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Significant Gathering Place

SSOE was selected by the Georgia Building Authority to create a new outdoor civic space expanding the Capitol Hill grounds and to provide  the public a new place of demonstration or celebration. Known as Liberty Plaza, this significant public gathering space has the State Capitol Building and other State Government Buildings as its backdrop and includes installations of relocated public art promoting Georgia’s rich history.

Complementary Accents

The plaza is supported by securable ornamental fencing, robust security monitoring, and state-of-the-art irrigation systems. It utilizes a native Georgia plant palette and Georgia granites in promotion of state resources, with colors and textures selected to work in concert with the State Capitol Building.

Facilitating Access

To create this civic plaza SSOE provided full design services along with Hughes Good O’Leary Ryan as the team’s landscape architect. The scope of work included the demolition of an existing circa 1954 parking deck, the creation of the open plaza, sidewalks and street trees, and an ADA accessible ramp to connect the new plaza to the existing adjacent overhead pedestrian bridge. Plaza entrances are designed with large public crowds in mind facilitating access from the city’s rapid rail and public parking, and is supported by a new small bus stop on Capitol Avenue just south of the plaza.

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Encompass Health commissioned SSOE to develop a design to replace the 50+ year old 96-bed rehabilitation hospital located in Toms River, New Jersey. Encompass Health wanted to keep the new facility in the same area as the existing hospital, however, there was no land available to design and construct a completely new replacement hospital nearby. As a result, SSOE developed a plan to replace the hospital on the existing campus, through renovation and additions.

The new hospital has 98 rehabilitation beds with approximately 53,141 SF of new construction and 32,600 SF of renovation. The design / construction documents were developed to allow the hospital to remain fully functional and to continue serving patients during the construction of the new hospital.

The project was built in four phases. Each phase required approximately nine to 10 months to complete. Phase I was completed and opened in November of 2017. Phase II was completed in June 2020. Estimated total construction cost for all phases of this project is $27 million.

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A New Headquarters

The Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) constructed a new Headquarters Building on their existing property at 201 Pryor Street. The facility includes a new office building, the renovation of the existing headquarters building (originally built in the early 1900s and expanded in 1987), a new 150-space parking deck, and the creation of outdoor courtyard / collaboration spaces. The new facility faces both Trinity Avenue and Pryor Street and includes a new front door located off of Pryor Street.

Four Stories High With A New Parking Deck

The building is four stories tall with a connector to the existing building with connections at two levels. The building also shares an elevator and stair with a new parking deck which replaces their existing surface parking lot and consolidates all parking needs into their facility. The building also includes an exterior fourth-floor terrace with views of the Capitol building.

Building Accents

The parking deck is five levels with connections to the building at one, four, and five that corresponds to building levels one, two, and four. The building’s façade is red modular brick with large storefront windows on the ground level with precast arched headers. On the upper levels, punched windows have architectural precast headers, sills, and bands. The two-level connector is primarily a glazed wall system with a precast base and sill. The parking deck also has a red modular brick façade facing the street with active use office storefront openings on Level 1 and aluminum framed openings on the upper parking levels.

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Engineering Design For New Business School

SSOE’s engineering team recently completed the electrical, mechanical, structural, and civil design of the University of South Carolina’s new Darla Moore School of Business. The school features a number of flexible classrooms and conference rooms, student work spaces and administrative and faculty suites.

State-Of-The-Art Features

With more than 250,000-square feet of floor space (Levels 0 – 5), building highlights also include a five-story central courtyard and enclosed garden pavilion, as well as a 500-seat auditorium.

State’s First LEED Platinum Facility

Tasked with the goal to design, construct and commission one of the state’s first LEED Platinum buildings, the new Moore School of Business is on par to achieve Net-Zero energy use, by becoming one of the first Net-Zero Energy buildings of its kind in the southeastern United States.

First Net-Zero Energy Building

SSOE worked hand-in-hand with lead architect Rafael Viñoly, the U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley Labs, to design a modern, yet contemporary, state-of-the-art facility capable of generating as much energy as it will consume through the used of advanced technologies.

A Note From Debbie Brumbaugh, Chief Financial Officer And Director Of Administrative Services

“The entire SSOE team provided exceptional professional support for us throughout our project and often were the main supporters of our vision when challenges arose. Their team seemed to always retain focus on our specifications, expectations, and the intended design plan and were careful to avoid “over compromising” when differences occurred. They could be relied upon to explore and solve complicated challenges in ways that were efficient and favorable for our School.”

 

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Working Together

Working in concert with the City of Sumter’s Economic Development Board, the design team provided complete architectural, engineering, and interior design services on the renovation and additions to the new, contemporary, two-story facility.

Growing Central Business District

Located in the downtown proper of Sumter’s growing Central Business District, the facility includes work and office space for the Board’s staff and Director, as well as reception and event spaces, two state-of-the-art boardrooms, and a large conference room. The new building is bounded by E. Liberty, S. Main, Caldwell, and S. Harvin Streets, with the existing building located on a neighboring site, adjacent to the proposed new space.

Sustainable Design

Renovations to the facilities existing structure houses additional event space, a complete catering kitchen, and temporary office suites for newly relocated businesses. In addition to the proposed additions and renovations, the new building features a number of sustainable design elements that include geothermal mechanical systems, creative placemaking, and pending LEED certification.

Furthering The Mission

Originally founded in 1957 by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly, the Sumter Economic Development Board began operating independently in the mid-1990s as the leading economic development organization for those residing within Sumter County. Funded through a Public-Private-Partnership that includes Sumter County Government, the City of Sumter, and the Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative, the Board’s new building will help further the organization’s mission to increase jobs and capital investment coming into the area.

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Pre-Existing Renovation & New Construction

SSOE was hired by Bamberg County School District Two to provide Pre-Bond Referendum Conceptual Design Studies that would enable the district to renovate their pre-existing high school and construct a new Pre-K-8 facility and School District Administration and Maintenance offices.

Combined Pre-K-12 Campus

The goal – create a combined Pre-K-12 campus, or school facility, with accompanying baseball, softball, and soccer fields, tennis courts, and a new 1,500-seat football stadium, that will be able to compete with neighboring districts all while providing an environment that fosters success and sparks creativity.

Decreasing Maintenance Costs

With hopes of ultimately decreasing the district’s yearly facility maintenance costs, the proposed new campus will consist of the following: a new 75,000-square foot Pre-K-8 school with an initial core capacity of 700 students; shared kitchen area; and more than 85,000-square feet of renovations to the District’s existing high school.

