Further growth in 2012 is expected as McCarthy is currently recruiting for more than 60 additional new positions. 

“When employees own the company, as we do at McCarthy, they operate with increased motivation, and that in turn enables continued growth and expansion,” commented McCarthy President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “It is thanks to our culture of ownership and the dedication of our employee owners that we have been able to increase our operations this past year.”

 According to a report from Georgetown University, S ESOPs like McCarthy have been job creators even in tough economic times. While overall employment in the U.S. fell by nearly three percent in 2008, employment at surveyed private, employee-owned firms rose by nearly two percent.

 Further, according to a University of Pennsylvania study, S ESOP companies like McCarthy create not only employee motivation and success, but also $14 billion in new savings for workers each year that they otherwise would not have. This is because profits of the company flow into the ESOP (retirement) accounts of the workers. Moreover, a survey from the National Center for Employee Ownership reported that S ESOP employees can have retirement account balances three to five times higher than the average 401 (k) or other defined contribution plans. This helps to explain why S ESOP company employees can be so successful, as compared with most working Americans who—according to a recent AP poll—think they will lack enough money to live comfortably in retirement.

“Employee-owners work smarter and harder because of their commitment and investment in the business,” said Greg Klein, chairman of the board of directors of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America. “McCarthy is a prime example of what S corporation ESOP companies can do for workers and for our economy.”

About ESCA
The Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (“ESCA”) is the Washington, DC voice for employee-owned S corporations.  ESCA’s exclusive mission is to preserve and protect S corporation ESOPs and the benefits they provide to the employees who own them.  These companies have an important story to tell policymakers about the tremendous success of the S ESOP structure in generating long-term retirement savings for working Americans and their families.  ESCA provides the vehicle and the voice for these efforts.  ESCA represents employee-owners in every state in the nation. 

About McCarthy
McCarthy (http://www.mccarthy.com/) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest American-owned commercial contractors. Headquartered in St. Louis, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  

The education-building complex represents the third phase of an overall $87 million renovation and modernization of Carlsbad High School, home of the Lancers, that McCarthy began in June 2008. The project is being funded by Proposition P, a $198 million bond measure passed by voters in 2006. Carlsbad High School, which was originally built in 1957 and now boasts an enrollment of 3,000 students, is one of eight schools within the Carlsbad Unified School District being constructed or modernized with funding from Prop P.

The one- and two-story education facilities comprise a total of 99,000 square feet of space and provide new classroom, performing arts, vocational education lab and food service space. The buildings surround the newly created Lancer Plaza, which resembles a college campus quad and serves as a central gathering and event area for students.

A grand opening celebration and official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last week to commemorate the completion of the education-building phase. More than 200 government officials, school district dignitaries, and other stakeholders attended the event and expressed praise for those involved in the planning, construction and oversight.

“There are so many individuals who have helped guide this project on the right path, and helped realize our dream of being one of the most modern and desirable school campuses in the country,” said Maggie Stanchi, director of instruction for the Carlsbad Unified School District and former principal of Carlsbad High School.“We’re especially grateful to the members of McCarthy’s project team for their diligence and high degree of professionalism throughout the course of this project.”

Built on the site of the school’s former parking lot on the east side of Carlsbad High School, the 11 new steel-framed stucco buildings were designed to harmonize with the surrounding structures, while giving the campus a more contemporary appeal. The buildings feature curtain walls on one side, and cantilevered walls with metal sunscreens on the opposite sides to help reduce energy use. Masonry was incorporated in some areas, including the plaza ticket booth.

In all, the education building phase encompasses 54 new instruction spaces, including 34 regular classrooms, six computer/digital labs, and 14 other instructional rooms to accommodate the school’s highly specialized and widely acclaimed curriculum and programs.  It also encompasses 18 new restrooms, four faculty rooms, and a full-size commercial kitchen.

A professionally equipped, top-notch broadcast studio accommodates Carlsbad High School’s live, daily scholastic broadcasting for which the school has received 19 Emmy Awards and been ranked No. 1 in the nation.  A new backdrop set is currently being fabricated to complement the built-in news desk and guest couch area.

