Project Management, Construction Management, & Project Controls Archives - Page 3 of 11

Otak Wins at DJC Top Projects Awards

Time to raise glasses at Otak! We’re happy to report three of our projects took home awards at the 2023 DJC Top Projects Gala! We’re taking a closer look into the three projects that took home some hardware, so check out the work below.

Hotel Indigo and Kirkland Tower – 2nd Place (Hospitality and Other Special Purposes)

Located in Vancouver, WA with primetime views of downtown and the Columbia River, our client, Kirkland Development, made it a priority take full advantage of the location. Enter a 12-story luxury condo tower with 40 units, and the boutique-style Hotel Indigo, a 138-room high-rise.

Otak provided comprehensive planning and design services for the mixed-use property, which also includes 10,000 square feet of retail and 7,700 square feet of restaurant space. The design highlights the hotel chain’s signature brand while creating an iconic destination on the prime site. A six-story atrium, second-level meeting and conference hall, rooftop bar, expansive terrace, and valet parking will provide visitors and residents with luxury amenities and an inviting setting to enjoy the riverfront festival street and parks. The hotel, one of the few Indigo properties west of the Mississippi, is within easy walking distance of downtown Vancouver.

Taking home 2nd place in the Hospitality & Other Special Purposes category, this project will provide a unique mixed-use hospitality and residential environment for visitors and residents on the Vancouver waterfront. Otak is excited to see this project come to life and earn recognition for its efforts to create a vibrant new community along the Columbia River.

Cascade Admin Building at Casino Road – 2nd Place (Tenant Improvement and Major Renovation)

Originally constructed in the 1970s, the unused two-story structure on Casino Road has found a new purpose as an administrative headquarters for a bustling transit company, Community Transit. A complete rehabilitation of the 70,000 square-foot concrete tilt panel building involved full design from our team – from programming through construction documents to ultimately becoming the new home of a number of groups’ operations.

Key to this design was an adaptive re-use project delivery method, including an upgrade to nearly all building systems to meet current building, fire protection, energy, and electrical codes. An added data facility that required enhanced security was also solved in the renovation plans. Added daylighting throughout the building is one element of this energy efficient design.

With 14 user groups set to call the admin building home, the needs of each were considered throughout the process. Through continuous visioning sessions and interviews with key stakeholders, a consensus was met in designing an open office environment that features a large, stadium style gathering space as well as a rooftop deck that offers an employee lounge and amenities.

Taking home 2nd place in the Tenant Improvement & Major Renovation category, this is another project we hang our hat on – exemplifying a dynamic relationship between community, innovation, sustainability, and quality design.

The Vancouver Clinic Salmon Creek 2 – 1st Place (Healthcare and Life Sciences)

Otak CPM is proud to be a part of this award-winning project, made possible by close teaming with our partners at: Pacific Medical Buildings, ZGF Architects, and Andersen Construction. With over 121,000 square-feet added as a apart of their three-site expansion program, The Vancouver Clinic grew its ability to provide healthcare services for communities across Southwest Washington.

Utilizing a Lean Integrated Design / Design Build approach, the Vancouver Clinic expansion designed all three facilities concurrently. The design processes were augmented by full-scale mock-ups to confirm functionality while leveraging the experiences of clinical staff and medical consultants to prioritize patient care with optimal clinic workflows.

As owner’s representative, Otak CPM was involved through the design and early site work of the Salmon Creek 2 medical office building. At the onset of the pandemic, the project delivery method changed from Design Build approach to a developer-based project with Pacific Medical Buildings (PMB). The original Design Build team of Andersen Construction and ZGF Architects was retained to construct the building in partnership with PMB, with Otak CPM remaining in an advisory role to Vancouver Clinic through the conclusion of the project.

We would like congratulate our partners: Andersen Construction, ZGF Architects, Pacific Medical Buildings, and our client Vancouver Clinic on this wonderful award.

Conference Roundup: Forging Relationships During Spring Conference Season!

We’re officially rounding out the end of Spring conference season in Oregon, where we’ve continued to form lasting partnerships, meet the clients we serve, and showcase what we’re about. We love the opportunities conferences give us to support and connect with organizations rooted in the communities we call home.

OAME and APWA Oregon, the two most recent conferences we attended, are organizations we have a long history of partnering with. Read on to find out more about each conference and hear the why behind what makes each of them so special!

OAME Conference

The 35th Annual Trade Show hosted by the all-inclusive organization, Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) provided us with the opportunity to exchange ideas, talk to fellow partners and potential clients, and most importantly support the growth of minority-owned businesses.

We value having a presence at this conference, because enables us to show up directly for minority-run businesses and forge lasting partnerships – from prospective clients to new friends in the industry.

