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Expertise: Project Management, Construction Management, & Project Controls

Team Spotlight: Project Controls

Posted on by OTAK Team

Otak continues to grow the depth and breadth of our capabilities. With the acquisition of Tarr Whitman Group (TWG), an advanced project controls firm, it enables us to unveil a new practice area to better serve our clients and aid them in making informed, data-driven decisions at all stages of a project’s lifecycle.

What is project controls, and what is advanced project controls?

Project controls is scope, schedule, and budget. It is the core of project and contract management for projects. But how does this help our clients?

According to TWG President Walter Tarr, project controls comes down to data management and communication. Our new team members specialize in reporting on projects and programs. They help define the success metrics and reporting systems for project managers, clients, and other stakeholders in a digestible fashion, allowing for quick decisions that are rooted in data science and relevant forecasts on things like cost impacts, notices, timelines, and risks involved in a project. Advanced project controls means our new team can provide the software, systems, resources, and processes for large projects and programs.

See a Need, Fill a Need

Tarr saw the need for this service early on in his career. He noticed while working at a construction management firm that larger organizations weren’t getting the most out of their data, or were often making decisions that were reactive, rather than proactive when it comes to project and contract management. Thanks to existing relationships with owners and decision-makers at other firms and the niche market in which it existed, TWG was born as a one-stop for project controls services with both him and Dave Hawkins at the helm.

An Art and a Science

Tarr emphasizes that while project controls is highly technical, there’s an art to it as well. Professionals in this sphere need to be jacks-of-all-trades, having a deep understanding of factors like scheduling, software, cost, construction management, design, and risk management around a project. Greater still, one must be able to communicate this information so PM’s and PIC’s can make decisions at a glance. It’s a trade that involves both macro-level understanding and micro-level attention to detail. To Tarr, TWG is more along the lines of being business managers, helping stakeholders understand where their project as a business sits, and addressing both known and unknown issues—a concept that’s rare in the industry today.

The Differentiator

projectcontrols.online home page

To tackle the herculean task of making sense of multi-million (and sometimes billion) dollar programs, Tarr created Projectcontrols.online, as simple web app born out of a dissatisfaction with existing project reporting system tools and their pricing structures. Most of these tools try to solve the same problem of how to roll up and monitor projects in an easy way, and Projectcontrols.online does just that in a way that doesn’t require endless input from the user. What’s more, the app allows for easy communication of results which is suited for PM’s concerned with the day-to-day. By utilizing project controls, those same PM’s can look ahead and begin to make projections anywhere from one month to one year ahead of time. Firms immediately saw the value in Tarr’s work, and TWG got brought onto high-profile projects as a result.

The Projects

SR 520 for WSDOT – floating bridge program

To view TWG’s body of work is to become acquainted with some of the most high-profile programs in the Puget Sound region. The Sound Transit Eastlink Program, Lynnwood Link Light Rail, SR 520 for WSDOT, and the Port of Seattle are all examples of the exemplary work TWG has done as part of Otak’s broader portfolio of projects. These huge projects align with TWG’s business model—land programs with high capital allowances and high price ceilings. The combination of the work and the approach have made TWG successful.

The Team and the Future

When asked about essential members of his team that make TWG’s work possible, Tarr immediately recognized Brian Muñoz, Warren Jordan, and Tim Sattler as key players in the project controls division who allow the firm to deliver on its promises. As projects only get larger and more complex, Tarr sees the need to continue to grow his team to meet the demand for project controls in the industry as a whole. With greater access to private work via the merger with Otak, Tarr is confident that the relationship will continue to bear fruit and ultimately make both firms stronger.

Please join us in giving a long overdue welcome to the TWG team, and we’re excited to see how this practice area evolves along with our operations.

Welcome, TWG!

Sheridan School District Bond Program

The Sheridan School District is on a mission to, “provide each student a diverse education in a safe and supportive environment; that promotes self-discipline, motivation, and excellence in learning.” With a 2017 bond program underway, updates to facilities across the district were made possible in order to better serve that mission.

Bond Pre-Planning and A Long Range Facility Plan for School District Renovations

In its efforts to meet the district’s mission and overarching goals in developing students to become self-sufficient adults, the Sheridan High School envisioned significant upgrades to its interior and exterior. Renovations also extended to the K-8 Faulconer Chapman School. The bond program would allow for the complete replacement of domestic water piping and the hydronics delivery system. Those enhancements also involved a number of other updates including vinyl asbestos tiling (VAT) abatement, complete restroom remodels, direct digital control system (DDC) for heating, and grandstand development for sports facilities. Providing owner’s representative and construction management services, Otak’s continuous involvement on the Sheridan School District bond planning would permeate through all phases of the project. From value engineering, procurement, contractor selection, and construction management to overseeing design, procurement, construction, and quality control. Along with a long range facility plan (10 year) in place for the Barbara Roberts Career Tech Center, the Sheridan School District bond program will benefit students and the community for years to come.

Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties

The YMCA has a long, storied history of impact in communities across the globe. For The Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties, that history would be ushered into the future from it’s new community center in Salem, Oregon.

A Efficient Facility for Community Programs

With 128 years of of service, The Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties had been operating out of their 92-year-old building with limited efficiency. The outdated facility cost more than $550,000 a year to maintain and lacked the accommodations necessary to fully meet the needs of the community. In order to advance it’s daily goals of strengthening a diverse array of family units and furthering other social issues, the organization expanded it’s program service model and now has a community center with the capacity to support it’s broader mission. The ability to provide youth development, healthy living and social responsibility is enhanced with the expansion of a number of facility features including a rooftop running track, heated indoor swimming pool, three-court gymnasium, and expanded community spaces. From sourcing regional materials to a natural lighting infrastructure and glazing that maximizes daylight harvesting, there are a number of elements designed (primarily with the HVAC system) to exceed code minimums with a sustainability-focused design. As owner’s representative on the project, Otak has guided the three-story, 51,000 square foot community center into development while maintaining it’s place in downtown Salem, Oregon.

Executive Building: Oregon Department of Administrative Services

Originally built in 1936 as a post office, the site for the new Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Executive Building had long been under consideration by the state of Oregon for potential redevelopment. With $45 million in legislative funding approved, acting on the facility’s potential would become possible for DAS utilizing an owner’s representative to help make those plans a reality.

Advancing Client Goals to Modernize a Historic Building

Sitting to the west of the Capitol Building, the structure was erected at a cost of $310,000 and was dedicated on October 16, 1937. It was the only marble post office west of the Mississippi River outside of Denver’s. It served as Salem’s post office until 1976, when a new building on 25th Street took its place. Two years later an addition was built onto the 63,000 square-foot space but had seen no major upgrades since. Today, the site hosts DAS as the State of Oregon Executive Building and will continue to do so in the future as a modernized facility after the renovation project gets underway.

North Valley Complex: Oregon DAS

For the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) in Oregon, the main mission is simple: support state government to serve the people of Oregon. In an effort to improve the way it’s agencies collaborate and interoperate across its many locations, DAS aimed to develop the North Valley Complex as a one-state environment for its operations.

A One-State Environment for Connected Infrastructure Investments

The idea for the DAS North Valley Complex began with the state’s larger initiative around investing in strategic sites along major infrastructure routes. By adding this project to the list, DAS would have a flagship location for advancing those geographic investments as well as a site designed to solve a variety of challenges. From updating and consolidating antiquated laboratories to additional warehouse space and loading dock support, the complex accomplishes an overarching goal of bringing together multiple state agencies for improved collaboration. In order to ensure resilience goals are met, the project used a CM/GC delivery system. Along with site analysis to confirm the building purchase, Otak has served as the owner representative while also providing counsel on entitlement and permit management with the City of Wilsonville. Otak’s approach to look forward “over the horizon” anticipates issues before they become roadblocks and keeps project momentum to meet schedule milestones.

Introducing the PMCM Internship Program

Posted on by OTAK Team

When it comes to nurturing talent, Otak is working in numerous ways to bolster our teams with new, fresh and, diverse minds ready to take on the complexities of elevating our built environment now and in the future.

Our previous work with the ACE Scholarship Program of Oregon, where we donated school supplies to high school students going on to earn degrees in architecture, engineering, or construction, is just one example of this commitment.

PMCM Internship Program: The First Look

This is why we’re happy to say OtakCPM, our comprehensive project management (PMCM) division, has taken this idea and expanded it with one of Otak’s first internship programs. An idea that started on sticky note cards, the program quickly grew to four people strong.

Otak would like to give recognition to Grant Eldridge, project manager for OtakCPM, who spearheaded the program with the goal of hiring young, creative professionals in a time where hiring struggles are impacting firms nationwide.

PMCM Internship Program: The Benefits

The benefits of an internship with OtakCPM are threefold. First, it allows interns to be trained and familiarized with one method of operations and culture from the outset of their careers, whether they be engineers, architects, or project managers. When young people are able to learn and grow within one company and ultimately be hired, it doesn’t take as much effort to bring them up to speed.

Second, interns are given a clear path to being hired, and the goal is to hire all of them.  Interns get direct experience in a highly technical field, meaning they can be equipped with skills to make them more competitive. When provided with explicit instructions on how to improve and get hired, interns are that much more likely to be successful.

