines 12 treatment areas with two trauma / resuscitation rooms.

Architectural Character

The staff work areas are separated from the patient and family areas, creating a quiet, less stressful working environment where doctors and nurses can easily communicate. In addition, the building exterior was designed to harmonize with the architectural character of the community’s Historic Mill District.

 

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New Learning Environments

As part of Fulton County Schools’ goal to introduce new learning environments into their existing school facilities, SSOE worked with school administrators and staff to design a new two-story addition at Autrey Mill Middle School. The addition, which now connects to the building’s pre-existing two-level classroom, also included the addition of lab and teaching space totaling more than 25,000 SF.

Incorporating A New Learning Typology

The resulting addition incorporates the district’s new “Immersive Learning” neighborhood concept incorporated at the recently completed Ronald E. McNair Middle School and re-formulated it to integrate with the existing school.

New Additions

The addition includes 11 classrooms, two science laboratories, and one new art lab, designed to replace an existing undersized art suite. The decision was made to relocate the new art lab, making it a vital part of the new addition as a way to better introduce art into the school’s core classroom planning scheme.

SSOE designed the original 185,000 SF facility back in 2001. The Autrey Mill Middle School Addition incorporates the district’s new “Immersive Learning Neighborhood Concept,” which is based on the recently completed Ronald E. McNair Middle School.

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Creating An Environmentally Supportive Space

The new STICU is Phase I of an overall $38 million ICU Master Plan for Prisma Health Richland. The Richland Hospital is the tertiary healthcare facility for the Midlands region and is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the area. Because of their traumas, patients treated in this unit are the most vulnerable to detrimental environmental effects. Great care was taken to create a unit that would environmentally support patients, staff, and their families – focusing on infection control, therapeutic lighting, expanded room size, equipment placement; and coordination and staff views of and access to their patients.

Incorporating Tunable Lighting

A highlight of the design is the use of “tunable lighting” as a therapeutic treatment and environmental enhancement for patients and staff. Tunable lighting, which uses LED lighting to mimic the natural progression of daylight, is utilized throughout the 18-bed unit. Research has begun to show that this type of lighting may help patients heal faster, decrease delirium, and have less long-term negative mental distress from being in the hospital. This type of lighting has also been shown to increase staff alertness, lessen fatigue, and limit health issues associated with night shift work.

Utilizing Shared Spaces

Another feature is the use of disposal rooms in lieu of patient toilets. As these patients are typically too sick to move out of their beds, the unit utilizes a shared disposal room between each pair of patient rooms, giving staff a close disposal location that decreases the infection issues associated with the transport of sanitary waste. In addition, each disposal room is equipped with a special light that is illuminated when the room is not occupied, that has been tested to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

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New 96-Acre Campus

Located on a 96-acre site in Northeast Georgia, SSOE is working with prime design professional Pond and Lanier Technical College on their new Hall County Campus. Construction will take place over a three-year period and will include six new buildings, associated surface parking, and related site amenities. The new 310,000 SF replacement campus is slated to achieve two out of three peaches from the state of Georgia’s sustainable design grading program.

Programming

Campus Vision and Project Goals: The new vision for the Lanier Technical College site will be to provide a 21st Century campus for education, continuing education, and workforce development training opportunities over various programs.

Programming Project Goals

To date, the following project goals / objectives were identified: 1) Create a “cutting edge” campus that fits into the architectural vernacular of the community; 2) Integrate student life activities throughout each new facility on campus; 3) Create a campus that will become a showplace for economic development; 4) Incorporate spaces for future growth; and 5) Create buildings that are distinctive in character and that will promote student success via a nurturing campus environment that will become “the place to be” for students, staff, community, and industry partners to work, learn, and expand workforce opportunities. In addition to the Campus Support facilities, Technology & Industrial Education and Allied Health, SSOE is specifically focused on the following projects.

Administration & Student Success Center

Viewed as the new “iconic front door” to the campus, the Administration and Student Success Building will be comprised of the Office of the President, Student Services, and Student Life – each requiring a unique, responsive, and dynamic facility solution. The goal of the building is to create a high-quality supportive learning environment that prepares students to enter the workforce and will be the first stop for each person on campus. Entry roads, parking, directional signage, and iconic design will reinforce the college’s message that “Great Careers Begin Here.”

Student Affairs and Bursar functions will also be located to maximize opportunities for student reception and engagement. A “one stop shop” concept for customer service will be incorporated for student services, while a large and spacious circulation concourse will feature soft seating and information kiosks that will reinforce student access, utilization, and connection to services for advisement, financial aid, counseling, and placement.

Instructional Building

The new Instructional Building will house the General Education, Adult Education, Business and Computer Technology, and Early Childhood Development programs. The building will feature numerous integrated technology classrooms / labs, studios, and small and large group areas all designed around problem-based learning (PBL), team-based learning (TBL), and a student-centered active learning environment with evolving pedagogies.

Conference Center

The new Conference Center will feature a 225-seat auditorium, 10,000 SF Exhibit Hall, Testing Center, Culinary Arts Facility, and break-out classrooms. To encourage the development of a “community of learning,” collaborative study zones, magnet spaces, and student spaces will be located in the Conference Center and across campus to allow students to wither work in teams, study or, simply, relax.

Six Buildings – 310,000 SF Total

Instructional Building: 44,281 SF; Administration & Student Success Center: 46,004 SF; Tech & Industries Building: 94,500 SF; Allied Health Building: 61,000 SF; Campus Support Facility: 32,300 SF; Conference Center: 44,500 SF
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Re-Purposing The “Queen Of The Fleet”

Continuing in its mission and vision to develop a world-class museum and visitor experience, one that shares Delta Air Lines’ aviation history with the world, Delta Flight Museum acquired Ship 6301, N661US, the first Boeing 747-400 ever built, to support its ongoing goals and objectives. Ship 6301, also known as the “Queen of the Fleet,” having logged more than 86 million miles, was turned into a multipurpose extension of the existing museum, a facility that now includes event space, filming support, and interpretive exhibits.

Extensive Master Planning

The siting of the 747-400 required extensive master planning taking into account the airframe’s 232-foot length, 211-foot wingspan, and the existing museum’s facilities, which are located in the heart of the Delta Air Lines’ corporate headquarters. The stature of the aircraft was utilized to create a highly visible entrance to the entire museum with plazas underwing for shading, access to the underside of the aircraft, and other visitor amenities. Providing an engaging and educational venue was the primary goal of the Delta Flight Museum.

A Basic Planning Concept

The basic planning concept preserved the forward half of the aircraft in an almost existing state. This area was also modified to allow camera tracks and rigging for filming. Guests have access to lay flat seating, galleys, and flight attendant support areas. The back half of the aircraft was stripped of all seating creating a highly flexible multipurpose event space with interpretive panels and graphics. Additionally, all of the interior wall panels were removed exposing the structural, and M/E/P systems of the aircraft. Floor panels were replaced with structural glass flooring allowing for views into the cargo bays and inside the wings. Spot and accent lighting carefully illuminate exhibits and interpretive panels.

Iconic Upper-Level Area

The unique and iconic upper-level seating area was also left in its original condition. Access is also provided to the flight crew sleeping quarters and the flight deck cockpit, where one can imagine steering the aircraft from 35 feet off the tarmac.

 

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Multifunctional Gathering Space

Originally built in 1936 by the Public Works Administration (PWA) as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” the concept for the National Bean Market Museum was to create elevated flanking wings and transform the building into a multifunctional public gathering space.

Renovations And Upgrades

Renovations included ADA accessible areas, a restroom expansion, a catering kitchen, several energy-conserving systems, a mechanical geothermal well system, and new HVAC, fire protection, and electrical system upgrades.

Redesigning An Historic Attraction

Known as the world’s largest truck auction of green beans, the new National Bean Market Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is part of a large scale initiative to redesign and highlight cultural and historical attractions in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina.

 

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Project Renovation

The project renovated the existing Children’s Museum of Atlanta, located on the ground floor of Centennial Park Tower, a residential high-rise building, adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Creative Design Solutions

SSOE worked with the project’s Owner to successfully deliver a creative design solution all while working collaboratively with the museum’s staff, General Contractor, exhibit designers, and fabricators in order to better facilitate the client’s requirements for completion.

Functional And Connected Spaces

Project scope included the expansion of the museum’s main exhibition space as well as the renovation of the lunch, storage, and restroom areas. In addition, a new 4,969 SF concrete steel Mezzanine with bridge was incorporated that now connects to the main feature exhibit area.

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Creating A Modern Crown Jewel

The Bailey Performance Center is the crown jewel of Kennesaw State University’s Arts District. The facility contains a 624-seat music performance hall and a 3,600 SF choral and music rehearsal room. The serene, modern interior of the Main Hall complements the world-class acoustics achieved within the 65-foot tall precast structure.

Adjustable Elements

Operable doors above the platform and adjustable acoustical curtains throughout allow the hall to be tuned for specific music performances. Technology includes live audio reproduction, digital multi-track audio recording, and live video streaming.

Additional Features

The Bailey Center also contains a 1,800 SF art gallery, green room / dressing room, box office, management offices, and musical instrument storage. The west entrance features a pre-function outdoor garden while the east entrance is connected to the Ruth Zuckerman Art Museum.

Building Connections

The facility is also connected to the adjacent Wilson Music Building which was also designed by our firm and completed in March 2009.

A Special Note From Donald Runnicles Of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

“The Bailey Performance Center is simply a gorgeous instrument — as any musician relishes the unlimited scope of a special instrument, so any performing ensemble will celebrate the warm and vibrant acoustic atmosphere this exciting new hall affords. The Bailey Performance Center is a Georgia jewel.”

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Historic Renovation

SSOE, in association with Craig Gaulden Davis, recently restored the historic Township Auditorium, known as one of the region’s premiere event and concert venues.

Three-Story Atrium

The renovation incorporated the original design of the 1930s building by moving the venue’s facade forward an additional 25 feet, thus creating a three-story atrium space with respect to the history of the original structure.

User-Friendly Facility

Designed to meet the needs of staff and event attendees, we created a state-of-the-art, user-friendly facility that will continue to serve the Columbia area well into the future. Renovation highlights include a three-story atrium, a re-configured stage house, updated dressing rooms, new sound, and lighting systems, and the latest A/V technology.

 

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Addressing The Needs Of The Community

The existing Northlake – Barbara Loar Branch Library was built in 1991, in the post-modern style and required updating and additional space to fit the needs of the community. The design of the addition and renovation of the library presented an opportunity to create an integrated space, where old and new spaces flow seamlessly together.

Expanding The Design’s “Ship” Metaphor

The architecture of the addition plays off the existing post-modern design, expanding the “ship” metaphor through its literal form. The expanded Children’s Area occupies the prominent “prow” of the ship and the new teen area incorporates a “space-age” aesthetic. Casual reading areas and secluded meeting spaces are scattered throughout the collections. Interior views are maximized through extensive, playful layout of windows.

Sustainable Elements

The renovation of the Northlake – Barbara Loar Branch Library included the following sustainable design elements: recycled content carpet tile; low-VOC paints; Low-E glazing; Energy Star-rated fixtures; maximize open space (positive way to saying limit site disturbance); highly-reflective roof surface; exceed minimum energy performance; maintain significant portions of existing building components; Low-VOC interior finishes; daylight and views for a majority of spaces.

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Architectural And Engineering Services

SSOE provided architectural and engineering design services for the new, nine-level South Parking Deck (GBA-180). The facility provides 1,166 parking spaces, including 256 reserved legislator spaces on the two lower levels.

Efficient Plans

The architectural style and material palette of the parking deck emulates the existing government office buildings on Capitol Hill. The efficient plan of the parking deck allows the original State Highway Board Building facing Mitchell Street to be retained and renovated with 32,750 SF of office space for state agencies.

Smooth Operation

Sustainable design features include rainwater harvesting and daylight harvesting LED lighting throughout the deck. The project includes two helipads located on the uppermost level with direct access to the north core. The deck features AVI technology (automatic vehicle identification) to ensure smooth operation at peak times of use. Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. served as the parking consultant on the project.

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Functional Cargo Building

Air Cargo Building C will be the third cargo building in the Air Cargo Complex at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Secure, Covered Environment

The Air Cargo Buildings are adjacent to the main runway and provide a secure, covered environment to transfer cargo from airplanes to ground transportation trucks for distribution.

Replicate Existing Designs

The Air Cargo Building C architectural design will replicate the existing Air Cargo building design with limited modifications. The use of low flow fixtures, high-efficiency mechanical systems, shower facilities, and the use of recycled materials helped to achieve LEED Silver certification for new construction.

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Exclusive Club Location

The International Travelers’ Club is an exclusive club located in the International Terminal of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Travelers have a dramatic skyline view of downtown Atlanta through the 18’ floor to ceiling windows along the north side of the space.

Relaxing Space

The bar area immediately inside the general lounge has stools and televisions, which provides a relaxing and casual space as you enter the lounge. The entire space, including the bar, is ADA compliant for both guests and employees.