The new PK-8 Elementary / Middle School and High School Renovations include more than 100,000-square feet of space.

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New Library Branch

SSOE provided architectural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design services for the new 25,000 SF Milton Branch Library. The project team worked closely with the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and the community to receive input on the project.

Four-Acre Site

The four-acre wooded site features significant existing trees, large outdoor program space, drive-up materials return, and patron drop-off which is adjacent and connected to proposed pedestrian, cycling, and horse back trail system.

 

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Designing A New Home

SSOE provided architecture, engineering, and interior design services for the relocation of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Moving to a new site on Memorial Drive, the scope included the complete renovation of the 1950-era Pittsburgh Plate Glass Distribution Warehouse. New facilities included the 25,000 SF Family Support Center, the 45,000 SF House Crew Operations Warehouse, and a new 24,000 SF ReStore retail outlet.

Renovations For A Better Tomorrow

The 5.5-acre master plan included employee, customer, and volunteer parking, house crew trailer parking, and loading service areas. In addition to the incorporation of the new parking areas, the design complies with the Beltline Overlay District’s requirements for new sidewalks, street trees, and landscaping.

Sustainable Features

The new facilities also include several sustainable design features such as improved daylighting by way of a renovated clerestory system in the warehouse; the use of reclaimed building materials; and a Rainwater Harvesting System which stores up to 70,000 gallons of water for re-use by neighboring organization Trees Atlanta.

A Note From Don Maddox, Jr., Executive Vice President And COO Of Atlanta Habitat For Humanity

“These new facilities support our mission of making adequate and affordable housing a matter of conscience and action. During all phases of the project, SSOE demonstrated considerable skill in managing the design within the budget and meeting our timetable for moving into the new facilities. The team remained resilient and creative dealing with the [numerous] discoveries found during a very challenging renovation. [In the end] the results have been a great benefit to our staff, customers and volunteers.”

 

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High Level Of Care

Keeping in line with Prisma Health’s mission to provide patients with the highest level of care, SSOE was hired to perform a number of tenant upfits within the new Parkridge Hospital campus.

Innovative Project Design

Featuring numerous procedure and examination rooms, patient rest areas, and shared teaching and office spaces, this innovative project design combines multiple physician practices into one common layout, creating better staffing efficiencies and a more positive patient experience.

Pockets Of Activity

Additionally, the shared reception area and team centers create pockets of activity around which patient care flows.

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New Instructional Philosophy

SSOE worked with Richland School District Two to design and develop a new, PK-5 school that directly reflects the district’s latest philosophy for instructional space for an elementary school.

Accommodating 1,200 Students

Designed with an infrastructure and core functions capable of accommodating up to 1,200 students, this new facility incorporates two identical, two-story classroom wings, with flexible learning spaces, separated by core Administrative and Media Center functions. A separate, central wing houses the school’s cafeteria, multi-purpose room, and art and music classrooms, while each floor of each educational wing includes a spacious Collaborative Commons Area.

Challenging Site

The sloping site, which features wooded wetlands on two sides, also includes separate parent vehicle drop-off access to an adjacent housing development, as well as separate bus and parent drop-off access points on-site.

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New Building Concept

SSOE was approached by School District Five of Lexington/Richland Counties to develop a concept for a new on-campus Health Sciences building.

State-Of-The-Art Features

The new state-of-the-art facility, sited on an existing hill, separates the school’s main campus from its neighboring athletic facilities and is now subdivided into three levels that feature a number of flexible learning spaces, athletic support areas, and an adjoining physical therapy area.

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Support For Instructional Needs

SSOE has completed the design of Albany State University’s new Fine Arts Center. Located on the university’s Upper Campus, the $18.5 million facility will support instructional needs for music, visual arts, english, and modern languages departments.

Building Features

Academic spaces include classrooms, computer labs, art studios, faculty music studios, and individual music practice modules. The main lobby accesses an art gallery, performance theater, and choir / recital room for public events and performances.

A Note From Art Dunning, Albany State University President 

“I think culturally, economically, and socially the new Fine Arts Center adds a lot of assets to this community. We, as a university community, will always be thoughtful about how we use it because it’s not just a physical facility. It’s a facility that will house music, the arts, and places where people can always come together!”

SSOE teamed with Albany-based architectural firm, Yielding Wakeford & McGee Architects, on the new 80,290 SF facility. The building is LEED Silver certified.

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Warehouse Retrofit

Working in conjunction with the University of South Carolina’s College of Engineering and Computing, the new 36,600 SF warehouse retrofit will accommodate the school’s new “Center for Predictive Maintenance” research facility.

Robust Architectural Layout

The building will house research labs designed to test the various mechanical functions of an aircraft’s rotors, transmissions, and sensors for methods that will address failures before they occur. The facility design seeks to utilize an efficient architectural layout, integrated with robust data and electrical systems, to support current testing, and future expansion of their program via outside investment.

 

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Integrating New Technology

Electric Guard Dog is a company that provides theft deterrent services to a variety of businesses throughout the country. By integrating new technologies into their electric security fence system, Electric Guard Dog has become a leading voice in the security market.

Tech Focused Facility

The new headquarters for Electric Guard Dog is located on the fifth floor of the Center for Innovation, a tech-focused facility that was designed by SSOE in 2016. Centered on the edge of Columbia’s Innovista District, the new 20,000 SF upfit includes a new reception space, conference and training rooms, a live/workspace, and additional programmatic areas all integrated with the latest technology.

Beneficial Work Experience

At the core of Electric Guard Dog is a concern for the health and wellness of their employees. Their new upfit subsequently merges the company’s aesthetic brand with adequate natural light, quality indoor air control, and new design strategies that seek to provide a beneficial work experience for each employee.

The new headquarters for Electric Guard Dog is located on the fifth floor of the Center for Innovation, a tech-focused facility completed in 2016.

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Specialized Care At Baptist Location

SSOE worked with Prisma Health on the design and development of a new 5,000 SF rehab facility located at the recently completed Baptist Parkridge Hospital. Offering specialized orthopedic care for a full range of conditions, patients will be partnered with a team of highly skilled physicians based throughout the Columbia area. The space was designed to allow caregivers the ability to work one-on-one with patients as they are guided through treatment, diagnosis, and recovery. Rehab spaces include an open floor plan with natural views and daylight to energize patients on their path to wellness.