Complete with a booth and Otakians from engineering, architecture, marketing in full attendance, we got the chance to bring who we are to the table: a firm that listens to our communities and their local businesses and uses those connections to improve the project work we do daily.

APWA OR Conference

The American Public Works Association (APWA) is one of the most influential professional organizations in the public works field, dedicated to raising awareness about the vital role public works plays in the communities where we live. Fun fact, our own Ashley Cantlon, senior water resources engineer, is the Oregon chapter President – meaning we have a deep appreciation for our relationship with the organization.

Similarly to the OAME conference, this event allows us to be involved in one of the premier organizations for public works in the state, enabling better connections, better relationships, and better understanding of best practices and industry trends.

With a strong presence from Otak engineering leaders like Kevin Timmins, Amanda Owings, Henry Alaman, and Trista Kobluskie, we spoke with potential clients, new friends, and learned more about how we can enrich neighborhoods through the power of quality design. To mix things up a bit, we brought along a special APWA OR picture frame to encourage some photo opts!

Thank you to both these organizations for hosting us, and we can’t wait to come back next year!

Adrienne C. Nelson High School Conversion

In advancing the goal of improving student capacity across North Clackamas School District, a middle school was converted and expanded into Adrienne C. Nelson High School. In leading each element of project delivery and logistics, Otak provided full project management services in bringing the district’s vision to reality.

Expanding Education Facilities to Meet a District’s Student Capacity Goals

Named in honor of the first African American woman appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court, Adrienne C. Nelson High School received a 140,000-square-foot addition from the original middle school with funding from a successful school bond measure. The conversion project also included updates to increase building energy efficiency and student safety while improving classroom technology infrastructure for STEM and vocational education programs. New classrooms, chemistry labs, and a career center were part of a two-story classroom wing while a 600-seat auditorium highlights the performing arts wing. Athletic facilities across the 66-acre site included improvements to multiple indoor gyms and weight rooms while new outdoor facilities added tennis courts, a football stadium with track and covered bleachers, a press box, and varsity baseball field.

McGilchrist Street Arterial Improvements

As a major east/west arterial, McGilchrist Street carries significant traffic volumes for the area surrounding Salem, Oregon. The corridor, which provides a vital connection to downtown access as well as I-5 via Highway 22, would undergo multiple phases across three segments of roadway improvements aimed at traffic, railway, bicyclist, and pedestrian use. In leading the roadway design, Otak prepared a corridor analysis and feasibility study, as well as the engineering design and stream analysis to accommodate multiple creek crossings.

Roadway Design Intersects Stream Analysis for an Improved Corridor and Fish Habitat

The roadway design of McGilchrist Street traverses existing railroad tracks along with crossings at Clark Creek as well as the East and West Forks of Pringle Creek. Widening throughout the corridor with additional turn lanes at major intersections featuring new traffic signals – including the realignment of the 22nd Street intersection to a four-leg intersection – aim to reduce traffic congestion while bike facilities including a 10-foot-wide protected cycle track and pedestrian crossings encourage active transportation. In facilitating multiple creek crossings as well as widening of an at-grade track crossing for a Union Pacific Railroad mainline, stream analysis also identified solutions to alleviate bank over-topping and chronic flooding from the creek channel onto adjacent properties and over the existing roadway. Two culverts – including three-sided culvert with a natural bottom to accommodate the road widening – along with large wood debris add to this approach while also improving fish passage and habitat.

Waterleaf Building Affordable Housing

In improving the supply of affordable housing options found in Portland, Oregon, the BRIDGE Waterleaf Building adds 178 units for families in the River Place neighborhood. With a unique shared post-tension podium deck and common parking garage with an adjacent building, the Otak team guided this project to completion as owner’s representative.

Managing the Addition of Affordable Housing with Community-Focused Amenities

Consisting of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, the 155,649 square-foot Waterleaf Building is integrated into the heart of Portland’s urban community. Adjacent to public transit at a streetcar stop, the building also features a number of community-focused amenities from a ground floor gathering space and community kitchen to an adjoining exterior courtyard which includes a children’s playground. The community room aims to facilitate a number of uses including resident meetings and a variety of events while free Wi-Fi is found throughout the common areas. An adjoining Resident Services office creates accessibility to management by residents while two community laundry rooms, and trash/recycling rooms are found on each floor of the building.

CO 7 and 119th Intersection Construction

Expanding capacity for a busy intersection in a growing area of Colorado, improvements at CO 7 (East Baseline Road) and 119th Street also add multiple pedestrian and transit-focused features. Otak led the construction management of this project which align with a broader vision by the city for improvements throughout the corridor.