Various Space Configurations

Seating for 123 is accommodated by various configurations throughout the space. The space also includes a media center, as well as private shower changing rooms.

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Longstanding Relationship

Over the past 20 years, SSOE has enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Newton Medical center by responding to their needs with architectural, engineering, and interior design solutions.

Maintaining Top-Level Care

Our renovations and additions have enabled the doctors and staff to provide their patients with the top level of care.

Numerous Projects

Over the years, the SSOE design team has worked on the following additions, renovations, and new construction projects: Birthcare Department Renovation; Imaging Renovations; On-Call Engineering Services; Nursery Renovations; Medical Office Building Tenant Expansion; Third Floor Lab Addition; Fourth Floor Patient Tower; Nurses’ Station; HVAC Modifications; Knox Surgical Center Addition; Women’s Diagnostic Center; Physician’s Pavilion; and Emergency Services Expansion.

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Creating A Contemporary New Building

SSOE was selected to provide a campus evaluation, and building and interior design for McKenney’s Mechanical Contractors’ existing site.

The existing building was a 1960s office warehouse building that had been added onto over the years as the size of the company grew. During that time, a more contemporary three-story building was built to the east, while both buildings were connected to the existing large shop building to the north.

Creating A Better Work Environment

The goal was to renovate the existing building to create a campus feel alongside the pre-existing three-story building and adjacent shop building. In addition, the design team was tasked with bringing the building up to code, as the work previously completed spanned a number of years. Lastly, and most importantly, the company knew they needed to change their work environment to hire and retain great people in order to better address the needs of a changing workforce.

The desire was for the building to be more open, with views to the exterior from all work areas, while storage and support areas moved to the center of the building. The team successfully addressed this by removing several of the exterior tilt-up concrete panels in order to open the building to the exterior while taking advantage of several existing skylights that opened the building between floors.

Encouraging Collaboration

Working closely with the Owner to select sit / stand units for all employees, each of the new collaboration areas, as well as the open break spaces, are only a few of the examples of space planning, and furniture selections that the team provided. The challenge in many of these areas was the low floor-to-floor heights available. In order to address these specific challenges, the SSOE team created an open environment by eliminating ceilings and using light to create a feeling of height.

The lobby was resized to provide a comfortable space for groups that travel to the building for training. The number and location of meeting rooms was an important consideration, as was the number of enclosed offices, which were reduced and located so as not to block any daylight access. An executive suite with a new board room was established in an area that would provide a high ceiling for a spacious feel.

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Introducing A New Model Of Care

SSOE, in conjunction with Ernest Bland Associates, P.C., completed design documents for two state-of-the-art 104-bed Veterans Nursing Facilities.

A major objective of the design was to develop an environment for the veterans that resembles a home. Each resident will have a private bedroom with an adjacent private bath. Additionally, each facility will allow members freedom of choice in their activities and routines which may include clinical, therapeutic, extracurricular, and spiritual activities that support the daily needs of Veterans. The environments are focused on the resident as the center of care, thereby enhancing the quality of life and dignity of those residing in the facilities.

A Unique Organizing Design Element

Single-loaded concourses and corridors facing landscaped courtyards are utilized as an organizing design element to maximize direct visual and physical connections to outdoor areas and assist with wayfinding. A broad concourse (“hall”) connects the main entrance to a central lounge and a generous “back porch” seating area facing the main courtyard. This central hall has ample natural light from clerestory windows above.

Building Features & Amenities

Each facility is approximately 142,000 SF, designed as a single-story facility organized around a series of courtyards. These courtyards are surrounded by a central community building and four adjacent neighborhood buildings. Each neighborhood houses two resident homes consisting of 13 private patient rooms with shared living and dining spaces. The community center is approximately 34,000SSF and houses common “gathering” and activity spaces, such as a “bistro,” large group room, activity room, chapel, physical / occupational therapy, and clinical spaces for therapeutic functions and staff / administrative spaces.

A Note From Robby Aull, Principal – Senior Vice President

“By striving to make these buildings feel like real homes, we will create environments that go far beyond the public’s perception of what a traditional nursing home is. These new homes will be welcoming and healing spaces that will enhance the overall quality of life for our veterans.”

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A Well-Known Historic State Park

Conveniently located a few miles off of I-20 in Augusta, Georgia, A.H. Stephens State Park is best known for its equestrian facilities, lakeside group camp, and historic Civil War museum. The 1,177-acre park, which was named after the former Georgia Governor, A.H. Stephens, encompasses three lakes, four cottages, and 25 campsites.

In 2015, SSOE was brought in to restore the park’s famous Civilian Conservation Corporation (CCC) Observation Tower, originally built in 1935. The 60-foot three-story observation tower, equipped with a 3,500-gallon tank, experienced a variety of deteriorating factors such as erosion, water intrusion, and rotting siding, roof boards, and window openings. Additionally, the building, which lacked the appropriate insulation, had no mechanical ventilation system, which, according to the team, sped up the degradation process. Project scope also included rebuilding the staircase and renovating the ground floor as an interpretive area.

Overcoming Challenges

Since its construction and eventual decommission as a fire watchtower, the structure served different purposes. These changes in function, each with their own general wearing effects on the building, eventually led to the issues the design team was asked to correct – challenges the team successfully addressed. The biggest challenge – tucking the new staircase into the existing tower structure. Not only did the staircase conflict with the existing steel water tank but it also had to compete with the inward tilt of the tower walls. As the tower increased in height the walls tapered inward as well, which required the staircase to be set in further at each landing.

One of the more severe issues included water intrusion. Once water damage began to break down the exterior surfaces of the tower, local wildlife began to take advantage – i.e. birds, wasps, and an endangered species of bats. As part of the restoration process, the team replaced all damaged exterior wood boards, windows (matching the profile of their historic predecessor), replaced all window flashing, repainted the exteriors, and caulked around all gaps in the exterior walls. A new synthetic shake roof with a new plywood substrate, a roofing membrane, and metal step flashing was also installed. Synthetic roof shakes were used to provide longer maintenance-free protection while also matching the historic context of the building.

Creating A Ground-Floor Recreation Space

At the ground floor, the interior wood ceiling and wall planks were replaced where damaged, the concrete floor was protected with a new coat of epoxy paint, and ADA requirements for accessibility into the structure were provided. In addition, the team was asked to create a welcoming interpretive area that the public could enjoy. To accommodate this request, new flexible track lighting was provided for future interpretive installations, along with general and emergency lighting.

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A New Prototypical Group Shelter

SSOE provided full architectural and engineering design services for a new prototypical group shelter building at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park to replace the existing facilities.

Incorporating Elements Of Nature

The building features an assembly space, a self-service kitchen, restroom facilities, and a covered porch overlooking the scenic wetlands. The project also includes a screened grille building and day-use restroom facilities.

The building design uses natural materials such as wood board and batten and stone wainscot with exposed timber trusses. The classic design style provides a comforting setting for park visitors.

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Master Plan Updates

As part of a larger park master plan update, SSOE was asked by the Department of Natural Resources to provide site adaptation, programming, and construction documents for a new visitor and education center at Fort Yargo State Park.

Providing A Visual Connection To A Historic Fort

Situated near Fort Yargo lake, the building is designed to provide visitors with a visual connection to the historic Fort Yargo, as well as a physical connection to nature and the surrounding environment. The building program is comprised of a large retail space, multi-purpose room, pre-function area, and back-of-house offices, storage, and support spaces.

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SSOE was hired by the City of Alpharetta to renovate and upgrade Wills Park Pools and facilities. The renovation includes a competition swimming pool, leisure pool, renovated pool house, upgraded locker rooms, and additional deck space.

Making A Splash

Wills Park Pool is a 46,000 SF renovation in Alpharetta, Georgia. The leisure pool includes zero-depth entry, interactive play stations, space for open play and classes, and a water slide with plunge area. The competition pool ranges in depths from four feet to 12.5 feet and includes both one and three-meter diving boards.

Upgraded Amenities

Renovations were made to the 6,000 SF pool house and feature amenities such as updated locker rooms, additional deck space. Updates to the pool house included the addition of training rooms for lifeguards and staff and renovated shower facilities.

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SSOE, in association with Charleston-based Red Iron Architects, is working with Charleston County School District on a new academic wing for Haut Gap Middle School. The project scope includes the expansion of the school’s academic wings and the construction of a new band room, music support spaces, and a collaborative area.

A New Academic Wing

Haut Gap Middle School, which was originally designed for grades 6-8, is experiencing a high volume of growth. Because of this, the district identified a need for a new academic wing. The scope of this project will include an expansion of the school’s academic wings and the construction of a new band room that will eliminate the need for trailers currently used on campus.

The design team, which includes Charleston-based WBE, took several factors into consideration, including cost, grand oaks, and spatial needs. One option includes six new classrooms, a flex S.T.E.A.M. lab, a band room, orchestra room, soundlock vestibule, music support spaces, a teacher team room, project storage, and a collaborative area.

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Reimagined Space For A New Headquarters Facility

Batson-Cook Construction’s new headquarters was previously occupied by the Vinings Club, a former Atlanta Social Club. The old mechanical yard containing a two-cell cooling tower was transformed into an outdoor gathering space. A steel mezzanine that divided the racquetball court now overlooks the break room.

New High-Efficiency Building Systems

The base building renovation included new and reused fan-powered induction and single duct variable air volume air (VAV) terminal units, and new HVAC controls tied into the existing base building direct digital controls (DDC) system. New air terminal units were installed throughout the space. The outdoor design included the racquetball court renovation, which modified an existing constant volume air handling unit to be variable flow, while a new outdoor air supply fan with intake louver was integrated into the existing curtainwall system. Electrical renovations updated the existing base building electrical distribution systems to support the new office space layout and the use of high efficiency LED lighting was included throughout the space.

Specialty Systems Designed To Accommodate New Space

New domestic and sanitary plumbing systems support a new expansive breakroom, two new ADA restrooms, and a wellness room. The structural design and specification included a new 3,000 SF mezzanine. Reviews of the floor plan, base building, and generation of performance specification documents were also done to create an updated sprinkler system.

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New CATE Center Design

SSOE, in association with WBE-based firm, Red Iron Architects, worked with Jasper County School District on the design of the district’s new Career and Technical Education (CATE) Center. The center now serves the district’s new and existing high school students.

Introducing Students To New Trades & Workforce Development Skills

The CATE Center, which is connected to Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School, provides a unique program that introduces students to profitable trades and skills that can be used to enhance their future. The center accommodates programs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); health science; information technology (IT); and transportation, distribution, and logistics.

Building highlights include Health and Biomedical labs, STEM labs, flexible classrooms, computer, and logistics-focused classrooms, makerspace, state-of-the-art culinary program, and more. The building’s large central area is used as break-out space for the adjacent classrooms and laboratories, large project space, exhibition space, robotic competitions, and/or a meeting area for career fairs.

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New Regional Career Center in the Heart of Downtown North Charleston

SSOE, in association with Red Iron Architects, was selected by Charleston County School District to design their new 90,000 SF Center for Advanced Studies. The facility, located in the downtown area of North Charleston, South Carolina, is one of three regional career centers in the district. Students can now attend the center during the day to enhance their skills in the fields of architecture and construction, manufacturing, transportation, distribution and logistics, the arts, audiovisual technology and communications, health sciences, STEM, and information technology. The facility is designed to accommodate programs that align with immediate employment opportunities, the state’s technical school programs, and four-year university programs as well. Our team received a Building Design+Construction (BD+C) Building Team Award for our design of this unique interactive learning facility, receiving high marks for our community involvement and collaboration.

State-of-the-Art Research Labs, Studios, and Classrooms

The full architectural and engineering scope of services included planning and programming, assistance in the development of education specifications, spearheading community and local business / industry engagement, as well as architecture, interiors, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering. Specialized spaces include high-bay facilities for HVAC; automotive collision repair; mechatronics; electronics and building construction; and labs for biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, computer repair, and “Project Lead the Way.”

Additional spaces within this new building include state-of-the-art research labs / studios, a technology hub, flexible classrooms, an administrative suite, maker spaces, a large two-story exhibition space, 150-seat lecture hall, nursing suite, the district’s audiovisual department, career guidance area, cafe, and more.

The new Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies has a strong connection with the community, providing a space for local business and industry partners to not only teach but lead by example. SSOE worked with woman-owned business and Charleston-based architectural firm Red Iron Architects, civil engineering firm Hussey Gay Bell, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection firm Owens & Associates.

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation selected SSOE as the architect for the Nia Building given the adaptive reuse elements and sustainable focus for the project. Columbia Core Partners (a partnership between Core Venture Studio and Columbia Ventures) facilitated ongoing community engagement and project management. Through years of monthly neighborhood meetings and hard-hat tours, garnering resident feedback, and conducting market research, the transformation of Pittsburgh Yards is a catalytic development that encourages economic and entrepreneurial growth for the neighborhoods of NPU-V.

