News & Insight

• Berea College

  In addition to recently winning two prestigious 2013 Build Kentucky Awards, including 2013 AGC of Kentucky Project of the Year, Berea College’s Deep Green Residence Hall – built by Messer – has earned the distinction from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as the highest-scoring, LEED-certified residence hall in the world. The building, which earned a score of 90 points, is one of only four residence halls in the world to earn Platinum Certification. The LEED certification denotes independent verification from the U.S. Green Building Council that a building is designed and constructed “using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health.” “This is an extraordinary achievement,” says Richard Dodd, Berea College capital projects manager, explaining that Deep Green was originally programmed to achieve 85 LEED points. “Through collaborative efforts we found synergies and cost efficiencies that allowed us to earn the additional five points for the highest LEED score in the world for a residence hall.” Considered the benchmark in green building design and construction, LEED provides a framework for identifying and implementing measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions and addresses all aspects of a building’s performance: from the application of materials to renewable energy, use of day-lighting and natural ventilation, landscaping, the indoor environment and more. In determining a building’s certification, LEED measures performance in several sustainability categories, including energy and atmosphere (energy consumption and monitoring and the use of renewable energy sources), water efficiency, materials and resources, innovation in design, and awareness and education. The facility’s high sustainability marks first earned it recognition in the form of a 2013 AGC of Kentucky Build Kentucky Award in the LEED category. It was then announced that Deep Green had won the 2013 Project of the Year, the AGC of Kentucky’s top honor. Messer received both awards during the AGC of Kentucky’s awards banquet on April 11, at the Lexington Convention Center. The company’s last Build Kentucky award came in 2012 for its Southland Christian Church – Richmond Road Campus project, which was honored in the Building category. About the Deep Green Residence Hall In 2012, Berea College chose Messer Construction Co. to build what it planned to be one of the world’s most sustainable residence halls. To achieve that ambitious vision, both the finished product – a 41,500-square-foot, 123-bed residence hall – and each stage in making it would need to live up to lofty standards for sustainability set by the Living Building Challenge (LBC) and the US Green Building Council. “Berea College is a longtime, respected partner of ours,” said Bob Williams, vice president at Messer. “When they came to us, their expectations were very clear. “To execute the project to their standards, our team needed to be mindful of every detail and reconsider the ‘norm’ from all possible angles.” Construction of the Deep Green Residence Hall did ultimately live up to, and in most cases exceed, those original goals for sustainability. Deep Green’s 90 LEED points make it the leanest residence hall in the world, according to the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG), which tracks buildings’ levels of sustainability. Measured on a scale of 115 possible points, Deep Green is one of only four measured buildings to have achieved the highest classification for building sustainability, LEED Platinum certification (80-point requirement). No other LEED-certified residence hall has achieved more than 84 points. “It’s an honor to have this facility earn such high praise,” said David Lambert, Messer’s senior project manager for Deep Green. “Quite a bit of effort was poured in from all involved parties to make this project a trailblazer. We hope some of the methods and tactics we used here in Berea can serve as case studies for future projects.” In all, more than 89 percent of project waste was recycled, easily surpassing the original project goal of 75 percent. Numerous tactics were used to achieve this: excess brick, porcelain and ceramic tile were recycled into new bricks; excess drywall was used on farms to clean troughs and was later broken down for use as fertilizer on crop fields; and excess foundation foam was reused on site as insulation in the headers of load-bearing walls. In the end, 987,476 pounds of construction waste was diverted from landfills. With a need to pay close attention to material sourcing, Messer designated a full-time employee on site to handle only that issue throughout preconstruction and construction. Among the most significant challenges was adhering to LBC standards for petal recognition, which prohibit the presence of 14 “Red List” materials and chemicals in both construction and the final product. One such “Red List” example is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a common material used in areas like piping, roofing and wire-coating. PVC itself is not damaging to the environment, but environmentally harmful chemicals used in its manufacturing landed it on the list, excluding it from Deep Green’s jobsite. “Finding alternatives to usual routes was certainly a challenge,” Lambert said, “but credit goes to Berea College for staying true to their vision and offering our team full support throughout the project, no matter our need.” Despite the financial and logistical strains caused by the unique guidelines and requirements, the project was still completed on-time and within budget. “Timeline and budget were important to us because we, along with Berea College, wanted to show that this sort of approach is realistic,” Williams explained. “If this project was going to lead the way for the future of construction, it absolutely needed to suffice in those two areas.” To further cut down on the footprint of the project, Messer sourced 49 percent of construction materials from within 500 miles of the jobsite, easily topping the LEED standard of 20 percent. That mark was further lessened by the use of uncommon tactics, like using mules to transport wood or utilizing reclaimed wood from either deadfall or forest fires. “Sustainability was the name of the game throughout the entire project,” Lambert said. “Berea College was looking for this project to be used as an example for sustainability, so every move we made – anything from bringing in an off-site consultant to insulating the building – was done with an eye to sustainability and being lean.” That sustainability didn’t stop with construction practices, either. The completed building receives 15 percent of its energy from a 50 kilowatt solar array on the roof. Additionally, each bedroom has a lightweight 60-inch ceiling fan called a Haiku®. Manufactured by Big Ass Fans, Haiku® has proven 80 percent more efficient than conventional ceiling fans. Among Deep Green’s most impressive features is an automated energy-monitoring system called a Vital Signs Green Dashboard System, which monitors the building’s energy consumption in real time. This creates a sustainable, conscious residential environment and allows for residents and facility managers to adjust equipment function to see immediate results. Furthermore, Deep Green’s heating and cooling is run by a geothermal and reverse-cycle chiller system, which draws heat from the earth via water from 48 wells drilled below the building’s parking lot. That water is then pumped through a reverse-cycle chiller in the building’s basement, which uses it to heat and cool the building. During construction, the new residence hall was met with enthusiasm by students, who helped install things like rain gardens and planting beds, build furniture, and assist with accounting, photography and public relations. That interest turned into demand upon the project’s completion, as students are now selected to live in Deep Green via a campus-wide lottery.  