Constructing Multimodal Improvements to an Intersection

In the southeastern portion of Boulder County, approximately one-mile northeast of downtown Lafayette, this was originally a four-way, signalized intersection with one travel lane in each direction. Along with capacity expansion, additional left turn lanes and right turn deceleration lanes were included. Transit queue jump lanes, bike lanes, and sidewalks on the western side of the intersection were among the multimodal design features. Bus rapid transit (BRT) stops were also built in the northwest and southwest quadrants of the intersection. Additional right-of-way (ROW) was required to complete these improvements as part of larger goals for increased connectivity for the community.

Fire Station 11

With high growth in the Orchards-Sifton neighborhood of Vancouver, WA, the City planned the addition of a Fire Station in the area to maintain their standards of quick call times and great service to the community.

Capital Project Support to Quickly Complete a First Responder Facility

The City’s Capital Projects team was already stretched thin delivering a separate, robust construction program as construction of Fire Station 11 approached, leading to a need for construction support. Otak recommended effective ways to not only augment their capacity but amplify their impact. The construction management team built a plan focused on using the right information to add the right skills in the right place at the right time. Operating as an extension of the City’s team, Otak’s construction manager and inspector integrated their approach with established processes, tools, and culture. In completing construction on-time and within budget, Fire Station 11 was able to begin serving the community on schedule.

Monmouth City Hall

An initial evaluation of the City of Monmouth’s City Hall – originally constructed in the 1920’s – led to the conclusion that a replacement was needed. After design and construction documents were completed, the estimates on cost exceeded budget by over 60%. Otak was brought on as owner’s representative to set a path forward for resolving the cost issues and to drive towards efficient completion.

Adding Efficiency to a Highly-Collaborative Value Engineering and Redesign Process

For nearly a century, the City of Monmouth had utilized a City Hall which was previously the city fire station. In its lifetime, the building developed issues including a leaking roof, fragile clay tile exterior construction, and staff squeezed into every possible space. The entire second floor and restrooms were only accessible by stairs while file storage in the basement would flood with a power loss. The new building was designed to address these issues while adding a number of features focused on sustainability, safety, and operational efficiency. Those ranged from solar power augmentation and electric vehicle charging stations to access security systems, seismic stability, and an elevator among other ADA-compliant elements. In an effort to add sustainable elements to the redesign process, locally-sourced materials are utilized in cross laminated timber (CLT) found throughout the structure. Through a highly-collaborative value engineering and redesign process, the site would also maintain its historic significance from old growth trees and parts incorporated from the Veteran’s Hall. Although the size of the building ultimately required adjustment, and the budget required supplementation, the final project delivered all the original scope in a slightly restructured format.

Dalles Bridge Deck Replacement

The demolition and replacement of existing bridge decking and railings were critical safety improvements needed for the Dalles Bridge, an important transportation connection for the Pacific Northwest. While utilizing accelerated bridge construction techniques, a unique hybrid management system embedded the Otak construction management and structural engineering teams into the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) offices to efficiently complete these updates.

Accelerated Bridge Construction to Update an Important Regional Transportation Connection

Originally constructed in 1953, the deck of the steel-truss-cantilever Dalles Bridge on U.S. 197 had degraded to the point of needing to be replaced. As an important connection between Washington and Oregon over the Colombia River, it’s an extremely visible and important project to keep goods and services moving in the region. To maintain traffic as much as possible during construction, an accelerated bridge construction approach avoided long-term closure of the busy bridge. Decking was pre-cast in an adjacent staging area, then moved to the bridge and installed per section as the old decking was cut, raised, and hauled away. Significant technological material improvements made use of ultra-high performance concrete and premixed polymer concrete overlay to complete the project. The final configuration also increased sidewalk widths to adhere with ADA compliance along the approach structure. In managing the project to completion the team performed RFI and submittal review while running weekly meetings. Inspections at two sites (in the casting yard and on the bridge) were completed while reviewing labor compliance, and performing detailed review of the project master schedule.

Sound Transit East Link Light Rail

The Sound Transit East Link Extension travels from Seattle’s International District to Judkins Park, providing an east-west connection between the city and the Eastside’s largest population and employment centers. In leading project controls, Otak managed program elements from start to finish, including design-build procurement, schedule analysis, and risk management to deliver this vital transportation asset.

Streamlining Project Programs for a Vital Community Connection

Crossing I-90 to Mercer Island and into downtown Bellevue, the East Link Extension passes through the Bel-Red area, en route to the Redmond Technology Station, and ultimately downtown Redmond. The rail provides improved connectivity between the area’s largest population and employment centers. It includes 12 stations, four parking garages, tunnels in downtown Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Seattle, and long-span bridges crossing over I-405 and I-90. The project controls group has led every contract package in the East Link alignment. This included developing a fast-start team and supporting its growth, systems, and planning, taking the consultant team from three to 150.