A 2,071-square-foot woodshop features a sophisticated dust collection system and air blast system that lend to the open-ceiling, industrial look of the interior.  A large dance studio, featuring Maplewood hardwood flooring and full-wall shatterproof mirrors, provides practice space for Carlsbad High School’s dance team, which has been the national champion for seven consecutive years.  Other instructional rooms are custom-built for students enrolled in arts, ceramics, fashion, choral, drama, music, construction tech, and functional skills classes. Computer and digital lab rooms accommodate CADD, business, graphic design, digital photo, computer and video classes.

A 2,500-square-foot commercial kitchen provides the facilities and equipment needed for cafeteria staff to prepare between 500 and 600 meals for students each day, including basic breakfast items and full lunch entrees. The space includes restrooms and locker rooms for those staff members.  A nearby concession room provides an area where students can purchase lighter snack items throughout the day.

Also included in this phase of construction was a 5,000-square-foot, stand-alone wrestling building that features one-inch rubberized flooring and a carefully controlled HVAC system designed to maintain a consistent, moderate temperature.  McCarthy subcontracted construction of this pre-fabricated building to MC Industrial, which specializes in this particular construction method. This portion of work required review and approval by the Division of State Architects.

A primary challenge for McCarthy project team members during this phase of construction was coordinating the logistics of building on an existing, occupied campus and controlling vehicle, bicycle, skateboard and pedestrian traffic.  This task was further complicated by the adjoining, city-owned cultural arts campus, which offered a full spectrum of productions during summer months — a time when construction crews had counted on accomplishing a large portion of the construction work.

“We were in close communication with the District the entire duration in an effort to reduce potential traffic flow issues and minimize disruptions to campus operations while school was in session,” said McCarthy Project Director Craig Swenson. “At many points, it required our having to reassess the schedule, then rearrange subcontractor schedules to accommodate activity on and around the campus.” 

With the education-building phase complete, McCarthy crews will now have a few months to demolish some of the existing classroom buildings on the south side of the campus, and convert the site into a new, larger parking lot.

In March 2010, McCarthy completed the second phase of construction, which involved demolition of the existing stadium, installation of underground utility infrastructure, and construction of a new 3,900-seat athletic stadium with aluminum bleachers and a synthetic track and field area. The stadium houses a new 10,000-square-foot building with locker rooms, restrooms and concession areas. The new stadium also features a Pop Warner-sponsored scoreboard with state-of-the-art LED technology for animated messaging.

The initial phase, performed in the later half of 2008, required McCarthy to set up temporary classroom facilities for students, along with the utilities to support these facilities.

Design consultants involved in the Carlsbad High School renovation project include Perkins+Will, architect; John A. Martin & Associates, structural engineer; Leighton Engineering, geotechnical engineer; Cornerstone Engineering, Inc., civil engineer; Johnson Consulting Engineers, Inc., electrical engineer; Donn C. Gilmore & Associates, mechanical engineer; and Lightfoot Planning Group as the landscape architect. The Planning Center provided the Environmental Impact Report.

Gafcon is the program manager. Erik Reuter has been serving as director of school construction on behalf of the CUSD.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading builder of educational facilities.   In addition to San Diego, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas; Houston; and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.

San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) officials, Miramar College faculty, and project team members celebrated the completion of the project today with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by guided tours of the new facilities. Program speakers included Charlie Hogquist, police chief, San Diego Community College District; Patricia Hsieh, Ed.D., president, San Diego Miramar College; Rich Grosch, president, SDCCD Board of Trustees; and Michael Bulander, LEED AP.

The police substation portion of the project is on track to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It will be the first higher education institution in San Diego County to achieve such LEED status. The police substation is one of 10 LEED certified projects built or planned at Miramar College and among 30 across the SDCCD.

The $17.9 million project is part of the District’s $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction program, which is providing for new instructional and career training facilities, major renovations, campus-wide infrastructure projects, and parking and public safety enhancements at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges, plus six Continuing Education campuses.

