DeVos Hall Acoustical Renovation
The acoustical renovation of one of western Michigan’s most well-known and widely-attended public facilities offered design and construction challenges that made this project truly unique. Construction crews were given a 30-day schedule within the hall to accomplish the renovation, with no margin for error, since concert dates were already set. Large pre-fabricated acoustic panels and towers were constructed off-site, to be ready by the installation date. All major materials and equipment had to be ordered well ahead of the start date, with everything in place on day one of that very tight time frame.
Just as challenging was the nature of the design work. The architect recognized that the inherent complexity of the work would be difficult to translate into a set of traditional construction documents. URS Greiner was able to understand that design, develop a plan of action and bring the project to completion. That accomplishment was due in large part to the fact that Triangle had committed two staff architects to the construction team, which enabled them to interpret Greiner’s design and then develop bid documents for the subcontractors to be able to quote.
In spite of some last-minute design upgrades, Triangle was able to finish this very ambitious project on time and within budget. Putting the project on a fast-track schedule enabled the construction to be completed in 12 months.