Innovative Work / Flow Space At Northeast Location

Working with the Prisma Health / University of South Carolina Medical Group, SSOE recently completed a full-service Orthopedics clinic with associated rehab space. The clinic is designed around an innovative workflow, which includes semi-independent physician, physician assistant, and nurse / tech within a self-sufficient module. While the overall practice is large, the patient experience remains small and personal. The rehab space was designed to be open and light-filled, helping to encourage patients with their medical rehabilitation.

Open Floor Plan At Downtown Location

This new facility, now home to the agency’s sports training and rehabilitation program, is built within an existing warehouse, with the final design including indoor running tracks, turf play areas, video recording, analysis equipment, and weight therapy. The open floor plan provides access to outdoor training areas via a roll-up garage door and also includes a small basketball court, running lanes, and a sandpit.

SSOE worked with Prisma Health-USC Orthopedics on three new state-of-the-art specialized orthopedic rehabilitation sites: Prisma Health Baptist, Prisma Health-USC Northeast, and Prisma Health-USC Downtown. Each site boasts the development and design of full-service orthopedic clinics and rehab training space.

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New Athletic Arena

Originally designed in 1929, Brookland-Cayce High School has since undergone a series of additions and renovations. Recent improvements include a new cafeteria and kitchen addition, fine arts and media center wing, various classroom renovations, athletic facilities upgrades, and a new state-of-the-art 5,000-seat athletic arena.

The design architect for this project is Jumper Carter Sease. SSOE provided electrical and civil engineering design services.

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Three-Story Renovation

The Westminster Schools Pressly Hall Renovations encompassed the renovation of Pressly Hall’s three stacked levels. Project goals were to update the following three areas: Office of Institute Advancement (OIA), college counseling, and student counseling departments. The renovation reflects Westminster’s desire to obtain more open, modern spaces that reflect their pedagogy as an institution. This goal was achieved by creating inviting spaces with the flexibility to better serve students, families, donors, and members of the community for generations to come.

Student Counseling Office

First floor renovations involved the schools’ student counseling office, specifically counselor offices, training rooms, waiting areas, and small break area. The new training room, adjacent to the student counseling office, was opened up to the corridor with glass doors, movable walls, and flexible furniture.

Office Of Institute Advancement

The pre-existing OIA, located on the third floor, was dated, closed-in, and non-flexible space. Project goals were to provide open collaborative and private spaces for meetings with donors. To attain this, the team used glass walls and open ceilings with acoustic clouds.

In addition, the space is also to be used for small events. To accomplish this, an exterior entertainment deck on the adjacent roof of the second floor was placed outside the OIA Break Area. By providing a small, spacious place for events, staff can enjoy and entertain guests and donors in a private area with views overlooking the lush campus.

College Of Counseling Center

Located on the second floor, renovations to the college counseling center, was to provide open and inviting spaces for students and their families. A reception area with casual seating welcomes students and families. Each office has glass walls with privacy film to allow exterior light to extend to the corridors and to provide space for meetings. A small conference room was included in the design for meetings with extended families.

Changes to the second floor highlight the student counseling area, setting it off with wood panels, glass doorways, and openings, creating a feeling of accessibility and openness.

Renovations to the second floor main hallway from the grand staircase to the end of the hallway, past the President’s Office, were key to setting the tone for the new model.

SSOE worked with The Westminster Schools on the renovation of the three-story Pressly Hall.

 

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Traditional Courthouse Located At The Center Of A Historic Town

Nestled in the heart of historic downtown Gallatin, Tennessee, the Sumner County Courthouse is a testament to timeless design and modern functionality.

The courthouse site features a unique slope from front to back, ingeniously utilized to create distinct public, restricted, and highly secure zones. This thoughtful design ensures seamless operations and enhanced security.

This impressive 5-story building, with one floor reserved for future expansion, will house the Circuit and Chancery Courts, as well as the Criminal and General Sessions Courts. The architectural design harmoniously blends traditional elements with contemporary needs, ensuring the new structure fits perfectly into the historic fabric of Gallatin.

The courthouse’s exterior showcases a classic palette of brick, cast stone, and glass. A striking Palladian window graces the center bay, flooding the upper floors with natural light. The two-story entry pavilion offers ample space for queuing before the security checkpoint, enhancing the visitor experience.

A spacious entry plaza welcomes visitors and integrates the courthouse seamlessly into the Main Street setting. This project is a proud collaboration between SSOE, in collaboration with ESA Architects, combining expertise and vision to create a landmark for Tennessee’s judicial system.

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Growing Downtown Research Park

The new Horizon II Office Building (Center for Innovation), located on the University of South Carolina’s growing $144 million Innovista Research Campus, is a partnership between Carolina and Multinational Technology and Consulting Corporation, IBM. University officials and lawmakers envisioned a downtown research park in which private developers would build offices and laboratories for private companies who want to partner with the school in hopes of generating a new research-based economy for the region’s growing downtown area.

Fortune 100 Commercial Space

The new five-story office building will feature office space for several Fortune 100 companies and other entities collaborating with IBM and local University of South Carolina researchers.

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Crucial Operational Space

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority’s new Express Operations and Maintenance Facility was constructed to provide crucial operational space for its growing bus fleet, integrate more sustainability and energy-efficient technologies, and provide state-of-the-art offices and meeting spaces.

Upgraded Functionality

SSOE worked with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority to design 12 maintenance bays, six drive-thru bays, and six pull-in bays. The upgraded bays function with engine dyno and brake tester, quick lube and preventative maintenance, in-ground lifts, and underground maintenance pits.

Efficient Technology

New energy-efficient technologies include LED lighting, advanced ventilation systems, infrared gas heaters, and touchless bus washing systems that recycle 70 percent of the water used. Additionally, the SSOE team incorporated recycled materials such as concrete and asphalt into the design of the new space.

State-of-the-art offices and meeting spaces now include Wi-Fi, high-definition security cameras, a video wall, and additional technologies that further advance the facility’s overall operation. The building program also includes a high-tech command center, driver lounges, conference and counseling rooms, secure locker areas, and a large training center that can accommodate more than 50 attendees for training and group sessions.

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Addressing The Changing Role Of Media Centers

SSOE recently completed the interior redesign of Fulton County Schools 14 existing high school media centers, all based on newly-adopted space criteria that acknowledged the changing role of media centers in high schools.

Inviting Environments

Design elements include new furniture, improved technology, updated finishes, and the re-configuration of staff and student spaces that create flexible, inviting environments for individual study or small group collaboration within several classrooms.