Downtown Atlanta’s New Opportunity Zone

Pittsburgh Yards bookends the southern edge of the Pittsburgh neighborhood and aims to create opportunities for an equitable distribution of income, career development, and entrepreneurship for residents in the surrounding NPU-V neighborhoods. What will ultimately be a 30-acre development at 352 University Avenue, Pittsburgh Yards serves as a transitional conduit between the neighborhood streets and the interconnected activity of the Atlanta BeltLine’s commercial and recreational traffic.

The Nia Building, A Small Business Hub

Land that once served as agricultural fields after the Civil War, then evolved into an industrial-focused shipping facility as the railways and roadways expanded, is now seeing a new way in which to serve the surrounding communities. Pittsburgh Yards transformed an expansive sea of asphalt and remnant structures into a vibrant infill development. Newly completed Phase I includes the Nia Building—a hub for over 100 small businesses and makers—along with a shipping container courtyard, five pad sites for future buildings, and a large community green space all within 15-acres of tree-lined streets and parking. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification through using local materials, water conservation, energy efficiency, and a vast solar array on the high roof.

Preserving The Structure’s Original Bones

Occupying the footprint of what was originally an old trucking facility, the Nia Building was nothing more than rusty steel columns and trusses on an elevated slab with a few brick-ruin additions attached, fondly nicknamed the “Whale Skelton Building.” New construction sought to preserve the “bones” by framing a high roof above the existing structure, leaving the patinaed trusses on display. Exterior walls follow the footprint of the existing slab, playing with the elevation changes throughout, and old tracks that once pulled carts from bay to bay in the past shipping days were preserved. Collectively, three different wings comprise 101 individual tenant spaces of varied size, called “maker modules,” along with two conference rooms, two shared shop areas, a breakroom, privacy rooms, and a central amphitheater and breakout / touchdown space. Additions outside of the original footprint include a food studio and market / café space. The north addition includes the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Office with five affordable-rate apartment units on the second level, and the entire roof area serves as a deck for events and tenant gatherings with sweeping views of the full 30-acre site and Pittsburgh neighborhood.

“This Isn’t Just Development That’s Happening In Isolation Of The Community—It’s Truly The Vision Of The Community.” – Joyce Shepherd, Atlanta City Councilwoman, District 12

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Addition & Renovation

With a growing need to update their building with enhanced accessibility in mind, SSOE worked with Richland County School District Two on the renovations an additions of Richland Northeast High School.

Addressing Accessibility

The project scope focuses on updates to the cafeteria and auditorium lobby, auditorium ADA upgrades, connecting existing buildings with enclosed corridors, enclosing existing open egress stairs, ADA upgrades to provide access to Vocational Classrooms, and upgrades the existing courtyard and amphitheater.

Accommodating Different Learning Styles

Renovations will transform the classroom building to feature flexible, collaborative, and group spaces. These spaces will accommodate project-based learning and facilitate teaching for different learning styles.

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Looking Toward The Future

SSOE, in association with design partner SmithGroup, partnered with Georgia Southern University on the design and implementation of their state-of-the-art Engineering Research Building. The facility has been designed for success through supporting regional business and industry, and institutional evolution by supporting new and future interdisciplinary opportunities through long-term conversion from academic to research laboratories. The three-story building is the largest building on campus; however, great care was taken to ensure it fits in well with its context. The building provides a new visual center for the University’s newly created and rapidly growing Manufacturing Engineering Department, as this interdisciplinary research facility includes Mechanical Engineering, Computer, Electrical, and Civil Engineering components.

Uniquely Designed Laboratories

To support the University and the Paulson College of Engineering and Computing now and into the future, the facility is designed to allow laboratories that are currently focused on academics to easily become research-oriented laboratories. There are 33 unique laboratories ranging from Additive Manufacturing (Metallic 3D Printing), Industrial Robotics and Automation, Nanomaterials, Bio-Additive Manufacturing, a Clean Lab, and an open rooftop lab space. One of the most striking spaces is a high bay multi-user research lab that is the length of a football field. The facility also includes a number of supporting classrooms; graduate student, faculty, and administrative office spaces; and a conferencing-event space to host a wide variety of events. A designated tour route provides views into the labs and high bay overlooks that showcase the ongoing research for local and regional business and industry partners.

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Leverage Opportunity

The Georgia State College of Law’s 205,000 SF new building occupies an extremely prominent site in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The project’s primary objectives were to advance learning, create a close sense of community for students, faculty, and staff, and leverage opportunities inherent to its dynamic urban context.

Center Of Intellectual Activity And Research

Working closely with College of Law faculty and administrators, SSOE, in association with SmithGroupJJR, created an innovative building program that conceives the library as the social heart of the school, a center of intellectual activity and research, and an experimental learning environment for emerging innovative pedagogy. The library is placed at the top of the building, a lit beacon in the Atlanta setting, concentrating activity and establishing a civic identity in the midst of much larger office towers. The building gives new prominence to the University and activates Woodruff Park, a major urban space.

Connective Space

The building contains diverse inventive active learning and skills development spaces. Public spaces are conceived of as learning spaces and are visually linked to more structured instructional environments. Internal planning unifies diverse functions with a multi-level, naturally-lit connective space that promotes interaction among students and faculty, and with the public and legal community.

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Re-Imagined Core Campus

Following Clemson’s 2002 Core Campus Housing Precinct Study, the university decided to replace three major buildings in the middle of its Core Campus. By re-imaging the look, feel, and use of the University’s Core Campus, the new housing development will address the university’s need to create a forward-thinking and innovative mixed-use center for students, faculty, and staff.

New Spaces

Initial programming outlined new and replacement space within the Core Campus, which will include a new University Union, three residence halls, a new campus post office, residential and retail dining areas, and small, strategic, doses of academic space.

Multi-Party Effort

The design team includes, SSOE, VMDO Architects, and Sasaki Associates. The project has achieved a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Clemson University Core Campus Precinct is a three building residence hall with 179,000 SF of living space, 76,000 SF of retail and dining, and 5,000 SF of academic space.

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Full Scale Renovation

The Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory (G.E.R.L.) is a full-scale renovation of the 1930’s era Textile Engineering Facility at Auburn University. Services provided by SSOE include programming, lab planning, interior design, historic preservation, as well as complete architectural and engineering design services.

Top Tier Research Activities

The renovation prepares the building for a variety of research activities for the College of Engineering including much-needed surge space for new faculty and special projects. Building highlights now include Polymers and Composites Research, Additive Manufacturing Research, Nuclear Power Generating Systems, research support labs, meeting spaces, graduate and postdoc offices, and interaction spaces.

An Inspiring New Mission

SSOE’s mission for G.E.R.L. is to create inspirational spaces that showcase the latest technologies and foster a process of discovery, all while allowing a much-loved building to evolve with the momentum of the university’s growing research community.

The renovation prepares the building for a variety of research activities for the College of Engineering and includes much-needed surge space for new faculty and special projects. We also worked with HERA, who served as the lab planner on this project.

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This well-known automotive client set an aggressive goal of producing mostly electric and autonomous vehicles by 2035. To achieve this, the client developed a plan that centers around converting multiple Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) manufacturing and assembly facilities to all-electric vehicle plants and spans several locations throughout North America.

Partnering with multiple general contractors, SSOE provided the engineering and design of substantial renovations and expansions for two facilities. To drive efficiency, the collaborative team leveraged Lean project delivery methods on every project.

The team and client stakeholders used the Big Room concept and remote collaboration to review the proposed facility additions, connections to existing buildings, concepts for new program elements, and stand-alone greenfield manufacturing construction. All sites employed a fast-track schedule, relying on innovation and technology to quickly move the projects from planning and design to construction.

The team’s first project focused on engine, body, paint, and general assembly shops, in addition to process buildings, a commercial kitchen, and an employee cafeteria. SSOE and its partners kicked off the project with an in-person Big Room collaboration meeting. However, three months later, all team members were forced to work remotely due to COVID-19. To keep the project on track, SSOE implemented an on-site construction administrator and daily virtual huddles.

At the second site, SSOE designed major plant additions, including new body and paint shops. The project included a nine-bay dock addition to the general assembly shop and a three-bay addition to the current body shop, with a connector trestle spanning over a road. Our team also designed the structural reinforcement of many existing buildings to accommodate the heavier electric vehicles. Additionally, we relocated the facility’s main access road to provide space for the paint shop addition and other utility tie-ins within the existing plant.

Throughout these projects, SSOE gained significant knowledge and insight into the process of converting ICE facilities to EV producing plants, which we will leverage as we continue to assist this client with its program.

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Social Heart Of Campus

The Oxford Student Center (OSC) is the new social heart of Emory University’s original campus located in Oxford, GA. Serving as the new home of campus life activities and as the new front door to the campus, the project creates a welcoming entrance, an authentic Oxford College first impression for prospective students and the Oxford Community, all centered around student activity. Thoughtful attention to details, lighting, colors, scale, materials, and furniture supports student success and activities, projecting the college’s diversity, overarching excellence, and leadership in academic, research, stainability, and technology.

Timeless Story Telling

The project consisted of the renovation of a recently replaced mid-century dining hall (20,000 SF), a two-level addition (12,000 SF), and site improvements integrating the project into existing pathways and plazas. The OSC fosters first-year student engagement and second-year student leadership through collaborative student organization space that supports the 90+ student organizations on campus, a multipurpose forum created from the original dining room, a cafe, a bookstore, social lounges, gaming “hot spot” and Campus Life offices. The design solution promotes the students’ sense of ownership and belonging, a place they are comfortable using, changing, and shaping to work for them.

In addition to supporting student success and building community the project champions sustainability and environmental stewardship. The design optimizes building energy performance through energy-saving systems and strategies (chilled beams, LED lighting) utilizing the existing building infrastructure, orientation, and the site to the greatest extent. The OSC should achieve a reduction of nearly 30% in energy consumption (vs. ASHRAE 90.1-2010) targeting an annual EUI below 60 (consuming 59.33 kBtu/SF/yr) with over 40% reduction in water consumption.

A Note From American School & Universities Jury Member

“Nice introduction of colors against the contextual wood and tile. Maintains a sophisticated aesthetic while being inviting. Appropriate scale with a variety of spaces and gathering sizes. A casual and relaxed atmosphere where any student would feel at home.”

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State-Of-The-Art Instructional Building

SSOE worked with Lanier Technical College on the new Hall County replacement campus. The new campus is located on a 96-acre site in Northeast Georgia. Construction took place over a three-year period and includes a multitude of new buildings spanning more than 300,000-square feet with associated surface parking and related site amenities.

The new Instructional Building houses the General Education, Adult Education, Business and Computer Technology, and Early Childhood Development programs.

Integrated Classroom Environments

The building features numerous integrated technology classrooms / labs, studios, and small and large group areas all designed around problem-based learning (PBL), team-based learning (TBL) and student-centered active learning environment with upside-down pedagogies (SCALE – UP) teachings.

Pond (prime design professional), in association with SSOE, was selected to provide professional design services for the college’s new Gainesville campus. SSOE supported the overall design team by leading the programming, the interior design and furnishing, fixture, and equipment (FF&E) efforts for the entire campus,  and providing overall design team project management. SSOE also provided full architecture and engineering design services as Architect of Record for the Breeden-Giles Hall Administration Building, the Chris Riley Instructional Building, and the Wilbur and Dixie Ramsey Conference Center.

The new Chris Riley Instructional Building is two-stories and features flexible classrooms, faculty offices, and teaching and computer labs.

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Pond (prime design professional), in association with SSOE, was selected to provide professional design services for the college’s new Gainesville campus. SSOE supported the overall design team by leading the programming, interior design and furnishing, fixture, and equipment (FF&E) efforts for the entire campus, as well as providing overall design team project management. SSOE also provided full architecture and engineering design services as Architect of Record for the Breeden-Giles Hall Administration Building, the Chris Riley Instructional Building, and the Wilbur and Dixie Ramsey Conference Center.

The new Breeden-Giles Hall Administration Building is two stories and more than 46,000 SF.

Creating An Iconic Front Door

The new Administration and Student Success Building is the home for administrative, student services, and student support functions. Viewed as the new “iconic front door” to the campus, the building is comprised of three unique mission areas that each demand a responsive and dynamic facility solution.

The goal of the building was to create a high-quality supportive learning environment that prepares students to enter the workforce. The building is the first stop for each person on campus. Entry roads, parking, directional signage, and iconic building design are used to reinforce the college’s message that “Great Careers Begin Here.”

One Place For All Concept

Student Affairs and Bursar functions are located to maximize opportunities for student reception and engagement. A “one-stop shop” concept for customer service was also developed for student services. A large and spacious circulation concourse features soft seating and information kiosks that reinforce student access, utilization, and connection to services for advisement, financial aid, counseling, and placement.

In order to facilitate and foster a better community of learning, open collaborative study zones (i.e. magnet spaces) are located throughout the building that allow students to either work in teams, study individually, or simply relax.

