Named after the iconic Rochester family, Wegmans Hall is, at first, a sprawling 58,000 square foot brick and glass behemoth. Step closer, though, and you’ll discover the attention to detail and craftsmanship apparent in every vignette, the innovative masonry, dramatic use of glass to open the structure to light, and the unpredictable scale and orientation of nearly every line. This is truly a large structure purpose-built to reveal small detail and nuance from every angle.
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One area of the project we take great pride in having crafted are the mdf data wall panels in, and just outside of, the auditorium:
These panels hearken back to the age of the IBM punched card; a logical fit for a Data Science building. These panels were custom built, measured and installed with precision, and hung with a level of craftsmanship we proudly put our name to.
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No project is ever without its challenges, however. Where a contractor demonstrates their value is in proactively anticipating these challenges and handling them nimbly, effectively, and with grace.
With this project we came across three challenges nearly from the beginning:
- Because Wegmans Hall is located within the non-drive-able heart of The University of Rochester campus, arriving at the job site was always going to be a challenge. Our crews were seemingly relegated to parking in any of the scant visitor spots scattered around the outskirts of the campus. Knowing this would be a no-go, our Project Manager devised a plan with the Department of Transportation and Parking Management in order to create and maintain an enhanced parking and badge system for our team. Even with these measures, our crews had to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early each day in order to arrive on the job site per the schedule. We appreciate and celebrate the continued commitment of our workforce.
- Still challenged by the central location of Wegmans Hall, our Project Manager quickly realized that loading the building with material was going to be a unique challenge – especially in coordinating the boom lifts across a bustling campus. Our team developed a plan that would solve both issues (distance and timing) by coordinating with our suppliers deliveries during pre-morning and post-business hours. The idea worked to perfection and allowed the building to be loaded safely and in a timely manner.
- The last and greatest challenge was the need to have the roof raised three feet. The issue came about as a realization that the mechanicals on the third floor had not been factored in during the initial construction. This brought about a dramatic change to the overall project schedule. The General Contractor soon ran into difficulty because other trades had already committed to other jobs. Seeing this challenge, US Ceiling stepped up to the plate, increased manpower, and worked nights and weekends in order to gain back as much time as we could during completion of our scope. US Ceiling Corp also committed to taking on the work of the other trades that had to leave because of prior commitments. In all, US Ceiling Corp ensured a true challenge was met with timely action, innovation, accommodation, and grace.
(additional images from the project)