New Concepts

New concepts include a technology bar, learning commons, sandbox classroom, group study rooms, soft lounge seating, computer benching, mobile stacks, and a hands-on project space.

The schools included Bannecker High School, Creekside High School, John’s Creek High School, Milton High School, North View High School, and Roswell High School.

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Design And Construction

SSOE worked with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health on the design and construction of a new, state-of-the-art Children’s Mental Health Facility.

New And Renovated Buildings

The hospital consists of three fully renovated patient lodges and school buildings combined with new admission and administration buildings.

Industry Best Practice

Important considerations included patient safety and the ability to accommodate a wide range of patient ages, medical needs, and gender for the pediatric population. The final design is based heavily upon industry best practices.

Patient safety and the ability to accommodate a wide range of patient ages, medical needs, and gender for the pediatric population was of utmost importance during the design and construction phases.

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Addressing On-Campus Growth

The 176,026 SF student recreation and activities center was expanded and renovated to accommodate Kennesaw State University’s enrollment growth to 20,000 students. The center was completed as a phased construction project, arranged to keep the existing facility operational throughout the 18-month construction cycle.

Two-Story Fitness Atrium

The center was expanded to create a 300-foot long, two-story fitness atrium including free weight, cardio, fitness, group exercise areas, and new locker rooms.

New Facility Features

New facility features include four court gyms with looping jogging tracks around the upper level of the gym, a two-story climbing wall, an indoor lap pool, and a bike shop with a convenient equipment checkout area. In addition, the exterior recreation area includes sand volleyball, basketball, tennis courts, and an outdoor leisure pool.

The new student recreation & activities center, which is certified LEED Silver, was a collaboration with Cooper Carry, Architect of Record, and Hardin Construction Company, the Design-Build project lead. Our firm provided interior design and engineering services.

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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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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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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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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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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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A well-known electric vehicle manufacturer sought to build a new greenfield facility to produce compact sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. Based on previous successes with this client, SSOE was selected as the structural Engineer of Record (EOR) for this project. We provided full structural engineering and design, in addition to fire protection code review and permitting for the 500,000 SF multi-level general assembly shop and paint shop areas of the new facility.

Our staff integrated with the client’s engineers and other consultants early in the project. The team executed the project using an owner-directed construction approach, involving a hybrid EPC delivery method with a hyper fast-track schedule. The schedule required the seamless hand-off of steel detailing packages among design, procurement, and construction teams. To maintain a constant and organized workflow, SSOE leveraged native Revit functions to code and communicate all activities. Our practice ensured each group was continually aware of what was being released to them, resulting in little to no rework, as we reviewed and released each coded piece for the next step in real-time. Proven effective, our method was shared with other design consultants and the client’s structural modeling team as a best practice.

In addition to the efficiencies gained through Revit tools, SSOE also committed to a 48-hour turnaround time on shop drawing reviews to meet the project schedule. This proved challenging, as some steel submittals consisted of more than 200 pages with multiple submittals per week. To meet this goal, we utilized SDS/2 (Structural Detailing Steel) software to enable 3D model-based shop drawing reviews. Leveraging the model gave the project team and stakeholders the ability to closely analyze the design, streamlining the review process.

This project’s intricate delivery approach and expedited schedule required innovation and agility in its execution. Our ability to drive efficiency through the use of technology and seamless collaboration with the project team was key to its successful delivery. Based on SSOE’s continued performance with this client, our structural team was selected to design the facility’s warehouse, while our architectural team was selected to design the cathode building.

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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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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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When a confidential pet food company was considering numerous improvements to an existing plant located in Pennsylvania, they called on the SSOE team to make things happen. The 16 specific scope elements initially identified included demolition, relocation, and new construction of process and infrastructure. Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) played a critical role throughout the project approach, and laser scanning was integral in capturing existing conditions.

Due to the physical constraints of the existing facility, there were dependencies between the scope elements, which required a strategic project execution plan for phased, incremental expansion of various production activities. One of the key challenges for this project was locating reasonably accurate reference information, some of which related to work performed and equipment installed over 50 years earlier.

SSOE prepared a FEL I type of package to provide concept level engineering design and cost estimating assistance in conjunction with a construction partner, Alberici, for design / build project delivery. The scope included the demolition of a 10,000 SF existing employee services building; construction of a new 20,000 SF meat batching facility; addition of a micros and minors production cell into an existing area; construction of 2 building additions for bright stack storage; construction of a new employee services facility; addition of new employee surface parking; 10,000 SF expansion of an existing can operations area; construction of a new substation / motor control center; installation of a higher capacity potable water well pump and construction of additional clear well capacity; increase in secondary clarifier / sand filter capacity; creation of a 10,000 SF warehouse space by demolishing unused electrical equipment; and implementation of odor control for an existing primary wastewater facility.

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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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SSOE delivered more than $8 million in documented project savings through our team’s focus on due diligence, in addition to its approach to pipe routing design and other process and facility modifications.

When this globally recognized beverage manufacturer began to experience sanitation and quality issues related to one of the facility’s cellars, it enlisted SSOE to provide the design of a major brewing process addition to replace it.

SSOE’s team provided complete engineering and design for site and facility modifications and additions to house the new tanks, pumps, valve arrays, CIP systems, and associated equipment. Significant piping routes and structural modifications were required to accommodate the new tanks and piping distribution systems. Project execution was carefully planned to minimize the impact of construction efforts on plant production operations, while allowing for required personnel access and material flows.

True to SSOE’s commitment to driving value into every project we deliver, our design and engineering team members were diligent in identifying and implementing cost saving measures throughout the project. The team’s focus on due diligence, in addition to its approach to pipe routing design and other process and facility modifications generated more than $8 million in client savings on this project.

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A major beverage manufacturer was experiencing quality issues directly related to its manual packaging release system. The existing system involved product delivery from 23 storage tanks to any of the 10 destinations consisting of packaging lines and pasteurization systems. Utilizing piping swing elbows and hoses, it required a manual set up each time a brand / type of beverage was changed. The inefficient system not only adversely affected product quality, but also created microbial issues due to excessive manual handling.

Well versed in automation technology in the food and beverage industry, SSOE was selected to design a more efficient packaging release system for the client. Our team provided the design and installation of a fully automated solution involving 12 valve matrix skids and 600 valves. The system utilizes valve manifolds to control fill and transfer operations to and from the tanks.