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Comprehensive Renovation

SSOE, in association with VMDO Architects, provided architectural design support and full engineering design services for the comprehensive renovation of Glenn & Towers Residence Halls.

Updated Systems

Project scope included updating the buildings’ mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and HVAC systems as well as providing design services for the renovation of student areas that included all restrooms, lounges, kitchens, laundry facilities, and residential units.

Creating New Spaces

The renovation also included the addition of program space between the existing buildings, which now include exercise, meeting, study, and lobby spaces. Elevators were added to each of the existing buildings to provide accessible vertical circulation.

Additional Design Features

New dormers were proposed on the quad side of the building to add nine new student residence rooms in each building with the rest of the attic containing a lounge, community toilets, laundry, and mechanical space.

The new Glenn & Towers Residence Halls are LEED Gold certified.

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Creating a facility poised from the start to attract talent and produce workers with relevant skillsets now and into the future is the goal of Henry Ford College (HFC) with their expanded Entrepreneur and Innovation Institute / Technology Building. HFC worked with SSOE to create spaces that fuel innovation and entrepreneurship. The Student Commons, a destination space, links the existing spaces to new. The inspiring design allows students informal areas for networking, collaborating, and impromptu learning. The renovation includes spaces for teaming, hands-on learning, and fostering the spirit of “out of the box thinking.”

The project includes the renovation of existing classrooms and lab spaces as well as the addition of 24,000 SF of new space in the Technology Building. Upgrades will include structure, envelope, interior finishes, HVAC, lighting, electrical, and plumbing. This project will allow for continued renovations initiated in 2015 and has a total estimated budget of $14.9 million.

HFC’s 24,000 SF addition will create multi-disciplinary labs, including a new Makerspace / Innovation Hub, automotive labs, as well as the Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Center needed to support changing programs and curricula, the regional demand for workforce training, and business and industry partnership initiatives.

This new construction will also improve building and program access and internal circulation, while addressing the lack of breakout / collaborative workspaces critical for student success. Lastly, the addition will house a new campus Energy Plant to support the college’s goal of a Net Zero campus. SSOE will work closely with HFC’s energy partners, Johnson Controls and Garforth International, to integrate the College’s $23.1 million Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP) into this project.

Several of the programs and physical spaces that will be positively impacted by this project include the Transportation / Automotive Technology Program, the HFC Fabrication Lab, Product Development Center (“Makerspace”), Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Center, HFC Advanced Manufacturing Early College, and improved learning spaces in the Technology Building. These upgrades continue to reinforce HFC’s mission of transforming lives and building better futures by providing outstanding education.

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During the planning phase, SSOE collaborated with Beaumont staff to review and refine multiple departmental options prior to the team selecting the appropriate solution that met their changing needs. While the overall design intent for the 6th floor was to match an existing 5th floor ICU, SSOE added many enhancements to cater to the specific needs of the CICU. The design team met with the intensive care nursing staff who had been working on the 5th floor for the past few years and gathered their feedback on what was working well and what could be improved upon to document end-user experiences. The lessons learned captured provided a foundation for discussion with the staff who would be working in the new CICU space.

Taking this input, and that of Beaumont’s internal interior design staff and the facility maintenance team, SSOE was able to incorporate a number of design enhancements. The new CICU includes a family nourishment area with a kitchenette, room amenities for patient guests that include a desk, area to sleep, and personal device charging stations, and individual toilet rooms dedicated to each patient room with an integrated shower. Additionally, the CICU features decentralized nurse documentation spaces for a 1:2 nurse ratio with windows for direct visual observation of the headwall–allowing staff to see both the monitoring equipment and patient, dedicated lighting for both staff and visitors, and three sub-waiting areas within the CICU to provide quiet spaces for patient family members when needed.

A unique challenge that the project team had to overcome was the utilization of existing floor drains and plumbing for the reconfigured private patient toilet rooms—originally set up to accommodate a single unit bathing room and a shared toilet room between two patient rooms. The team used laser scanning to document existing conditions and manipulate the design around these elements in a 3D environment. Another challenge was timing. The COVID-19 pandemic caused Beaumont Health to place construction of the project on hold. Once restarted, the design was altered slightly during the construction phase to become more adaptable in the event of similar future capacity overflow situations. Revisions included additional electrical outlets, medical gas, and a monitor added to each headwall— allowing Beaumont to convert from private to semi-private rooms.

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Meetings with GJM and the design team defined the requirements for the new plan for the office layout. This plan became a refection of the GJM brand and mission, one that is focused on clients and employees. There was a strong desire to modernize the existing Eaton (LaValley) Building façade and entries, and tie it to an architectural design in line with GJM values. The entry and lobby design was transformed into a welcoming and modern space with a two-story skylight. Spaces included a new reception desk, visitor conference rooms, and board room. A new angled glass façade on the east side allowed for daylight throughout the space, creating an open and inviting environment.

Corridors were placed on an axis with one connecting corridor parallel to the east glass façade to link the work spaces. Shared spaces along this corridor included collaboration spaces, wellness room, the Learning Center, break area, assembly room, and access to lobby spaces. Large open glass garage doors connected the Learning Center to the Collaboration Café, offering space for employees to meet with a connection to the outside patio area. Spaces were fully integrated with technology, connecting GJM virtually to other office locations and clients. The flexible wellness room provided a space for employees to escape, relax, and recharge before returning to their tasks.

The design included offices placed internally within the floor plan allowing workstations and collaboration spaces placed along the exterior to take advantage of windows and daylight. The continued connection to nature and natural daylight promoted employee well-being and added physical comforts to the space. The interior finishes and contemporary color scheme thoughtfully reinforced the architecture of the space and provided a backdrop for client branding.

“We are thrilled with the design of our new office space. It is modern, practical, creative and flexible. It will suit our needs for years to come. SSOE’s collaboration with our building committee was a true partnership. Heather was responsive and innovative in working with us and transformed a tired building that had been vacant for years into a world class show piece we are truly proud of.”

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Continuing our partnership with the Anthony Wayne Local Schools district, SSOE transformed the priorities established during the master planning phase into design solutions across the district’s four campuses. The main campus, which includes Anthony Wayne High School, Anthony Wayne Junior High School, and Fallen Timbers Middle School, received overall facility improvements, upgraded security vestibules and visitor entries, a new high school office addition to make room for three new science rooms, and a media center addition at the junior high. The new high school auxiliary gym and cafeteria addition are adjacent to a new commons area that incorporates storefront windows that allow interior access to daylight. This space will be used by students daily as well as for public events.

The elementary schools also received upgrades. Monclova Elementary School received a new security vestibule and office addition, classroom modifications, and infrastructure improvements for energy efficiency. Waterville Elementary School upgrades included a new security vestibule / office renovation, new four-classroom addition for kindergarten students, and renovation of the daycare program’s office space. Whitehouse Elementary School received a new 70,000 SF facility on the same site as the existing elementary school. The architectural design included repurposing stone elements from the original building into the new facility to carry forward the community’s history. This facility also includes a storm shelter and new playground.

All upgrades focused on student and staff safety, including the site designs, which were updated for bus circulation, parent / visitor and student parking, and parent drop-off to reduce congestion and increase student safety. SSOE also worked closely with the district’s operations personnel to increase energy efficiency with the improvements.

Classroom designs included learning communities, active learning spaces with grade-specific media materials and collaborative areas for teachers and students. The science labs were designed and laid out for 21st-century teaching and learning. Existing education spaces were updated with new technology, and traditional classrooms were opened up into multipurpose student-centered learning spaces.

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SSOE was selected to provide planning, design, and owner representative services to GEDIA Automotive Group for their new advanced manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia, with operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021.

In the Dalton plant, GEDIA will produce lightweight body-in-white automotive parts and assemblies, as well as chassis components using state-of-the-art press hardening, tempering, and automated welding processes, to produce parts for electric vehicles. The German company manufactures parts for Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes vehicles and currently has one operating U.S. plant in Michigan.

GEDIA selected design / build as the project delivery method for this 185,000 SF greenfield facility. SSOE’s scope includes providing an early grading package, master plan and comprehensive bridging documents, assistance to GEDIA in the design / build contractor selection, construction administration, and on-site owner’s representative services. SSOE disciplines involved in the project include project management, architectural, civil, electrical, fire protection, mechanical, and structural.

The construction timing was essential to the process equipment installation. Per an agreement between GEDIA and the general contractor, SSOE was selected to develop the final construction documents for the entire manufacturing facility project.

With GEDIA, SSOE is supporting yet another European-based client expansion in North America, specifically to the ever-growing Southeast region where SSOE has a local presence and expert resources.

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SSOE saved the client $400,000 through the use of reality capture and the reduction in the amount of equipment needed for the project.

A food client needed to relocate its ribbon rolling lines from one facility to another due to an impending plant shutdown. Because of the variety of services we offer, SSOE was hired to provide process, mechanical, civil, structural, architectural, and controls design and engineering services, as well as project management for the relocation project. The project had to remain confidential during its initial phases, which posed a challenge. Due to this, SSOE provided flexibility during the detailed design phase, as a Front-End Loading package was not able to be fully vetted with plant staff who were unaware of the impending closure.

Using reality capture, SSOE relocated 11 roll lines and installed two new silos. The existing lines were 40 years old and no drawings were available for the existing equipment. The newly designed ribbon roll lines came in two feet longer than desired. SSOE quickly solved the issue allowing the equipment to fit in the existing space by rearranging the equipment and being part of an on-site team to review the equipment and optimize the design to fit it in the allowed space.

The project also featured a building expansion and the relocation of existing equipment to allow for more space for new equipment. The new equipment had to allow for the product to retain its gluten-free label. To do so, a new HVAC system, conveyor covers, dust filters, and a vacuum system were installed with minimum downtime. SSOE designed and installed a new bottom product bin while the existing bin was still in service. The system had to be switched over to the new bin within two days, which the team completed on schedule. SSOE used reality capture to ensure the equipment could be installed in tight locations. This use of 3D technology was new to the client.

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During a key healthcare client meeting, this client expressed a need to visualize their strategic plan by region, city, and street level. Their goal was to see their current locations by type, competitor locations, and key performance indicators in one map. Unsure how to accomplish this, the Account Manager gathered our Civil Department Manager, BIM/VDC Technical Specialist, and Senior Marketing Coordinator for a brain storming session. As the team discussed the project parameters, it was clear that our typical graphic programs would not provide the dynamic visualization required by the client.

Thinking outside the box, the team began exploring Mapline, a sales and marketing program, as a possible solution. SSOE’s marketing and BIM/VDC technical specialists worked together to explore visualization options, input owner provided detailed data sets, and develop a methodology for the client to visualize a graphic region by isolating or combining data sets. Mapline also provides the ability to overlay information critical to understanding market share by zip code or county borders. This data can be further enhanced by “heat mapping” to add visual clarity to a strategic plan.

The client came to us with the expectation of developing a static graphic poster and was delivered an interactive web-based tool that provided the flexibility to toggle data sets on and off. Upon presentation of Mapline as a strategic analysis tool, the client was pleased with our solution and the possibilities it provided. They were so pleased that they asked us to expand the project scope and map multiple regions.

Managing “big data” is a non-typical project for SSOE. We accepted the challenge and developed a client-specific hybrid team to leverage a web-based tool that allowed our client to analyze market share and explore possible site selection locations via an interactive platform. The result of this collaboration was the perfect solution which exceeded our client’s strategic planning needs and expectations.

“Having a dynamic tool allowed our team to analyze many ‘what-if’ scenarios in real time—a luxury when you are working with multiple layers of data during strategic planning meetings!”

– Confidential Healthcare Client

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SSOE’s complete steel prefab structural building drawing ultimately saved La-Z-Boy over $500,000.

La-Z-Boy desired a research and development center that reflected the importance of innovation and technology to their company. Their vision was to create a new state-of-the-art R&D facility with larger, modern work spaces that would aid in improving staff recruiting and retention.

The SSOE team, with construction manager Rudolph Libbe, worked closely with La-Z-Boy on this design / build project, utilizing 3D modeling reviews to communicate clearly with the client’s project team to assure they fully visualized the design concepts. This allowed the client to understand the design at each phase and see how their design requirements were being incorporated. The final design included a combination of a 50,000 SF pre-engineered research building and a 20,000 SF conventional building designed with flexibility for the office spaces.

The research / testing area includes shops, wood working, and engineering spaces. The office space has an open floor plan incorporating the flexible workplace strategy, with only one walled office for the vice president. This floor plan, along with the café and outdoor seating areas, follow La-Z-Boy’s overall strategy to have office neighborhoods where people aren’t tied to the same work space on a daily basis, providing employees with a choice of where to work. There are also movable furnishings with electrical outlets located throughout for device charging.

The Innovation Center’s corridor is lined with windows that provide a view into the research and engineering brainstorming “garages” where they refine pieces of furniture and collaborate on design innovations. SSOE’s engineering team designed a special dust collection system used in the facility.

