As part of a community center and library construction program in Costa Mesa, CA, STV’s construction management team recently went the extra mile to support our client in its pursuit of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and more sustainable construction solutions.
The City of Costa Mesa selected STV to provide construction management services for its Lions Park project, which was completed in two successive phases. The first phase involved the demolition of the existing community center and construction of a new, two-story library in its place. The second phase, completed earlier this year, entailed renovating the existing Donald Dungan Library and repurposing the space for the new Norma Hertzog Community Center.
From the program’s onset, energy conservation and the incorporation of sustainable design and construction practices were major priorities for the client. To that end, the new library recently received LEED Gold certification and was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council at its 20th Annual Municipal Green Building Conference and Expo. It was the only project in California to be certified LEED Gold in 2020, and one of only four Gold projects within the United States in the Municipal Project Award for Cities and Communities category.
Additionally, the project team’s efforts were recognized by Engineering News-Record (ENR) Magazine’s California Region, taking home a 2021 Best Projects Awards in the Cultural/Worship category.
STV’s construction management team made several suggestions to the client to help it achieve its goals. One of those recommendations included repurposing materials recovered during the demolition of the community center. These materials were recycled to serve as crushed material base (CMB) for the use in the new library building’s foundation.
“CMB is often used for base roadwork,” said James Adams, AIA, CCM, and project manager. “But what was unique to this project is that the construction team had the space to grind up the CMB onsite and use it for the foundation of the new library building.”
This method was not only more cost-effective in terms of material purchases, it also limited the amount of hauling and waste.
“It was like the phoenix of recycling,” Adams added.
Because one of the client’s goals was that surrounding facilities – which included a recreation center, historical center, and fields for soccer, baseball, and football – remained open during construction, onsite CMB grinding activities presented some challenges for our team.
The project team was also aware of the potential for generating silica dust. New, more stringent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws came into effect during the demolition phase, so the project team focused on adhering to the new guidelines during their walk-throughs with contractors.
“Minimizing dust in urban environments is something our team is familiar with,” Adams said. “I’m proud of the fact that we worked with our contractors to create a successful outcome for both the client and the community.” ENR will feature the project in its October 4 issue of ENR California Northwest, and will also be celebrated at the Best Projects Awards event on October 13 in Los Angeles.