“The McCarthy team succeeded in completing this cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, highly efficient parking structure ahead of schedule, while incorporating innovative design elements to pursue LEED Platinum Certification of the adjacent police substation,” said David Umstot, vice chancellor of facilities management for the District. “Both serve to set new standards for performance and sustainability of educational facilities in southern California.”

The San Diego Community College District had previously tapped McCarthy to build its new $28.9 million, 50,000-square-foot Allied Health Education and Training Facility at San Diego Mesa College in the Clairemont area of San Diego. Also funded by the Propositions S and N construction bond program, the Allied Health building successfully achieved LEED Gold Certification last year.

The four-story, above-grade Miramar College parking structure is constructed with poured-in-place, reinforced concrete. The scope of work for McCarthy included all related site work, including installation of drought-tolerant landscaping and high-efficiency irrigation systems that use reclaimed water.

The adjacent single-story police substation will provide a central hub for campus safety and security, wayfinding and parking permitting. The facility encompasses a reception area, conference room, office areas, and a secure suspect processing area. These spaces are organized along the building’s perimeter to provide a welcoming, well-lit area that maximizes natural daylight. The terra cotta façade helps tie the new facility to the look and feel of the existing buildings on campus.

Key to its sustainable design is a green roof grid system, which covers the majority of the roof deck. The grid system uses modular panels for ease of installation, roof access and maintenance. A green screen, designed to achieve the look of a vertical garden, covers the west elevation of the parking structure. The vegetation used will contribute to a microclimate that is central to the facility’s passive thermal and natural ventilation design.

The xeriscape plants incorporated into the roof system significantly reduced the need for stormwater infrastructure conveyance and retention systems. They also will help remove impurities from storm-water runoff, while reducing maintenance costs for filtration systems.

Additionally, the green roof and wall systems will help reduce the heat island effect and complement the benefits of the pervious pavement used in the parking area. The green screen on the west elevation of the parking structure will further contribute to lower ambient heat gain, both within the police substation and the new parking structure.

The tower element serves as a solar chimney – a passive solar strategy used to create a flow of natural ventilation. The top of the tower will heat up, and louvers will provide for air exhaust at the high point. Inside the building, exposed concrete walls and ceiling will create a thermal mass that can store heat during the day, and release it during the night to keep the building comfortable during operating hours. 

An array of other sustainable design features factor into the building’s LEED Platinum level of sustainable design, including the terra cotta rain screens that create a vented facade and increase building envelope energy efficiency; curtain walls that have horizontal exterior siding on the south, vertical fins on the east, and a large glazed area facing north; operable windows that provide natural ventilation; Solatube skylights that capture natural light and enhance occupants’ work conditions; use of reclaimed water for flushing toilets; and suspended ceiling “clouds” that enhance acoustical performance while serving as reflectors for daylight.

Still more green features include “cradle to cradle” certified finish materials, renewable and recycled flooring, and low-emitting casework materials.  The reception area of the police substation showcases a recessed, interactive flat screen panel that informs visitors of the building’s sustainable features, and reinforces Miramar College’s sustainability goals.

Working collaboratively with the District and the Campus Police Department was paramount to the success of the project, explained McCarthy Project Director Bob Betz.

“Numerous coordination meetings were held throughout the design phase of the project to ensure that the requirements of the District and the users were integrated into the design, all while retaining the sustainable features needed to achieve LEED Platinum Certification,” said Betz. “The McCarthy team is very proud to have completed the parking structure and the police station ahead of schedule, and to have played a role in the design and construction of one of the most sustainable projects on any of SDCCD’s campuses.”

One of the District’s early design-build projects, Harley Ellis Devereaux, served as the architect for the police substation, and International Parking Design provided architectural services on the parking structure component. Jessen Wright Structural Engineers was the structural engineer; Randall Lamb Associates, electrical engineer; SC Engineers, mechanical engineer; and Burkett & Wong Engineers, civil engineer.  Schmidt Design Group served as the landscape architect. 