SSOE was pleased to offer architecture, MEP and structural engineering, dust collection, data / fire / security design, steel detailing, and interior design services for this facility that met the client’s goal and vision for a modern and flexible workplace for their employees.

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SSOE was selected to provide architectural and engineering design services for the new Michigan Statewide Carpenters and Millwrights Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center located in Detroit.

The new facility is used to provide instruction to Detroit area carpenter and millwright apprentices and journeymen, and is able to train 150 – 200 students at a time. The facility houses the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters offices and Local Union Representative offices. The project was completed in 2022.

The training center is a two-story building with steel frame and metal panel envelope for the training areas and showcases materials and finishes performed by the carpenters and millwrights in the main entry and public areas. This new 130,000 SF (approximately) facility consists of mixed use space including office and administration areas, a multi-purpose room for career and vendor fairs (7,000 SF), classrooms for instructional use, two high bay work areas for hands-on learning (50,000 SF and 10,000 SF), welding lab (with self-contained filtration / ventilation system), bridge crane, council area / offices, (approximately 14,000 SF), and building support areas.

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As a part of the agreement with Volkswagen, the State of Tennessee funded the $40 million dollar investment for the new Volkswagen Academy. The Academy sits on top of a hill, looking down at the actual plant, and is connected via an enclosed pedestrian bridge. The parking area at the Academy also serves as the main parking lot for the factory.

The Academy was designed to be a state-of-the-art training center for preparing workers for their jobs at the new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Academy is operated in conjunction with Chattanooga State Technical Community College with the support of other local universities and educational facilities. Most of the Academy is surrounded by windows, allowing natural lighting throughout the structure, and included the use of daylight sensors to maintain appropriate lighting levels.

Volkswagen Academy is approximately 153,000 SF, which includes a lean manufacturing center, a manufacturing and automation center for basic and advanced training, and an automotive training area. The training simulates all aspects of the manufacturing process, but on a smaller scale to allow for hands-on training. The facility includes 19 classrooms, a cafeteria, a gift shop, a coffee shop, and a conference center.

The conference center houses a large, open auditorium area that can be viewed from not only the first floor, but also the office area above. This area has movable partitions to allow for individual conference rooms to be created. The conference center also includes a board room with adjacent meeting rooms.

The Academy achieved LEED® Platinum certification.

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SSOE served as the planning consultant to FGM Architects for Phases 1, 2, and 3 for this comprehensive transportation, distribution, and logistics center for a higher education facility. The project is part of the City Colleges of Chicago “College to Careers” initiative, which works to revolutionize city colleges to meet the demand of the high-growth sectors of the future. The facility will serve as the first comprehensive Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) education in its area, preparing students for careers in ground, air, and rail transport, as well as multi-modal distribution and logistics.

The new center will feature a high-tech warehouse environment, laboratories, workshops, classrooms, and virtual reality simulation facilities and will replace nearly 112,000 SF of temporary classroom space. The building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification upon completion for its sustainable features.

The project is being administered by the Capital Development Board and completed as funding becomes available. SSOE is serving as the planning consultant related to transportation maintenance shop areas and the equipment in the shop areas.

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Open technology infrastructure accommodates next generation training needs emphasizing the importance of flexibility and creating a powerful link between education and employers.

As the Executive Architect for the Mott Community College campus, SSOE has provided various design and engineering services for the campus facilities, including new construction, strategic land development, building renovations and additions, HVAC systems design, boiler replacements, building investigations, capital outlay reports, parking lot studies, asbestos abatement, and a campus master plan for over ten years. We have completed more than 40 projects on the Mott Community College campus, including the nursing and applied health laboratories.

The Curtice Mott building, one of the most impressive facilities on the campus, is most recently completed. It houses the simulation laboratories, practice rooms, and classrooms for Nursing and Applied Health Sciences students.

SSOE’s responsibilities included coordination of the technology and distance learning that made it possible for students to work with SimMan: A cutting-edge, high-tech manikin that exhibits realistic blood pressure, heart and lung sounds, breathes, moans, and speaks. Under instructor guidance, the new technology, and the SimMan allows students to witness and respond in real-time to a variety of patient clinical situations, including cardiac arrest. The students, via the coordinated technology, can interact hands-on in a patient room setting or can view and answer professor questions from a classroom while witnessing procedures via flat screen televisions and video networking. The simulation set-up also included individual control and head wall units along each bedside station, complete with vacuum and oxygen compressors.

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Reimagining The 1929 Garner Wallace Hotel

Originally built in the 1920s as a small, ‘stop-over’ hotel along Downtown Atlanta’s early streetcar line, 551 Ponce Hotel returned the front historic portion of the building into a vibrant neighborhood restaurant/bar with rejuvenated guestrooms in the Old Fourth Ward. To the rear, a new five-level addition added 100 guestrooms to the boutique hotel above an under-building garage. Key features include a new glass-enclosed front porch dining room addition with a second-floor roof terrace. Guestrooms on the fifth floor have private terraces overlooking Ponce City Market, located a half a block away.

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American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) turned to their strategic global alliance partner, SSOE to develop the conceptual design for a new state-of-the-art European Headquarters and Technical Center (EHQ). The EHQ serves to consolidate two existing AAM facilities formerly located in Bad Homburg and Dieburg, both in Germany, so employees can freely interact with each other with the goal of facilitating intensified idea generation, innovation, and product development.

The new facility includes spaces for product development and testing, labs, product display, corporate and engineering offices, cafeteria, and office support—accommodating for future expansion with shell spaces within the technical center. SSOE’s conceptual design scope included site and architectural plans, sections, elevations, and 3D images for the new facility as well as flow diagrams and conceptual design narrative for the building engineering systems. SSOE collaboratively engaged with AAM during the programming phase to understand current and future needs for the space as well as considerations related to individual workspaces for adjacencies, access, and resource sharing. Incorporating AAM’s standards for interior selections, our team helped locate all furniture and fixtures within the building, providing photorealistic interior renderings to present AAM with a clear visualization of the space.

AAM’s new EHQ reflects the company’s brand while integrating European culture through furniture selections, material selection, and use of natural light. As a focal point, the lobby entrance for visitors will serve as the public introduction—an impressive expanse of curtain wall and metal panel with accents of precast concrete and an entry vestibule with a custom canopy—connecting the office wings and technical center.

SSOE is not only responsible for conceptual design but also provided the permit design package and re-zoning to take the site from agricultural to commercial use with in-country consultant, Scalaplan GmbH, as well as approval of final design and on-site construction management services.

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SSOE was chosen to provide architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design services for the expansion of Kenworth Truck Company’s (Kenworth) paint facility located in Chillicothe, Ohio. This state-of-the-art 120,000 SF paint facility is an addition to Kenworth’s Class 8 truck assembly plant which produces their T680, T880, and W990 models.

The new addition, located adjacent to the current 502,000 SF plant, will create nearly a 50% increase to the current paint capacity and is expected to be fully operational in 2021. SSOE is partnering with construction manager Rudolph Libbe Group on this project. Together, SSOE and Rudolph Libbe have completed numerous expansion projects at this same Kenworth site including the Chassis Abatement RTO system, Painted Parts Automated Storage and Retrieval System Penthouse, and the Robotic Build Cell.

SSOE’s knowledge of paint processes and requirements allows for successful completion of complex facility design projects such as this one.

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Direction Credit Union selected SSOE as their A/E firm to assist with the design of a new headquarters location in downtown Toledo. Working closely with JLL and SSOE for site selection, Directions chose to move their headquarters in to the Tower on the Maumee, a building on the Ohio Historical Registry. This move involved merging two existing suburban office locations into the headquarters on the 15th, 16th, and 17th floors in the newly redeveloped Tower.

The Direction leadership team’s vision was for a cultural change and creation of a more open and collaborative workplace. The space was planned to create multiple teaming, conference, and collaboration zones, with the elimination of most private offices. They desired spaces that would respond to changing workforce demographics, and one that would allow them to continue to be innovators within their industry. We worked closely with the furniture / change manager, providing employees options and personal choices in their areas, such as varied work spaces, adjustable height work surfaces, adjustable computer monitor arms, personalized user tools, and various types of furnishings to support different employee work and conferencing styles.

The headquarters design includes the renovation of three floor plates. Design features include 360 degree views of downtown, multiple team and collaboration spaces, two work cafés, and a large multi-use boardroom. The interior color scheme reinforces Direction’s branding and interior vision for their new space. This new, cutting edge workplace has the latest technology, wi-fi, and plug and play flexibility for employees and visitors to access. The new Direction’s Credit Union Headquarters will become a workplace destination with an atmosphere of high energy, excitement, and amenities that attracts and retains employees.

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Increased profit potential while creating $1 million in operational savings from catalyst system improvements.

SSOE and The Hershey Company have a long history of working together. As a result, SSOE was selected to perform A/E services for their Global Shared Services renovation, which will turn approximately 50,000 SF of the former manufacturing space into open office space.

The project program required a plan for 250 employees, with two workstation sizes (42 SF and 49 SF) and no private offices. Conference rooms of various sizes were provided in the plan, as well as smaller private meeting spaces for confidential conversation. Serveries—full kitchens with water, refrigeration, and dishwashers—were provided as part of large collaboration areas. An exterior deck was also part of the design with full access to wireless technology, supporting the program requirement that work takes place in both traditional and non-traditional environments.

The former industrial aesthetic of the manufacturing space was preserved, including exposed structure, ductwork, and pendant lighting. Original stone walls and maple flooring were also preserved in select areas. Raised access flooring was provided to level the original manufacturing floors and provide power / data wiring to the workstations. The project received LEED Gold certification.

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The SSOE team documented more than $500,000 in cost savings through innovative approaches on the project.

SSOE was selected to provide architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering design services for a 150,000 SF tire manufacturing facility expansion in the Southeast U.S. The area for expansion included wire winding, tire build, and tire curing areas which included utility routing to the curing presses through the pit and trench system.

Cooling water and electrical upgrades were required to support the expansion along with the relocation of a main drainage swale and the reconstruction of the fore-bay / detention pond system.

During the initial design meetings, SSOE was given design parameters for a 100’-0” addition. Bay sizes were then discussed as (2) 50’-0” bays +/- and how bay sizes would match with the curing trench locations. SSOE proposed to clear span the entire 100’-0” distance in the curing area and within the ASRS, tire build, and wire wind areas to allow for maximum flexibility within the space. The idea was accepted with a single stipulation of minimum clear heights within the building. The main girders were designed with specific clearance openings to accommodate the utilities so that the clear height could be maintained. While there was a premium in the steel framing for long span members, larger columns and footings, the cost was partially offset by reduced column quantity and foundations / excavations.

SSOE’s scope also included steel detailing services, eliminating the need for steel shop drawing generation and review—resulting in a 10-12 week reduction in project schedule.

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American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) selected SSOE to assist with conceptual design and construction document development for their new 300,000 SF manufacturing plant in Silao, Mexico.

This project commanded strict design document reviews by all disciplines in order to comply with the requirements of Mexico’s local and state laws, as well as AAM’s international standards. In addition, effective communication between SSOE, the General Contractor, and AAM helped to log sufficient information in order to solve any problem or conflict that was presented.

SSOE also served as Owner’s Representative for the design / build phase of the project with a Construction Manager. We worked full-time on-site reviewing the quality of the construction, making sure that the contractor delivered according to the design and engineering, managing schedules, monitoring progress, and inspecting shop drawings, among many other activities.

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Through the design and implementation of a number of efficiency improvements such as equipment placement and repurposing to reduce process demands, SSOE was able to save the client $1.2 million in project costs.

Betco Corporation, a manufacturer of cleaning products, purchased a brownfield site in order to consolidate equipment and processes housed in three separate facilities into one central location. SSOE was selected to provide architectural and engineering services in support of the renovation and expansion efforts necessary to prepare the facility for operation. The expansion involved the renovation of 242,000 SF of manufacturing space and the addition of 54,640 SF to the facility.

SSOE drew from its extensive bench of engineers and architects to form an experienced team to work closely with Betco throughout the project. The team met with the client’s staff on a weekly basis to communicate progress and discuss any issues that may have arisen during the previous week. SSOE also assigned a chemical process engineer to work in the existing Betco facilities and assist in the evaluation and classification of the chemicals used in manufacturing their products.

Working together with Betco’s staff, the SSOE team completed front-end loading (FEL) for the project. During the FEL process, a conceptual layout of the site was developed, along with a 30% cost estimate and milestone schedule. As is the case with many small businesses, Betco did not have the internal staff to create P&IDs for the new operations, which led to SSOE creating a complete set of P&IDs for the new facility. In order to maintain operations in the existing facilities, a blend of new and existing equipment was included in the final layouts. Several processes were also analyzed and updated to significantly increase efficiency.