Installing new systems in fully operational production facilities presents a number of unique challenges. For this project, our team was faced with significant space constraints, as well as maintaining production operations throughout installation. To address the limited space between existing tanks, laser scanning was used to help define the available envelope for pump, piping, and skid installation. Valve matrices were then split up and fit into the space between the horizontal tanks. Temporary headers and piping tie-ins were employed to allow for the sequenced installation and tie-ins to each packaging line, while maintaining production on all other lines. Programming changes were made at each step to accommodate each new line as installation progressed. At the conclusion of the project, our team successfully delivered a fully automated beverage delivery system that not only eliminated the quality issues and microbial threats inherent to the manual system, but also reduced water and product waste.

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$8,674,275 in documented project savings realized through a reduction in schedule and demolition costs, as well as a number of design modifications.

Recognizing the poor condition of the existing, 50-year-old, -40 degrees F freezer, the client had a decision to make. Due to quality concerns, the client chose to replace the freezer and reached out to SSOE to provide a complete project solution.

Laser scanning was employed to capture an accurate baseline for the design. The resulting scan was then used to confirm discrepancies in the client’s 2D layout that would have been detrimental to the project if gone undetected. Next, a 3D model was developed to ensure the freezer and associated equipment would fit into the building envelope. Finally, the corrected plant layout was integrated with the freezer and conveyor layouts to perform clash detection.

SSOE’s solution involved the complete demolition of both the freezer and corresponding penthouse. As the freezer was located in the center of the plant, special considerations were taken to complete the project without disrupting operations. TuffWrap was installed to provide an airtight separation from the remainder of the plant, allowing the use of diesel equipment within an operating food plant.

Schedule concerns posed a major challenge for SSOE’s team. A study provided by the client indicated that removing the penthouse would make the project approximately 23 weeks long. As such, the client was experiencing furlough issues with employees and needed the work completed in 13 weeks. SSOE worked to compress its base schedule of 18 weeks down to 13 weeks. This was accomplished through the combination of requiring two shifts (day and night) and overtime construction. Schedule coordination was crucial to the success of this project.

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A well known OEM forecast a significant increase in electric vehicle production. To meet the unprecedented demand this would create for lithium ion batteries, the automaker formed a strategic partnership with a leading battery manufacturer. Together, they aimed to construct a shared plant that would produce both electric motors and battery packs.

The facility is being built in phases, the first of which was made up of multiple sections of the plant totaling 6 million SF. The phase-one project was unique in that all facets of its design and implementation were led and executed by an internal team under the manufacturer’s authority—meaning the owner was also the designer, engineer, and construction manager. The team selected SSOE as a design partner for this phase with the flexibility to embody their out-of-the-box thinking and make their progressive goals a reality. SSOE provided key on-site and remote staff augmentation, in support of these critical functions:

  • Process Integration – assisted with design and specification for a portion of the initial process-related facility packages (including local DI water stations and local wastewater lift stations), engineering support for the process systems, and a significant amount of PIPE-FLO modeling for many plant utility systems.
  • Process Chemical – performed HAZOP, pipe supports, facility integration, and redesign of several bulk systems to meet updated needs or code requirements. Additionally, SSOE acted as a design and equipment specification “sanity check” for components on several of the small and bulk chemical handling systems.
  • Utilities – provided a significant portion of the Revit modeling for utility systems, as well as equipment layout in the utility support buildings.
  • Mechanical / HVAC – provided a substantial share of the Revit modeling and engineering support for the mechanical / HVAC systems for the facility.

The fluidity of design on this project created complications due to multiple sections of the facility being worked on interchangeably. SSOE’s engineers tackled these challenges by proactively solving problems, independently finding missing information, and piecing together details to achieve aggressive deliverables and goals that other A/E firms deemed impossible.

Ultimately, SSOE collaborated seamlessly with the manufacturer’s internal team. Drawing on industry expertise, the augmented staff was able to provide input on decisions that resulted in operational efficiencies, an improved layout, schedule compression, and more than $5 million in savings.

The facility will not only meet its lofty production goals, but also produce batteries for significantly less cost. Notably, it will be powered by renewable energy sources, with the goal of achieving net zero energy.

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This international pretzel client was ready to add a line to their Midwest plant. The addition of this dough making process line would allow them to increase their U.S. production and distribution, reducing their need to import product from their European plants. Newer to the U.S., this client contacted SSOE based on an employee referral. After meeting with us to review our food processing experience and to discuss our approach to their project, SSOE was selected to provide architectural and engineering services for the line addition.

The scope of work for the project included the installation of a frozen product line, from raw material mixing through dough forming, cooking, baking, and packaging. The line addition included two freezers: a purchased spiral freezer for product flash freezing prior to packaging, and an 8,500 SF SSOE designed -10 degree storage freezer for packaged product awaiting shipment. SSOE also designed the refrigeration systems for both freezers, as well as new primary electrical service to the plant and the installation of bulk material silos.

The plant, purchased from another food manufacturer a few years prior, did not have optimal space availability for the project’s needs both inside and outside of the facility. As a result, SSOE met with the City multiple times, working closely with them to obtain permit variances for the freezer and silo installations. However, because the factory was located in a high end commercial area, the City also required screen walls to mask the visibility of the silos and also required large amounts of landscaping to help it blend in with the surrounding neighborhood.

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SSOE has been selected to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to a chemical client for a $23.9 million expansion project at their manufacturing facility based upon our previous EPC project experience with the client and their strong ongoing relationship.

The client creates graphite electrodes to service the steel industry. The scope of this project includes the construction of building space and equipment foundations, and installation of a furnace, conveyors, and pressure vessels. SSOE’s Energy, Glass, Chemical, and Manufacturing (EGCM) SBU will work together with SSOE’s construction management division, to provide EPC services.

This is SSOE’s second EPC project with this client, the first a machining building expansion at their Midwest U.S. carbon electrode finishing facility. SSOE helped the client construct a new 30,000 SF space to allow for the integration of new process equipment to replace antiquated equipment in the existing plant. SSOE was able to complete this project, limiting cost impacts to the client in a challenging market.

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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’s integration of multiple technologies was critical in allowing the Shouldice team to foresee the risk associated with the constraints of the site and was invaluable to ensure the installation schedule was met for the customer. This technology provided an advantage of enhancing safety, limiting risk, and preventing delays. I would recommend the use of this technology to our customers.”
– Randy Sample, Project Manager of Shouldice Industrial Manufacturers & Contractors, Inc.

With a continued focus on the safety and quality of its products, Post Consumer Brands (Post) sought to replace three liquid sugar tanks at its Battle Creek, Michigan facility. While the installation project appeared to be straightforward, the location of these tanks and the constraints of the site provided a unique challenge. To confront this challenge, SSOE utilized a drone and terrestrial laser scanner to accurately capture the existing site conditions to determine the best possible way to install the new stainless steel tanks.