Third, interns have the opportunity to be new, fresh minds in an industry that is increasingly complex. They’re given a safe, open space to give their ideas, which is especially beneficial when the talent pool is diverse and competitive. Interns have an opportunity to change projects by bringing new ways of thinking even leadership might not have thought of previously. That’s why we’re so grateful to have them aboard, and we’re always looking for more.

Explore Internship Opportunities

To Eldridge, the ultimate goal is to bring resourceful talent into the owner’s rep world. So if getting hands-on experience in a rapidly changing field sounds like something you want to do, you’re invited to check out our careers page here and view our open internships OtakCPM. We’re always looking for young talent to nurture, so apply today and get started on the next step of your career.

Nestucca Valley School District Bond Program

A vision that began as a conversion of the existing elementary school – built in 1953 – would grow into a modern K-8 Campus. That campus would allow Nestucca Valley School District to reintegrate the 7th and 8th graders into a space they can finally call their own after being taught at the high school location since the closing of the middle school a few years prior. From budgeting and value engineering to the procurement process of subcontractors and vendors, oversight by the Otak owner’s representative team ultimately kept the project $3.2 million under budget and allowed the district to add an additional project while optimizing taxpayer funds.

Bond Management for a K-8 Campus Vision

Funded by a $25.7M school bond program and a $4.0M State OSCIM matching grant, the new K-8 campus scope includes major modernization of the existing elementary school to address a variety of goals with practical improvements. Upgrades to water quality, heating and ventilation, fire sprinklers, windows, and interior finishing with LED lighting of the spaces designed to provide a modern, flexible teaching and community gathering environment for decades. The addition will also house the Nestucca Valley School District administrative offices. Expansion of the campus included construction of a new addition of 45,500 GSF new facilities. Also included are major enhancements to safety and security systems, information technology and communications systems. Exterior improvements enhance student transportation loading and drop-off zones while creating ample safe lighted parking areas for operations, community events and evening student programs. These updates also open space at the Nestucca Junior Senior High School to be re-purposed to allow for planned expansion of existing and new Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Four OtakCPM Projects Win DJC Oregon Top Projects Awards

Otak is proud to announce that four OtakCPM projects have won DJC Oregon Top Projects Awards for 2022! The DJC Oregon is the premier publication covering news of the building and construction fields in Oregon and SW Washington. Project teams from all over the region submitted their projects for consideration and, out of 84 finalists, we took home four trophies for our Project Management/Owner’s Representative work. 

OtakCPM, our PMCM/Owner’s Rep services group, was fortunate to be part of projects whose design, construction and project management project teams produced some truly phenomenal projects for owners: The North Clackamas School District, the Nestucca Valley K-8 School Expansion, Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station, and the Salem Public Library Renovation.  

The DJC awards cap off a wonderful month of recognition; Otak was also named by the Engineering News Record (ENR) as the Top Design Firm in the Northwest. 

Take a closer look at the details behind each of this year’s DJC awarded projects and the unique solutions the OtakCPM team implemented to bring the client’s vision to completion.

Project Winners

Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station: First Place – Public Facilities

Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station had our division tasked with owner’s representative services for the whole project’s lifecycle, overseeing the delivery of secured parking for police facilities and 9-1-1 operations, as well as the retrofitting of City Hall and designing to LEED Gold standards. Otak CPM worked with Mackenzie as the architect and used CM/GC delivery method—all of which resulted in a completely modernized, redefined part of city infrastructure. 

Project Team Owner: City of Lake Oswego, Architect: Mackenzie, Contractor: Howard S. Wright, Consultant: Interface

 

Salem Public Library: Third Place – Public Facilities

View of exterior at library main buildingPMCM was also commissioned as the owner’s representative on the Salem Public Library Renovation, Services the Otak CPM team provided include review of plans and specifications throughout the design process, bidding assistance, construction management, budget and schedule tracking, assistance with project close-out, and contract administration. This all went to ensure a successful delivery using the Progressive Design-Build method. 

Project Team Owner: City of Salem, Architect: Hacker Architects, Contractor: Howard S. Wright

 

Nestucca Valley School Expansion: First Place – Primary Education (<$50M)

As owner’s representatives for the Nestucca Valley K-8 School expansion, we oversaw a revitalization of a 1953-era elementary school to expand the curriculum from a K-5 school to a K-8 school, with a future capacity of 380 students. The new facility includes a double gymnasium, flexible layout new classrooms, a library/media space, a music space, a new kitchen, open layout commons/cafeteria, school administration offices & District administration offices. 

Project Team – Owner: Nestucca Valley School District, Architect: DLR Group, Contractor: O’Brien & Company

 

Adrienne Nelson High School: Third Place – Primary Education (>$50M)

For the North Clackamas School District, we were nominated for our project management work at Adrienne Nelson High School, in which we managed the $503 Million dollar Capital Construction bond. The funds allowed for basic, large-scale repairs in existing schools including heating, ventilation, roofing, plumbing, windows, lighting, energy efficiency, and ongoing improvements to school facilities like a revitalization of STEM classrooms. 