The code evaluation for this facility proved to be very complex. SSOE provided support in preliminary meetings with the county plans examiner and throughout the building permitting process. Fire walls were incorporated in the design to provide separation, with steel fireproofing for added protection and explosion relief. To effectively accommodate the large amounts of hazardous materials on-site, two additions were designed to isolate them from each other and the rest of the facility. This design was based on SSOE’s site evaluation and included minimizing piping lengths, considering truck deliveries, and minimizing the impact to existing utilities.

 

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When faced with the need for new elementary schools, Fremont City Schools selected the team of SSOE / Munger for design. The seven existing elementary schools will be demolished and consolidated onto the four existing sites of Atkinson, Croghan, Lutz, and Otis. Each new Pre-K through 5th grade building will be constructed while the existing elementary schools are occupied with classes. The new facilities will be 58,460 SF in size and were designed to meet LEED Silver certification requirements.

Led by SSOE, the four elementary projects have the exact same floor plan, with two of the schools mirrored on their sites to better facilitate parking and bus lanes. The duplication of floor plans provides each student in the district with the same experience, allows staff to transfer from one building to another easily, and provides ease for facility maintenance and First Responders. The designs are focused on student centered learning environments, with first through fifth grades each having their classrooms surrounded by a learning studio. Pre-K and Kindergarten areas are connected with internal doorways to enable team teaching and access within classroom areas. These spaces are sized to accommodate artistic, small group reading, and other early development learning. The studio will be utilized for shared learning, special activities, and house the students’ storage cubbies, freeing the classrooms for dedicated learning spaces.

Another key facility feature is the Learning Commons, positioned on the second level as an open extension of the corridor. This colorful area will provide students various options for learning and includes soft, tiered seating for group discussions or individual study, a teaming area with table top outlets for tablet / device charging, a Makerspace, active movement seating, in addition to books and other learning resources for the students. Services provided by SSOE for this project include project management, programming, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and construction administration. During the interviewing process, the SSOE team proposed an accelerated design schedule that allowed construction on the elementary schools to begin a year earlier than originally planned by the district. Construction is currently underway and the new elementary schools will be open for classes for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. This $58 million project is the single largest one-time project in the history of Sandusky County.

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SSOE worked with Youngstown State University for the creation of a living / learning R&D Excellence Training Center (ETC) that serves as an advanced manufacturing education, workforce training facility, and incubator factory. It houses a welding, machining CNC, automation and fluids training labs, high-bay workspace, metals and 3D printing, secure group project space, classrooms, and a workroom space. The ETC opened in Fall 2021 and houses approximately $5.5 million worth of advanced manufacturing equipment. The development of the ETC required the renovation of an existing building and addition to the facility on a downtown campus while maintaining project specific and ITAR security regulations.

SSOE worked with YSU faculty and staff, MVICC members, and Eastern Gateway Community College to develop detailed bid documents for repairs, renovation, and new construction. The project site is located both on the edge of YSU’s campus and in Youngstown’s downtown area. This location provides access to the varied groups that will utilize the facility including Youngstown’s downtown community. The building’s architecture takes inspiration from the existing urban context and neighboring campus buildings to create a common aesthetic statement. This project is also partially funded with an EDA Grant, for which SSOE provided the necessary documents. SSOE’s design also included provisions and concepts for future expansion(s) to the facility, as this is Phase I of a multi-Phase 100,000+ SF master plan created as part of the project’s planning and design.

Utilization of our significant manufacturing industry experience allowed our design team to lead the YSU design committee through the design process by helping them create a real-life simulated advanced manufacturing environment. We were able to utilize our knowledge of plant and process design and apply it into the manufacturing educational design, which will ultimately allow students to be completely prepared to enter real manufacturing environments upon program completion.

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Northwest State Community College selected SSOE as the preferred design team to complete the renovations to “C” Building on its main campus. The project encompassed the complete renovation of a two-story building and adding a new addition, which included all student services departments: admissions, registrar, dean’s offices, student services, financial aid office, copy center, and business office; plus relocation of the fitness area, and renovations of the student cafeteria and kitchen.

With an expedited project schedule, SSOE was asked to create an overall project schedule that incorporated department moves and construction phases to minimize impact on operations. The process included creating a logical and orderly relocation of the departments involved, and creating a construction schedule that will complete the project on time, while adjacent areas are being occupied or in use.

The following items are included in the renovation:

  • Relocation of the fitness center, locker rooms, and restrooms
  • Building code upgrades, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, ADA, fire protection, and fire alarm systems
  • Technology upgrades
  • Office renovations and re-location of offices
  • Construction of new two-story addition to house the University Center and conference rooms (approximately 1500 SF)
  • Exterior window replacement
  • New student cafeteria and kitchen
  • Copy center relocation
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The project consisted of phased demolition, renovation, and construction of a new 1600 student comprehensive high school complex to accommodate grades nine through twelve at the existing Columbia Central High School site location. Core elements are designed for an enrollment of 1800 students to allow for future expansion.

Being the only operational high school serving Columbia, TN, the Central High School project posed a unique challenge. The school needed to be replaced in place, while students remained in session during the entirety of construction activity. The existing main school buildings were demolished with the exception of the existing ROTC building / auxiliary gymnasium, the classroom building (1997 metal building), and the vocational building. The portable storage and classroom buildings were removed and the existing vocational building was renovated to accommodate the modified career-technical program (26,500 SF).

New construction consisted of a two-story building of approximately 147,265 SF for academic core and shared career-technical program. Auxiliary spaces, which include auditorium, cafeteria / kitchen, music program, and gymnasiums, were connected to the main academic building via corridor extension. The auxiliary portion of the new school complex is single level, totaling approximately 96,746 SF. Site design included separate drop-off areas for school buses and cars, walkways, pedestrian courtyards, landscaping, and off-street parking.

Design intent was to reference the original 1939 Central High School (traditional aesthetic). The main two-story academic building at the front of the site reflects this style through proportion and material selection. As you move around the building, technology and modern design become apparent, representing the future (use of metal panel and modern rectilinear profiles). The proposed design incorporated passive security measures through controlled entry / egress, controlled public access, limiting travel distances and visual observation.

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SSOE was tasked with renovating the existing football team facility (the Larimer Athletic Complex is a two-story, 32,000 GSF facility that was constructed in 1990) to create a more functional facility for the coaches and players alike. SSOE’s approach was to carefully place additions around the facility that would not only increase the size of the facility but aid in creating a new aesthetic. This aesthetic would enrich the facility from its two halves – athletic and academic, and assist in recruiting efforts.

The new weight room and office spaces required additional HVAC design. Heating and cooling of the existing and new areas were not from the existing chiller and boiler systems in the building, but rather from the campus site utilities. Therefore, the mechanical room became the point of interface of the campus chilled water primary / secondary system, tying into the building tertiary chilled water system. Additionally, the campus steam and condensate system fed a new steam to hot water heat exchange, utilizing a condensate receiver and motive (steam pressure-powered) pump.

Entry to the facility is through a new arched stone tower and display lobby with a grand staircase and memorabilia displays. History walls, graphics, and physical memorabilia are displayed throughout the renovated facility. The displays are architectural features with rich materials and interesting lighting that present recruits, families of recruits, and current players with a rich heritage of Rocket Football highlights.

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The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Public Schools (MNPS) selected SSOE to lead the $20 million renovation of Stratford STEM High School, which can house up to 1200 full time students in grades 9-12. This school is a 236,653 SF building located on a 30 acre site. The site includes a baseball field, football field with a practice area, and ample parking.

MNPS’s goals for this project are for it to be an energy efficient, healthy environment for its students, and to be a high performance structure, both inside and out, with an achievement of LEED® Silver certification. The project was designed in Revit as a 3D model with a focus on a modern and functional learning environment, updating it from its late 1960’s design. MNPS sought a design that creates a warm and inviting setting that is open to the students and community, yet has a modern approach to a 21st Century Learning Environment. Openness and flexibility are maximized for current and future educational needs. The project was a complete renovation, including replacement of all mechanical and electrical systems, windows, finishes, alteration of the main entry, kitchen, band room, and the addition of a connecting corridor to the STEM area.

A few sustainable highlights of the project include the reuse of existing walls, floors, and roof, the incorporation of recycled and regional construction materials, water efficient landscaping, water use reduction, and optimized energy performance. In addition, the facility earned credit for developing density and community connectivity, having options for alternative transportation, such as access to public transportation, bicycle storage racks, and changing rooms, as well as designated parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. The renovation was awarded LEED Silver certification.

SSOE provided LEED consulting, architectural design, interior design, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services.

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SSOE’s design team was selected to assist with Northwest State Community College’s (NSCC) plans to expand their Engineering and Workforce Development departments.

SSOE’s extensive experience with higher education, as well as manufacturing and industrial design, was key in designing NSCC’s Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center, which must meet tomorrow’s industry standards and promote recruitment and retention.

To achieve NSCC’s goals and obtain a successful program, the design incorporated high-tech learning environments that are flexible and user-friendly, as well as welcoming, with low-maintenance finishes.

The project consists of the interior renovation and reconfiguration of two existing floors for the new workforce development program. A new 16,000 SF academic and engineering laboratory addition for the School of Engineering will also be designed. Upgrades include new classrooms, department offices, conference rooms, student collaboration and lounge areas, computer laboratories, plastics laboratory, engineering and distance learning laboratories, as well as a large 10,000 SF workforce training and robotics laboratory.

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When Owens Community College embarked on a project to complete major interior renovations within Heritage Hall, it selected SSOE as the A/E firm of choice.

SSOE provided full design and construction administration for the project, which transformed 35,500 SF of abandoned high-bay automotive space into a state-of-the-art academic instructional area. Prior to the renovation, the abandoned area sat empty for nearly 10 years. Upon completion of construction, the renovated space now supports the College’s School of Business.

SSOE’s design for the new academic area takes advantage of the building’s high-bay windows, higher ceilings, and large spaces to create bright and sustainable learning and technology environments. All of the building’s exterior windows were replaced with new, more energy efficient models. The design features technologically-advanced and flexible classrooms, conference rooms, and collaboration areas. Student lounge and seating areas are provided throughout, along with interactive corridors, a medical laboratory, and offices.

SSOE’s welcoming and user-friendly design incorporates the College’s standards and program of requirements. The design also addresses all low voltage requirements, HVAC, and electrical upgrades for the building.

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SSOE provided architectural, interior design, and engineering services to support construction of a new 15,000 SF Welcome and Training Center for Transportation Research Center (TRC), the largest independent vehicle test facility and proving grounds in the U.S.

As the gateway to the TRC campus, the facility is the main welcome and access control point to the campus. The center includes informal and formal collaboration areas, conference rooms, project lab space, and office space for three user groups: TRC security, the Regional Plan Commission, and the Ohio State University (OSU) distance learning program, which supports academic liaison efforts via teaching and research.

Designed to accommodate meetings of all sizes, the welcome center includes small gathering spaces, distance learning facilities, and, for seminars and presentations, a large meeting room featuring state-of-the-art AV technology and space for presentation vehicles. Within the OSU distance learning area, the space is flexible and reconfigurable for project and team needs. The design of the space allows for both team based work and lecture based presentations. Height adjustable tables with plug and play power allows for the space to be one level, verses a tiered layout. Interior design highlights include some areas with exposed ceilings with acoustical clouds, the lobby ceiling is designed with metal longboard, patterned with wood, to add warmth to the area, custom casework design, and sealed concrete flooring.

Budget, visual appeal, and functionality were top design concerns for this client. SSOE incorporated a strong graphical approach, both inside and out, for an attractive, modern, cost-conscious design. Exterior design resulted in a brick and metal façade with a welcoming entry and a strong daylight component.

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Therma-Tru Doors, a Fortune Brands Company, is the nation’s leading manufacturer of fiberglass and steel exterior door systems. Fypon, who became a part of the Therma-Tru family in 2009, makes polyurethane millwork. Both companies are now headquartered in Maumee, Ohio. The Fypon and the Therma-Tru IT departments occupy the renovated first floor space.

SSOE led the original master plan design effort to create a collaborative work environment which started in 2005 with the renovation of the second floor of the facility. We continued with the master plan, bringing it to completion in March 2016, with the renovation of the first floor of the facility.

The design scheme incorporates a diagonal “avenue” of drywall soffits and luminous ceiling, which leads to an amenity area. This area provides a flexible space for social and informal meetings, with a small kitchenette located in this area that also supports the flexible function of the space. The workspaces are predominantly open office workstations with only three enclosed office spaces.

The open office concept is augmented with several informal meeting / work areas, and two larger enclosed conference rooms. The renovation design incorporates Therma-Tru doors and Fypon moldings throughout, as well as other Fortune Brands products (Master Brand Cabinets and Moen plumbing fixtures) which lends to a very comfortable, home-like working atmosphere that is enjoyed by the companies’ employees.

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SSOE is providing architectural and engineering services to the Veterans Administration (VA) Ann Arbor Health Care System for design of a new Clinical and Administrative Building replacing the existing 1949 Building 4. The new 3-story building was designed to blend with the existing campus architecture and meet all federal VA standards. The structure will house the employee health, human resources, business office, prosthetics, and finance departments.