With 3D scans of the site, the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) team was able to simulate risks during installation. Our team used reality capture point cloud data along with software including Autodesk Civil 3D, vehicle tracking, and Google Earth, to simulate the entire construction process from shipping the tanks on-site to lifting them into position under these complex site conditions. The team utilized multiple simulations prior to installation to identify the proper route for the delivery of the tanks, which required an articulating trailer to maneuver the site. These simulations helped the crane crew determine the optimal position for the crane and see the sequencing required to safely lift the tanks while avoiding any surrounding structures. Through the use of these integrated technologies, the installation process went as planned, meeting the schedule while maintaining full plant operations throughout the project.

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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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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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Over the past 6 years, we’ve managed to save a leading consumer products client more than $8.8 million on SSOE projects demonstrating the ever-increasing value of our partnership. They’ve utilized SSOE as their preferred A/E partner since we began providing our services to them in 2012.

The client had seldom worked with outside firms and was initially apprehensive about working with a new team. Our multidisciplinary team worked diligently and consistently to build trust within the client’s team, while providing world-class service, which has resulted in us delivering 48 projects at the client’s various processing facilities. Here are some of the highlights:

Production Capacity Increase

In order to increase the production capacity of plastic storage bags, the client entrusted SSOE with the conversion of two production lines. As this conversion involved a new product, time to market was crucial and an aggressive schedule was required. The project included the design of a vacuum and reclaim system to feed waste to the front of the production line, along with an exhaust system for new production equipment. We also provided the design of a mezzanine for the support of additional production equipment, an upgrade to the plant power supply, additional process equipment, and various building upgrades that included fire protection systems.

Instrument specification support and electrical upgrades consisting of a new transformer, switchgear, and electrical panels were also required. Our team was able to save the client $58,500 on this project by repositioning hangers to align with existing steel floor beams, reusing an existing roof girder to hang the bridge crane runway beams rather than installing new, and leaving the existing switchgear connected to its transformer to avoid swapping feeds with the new equipment. Additionally, we provided procurement services, construction management support, and package delivery for all SSOE-designed systems.

Innovation Solutions with Technical Know-How

Impressed by the value SSOE brought on previous projects, the client asked SSOE to design or modify various mechanical processes for multiple unique lines across several processing facilities to add new features to its plastic storage bags. Functioning as an extension of the client’s team, we worked directly with their R&D staff to design several prototype subassemblies, which were installed in a pilot line to verify functionality before full-scale design.

Based on the client’s aggressive schedule and launch date, it was evident that a traditional design / bid / build delivery method would not be effective for this project. In addition, there was a requirement to minimize downtime for all lines. We worked with the client to develop a project execution strategy that reduced the amount of downtime from 3 weeks to 2 weeks per line, providing the client more than $3 million in savings. Contractors were pre-selected and participated in review meetings early on to not only collaborate more effectively, but improve external coordination and ultimately the outcome of the project.

One challenge was incorporating more than 10 unique equipment layouts that we designed to fit into different locations within the client’s various facilities. Additionally, the layout for new equipment needed to be installed within the previously mentioned 2-week window—no small feat. We also attained a temporary project license in the location of one of the client’s facilities in order to seal required drawings and keep the project on schedule, which ended up saving the client a projected $2 million in construction package redesign fees.

Expanding Production to Enter New Markets, with More Options

The client was looking to add three additional lines at an existing manufacturing facility to increase production capacity, expand into new retail markets, and create fresh packaging options. Our multidisciplinary team was selected to provide both facility and process support on this $25 million project—performing architectural, civil, structural, and MEP engineering on the project as well as machine design, packaging, controls and instrumentation, and process design for utilities. We were also responsible for purchasing all equipment.

During the project, we worked with the client to install temporary walls to prevent contamination and disruption of other production lines. SSOE’s in-house construction capabilities were also put to use as we helped optimize the construction bidding process for the client, assisted with procurement and cash flow management, and provided on-site field support for the duration of construction. At the peak of the project, the team consisted of more than 25 people.

The project was not without its challenges. At this particular facility, the client was implementing two very large capital projects with aggressive schedules at the same time, creating several obstacles along the way—including a contractor that was new, not only to the site, but also the client, and a modified purchasing procedure that required detailed bid packages be divided by discipline. To keep the project on track, our team assumed leading start-up and commissioning activities and was tenacious in providing the higher level of detail needed for construction documentation, meeting all budget, schedule, and staffing requirements while maintaining a level of quality the client had come to expect from SSOE. We were able to reduce the number of planned packaging lines without negatively impacting production, thus saving them more than $2 million.

Increasing Production Output by Maximizing Technology

When the client set a goal of increasing its production of plastic film storage products within a multi-year period, they again reached out to SSOE for assistance. By this time, our team had worked to seamlessly integrate themselves into the client’s engineering team, assisting them with multiple key capital projects in addition to supporting a number of routine activities. Our on-site team solidified their relationship with the client, leaving them confident in our ability to help them meet their ambitious goal. Due to our positive track record and knowledge of both the client and the site, SSOE was selected to deliver this $65 million capital expansion project, providing conceptual engineering through start-up and commissioning.

The project—designed to cGMP standards—included the design of a new facility on the client’s existing site and two identical packaging lines within: one for carton and case packing, and the other for shrink wrap and bulk packing. The process included new and innovative packaging concepts. In order to address space constraints and operator access issues, the process was designed into a Lean configuration, allowing the system to fit into the designated area while reducing overall operator travel and increasing efficiency. Notably, the SSOE-designed facility qualified the client for a local energy efficiency
program, which equated to an $170,000 credit. Our design optimizations also allowed us to eliminate confined spaces in the new facility and reduce work at heights, helping us achieve more than 180,000 working hours of injury-free construction.

An industry leader in leveraging technology, SSOE employed reality capture, or laser scanning, to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of capturing existing field conditions. By using a long-range scanner—one of three types of scans we have the ability to perform—we not only reduced time spent conducting on-site walk-downs, we were able to create a point cloud that was referenced into a detailed 3D model, which helped avoid costly rework in the field. The resulting 3D model served as the basis for all design reviews, bringing project stakeholders together early on to eliminate hand-offs, reduce waste and cost, and compress the schedule. The approach also allowed for design changes on the fly while providing ongoing clash detection.

