Project Highlight: Wiregrass Technical College
In 2021, Albion was selected as the Construction Manager for the Academic Renovations for Wiregrass Technical College. These renovations included a fire suppression sprinkler system for buildings 100 and 200 including wet systems for typical classrooms and offices, dry systems for outdoor areas, and chemical systems for IT rooms. Buildings 300, 400, and 500 included interior finishes, all the HVAC and electrical upgrades, roofing upgrades, rebuilding of load-bearing walls, upgraded aesthetics, and new storefronts and access control systems. These renovations provided the college with an outstanding space for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy for years to come.
Wiregrass Technical College is located four hours from the Albion headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Due to the proximity of the project, along with new subcontractor partnerships, our team was tasked with providing the most up-to-date information and predetermined decision-making to make the project run smoothly for all involved.
During this project, our team worked with two different design partners. The concept for Building 100 was designed by Glen, Gregory & Associates, while Buildings 200-500 and 200TI were designed by Studio 8 Architects. Since the scope of work required there to be renovations on separate buildings throughout the active campus, it was important to understand and execute the design plans thoroughly with each of the design partners. Our team was successfully able to coordinate with both architects to deliver a unified vision for Wiregrass.
We worked closely with the Wiregrass team and the Studio 8 Architects in Buildings 300 and 500 to provide numerous upgrades and changes outside of the original contract that included complete rebuilds of all current bathrooms, 17 additional classrooms, a lobby area, and a student learning center. Throughout the phase of this project, the majority of the work was being performed while the campus was active with students and faculty. Ultimately, our desired result was to provide Wiregrass with a safe and operable space while phasing out the construction process in a way that allowed students and staff to operate as normal while their campus was under construction – and we delivered the college with just that!
Albion utilized several innovative construction scheduling techniques while completing the renovations of the Wiregrass Technical College campus. One source of innovation was the management of different trade contractors conducting business at the same time. For example, our subcontractor was in the process of installing fume hoods in Building 500 while we were being inspected by the state Fire Marshal in Buildings 200 and 300. Our team implemented creative scheduling methods that were taken to combat simultaneous construction around an active college campus.
Albion’s long-time superintendent, Kevin Lynch proved to be a champion for this project. Kevin was able to integrate himself as a single conduit of information between scheduling subcontractors and the individual needs and schedules of each user group at the college, He made it his mission to make sure every issue was resolved right away and integrated himself with the college’s staff, administration, and student body. He served as a liaison of communication when it came to keeping Project Manager, Blake Miller, up-to-date on all project-related concerns and wins. All this led to the Albion team completing a month ahead of schedule while also staying within the Owner’s budget constraints.