Services provided by SSOE include: civil, structural, architectural, interior design, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, information technology, and fire protection. Programming was completed with VA engineering and end users to determine how the new facility will meet all department requirements. Shared spaces include conference rooms, a large employee break room, and lobby spaces. The new structure provides for natural light penetrating the open floor plan, a visual interior with large expanses of exterior glazing, and a banded brick exterior to accentuate the horizontal lines of the structure. SSOE’s project scope included an asbestos survey, lead assessment, and examination of the existing site prior to demolition.

SSOE provided all site work, utility connections, communication wiring and connections, as well as handled any disruptions to the existing systems for the new structure. Existing utilities and connections on campus were field investigated for re-use and connection with the new building. Other items considered in the building design were personnel approaches, sidewalks, green areas, visual impacts, parking impacts, and landscaping.

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SSOE was enlisted to provide architectural and engineering services to ProMedica Health System to fit-out the 6,000 SF second floor shell space with a new Innovations Incubator Suite at the Wildwood Medical Center campus.

The concept for the Innovation Incubator was to provide a completely flexible space that can be reconfigured by users and entrepreneurs to support innovation as it relates to healthcare. The space was designed around modular magnetic and glass walls, exposed ceiling, and modular mobile furnishings. The interior design for the space incorporated a white linear stone, stained concrete, and a mixture of carpets and brighter colors to inspire creativity. The suite included four business offices, three conference rooms, administrative offices, prototype area, and associated support spaces.

SSOE teamed with subconsultant, JDRM, who provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design services.

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Native plantings and selection of low-flow plumbing create $5,000 in water savings annually. Use of highly efficient, sustainable systems and materials saves $5,000 in energy savings annually.

Owens Corning, a leader in the glass fiber industry, selected SSOE to design and engineer a new 27,000 SF Business and Technology Center in Gastonia, North Carolina. Connected to the company’s adjacent state-of-the-art non-woven glass fiber fabric plant, the technology center houses operations offices as well as research and development facilities for advances in Owens Corning bio-based products.

A Focus on Sustainability

Achieving LEED certification for this project was a key client objective. Early in the design process, SSOE led an “eco-charrette” that brought together all stakeholders, designers, and contractors to engage in an integrative process to analyze opportunities for sustainable design. Ideas generated in the charrette led to notable environmental and energy savings accomplishments:

  • The facility consumes 25% less energy than similar structures equipped with conventional systems and materials
  • Achieved 36% water use reduction by installing low-flow metered plumbing fixtures and faucets
  • Used energy efficient glazing along three façades of the building to optimize natural daylight and views of the natural environment

Distinctive Design, Welcoming Entry

Extensive site design resulted in an appealing façade with a welcoming entry and a strong daylight component. Careful evaluation of exterior materials led SSOE to design a unique longboard curtain wall that enhances and unifies the appearance of the building and adjacent manufacturing facility.

Landscape Design Creates Win‐Win Scenario

Restoring natural habitat and removing irrigation from the site was an additional design challenge that resulted in a win‐win scenario for stakeholders and environment alike. Because the industrial park had very strict requirements for site irrigation, SSOE – with the client and the local civil team – created a landscape design featuring native plants
and vegetation.

 

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SSOE joined the Matheny Goldmon Architects’ team to provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering for the design of the Huntsville Botanical Garden’s new Guest Welcome Center. Already a world-class botanical garden, they sought a way to increase attendance and revenue opportunities in order to continue to provide the Huntsville area with beautiful gardens to visit and utilize for event rental.

The resulting new Guest Welcome Center adds a distinctive sense of grandeur and southern charm to the gardens. The stately four-column southern colonial style facility is now the focal point for the Garden’s guests upon arrival, and houses a modern facility for their executive offices, retail space, and areas for the public to enjoy. The Grand Hall was designed as a wedding venue, with a large adjoining bride / groom suite containing elegant spaces that blend into the gardens. The new facility also boasts fine dining at Table in the Garden, three new event areas of various sizes for seating from 56 -350 guests for weddings or conferences, a gift shop, café, and meeting rooms.

The new 360-degree facility presented a challenge for SSOE’s MEP engineers as they were tasked to find placement for various equipment that would be out of the guests’ sight and hearing. SSOE’s site friendly design included walls used to screen the outdoor components both visually and acoustically. Exhaust and HVAC equipment were placed on the roof without hindering the building’s beautiful architectural lines and details. The MEP design also maintained advantageous site lines from balconies and windows into the gardens without having equipment heard or in view.

Site lighting was also a focus by the SSOE design team, as the overall aesthetic of the lighting needed to reflect the location and style of the Center during both day and night time. In The Grand Hall, primarily LED lighting was used along with a user friendly, “keep it simple” touchscreen lighting control system. A lighting control relay panel was also installed for programming event on / off time of day operations for energy savings and ease of use. For the water feature and backside of the facility, reduced glare lighting methods were used to most favorably render the exterior botanical environment. The grand lobby cupola and the glass-roofed conservatory utilize direct / indirect lighting techniques to help accentuate the architectural volume of the spaces.

The new Guest Welcome Center allows Huntsville patrons to have their special events in a gorgeous facility, surrounded by the beautifully designed and proudly tended botanical gardens that lay beyond its doors.

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SSOE completed a complex programming and schematic design effort for an approximately 1,100,000 SF, seven-story multipurpose building that serves as a model for workplaces of the future.

The building contains a 2.6 MW data center, two floors of class 10,000 high-tech cleanroom manufacturing and chip testing space, with five floors of office, cafe, and fitness center spaces to accommodate approximately 3,800 employees. Linked connections to neighboring buildings were created to provide passage for employees, utilities, and automated material handling systems. A pedestrian sky bridge to the parking garage was designed to accommodate a direct, convenient connection without impacting the existing wetlands. The project, utilizing a high-performance envelope, daylighting strategies, and high-efficiency mechanical systems, met the criteria for LEED Silver certification.

The office levels were organized into neighborhoods consisting of workstation groups, collaboration rooms, and community zones. These were combined with support spaces based on a formula for connectivity and an interactive office environment. Small and large community zones are located throughout the floor at strategic points where employees can work, meet informally, or relax as a community.

The objective was to create a design aesthetic to complement the existing campus architecture. Throughout the design process, this goal was elevated to create a distinctive architectural look that reflects the values of our client and today’s workers.

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Austin Powder Company realized the need in their industry for increased Energetic Material (EM) supply due to the dwindling supply of demilitarized materials available. As a result, the company decided build a new chemical facility for making virgin EM. After researching and selecting key technology partners, SSOE was chosen to provide engineering, architecture, and construction management services to integrate and implement the project.

This project involved a greenfield plant for the semi-continuous manufacture of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) within an existing production facility. This facility performs blending and packaging of explosives, but had no chemical synthesis capability. We worked with Austin Powder and industry experts to design a safe, efficient production facility with custom processing equipment and process modules for the processing and re-use of spent chemicals and wastes.

Our team was responsible for integrating specialty process equipment from three separate process technology vendors in three different countries. Key to this integration was coordination of process controls and utilities requirements across the major vendor packages, ensuring a smooth startup and allowing for safe shutdown and maintenance during weekends, holidays, and major process upsets.

SSOE’s design scope included an EM manufacturing and packaging building; site preparation, foundation, and interconnect for all vendor modules; chemical loading, offloading, and storage; fresh and spent process water treatment; utilities to support 24/7 operation without city water or sewer access and with minimal environmental impact; rail and tank truck access for multiple chemicals; safety reviews and environmental permitting.

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In Mexico, Walmart is ramping up its distribution capabilities with a number of new distribution centers to expedite and improve product delivery to its stores. The new distribution centers will allow Walmart to strengthen and expand its logistics operations, with the goal of reducing time and costs in the supply process.

With an ambitious multi-year schedule for program completion, Walmart’s plan involves the construction of new distribution centers and the upgrading of existing centers. The retailer has engaged SSOE as one of their strategic partners to help design and build new centers in Chihuahua, Tabasco, and Chalco, with potential for additional projects. The facilities in Chihuahua (35,000 m2) and Chalco (60,000 m2) are dry warehouses, while the facility in Tabasco (38,000 m2) is a refrigerated distribution center—a project requiring unique refrigeration experience that other A/E firms in Mexico were unable to provide.

SSOE’s phased design approach prioritizes close communication and coordination between multiple Walmart divisions (including logistics, human resources, safety, and operations) and the SSOE project team. This includes continuously updating coordination and communication tools used for project delivery, and leading workshops and design review meetings that incorporate 3D Virtual Reality walk-throughs. This approach ensures that the integrated design team is able to focus on project goals and provide an operationally efficient and flexible design.

The benefits of SSOE’s ongoing partnership with Walmart include in-depth understanding shared by all team members of Walmart’s goals, needs, and business objectives, as well as the ability to ensure consistent implementation of Walmart’s global design and construction standards from project to project.

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SSOE has a long and successful project history with BMW, including initial architectural / engineering services for previous expansions at BMW’s Spartanburg assembly plant. Because we also have extensive experience designing training and technical centers for automotive clients, BMW selected SSOE to provide design services for their new Southern Regional Technical Training Center. Our expertise in this area has proven invaluable throughout the design and construction phases of this project.

The new technical training center includes five training units, each consisting of a practical workshop and a theory classroom. SSOE worked closely with BMW to design the new facility to their unique specifications, which includes automotive equipment, furniture, ICS equipment, data network, and IT cabling routing and requirements. Additionally, design for all necessary special structural supports required for mounting of automotive equipment was included.

SSOE’s electrical engineers completed the lighting, power, emergency generation systems, fire alarm, security systems, network racks, patch panels, and cable for telephone / data networks. Parking layout, civil engineering, and landscape design also included the design of carports to utilize BMW-provided solar panels. SSOE’s structural engineers completed the design of the foundations (including soils and sub-slab specifications) and our Data / Fire / Security design team performed audio visual system design for the classrooms and public address systems.

SSOE also provided architectural, interior design, mechanical, and cost estimating services. Our partner, Alliance Consulting Engineers, provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services.

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SSOE was selected to provide design services to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Rehabilitation Hospital. The project included converting an existing 64,000 square foot, 20 bed, surgical hospital into a 40 bed rehabilitation hospital, with the ability to add eight additional beds in the future.

The project included developing documents to repair and renovate the existing hospital and administrative office area. Also included was the addition of a commercial kitchen, dining room, 28 private patient rooms (8 rooms designed for future growth), physical therapy gym, conference room, support space (equipment storage, linen storage, soiled hold, supply storage), dialysis, and patient transfer canopy.

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The technology installed by SSOE is the world’s first and only FDA-approved commercially available LINAC-based, MRI-guided radiation therapy system that can image and treat patients simultaneously. It allows the client to be treated more accurately and in less time— offering an optimal patient experience.

Henry Ford Health System chose SSOE Group to provide architectural and engineering services for the removal of a linear accelerator (LINAC) and installation of a new ViewRay MRIdian LINAC / MRI system in an existing vault on the main floor of Henry Ford Medical Center – Cottage. This LINAC required additional shielding installed in the existing vault to provide radiation protection to the surrounding environment. As a result, SSOE worked with Henry Ford’s team of physicists to develop a comprehensive solution to the existing shielding, which consisted of designing supplemental floor-to-ceiling concrete walls to augment the existing vault structure.

Additionally, SSOE designed a copper fabric enclosure for radio frequency shielding throughout the room. The ViewRay MRIdian LINAC / MRI system is the world’s first and only FDA-approved commercially available LINAC-based, MRI-guided radiation therapy system that can image and treat patients simultaneously. Additionally, Henry Ford is the first in the world to offer patients this advanced radiation therapy with real-time magnetic resonance imaging and linear accelerator delivery for more precise and accurate radiation treatment. While similar ViewRay installations use cobalt as a radiation source, this new system provides the capability to simultaneously use diagnostic imaging with the MRI component and LINAC radiation treatment. The advanced MRI imaging will help Henry Ford physicians provide further accuracy in delivering radiation to a cancerous tumor.

SSOE is a trusted team member to Henry Ford, their shielding and equipment vendors, and construction manager. They entrust us to work quickly and effectively, providing creative solutions to complex project challenges. Delivering the most complex projects on time and on budget is the hallmark of our healthcare services.

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SSOE was selected to provide architectural and engineering services for the phased renovation of Beaumont Health System’s 20-bed Cardiovascular Surgical ICU (SICU). The project included renovations of patient rooms, staff spaces and public areas. Some of the most notable pieces that SSOE worked on were new centralized nurse stations and sliding doors on patient rooms. Our team worked with Beaumont to do a complete overhall of the waiting area as well as the staff offices and lounge.

The SICU has remained completely operational during the construction process.  Additionally, SSOE worked with the CM on-board to build a mock-up of the patient rooms and the decentralized nurse station so the staff would have an opportunity to give their input on the design of the spaces.