Giving the client a lot of credit: the SSOE-designed facility qualified the client for a local energy efficiency program for one of two packaging lines, which equated to an $170,000+ credit.

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SSOE was chosen from a field of other qualified candidates to lead the site selection process for Polaris’ new production facility—nicknamed “Project Axle”—a more than $125 million investment for the premier manufacturer of off-road vehicles. The firm had a broad spectrum of criteria to identify, an RFP to create and responses to evaluate, and cost models to develop. To start, SSOE created a grid listing requirements for the site, the surrounding area, and other relevant issues including the quality of life, utility costs, availability of qualified work force, and dozens more. The process would entail comparing one set of advantages to another. For example, Polaris preferred this plant be located in a right-to-work state, but needed to balance that against a logistical drawback: most of its suppliers are located in northern states.

Polaris desired to be very inclusive in its search, therefore, the site selection RFP was sent to 14 states—union as well as right-to-work states—and proposals were received for 150 sites. After responses were evaluated, the short list totaled eight sites in four states. Once these locations were visited, SSOE was able to narrow the contenders to three sites, each in a different state. Once these contenders were identified, SSOE and Polaris were ready to begin incentive negotiations.

Among the advantages that put the Huntsville, Alabama site on top was its proximity to the interstate and Huntsville International Airport, acreage available for further expansions, good soil conditions, lack of environmental issues, sufficient access to utilities, availability of skilled labor, and a highly professional team of local and state government officials. SSOE also provided civil design engineering services for the new facility, which is expected to generate up to 2,000 jobs by 2020 and create a ripple effect that will boost the area’s economy and making the project one of Alabama’s largest job-creation projects in recent years.

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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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After assisting BOCAR, a German-owned leading Tier 1 automotive parts supplier, with selecting the location of their first manufacturing facility in the U.S., SSOE was selected to start work on the full design and permitting. A $115 million investment, the new 350,000 SF facility sits on a 72-acre site just off Interstate 65 and will produce high-end structural aluminum parts for automakers operating in the U.S. once construction is complete.

The location, with its proximity to a nearby rail line and Huntsville International Airport, offered ideal logistical conditions for our client, who supplies parts to all major automotive OEMs. During the site selection process, SSOE assisted in the thorough and technically complex evaluation of 45 potential locations spanning the Southeast U.S. Ultimately, Huntsville was selected due to the skilled workforce availability, AIDT’s training programs and facilities, favorable quality of life, and room for future expansion of the facility in Phase 1.

SSOE was selected to perform complete design of the facility based on our extensive experience with automotive and manufacturing facilities worldwide and portfolio of work in the Southeast U.S., which includes the ACEC award-winning Volkswagen plant in Tennessee. The close partnership developed with BOCAR during the site selection process provided our design team with a clear vision and the ability to deliver the state-of-the-art facility for which BOCAR is known. The new plant will utilize advanced manufacturing techniques.

SSOE is also providing permitting and construction administration services for the project. The new Limestone County facility, which is expected to be completed in September 2019, will generate more than 300 jobs with room to grow.

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In the world of consumer products, it is well known that speed to market is of utmost important when it comes to new products. When this well-known, global consumer products manufacturer sought to launch it’s new 2-in-1 laundry product line, it was critical they be the first to market in order to reap the first-mover advantage.

In an effort to capitalize on the strengths of multiple engineering providers, the client decided to award the project to a consortium of competing firms. SSOE and its partners were charged with providing all engineering and design services to allow for the production of the new laundry product. This included the design of new tanks and piping, as well as tying them into to the existing mixing skids. In addition to this technical role, SSOE was also tasked with coordinating the efforts of all design and construction firms involved in this project.

The project was successfully completed within its fast-track schedule. This allowed the client to get the new product on store shelves before its competitors, resulting in increased revenue, profitability, and higher return on investment.

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A well-known food manufacturer hired SSOE to design, install, and start-up the process and packaging lines for their newly upgraded facility in North Carolina to allow the production of its new brand. To accommodate an aggressive schedule, the team held an interactive planning (IAP) session at 60% design development to consider alternative methods to ensure successful delivery of this complex project—ultimately enlisting the help of SSOE Systems, our construction management division.

By using a criteria package instead of a more traditional bid document, we were able to start installation before design was completed, resulting in significant time savings. The team only had a small window of time to move the equipment and get the repurposed facility up and running. One team member provided on-site assistance at our client’s west coast facility where the equipment was removed and another in the facility in North Carolina where a combination of both repurposed and new process and packaging equipment was being installed. Moving into the installation phase the team realized many of the 2D installation drawings were incomplete and quickly decided to use the 3D model as the construction guide for installation. This minimized rework and ensured the team was working from the most current design, providing the ability to confirm dimensions in real time as equipment was being installed and maintain a high level of activity at each site to achieve our client’s tight timeframe.

On-site in North Carolina, we held daily reviews around the model with the contractors. With more than 30 different systems interacting together, a visual tool became necessary to keep the trades moving. Contractors were able to show 3D renderings to the trades below them to provide a better idea of how everything would go together. There were a couple of very specific cases with pipes at two to three different angles, making it difficult for contractors to lay out at ground level. We were able to measure spool pieces, or certain sections of the pipe, directly through the model, and the contractor fabricated to our dimensions seamlessly, which was especially beneficial on the more complicated runs.

Late in construction, a permitting issue was discovered for the process equipment. We negotiated with the county, who ultimately agreed to us running the equipment while documentation was being created for the permit as we were nearing the checkout phase of the project—and allowed equipment training without an occupancy permit.

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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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SSOE’s approach expedited decision making and helped Goodyear streamline a design process that would typically extend throughout the entire construction phase.

In collaboration with Goodyear engineers and our construction partner, SSOE completed a highly integrated utilities and process installation design for a 1 million SF tire manufacturing facility in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. This is Goodyear’s first new manufacturing facility in the America’s in 25 years and will produce approximately 6 million premium tires will be produced at the facility annually.

Goodyear selected SSOE for its breadth of engineering services and advanced design delivery methodologies. For example, SSOE maximized use of advanced software tools (Bluebeam, Navisworks) for highly efficient, issue-focused design reviews. SSOE’s approach expedited decision making and helped Goodyear streamline a design process that would typically extend throughout the entire construction phase.

SSOE worked with Goodyear’s design engineers to introduce an alternative design approach, establishing a dynamic three-way SSOE-Goodyear-contractor partnership and adding value to this highly successful project.

