Peter R. Brown Construction Inc.

On┬ásolid ground┬áThe Panama City campus of Florida State University has nearly doubled its student capacity with the construction of a new academic center. Linda Seid Frembes talks to Peter R. Brown Construction about the uniqueness of the project. Two years ago, the Panama City campus of Florida State University (FSU) embarked on an ambitious construction project for its new Alfred P. and Mamie V. Holley Academic Center. Dedicated in January 2009, the 105,000-square-foot Center effectively doubles the amount of capacity and space for FSU students.  The Center adds 21 general-purpose classrooms, 10 academic laboratories, a multi-purpose lecture/meeting hall, 10 seminar rooms and a library and learning center.The Panama City campus serves seven counties in Northwest Florida, including Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties. Founded in 1982, the school has graduated more than 4,000 students with nationally recognized degrees in fields like education and engineering.At the time of the Holley Academic CenterÔÇÖs dedication, school officials spoke with WJHG-TV. According to the stationÔÇÖs report, FSU president Dr. T.K. Wetherell said, ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a beautiful facility. It quadruples our space. It really shifts the whole focus to the bay, which works out well. It advances our engineering program. I think itÔÇÖs a great opportunity for Northwest Florida.ÔÇØThe station also reported that FSUPC Dean Dr. George DePuy said, ÔÇ£It provides us with laboratories that we did not have for engineering and criminology, and underwater crime scene investigation. It provides us with faculty offices, meeting spaces and the 500-seat Port St. Joe meeting room and lecture hall. It gives us many things that we have not had until now.ÔÇØThe beautiful new academic center consists of three buildingsÔÇölabeled A, B and CÔÇöwith buildings A and B connected by a pedestrian bridge on the second and third floors. The unique design of the building provided a particular challenge to the projectÔÇÖs construction company, Florida-based Peter R. Brown Construction. ÔÇ£There were major challenges, especially with the interior meeting rooms,ÔÇØ says Mike Imbler, senior project manager for Peter Brown ConstructionÔÇÖs Niceville office. ÔÇ£Those meeting rooms are framed in glass that was designed in Germany, manufactured in China, and shipped here. The glass pieces are egg-shaped and installed at a sloped angle. We had to match them up as they were installed.ÔÇØFounded in 1963, Peter R. Brown Construction operates on the philosophy of its founder, Peter Brown. Brown wanted to ensure that all clients received personal attention, quality workmanship, excellent customer service and the fairest price. The company was bought by the three current owners in 2000: Judy A. Mitchell, John R. Stewart and Eduardo M. ÔÇ£TitoÔÇØ Vargas, a team that had been part of the companyÔÇÖs executive management for many years. Because of its long history in Florida construction, Peter Brown Construction had worked on the Panama City campus before. ÔÇ£The center is set on a chilled water plant that we worked on a few years ago,ÔÇØ says Imbler. ÔÇ£We still had to tie in with all the mechanical and technical systems from the existing campus. In order to get everything we needed, we looked at the different elevations underground in order to make the most space in the corridor we were given.ÔÇØWorking with various elevations was a creative way for Imbler and his team to work within the trench space available. Imbler notes that another major challenge was that the build site was filled with small pockets of peat, or decomposing organic material, at 43 feet below grade. As the material decomposes, it could cause soft spots and other issues with the site. Imbler and his team brought in a 40-foot-high pile of dirt, spread it on the site, and had to monitor it for settlement over the course of 60 days. ÔÇ£We pre-loaded the site with extra weight from the dirt, and then monitored it for settling,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£After the 60 days, we kept most of the dirt in place and began construction on top of it. As a result, the building is six to seven feet above flood stage.ÔÇØThe Center is not LEED certified, but Imbler says it uses LEED guidelines on efficiency with mechanical systems, energy (with controllable lighting set on motion detectors), triple-pane glass and high UV-rated glass. ÔÇ£What makes this project different is that it is highly technical,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£There are offsetting angles, material changes from area to area, and radius [circular] angles. ItÔÇÖs not a typical building design.ÔÇØThe school felt it was important to incorporate artwork of FloridaÔÇÖs Seminole Indian tribe into the buildingÔÇÖs design. For example, outdoor seating on the northeast side of the building is reminiscent of a fire circle. This meant that varying and different materials had to meet and match up in open space. For Imbler, ÔÇ£it meant coordinating with the sub-trades. One of the owners of the company said it was one of the most technical jobs our firm has done. The completed effort comes down to good communication.ÔÇØImbler had two project managers and one project coordinator working for him on the project. He also had four superintendants on site to coordinate the internal and external trades.The Center is currently in the warranty phase, with students occupying building B this semester. Imbler indicates that the Center will be occupied in phases. ÔÇ£We pre-wired the building for IT infrastructure, and now the university is setting it up for data communications,ÔÇØ he explains.At the dedication ceremony on January 21, 2009, donor Russell C. Holley was recognized for his contribution of $1 million for the Academic Center, which is named in honor and memory of his late parents. More than 100 people gathered for the opening of the Center, which is one of two new buildings that were constructed in the past 20 years. ┬á