Skanska USA Building Inc., a leading U.S. provider of construction, general contracting, design and design-build services, announced the completion of a $74 million rehabilitation project at Harbor Towers, a 40-story luxury condominium complex comprising two towers located on Boston’s waterfront. Skanska served as Program Manager and oversaw the repair and replacement work that dramatically enhanced the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency of the buildings’ MEP systems. The project involved replacing more than 19,000 linear feet of corroded HVAC riser pipe and 1,872 fan coil units throughout the two buildings.
“We are proud that Skanska was able to identify and implement efficiencies that shaved six months off the project and lowered the construction costs for our client,” said Ray Puskaric, Senior Project Manager at Skanska USA Building.
The construction work required the coordination of and continuous communication with multiple stakeholders including the boards of trustees, the construction manager, subcontractors, and residents. In addition, helicopter lifts were required for moving major equipment to the penthouse level.
Much of the success at Harbor Towers was based on coordinating and transporting material, equipment and nearly 200 workers each day throughout the buildings. With a rolling 21-day cadence for the work in each residence, the team was able to coordinate the various trades and perform infrastructure work in the penthouse and basement mechanical rooms at the same time as the work in the residences.
The Harbor Towers trustees demanded a true and accurate accounting of all costs expended on the project, and project controls were implemented by Skanska to ensure that the costs were proper and accurate.
Skanska’s 4D modeling was also implemented into the project as a communications technique to ensure accuracy and efficiency. 4D models were rendered for each phase of the project, printed in poster size, and then displayed in elevator lobbies for both construction staff and residents to reference.
"Harbor Towers is in the last phase of this huge project. Skanska has been a wonderful working partner and was a key factor in our ability to come in early and below budget. The Skanska professionals who worked with us were dedicated, flexible and very sensitive to the needs of our residents. The scope of the project was expanded several times, and the new work was integrated smoothly into the process and into the existing timetable. We are very grateful to them and the rest of our project team,” said the Harbor Towers Trustees.
The two towers that make up Harbor Towers were designed by internationally-renowned architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1971.
About
Skanska USA Building Inc. is a leading national and local provider of construction, pre-construction consulting, general contracting and design-build services to a broad range of U.S. industries including science and technology, healthcare, education, high-tech, aviation, transportation and sports and entertainment. Skanska USA Building also provides pharmaceutical validation services to clients. The company, part of the Skanska AB global group of companies, is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, and has approximately 4,700 employees.
Skanska is one of the world’s leading project development and construction groups with expertise in construction, development of commercial and residential projects and public-private partnerships. The Group currently has 56,000 employees in selected home markets in Europe, in the U.S. and Latin America. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, Skanska's sales in 2008 totaled $22 billion.