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SSOE provided complete architectural and engineering design services for the second phase build-out of the Herbert Perna Center for Physical Health Center. The project included relocation and redesign of the existing mental health and sleep lab space to the lower level of the Herbert Perna Center for Physical Health on the ProMedica Fremont Hospital Campus.

Services included: review, inspection and evaluation of the existing facilities, development and recommendation of alternatives, design development, preparation of construction and bid documents (detailed plans and specifications), conducting pre-bid meetings and walk-through, assistance during the bidding phase including recommendation for contract award. SSOE also assisted ProMedica in establishing overall project schedule and milestone dates for completion of the construction, and is providing complete construction administration services.

In addition to traditional design services, SSOE also provided data / technology, fire protection, security, communication, and access control.

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ProMedica Fremont Memorial Hospital teamed with SSOE Group to design and establish a full-service cancer center to meet the needs of the communities it serves. This new facility offers more convenient access, enhanced privacy, and improved comfort for patients. The center offers the latest protocols for medical oncology, as well as the newest technology in radiation oncology, including a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator. The design included eight chemotherapy infusion bays, dosimetry, CT simulator, new pharmacy to comply with USP 797 and USP 800 general chapters, laboratory and blood draw, four exam rooms, three nurse stations, and additional staff support spaces. Additional cancer-care services, such as genetic, dietary and family counseling, and rehabilitation services are included in the overall design of this facility.

SSOE was instrumental in aligning the hospital’s programmatic goals with the limited project construction budget, and worked through multiple design options with hospital leadership to minimize the amount of construction within the new facility. Project goals were accomplished by prioritizing necessary patient care spaces, such as linear accelerator vault, infusion bays, exam / treatment spaces, pharmacy and laboratory. Plans also included repurposing some staff areas to minimize demolition, while allowing staff to work contiguously and efficiently within these support spaces. SSOE led the design process from the onset of the project and confirmed and validated strategic and operational plans; determined budgetary and scheduling constraints; and coordinated the overall project quality with consultant engineers, and coordinated equipment layouts, requirements, and manufacturer specifications for specialized equipment. Existing conditions and capacities to projected needs to satisfy functionality, adequacy of spaces, and operational adjacencies were also compared.

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Selected as the national healthcare design lead, SSOE teamed with local architectural firm, Shremshock Design Group, to revitalize the existing Memorial Hospital of Union County campus. The project goal was to create a new, state-of-the-art, high tech and multi-use campus, offering private patient rooms, upgraded clinical services, new on-campus ambulatory services, and medical office space.

The selection was based on several factors, including the strategic master planning process and design approach. Recognizing the organic quality of the process, not a predetermined approach; listening to and identifying what is important to the client; and the team’s experience in designing similar facilities were all attributes contributing to the selection of the SSOE team.

Solutions were offered based on “patient first” design and Evidence-Based Design (EBD) practices. The design process considered staff satisfaction as a way to recruit and retain top talent. In addition, lean design was employed to increase staff efficiency.

Our planners, architects, and engineers thoroughly understood the client’s objectives, aspirations, and needs. The SSOE team supported the client’s goals by understanding the latest trends and national best practices, providing market trend analysis and forecasting to assist Memorial Hospital with “right-sizing” their facility now and into the future.

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Dialysis Clinic, Inc (DCI) teamed with SSOE for the development of a prototype for their End Stage Renal Dialysis Clinic. The DCI-Union project was one of the first prototype facilities to be built in Union, South Carolina. The new, free-standing facility is about 10,000 SF and has twenty-four treatment stations and one isolation treatment room. SSOE worked with DCI’s equipment vendors to coordinate the dialysis equipment and furniture.

We provided each patient station with an abundance of natural light, a heated recliner, television and pillow speaker to help with patient satisfaction surveys. A wide open treatment room aids the visibility of the patients to ensure patient safety. The clinic also houses a home training unit that helps patients be able to perform dialysis in the comfort of their own homes.

This facility had a fast-track schedule for completion due to the increase in patient volumes in the area. SSOE worked closely with the contractor to assure the inspection and approval processes were expedited.

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With overall objectives to create better healing environments and efficiencies in operations, St. Luke’s Hospital selected SSOE to renovate and expand their existing Level 1 Trauma emergency department while remaining fully operational.

The emergency department renovation was the first project of an overall hospital master plan, setting the tone and direction for the remaining projects and phases. The new plan included twenty-four exam / treatment rooms, seven express care exam rooms, new nurse stations, dedicated X-ray, laboratory, and additional staff support areas. In addition, separate waiting areas (main department, waiting, lobby, and express care), a dedicated children’s activity area, a new registration area and triage area were provided.

With the design focused on process flow, comfort, and patient experience, all patient rooms were renovated and converted to private spaces to improve patient satisfaction, efficiency and infection control. A centrally located nursing core and physicians’ station allows nurse and physician teams to have better vision and ability to stay connected to patients. Glass walls provide an acoustical buffer between staff conversations and patients and the nursing core. Plans also utilized adaptive use of latest technologies (incorporating new and old), including full implementation of electronic health records.

A combination of cherry warm maple, earth tone color palette, and natural sticks encased in resin reinforce nature influences within the space, transforming the spaces into healing and comforting environments for patients and their families. Upgrades and new finishes were provided throughout the entire unit, including staff / office areas, treatment areas, and waiting / reception. Additionally, upon completion of the renovation, SSOE coordinated loose furnishings and artwork selections to continue the interior vision of the space and to make a welcoming atmosphere for patients and their families.

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SSOE provided services for renovation of the Covenant Cancer Care Center at the Saginaw campus, including space for medical and surgery oncologist practices, expansion of the infusion suite, relocation of the oncology research suite, relocation of the cardiology and diabetes suites, and the addition of a new front entry.

The intent of the renovation project was to utilize existing clinic spaces where feasible, with modifications and upgrades to meet the needs of the new functions.

The existing building documentation was in 2D AutoCAD format. SSOE converted the existing building area into a BIM model utilizing Revit software. This six-story building was modeled through BIM to allow the team to take full advantage of the 3D capabilities. Having a fully integrated BIM model created a clear vision for hospital administrators and staff. By including hospital administrators and staff in the 3D modeling process, conflicts between construction and operations were easily pinpointed.

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Transformation of the facility from institutional to residential resulted in positive patient and family satisfaction surveys and increased occupancy rates.

Originally designed by SSOE in 1997, Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) offering independent living apartments, private assisted living suites, and skilled extended nursing care. To reflect the culture change in senior living, SSOE also renovated the nursing home located on campus at a later date.

Focused on empowering seniors to make choices and express their preferences, resident-centered care is the new philosophy behind providing skilled nursing in a home-like environment. Even the previous clinical-style nurse station was replaced with a resident and family lounge area. SSOE’s updated design for Wolf Creek incorporates a great room, a buffet-style dining room, smaller dining rooms accommodating groups of six to eight for more private entertaining, and a family kitchenette. The “lodge” concept features a fireplace and stone materials creating a warm environment, ideal for resident and family socializing.

Accompanying these facility transformations are changes in the staff care practices. Caregivers now provide more than just personalized care; they serve as extended family members, helping residents plan meals, organize events, and make choices about their activities and diet. These upgrades have increased both resident and employee satisfaction, as well as the facility census. This renovation creates an environment which promotes comfort, autonomy, and relaxed socialization for residents.

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Kemin sought a research and development facility design that represents their entrepreneurial spirit and embraces the company’s energy and excitement for discovery. The laboratory and office spaces provide the basis for an orderly and innovative professional working environment.

The new R&D facility’s two-story lobby contains a large glass curtain wall and floor to ceiling external windows to allow natural lighting to flow into the facility. The entry and lobby are situated to establish a dominant façade, giving the building a formal presence on the project site. The front lobby contains a coffee bar with seating area, adding an extra collaboration environment for employees and customers. Reflecting the facility’s modern and concise style, a spiral, steel structured, glass stairway is the main vertical transport between the lab’s first and second floors.

The building’s floor plan was organized to facilitate efficient scientific analysis and interaction between labs and staff. This facility houses multiple lab types, including a general lab, specialized lab, pilot lab, laboratory support rooms, offices, and administrative areas. The pilot labs, mechanical rooms, and consumable items testing storage areas are located near the lab area, promoting internal experimental interaction and allowing for the central location of lab supplies. The general labs are open and modular, containing abundant natural light. Customers touring the facility will appreciate the flexibility of the general lab’s layout, allowing them to easily be reconfigured per the client’s needs.

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Permit requests done in parallel to reduce project execution schedule and meet permitting needs. 30% savings in energy use.

When the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) embarked on a project to consolidate the transmission remanufacturing process for all tracked military vehicles it serviced into a new, world class manufacturing facility, they enlisted SSOE to provide full facility architectural and engineering design services, as well as equipment migration design for the new facility.

As one of the top ranked firms in automotive facility design, SSOE brought state-of-the-art technology into an open floor plan, while modernizing and consolidating ANAD’s transmission remanufacturing program. This enabled a more efficient process flow from transmission disassembly through the cleaning process, to reassembly and testing.

The scope included design to support the relocation, installation, and point-of-use connections for more than 170 existing pieces of equipment from 13 buildings on the site. Additionally, more than 70 cranes, up to 10 dynamometers, and more than 30 pieces of new process machinery, both government and contractor furnished, were integrated into the facility. This project also incorporated the expansion of an existing 15kv switch yard to support the facility.

SSOE considered potential site constraints including Anti-Terrorism Force Act (ATFA) requirements, existing boundaries and easements, environmental permitting, and a concurrent USACE Cold Water Creek Relocation project, as well as project specific permits required to move an additional tributary creek flowing through the site. SSOE recommended that permit requests be done in parallel to reduce overall project execution schedule.

The facility, which is LEED Silver certified, also supports all applicable energy sustainability standards, including a 30% decrease in existing energy use, sustainable solutions for grass and landscaping, and the incorporation of natural light and high reflectant materials to minimize heat gain.

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Input from programming phase was used to eliminate duplicate space requirements and reduce the building footprint by 15%. Additionally, developed method to capture and reuse energy generated during dynamometer testing process throughout the facility.

To meet the market demand for new products in China, GM built its first Chinese R&D facility in Shanghai. This facility, which is the most comprehensive and advanced automotive development center in China, included areas for advanced vehicle development, powertrain design, electrical and fuel cell design, chassis, HVAC, body, exterior and interior development, and telematics. SSOE applied its vast experience in designing automotive R&D facilities, and familiarity with the Chinese design and construction process to deliver this high caliber, sustainable project.

SSOE designed an interior hydrogen fuel cell garage space, along with an exterior hydrogen fueling station and garage space. Special considerations, including distance from nearby high rises, were made during design due to safety considerations. Fuel farms were also integrated to provide for blending and testing operations for hydrogen-based vehicles and hybrids.

A significant design feature was a central garage space that separated the building into two halves. The central garage space functions as a central spine and serves as a common use area for multiple groups. It potentially allows groups to share tooling.

Another feature was a visually secure, exterior patio for GM to view vehicles in natural sunlight. This requirement created an interesting challenge since the site was located within city limits and near a multiple story building. SSOE designed a visual screen to obstruct the view from the building while still allowing the natural sunlight to enter the space.

SSOE provided an innovative design which minimized environmental impact, while maximizing occupant safety, health, and comfort. Design criteria also emphasized the use of sustainable materials and other energy reduction features.

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By having a strong understanding of the client’s needs for their new plant, SSOE was able to eliminate over $12 million through value engineering and improved production throughout by 25% due to process innovations.

SSOE, the client’s engineering firm of choice, performed comprehensive services on this new specialty chemical plant that produces components of high-performance electronics. Based on SSOE’s impeccable past performance from both a technical and client service standpoint, the client engaged SSOE for civil, structural, architecture, project management, mechanical, chemical process, estimating, cost control, and procurement. The facility is comprised the following functions: administration, waste recycling, bulk storage, complex chemical production, and basic utilities.

SSOE’s modification of the client’s chemical process resulted in improved conversion efficiency. The percentage of recycled chemicals increased from 14% to 20% to reduce production costs. Through process innovations and refinements driven by SSOE, the client has been able to improve production throughput by 25%.

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3D object models of the facilities and their utility infrastructure were developed and shared with the contracting partners proving invaluable in the design of the intricate routing of utilities between components in the facilities.

SSOE provided facility engineering and architectural services for two new paint shop facilities. 3D object models of the facilities and their utility infrastructure were developed using Bentley Structural, and sharing them with the contracting partners in DWG format. The object models proved invaluable in designing the intricate routing of utilities between components in the facilities.

SSOE and equipment vendors were able to study facility and process components in relation to their true magnitude. Clip volumes, perspective drawing, and isometric detail extractions aided in studying these complex relationships. From the piping models developed, SSOE used Bentley Structural’s drawing extraction feature to create several evolutionary construction details to delineate the complex routing and transitions of utility systems. These details passed the advantages of BIM to fabrication and construction members of the team.

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