• Appalachian health care giant opens new facility

  A health care giant in eastern Kentucky cut the ribbon recently on its new 12-story medical office building and parking garage. After three years of construction by Messer, Pikeville Medical Center’s (PMC) new addition to its main campus in Pikeville, Ky., will begin taking patients today (April 14, 2014). Situated amid the Appalachian Mountains, roughly 40 miles from the Virginia border, Pikeville packs quite the health care punch. The small town of just under 7,000 people is synonymous with PMC, which is among Appalachia’s most trusted and recognizable names in health care. The new, 220,000-square-foot facility further enhances PMC’s capabilities and capacity, adding 198 exam rooms, 23 pre-op bays, 25 post-op bays, eight operating rooms, six endoscopy rooms, five sub-sterile/scrub rooms and a large sterile processing room. Additionally, the 10-story parking garage can hold 1,208 vehicles and includes an entrance to the medical facility on each level. At its opening on April 10, PMC President and CEO Walter E. May rang in the new facility by thanking a host of its contributors, including Messer. “I’ve been involved in I forget how many multi-million dollar building projects,” May said. “The last one I thought would be my last and that I would never undertake another, because it would almost put you in the grave. “But the difference (this time) was the construction company. It’s been a pleasure working with Messer Construction – the difference between daylight and dark.”  

• Three Messer projects among top 50 starts in Midwest

  Three Messer projects were recently named in Engineering News Review Midwest among the top 50 construction project starts in the Midwest. The rankings are based on project cost and include only projects which broke ground in 2013. The Ohio State University's North Residential District Transformation project, at $370 million, was rated No. 9 overall; the Cincinnati Streetcar project, at $71 million, was rated No. 48; and the NiSource/Columbia Gas Corporate Headquarters project (Columbus, Ohio), at $63 million, tied for No. 50. Messer Vice President Rob Verst, who leads the company's Columbus region: "We are proud to be leading two of the top projects in the Midwest. It has been a pleasure thus far to work with both Ohio State and NiSource/Columbia Gas, two outstanding partners. Central Ohio's presence on this list certainly speaks to its bright future, so we're honored and excited to be partnered with two of the region's cornerstones as it continues to grow." Messer Vice President Steve Eder, who leads the company's Cincinnati region: "We are proud to help lead the Cincinnati Streetcar project, which we feel will further enhance Cincinnati's vibrant downtown area and transform the future of our city. Increased notoriety for the Streetcar project, including landing on this list, is both fitting and reflective of its expected impact on Cincinnati's future. We at Messer are honored to play a role in such a significant endeavor for the city." Read more (via ENR Midwest): http://bit.ly/1k8z269