Otak Team and Partners 

While all these projects have stories, they wouldn’t be award-winning if not for our teaming partners and those who nominated us. So we’d like to extend a warm thank you to not only them, but also the DJC Oregon for this recognition. 

We also can’t forget about our tremendous OtakCPM team for continuing its tradition of excellence. 

Want to learn more about some of our projects? Our experience engine has everything you need to search for any Otak project on our website. Check it out to see even more award-winning work. 

Confidential Hyper-scale Data Center

A confidential global client develops mission critical projects across multiple locations in the Western hemisphere to meet strict delivered timelines so that colocation sales and connectivity commitments can be delivered in a fast-paced growing market. Each of the 47 separate data center facilities involved campus site and infrastructure development that includes large amounts of power and water.

Oversight of Numerous Sites for Mission Critical Development

While involving multiple design firms, the total program represents over 5,640,000 square-feet of mission critical development and a combined program value in excess of $5.6B. Oversight of these teams as well as site due diligence reports, schematic design deliverables and reviews was centrally managed by Otak. With locations spanning several countries, the project team worked directly with the client to assess and apply cultural and jurisdictional differences in environmental and building permitting. Each of the countries in LATAM as well as the different provinces in Canada present unique differences to the teams as compared to the usual methods encountered in the US. The owner’s representative team also preformed design construction administration while developing training programs for other design team managers.

New Employee Spotlight: Dave Hawkins

Posted on by OTAK Team

Our #EmployeeSpotlight shines on a brand new Otakian, one who has already enhanced our capabilities just by coming on board. Please give a warm welcome to Dave Hawkins, Principal at Tarr Whitman Group (TWG), a new division of Otak!

The Making of an Industry Leader

Dave is a graduate of the University of Washington (UW) with a B.S. in Building Construction, along with an MBA from the UW’s Foster School of Business. Dave’s connection with the UW runs deep, as his father even ran the College of Engineering. His career has spanned over 25 years on both the contractor and owner sides helping deliver some of the biggest capital projects and programs in the Pacific Northwest. He describes his expertise as the intersection of business and engineering, and his background includes contracts, value engineering, risk management, scheduling, and change management among others. Dave also loves the outdoors. He leads Canyoneering trips with the Seattle Mountaineers and is trained as a river raft guide. With more than enough experience under his belt and a shared love of natural spaces, Dave and the TWG team seemed like a prime fit into the Otak family.

New Horizons, New Services

Dave and the rest of the TWG team joined Otak in January 2022, and they have already hit the ground running in making our service lines stronger. The addition of TWG comes with the unveiling of Otak Project Controls. When asked what excites him about joining Otak, Dave said,

“Otak has an outstanding leadership team. We were impressed with the Otak team immediately. Otak and TWG plan to grow together and pursue what TWG does best – deliver mega projects and programs.”

To us, the feeling is mutual. We at Otak were immediately impressed with not only Dave as a leader, but also the TWG and their extensive, far-reaching body of work.

Past experience equals future success

Dave and TWG bring with them extensive program work at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Sound Transit, the Port of Seattle, Amgen, Microsoft, and even on the Blue Origin Rocket Program. Their legacy in the area has already expedited Otak’s access to major work programs across the Pacific Northwest. In the Puget Sound region, TWG has given Otak a platform for the growth of its construction management vision thanks to their existing relationships within the project controls sector. When asked about TWG’s past success, Dave gave deference to Walter Tarr, their President and CEO:

“Walter Tarr started the company 16 years ago and is a big part of our past and current successes. We also hired smart people who did great work. That great work built a lot of trust with our clients. Those clients keep coming back to us and asking us to do more.”

We wholeheartedly agree. Otak prides itself on being a team of leaders, and when more leaders come into the fold, we only get more agile, and more experienced.

The Same Great Service, Only Bigger

Dave stresses the importance of maintaining existing relationships with TWG clients, adding that as Otak becomes more capable, TWG does too:

Over time we believe our clients will come to understand that joining Otak brings additional service offerings that go way beyond what TWG has done for them. Our team now has the depth and breadth to prime bigger projects, get involved earlier in programs, and bring more service offerings to our existing clients.

It’s go big or go home at Otak, and when we find someone who exemplifies that value, we can’t help but find a way to bring them on board. We’re glad to have Dave and his team among our ranks, and there is no doubt that Otak and TWG will continue to grow together under the same umbrella.

Let’s hear it for Dave, and here’s to all the great things that Otak and TWG can accomplish together.