When your business is ready to expand, relocate, or refresh its workspace, office tenant improvements (TIs) represent one of the most significant investments you’ll make. Yet too many companies rush into TI projects without proper planning, only to face budget overruns, construction delays, and spaces that don’t quite meet their operational needs. The difference between…
Laboratory buildings require significantly more cooling than a typical office building. This is due to the large amount of equipment scientists use daily to conduct research. Autoclaves to clean instruments, incubators to grow cells, ultra-low-temperature freezers to store samples, and high-powered lasers are just a few examples of equipment commonly found in laboratories. All of…
Having an architect as an owner’s representative or project manager brings a strong layer of technical and design expertise to a project – one not typically seen with a construction management-focused project manager. Only about 1% of OPMs have an architectural background, giving them a unique ability to bridge design and delivery. Architects are uniquely trained to…
Coring into a post-tensioned (PT) slab is not a “grab a drill and go” task. Post-tensioning tendons—high-strength steel cables in sleeves—are hidden in the concrete, rebar runs in multiple directions, and conduit is often embedded. If you nick a tendon, you jeopardize the structure and trigger an expensive repair. Hit conduit, and you shut down…
In high-stakes environments such as healthcare, life sciences, mission critical facilities, or advanced manufacturing, managing a budget is not just about cutting costs. It is about ensuring performance, compliance, and reliable delivery in buildings where failure is not an option. Too often, project teams lean on Value Engineering (VE) as a late-stage fix. But in…
What happens when your general contractor (or its subcontractors) mistakenly doesn’t pick-up a condition omitted from one design discipline’s drawing sheets, but that condition is picked up on another’s? We see this frequently where there are inconsistencies or a lack of coordination between disciplines and drawing sheets. Example: Civil sheets missed a telecom vault…
Throughout my 37-year career in commercial construction, it has been the principal practice of competitively bidding out contractors, architectural & engineering firms, construction managers, furniture dealers, etc. Many large corporations have adopted Sarbanes Oxley Compliance to ensure that they get the lowest price possible for any goods and services. These practices may work when purchasing…
On November 7th, I was fortunate enough to attend and speak on a panel at the 2023 Texas Life Science Forum held at Rice University in Houston. This was the first time I had attended this event. Put on by BioHouston and the Rice Alliance, this event was very well attended, well-structured, and…
Mergers and Acquisitions: Good and Bad In the ever-changing field of scientific research and development, mergers and acquisitions of biotech companies can open the door to amazing possibilities. One recent acquisition was between Charles River Laboratories and Explora Biolabs. Explora Biolabs, started in 2004 in San Diego, and was known for its expertise in facilities…
Process piping is a critical component of life science R&D labs, but it is often confused with plumbing. While there are similarities in their materials this is where the similarities end. Plumbing systems transport water and other fluids for domestic purposes such as drinking, washing and lavatories. These systems typically use pipes made of copper,…
In the realm of scientific progress, there exists an intricate balance between discovery and ethical responsibility. We are entrusted not only with constructing spaces conducive to innovation but also with upholding the highest standards of care, compassion, and ethical conduct. Our role as Project Managers in this domain is not merely about brick and mortar,…
Everyone in the biotech industry has inevitably heard the term RO/DI water, but aside from lab end users, not all of us may understand the importance or process involved in creating RO/DI water. From cleaning glassware, feeding water to equipment, or in reagent water, pure water is crucial in providing accurate/repeatable results and ensuring longevity…