• 'Heart of Africa' to stretch typical zoo experience

  In anticipation of the opening of their new grand stage, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s ‘Heart of Africa’ exhibit, 11 giraffes have been training for their end of what figures to be a one-of-a-kind experience for patrons. Messer is leading construction of the new exhibit, expected to open this summer, which among its many unique features will allow patrons to feed the giraffes. Turns out, though, that giraffes are shy animals by nature, so getting them to open up to strangers is quite the… tall… task. “It takes time for them to get acclimated with people,” said Adam Felts, assistant curator at the Zoo. “They are very shy animals; they don’t necessarily like to be touched. So we spend a lot of time with our volunteers and our docents just standing up here feeding them.” While a few details, like feeding times and frequency, still need to be sorted out, it’s clear the exhibit will add to what is already considered one of the top zoos in the country. “Columbus has been asking, ‘Where are your giraffe and zebra?’ for the last eight years,” Felts said, “and (now) they’re here.” In addition to giraffes and zebras, ‘Heart of Africa’ will feature several other animals, including cheetahs, monkeys and lions. Fourteen new buildings, ranging from a café to animal-housing structures, are being erected for the exhibit. Covering more than 35 acres, one of the exhibit’s most unique aspects is the scope of its landscaping, as 5,456 plants and 583 trees (60 are “large trees”) are being added in addition to more than 1,500 pounds of grass seed and 13,000 bags of mulch.

• Nashville renovation project nets Build Tennessee Award

  Messer Construction Co. has won the 2014 AGC Build Tennessee Award, in the $10-plus million renovation category, for its Madison Police Precinct and Crime Lab renovation project in northeast Nashville. Messer received its award during the AGC of Tennessee’s awards banquet on Feb. 27, at Music City Center. It is the company’s first Build Tennessee award. In 2013, Messer was honored by the AGC of Tennessee with Awards of Merit, for construction management of the West Police Precinct and Middle Tennessee State University Student Union. “It’s an honor to have this complex project recognized among the best in the state,” said Allen Begley, senior vice president at Messer. “This award is a representation of the hard work of our project team and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (‘Metro’).” Messer headed the $29.5 million renovation, which transformed an abandoned, 42,000-square-foot truck manufacturing warehouse into an 84,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art crime lab and police precinct. The facility opened on Jan. 14 and is currently the only police precinct in Tennessee with its own crime lab. The building also achieved a prestigious LEED Silver certification, which recognizes its reduced environmental footprint, due to its use of green elements – LED lighting, wireless lighting controls and bio-safety cabinets, among others – and exceptional recycling practices during construction – more than 180 tons of metal were recycled. Charlie Ingram, project manager for Metro, said Messer’s work will benefit the building’s quality and longevity. “It was clear Messer was concerned with not only providing a high-quality building,” he said, “but with providing a high-quality building that will last for decades.” The challenge, though, reached deeper than the inevitable, complex logistical and quality issues, as a rising crime rate in Nashville’s northern neighborhoods called for additional law enforcement resources in the area. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said he considers the combined police precinct and crime lab a significant step in fighting crime. “Having our own crime lab is a game-changer for public safety in our city,” Dean said. “This state-of-the-art facility will greatly enhance our investigative capabilities.” Dean added to that sentiment in December after touring the facility for the first time, saying to the media, “I couldn’t be more thrilled about what I saw today.” Because of the spike in crime, though, additional law enforcement support in the area could not wait for the project’s completion. As a result, Messer was called upon to renovate the basement of a neighboring building for use as a temporary precinct during construction. The temporary precinct, however, was a public building, raising obvious logistical and safety issues for its 100-plus police officers. Therefore, throughout the construction process, Messer helped provide secure police parking and manage a safe public entry at the temporary site, resulting in zero recordable accidents or public incidents during the course of the project. The process of transforming the warehouse into a state-of-the-art precinct and crime lab, though, was a complex and thorough endeavor, in and of itself. First, Messer carefully stripped down the building to only its structural steel. While many renovations involve demolition aspects, this included a meticulous, screw-by-screw disassembling of the building. A second floor was then added, doubling the building’s square footage, and from there the facility was very carefully brought together. But logistical concerns often complicated the project, as the facility’s large, complex and extremely sensitive equipment required careful planning to effectively put into place. At times, entire rooms had to be built around intact equipment, because of its size. To aid in this often-complex planning and execution, Messer employed a host of lean construction practices, including high-tech, innovative construction tools like LATISTA, laser scanning and Building Information Modeling (BIM). The result was a unique, multifaceted renovation project that was delivered on-time and within budget. “Once again, working with Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County proved to  be an outstanding experience,” Begley said of the project. “This award is a testament to their commitment to making Nashville a regional and national leader in sustainability and environmental quality, and we at Messer are very proud to be a part of the transformations taking place with their police precincts and fire stations.” With a new facility in place, Nashville law enforcement is now able to devote even more resources to furthering the safety of the city. “…This renovation has transformed the way Nashville and Davidson County investigate crime in our neighborhoods,” Ingram noted. “I am grateful for the expertise provided by the entire Messer team.”

