Overview

LiRo-Hill provided owner’s representative services to Northeastern University (NU) for their new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC). Our team supported NU’s facilities management group in managing the day-to-day activities as well as the implementation of their first project into the University’s new eBuilder Project Management System.

About the Project

The 6-story, 232,000 sf ISEC transforms NU’s research enterprise by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and increasing the University’s capacity to hire top faculty and academic leaders. The complex contains laboratory and computational research facilities, as well as interactive teaching and learning spaces. A new pedestrian bridge spans the rail corridor and connects the ISEC to the campus’s open space network and existing science and engineering buildings. Designed by Payette, one of the nation’s most award-winning architectural firms for high-technology science and research buildings, the complex is designed to be LEED Gold certified.

Project Challenges & Solutions

LiRo-Hill was engaged by Northeastern near the end of the design development phase of the project. One of LiRo-Hill’s first tasks was to establish a project control system to manage both project documents as well as project financials. The ISEC project was the first capital project for which the University’s new project control system would be rolled out. LiRo-Hill’s project team, along with Northeastern staff, was able to establish project protocols that the designer, construction manager, and vendors have maintained for the project. We worked with e-Builder and NU’s manager of project controls to perform periodic “lessons learned” check-ins to improve the University’s approach to managing project controls. LiRo-Hill assigned a dedicated project controls manager who has successfully guided NU through the implementation of this new system.

LiRo-Hill was also responsible for managing and maintaining the overall project budget, facilitating the value management process, consultant contract management, development and maintenance of the master project schedule, design reviews, coordination with client representatives, meeting facilitation, and coordination of project permitting and general project oversight. LiRo-Hill facilitated a value management program at the design development phase to create a targeted list of cost reduction opportunities, while maintaining the client’s and design team’s program and design objectives. Our team facilitated a value management process of more than $10 million while maintaining the approved program.

Outcome

The project won several awards, including the 2020 Project of the Year Award from CMAA’s New England Chapter, ENR New England’s 2020 Excellence in Safety Award of Merit, and ENR New England’s 2020 Award of Merit in the Highway/Bridge category.

“The team’s many innovations included cutting-edge work in cost management, a project redesign, constructing and erecting the bridge, and coordinating with several quasi-government agencies. From design through close-out, this team was exceptional in their attention to detail and coordination of the project’s many moving parts.” -Cassandra McKenzie, MS, Program Director – Design & Construction, Northeastern University