As a result of our advanced engineering design services, SSOE was also asked to provide piping fabrication spool drawings for a major equipment set to assist the contractor with overall timing and installation.

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SSOE’s design eliminated two underground tie-points and piping and saved $60,000 in engineering and construction.

TransCanada sought to update its aging 9,000+ mile ANR natural gas pipeline system to maintain its reliability, preventing any potential system failures. As a part of this process, the company’s engineers documented system issues at their compressor stations and then contracted SSOE to start upgrades at six compressor stations.

In a two-phase approach, we performed field analysis, defined a preliminary scope (Phase I), created detailed design packages, and provided construction support (Phase II). Maintaining a strict schedule, one site visit was conducted per station. Field investigation time was maximized by utilizing hand held laser scanners. Upon field analysis completion, design differences were discovered in each stations’ systems.

Customizing a system design for each compressor station doubled our scope of work, and the outdated drawings from ANR impeded the process. Despite these obstacles, the schedule could not change, and we coordinated efforts among multiple offices in the U.S. and India to work on the design packages.

Creating almost 1,000 preliminary drawings during the scope definition phase, we finalized the work scopes and launched into Phase II. The final construction packages consisted of scope drawings and demolitions drawings (538 total), design documents, equipment submittals, and work scopes.

During Phase II, SSOE provided construction support and modified the old ANR drawings to bring them up to TransCanada’s current CAD standards. The entire project was completed on schedule.

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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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When Miami University needed assistance with an indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to support data needs, the SSOE team responded with unique design solutions. SSOE gained familiarity with the campus and its many unique architectural elements while consulting on outdoor DAS facilities. Now, the team needed to provide high data throughput within the buildings themselves.

Placing antennas in the many iconic spaces on campus provided a challenge to which SSOE’s team was able to meet with imaginative stealth designs allowing inconspicuous antennas where a stronger signal was needed. Photo renderings were created to ensure University aesthetics were a priority. Upon completion, students will have seamless coverage with high data rates throughout the entire campus.

Close collaboration between SSOE and the University ensured all work could be completed in short breaks between semesters—requiring a high degree of communication and coordination before and during construction. SSOE has professionals ready to be on-site within hours as required to achieve this. With disciplines ranging from architectural to structural on hand, SSOE is able to respond to any challenge from stealth antennas to cable routing without the need for outside resources or consulting.

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Despite setbacks, the schedule for this complex project was met through creative sequencing and quick thinking.

When this project for a major consumer products client went to bid, SSOE was not the lowest bidder and lost the job opportunity. The successful bidder was new to the site and their lack of familiarity caused delays in schedule. They struggled to meet the strict timeline and, in the end, were removed from the project. SSOE was asked to take over the large project, complete with compromised time-critical schedule, and get it back on track.

To ensure deadlines were met effectively, SSOE utilized offshore resources; an Indian-based engineering firm. This afforded round-the-clock development of over 300 drawings.

The project goal was to realign the filling lines with palletizers of a similar speed to avoid bottlenecks and under-utilized capacity. While a typical project would reroute only one line, this project rerouted seven lines to different palletizers, making this project especially complex.

SSOE’s on-site construction assistance proved especially helpful when our extensive in-plant experience allowed us to efficiently act as the project’s scheduler, coordinator, and supervisor. Through strategic sequencing of construction, the team was able to get this project back on schedule and avoid any costly down time.

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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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SSOE has been performing design engineering for tool installation packages for MOK (Multiple of Kind) and FOK (First of Kind) tools for multiple functional areas of this world-leading semiconductor client’s development manufacturing facility. This project launched the client’s new business methodology of designing engineered packages from one location for projects around the world, with part of the team on the ground for design review and fieldwork and the remainder of the team in other U.S. locations. This enabled the client’s internal engineering design staff to exert more control over the design process for standardization throughout the entire corporation.

Because of our success, SSOE was able to be highly efficient, leveraging the skills of SSOE team members operating in multiple locations including Santa Clara, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Schedule was a significant challenge for this program, as rapidly evolving technologies and developmental fine-tuning resulted in the needs changing throughout. SSOE’s flexibility and skill at managing scope change has been key to the success of this project—enabling the achievement of client productivity goals. In recognition of SSOE’s ability to keep pace while maintaining a high level of quality, the client consistently allocates additional scope above and beyond the standard tool installation design.

The team’s exceptional attention to detail extends to our cost management systems. Through lean management and continuous process improvements, SSOE continuously returns savings to the client. This culture and focus has given the client confidence in SSOE’s abilities, as evidenced in additional project awards.

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SSOE saved the client $7 million in installation costs by leveraging PPMOF and BIM.

A global semiconductor client had plans to fit out an empty manufacturing building with process tools for a new technology. They selected SSOE to design the build-out of the sub fab laterals because of our extensive BIM capabilities. SSOE led the work for the subfab process laterals—an extension of utilities that would facilitate process tool installation on the level above. The 1300 process laterals included chemicals, gases, waste, waters, exhaust, telecom, and life safety systems. The team facilitated an early construction start date and saved the client money by leveraging several unique work approaches:

PPMOF: Prefabrication, Preassembly, Modularization, and Off-site Fabrication

SSOE approached the design with the client’s goal of PPMOF in mind. This strategy allowed installation coordination to take place early, providing schedule and labor savings. The team designed the strut racks to be fabricated off-site, then lifted into position in modules. All water, gas, and waste lines were fabricated with valves off-site in the longest lengths possible to rig onto the rack.

BIM2Fab

SSOE team members transitioned BIM design models into construction models to aid in the execution of PPMOF and eliminate project waste by removing the need to create a construction model from scratch. The construction models were then used to produce fabrication (spool) drawings for the trade partner to fabricate off-site. The team saved additional time by eliminating the typical contractor redline process used to develop record drawings. Since the model was used for fabrication there were no deviations from design. Such tight alignment resulted in the achievement of zero-redline designs due in part to SSOE opening up our office to enable the trade partners to co-locate with SSOE during the project.

Kanban

Kanban, a scheduling system for lean manufacturing and “just-in-time manufacturing,” was used to coordinate design efforts and streamline communication. This was the team’s first time using this software across companies—between SSOE and the trade contractors. It provided visibility of hand-offs between each company resulting in zero lost time and minimal email communication.

International Workshare

By collaborating with counterparts in India to achieve day and night design effort, the team was able to ramp up production to help meet the aggressive schedule set for this project. The use of Kanban for hand-offs between the two teams was crucial in meeting many of the project milestones. This method provided an estimated 50% increase in productivity.

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