• OSU first, Scioto Greenways eighth in central Ohio’s largest public projects

  Two Messer projects were recently named among central Ohio’s 25 largest public construction projects for 2014, according to a list published by Columbus Business First. The Ohio State University’s North Residential District Transformation (NRDT), managed by Messer, was rated the largest in the region at $370 million. Messer is also managing the No. 8-rated project on the list, Scioto Greenways, which has a cost of $31 million. “We’re very pleased to be leading two of the top ten public projects in central Ohio, including the largest one in the region.” said Messer Vice President Rob Verst, who leads the company’s Columbus region. “We’ve continued to stick to our strategic plan for growth in the area, and it’s resulted this year in significant projects with two outstanding clients, among others. “We’re very excited to be building two major pieces of central Ohio’s future.” Despite managing other large projects in the region – public and private – Verst says Messer’s capacity remains very open. “We’re very excited that, even with this substantial growth, our regional capacity remains such where we’re very much able to take on new opportunities,” he said. “This allows for a healthy amount of continued growth, all while keeping alive our investment in the future of central Ohio.” Read more (via Columbus Business First): http://bit.ly/1hpwzAg

• Messer to build humanities building at Volunteer State

  Messer Construction Co. has been named the construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) for a new $29.2 million humanities building on the campus of Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn., just outside of Nashville. According to Eric Melcher, a spokesman for Volunteer State, the three-floor, 74,000-square-foot facility will be the largest on campus, housing 44 classrooms and labs, 56 offices, an art gallery, computer lab, recording studio, music practice area and a “flexible instructional space” for “theater, music, or a variety of things.” The building will be capable of accommodating up to 1,484 people. Construction is slated to begin in late summer or early fall.

• New emergency services facility provides lift to N.C. county

  The opening date is nearing for a new, 24,000-square-foot emergency services center in North Carolina. An open house and brief dedication ceremony were held recently at the new facility in Anson County, N.C. – roughly an hour outside of Charlotte – just a year and a day after Messer broke ground on the project. According to Chris Malinowski, Messer’s lead for the project, the facility was completed on time and on budget, despite significant delays resulting from record rainfall. More than 60 full- and part-time employees will work in the new facility, which houses EMS, emergency management, fire marshal, systems and IT support services, road naming and an emergency operations center.

• Messer among top contractors in Central Ohio

  Messer was ranked in the February 2014 issue of Columbus CEO as Central Ohio’s No. 2 general contractor, in terms of total 2013 contract value. The company’s Central Ohio contracts totaled $360 million ($28M in general contracting; $332M in construction management projects) in 2013, with project work in several market segments, including office, education, health care, industrial and warehouse construction. In 2012, Messer ranked No. 6 on the list, with $96.1 million in contracts. Messer’s 105 Columbus employees are led by Vice President Rob Verst, who says he believes the company has a bright future in the region. “We at Messer are very proud to be among the top general contractors in Central Ohio,” Verst said. “We’ve continued to stick to our strategic plan for growth in the area, all the while building trust and forging strong relationships. “We’re very excited that, even with this substantial growth, our regional capacity remains such where we’re very much able to take on new opportunities. This allows for a healthy amount of continued growth, all while keeping alive our investment in the future of Central Ohio.” Below are a few of Messer’s most notable Central Ohio projects awarded in 2013: The Ohio State University – North Residential District Transformation Nationwide Realty Investors – NiSource/Columbia Gas office building OhioHealth Doctors Hospital – NICU and Well Baby renovations Read more (via Columbus CEO): http://bit.ly/1gkartb

• Space in high demand at University Station

  Commercial and residential space at the University Station development near Xavier University are proving to be attractive draws, as demand for space continues to grow at the 315,000 square foot development. All available office space 46,000 square feet in the projects first phase, along with 86 percent of its available residential space, have now been leased. The names of those office tenants have not yet been released, however it is clear that the Xavier University Bookstore is among Phase 1s retail tenants. In addition to managing the construction of Phase 1, Messer has teamed with the Ackermann Group for its development. The $54 million, mixed-use development sits on 15 acres adjacent to Xaviers campus, and Phase 1 is expected to be complete by the start of this years fall classes. Read more (via Cincinnati Businesss Courier): http://bit.ly/1hJiX2d

• Historic UT-Knoxville building getting a makeover

  A two-year, $114 million renovation project started last week at the University of Tennessee’s 90-year-old Strong Hall, converting the women’s dormitory into a massive, state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory space. A portion of the existing building will remain, as Messer will work with its joint venture partner, Rentenbach Constructors, to transform the building into one of the largest instructional facilities on the University’s Knoxville campus. The new Strong Hall will feature over a dozen classrooms, including a 250-seat lecture hall, biology and chemistry class labs, along with student lounges and meeting spaces. Read more (via KnoxNews.com): http://bit.ly/1f5Oc59