Gafcon, Inc. serves as the program manager for the Propositions S and N construction bond program.

About McCarthy

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and the largest educational facilities builder in California. The firm has been building in the education market for the last 50 years. In addition to San Diego, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas; Houston; and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned. More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.

 The Replacement Hospital at Camp Pendleton Project construction team has worked more than 250,000 man-hours over the past 14 months, with zero lost-time incidents. The project is currently one month ahead of schedule.

When complete in 2014, the new multi-level hospital will encompass inpatient medical facilities with 54 patient rooms accommodating up to 60 beds, ancillary departments, emergency care, primary care, specialty care clinics, and support spaces and facilities for non-ambulatory patients who require stays in excess of 24 hours.

The scope of construction work includes a central utilities plant; a 1,500-space, multi-level parking structure; surface parking; and site development. Clark/McCarthy’s contract also encompasses a planned modification to furnish and install the furniture, fixtures, and equipment necessary to support the facility’s function and enhance turnover of the hospital. The project team anticipates earning LEED Gold certification.

Through October 2011, more than $223 million in contracts (77% of all contract awards) have been awarded to small business enterprises. Service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses have been awarded more than $157 million in contracts on the project. The team is exceeding the Navy’s original small business participation goals (45%) by more than $100 million.

Navy Medicine West is the sponsor of the hospital representing the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and NAVFAC Southwest is managing the project. Since April 2009, NAVFAC Southwest has awarded 107 ARRA projects with a total value of $814 million. The Naval Hospital Replacement Project at Camp Pendleton is the largest ARRA project awarded by the Department of Navy.

HKS Architects, Inc., Los Angeles, is the project architect. Additional project partners include KPFF Consulting Engineers, San Diego, structural engineer; TMAD Taylor and Gaines, San Diego, mechanical engineer; exp., San Diego, electrical engineer; Flores Lund Consultants, San Diego, civil engineer; and The EcoLogic Studio, San Diego, sustainability consultant.

Project subcontractors include F J Willert, San Diego, earthwork; CMC Rebar, San Diego, reinforcing steel; Bomel Construction, San Diego, concrete; Comm Steel, Cleveland, steel erection; Schuff Steel Company, San Diego, structural steel; Anning-Johnson, City of Industry, metal deck; International Iron, San Diego, stairs; Monaco Mechanical, Los Angeles, mechanical; RPM, San Diego, mechanical; Bergelectric, San Diego, electrical; and G&C, Los Angeles, electrical equipment.

Clark/McCarthy is a joint venture of Clark Construction Group – California, LP, and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. In addition to San Diego, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis; and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.

“McCarthy’s never-ending mission is to be The Best Builder in America,” commented McCarthy President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “As a 100 percent employee-owned company , our holistic approach to wellness flows logically from this mission. In addition, as healthcare costs in America soar, McCarthy employee-owners understand the impact this can have on our business and the role they can play in helping to manage this. Focusing on wellness together, we can to be more productive partners, better family members and in turn potentially control rising costs through prevention.”

Developed and launched in 2010, McCarthy Build for Life is a comprehensive wellness program designed to encourage all employees and their families to strive toward optimal mental, physical and emotional well-being. The program focuses on four key areas: Awareness, Prevention, Activity, and Lifestyle & Stress.

“When it comes to our construction projects, our approach has always been to invest a significant effort up front to prevent issues before they occur,” continued Glanvill. “We have extended this same proactive approach to our Build for Life program, encouraging employees to make wellness a part of their everyday lives.”

To jump start McCarthy’s wellness program in 2010, the company launched an Activity Challenge. All employees received a free pedometer and used an online step tracking program to log daily steps. More than 50% of employees participated in the program, logging 184,974,999 steps. The 2011 Activity Challenge, now including spouses and partners, was completed July 8, 2011 with participants logging 222,775,416 steps.

“The McCarthy Build for Life Program is a grassroots program, supported by Wellness Champions in each McCarthy and MC Industrial office,” explained McCarthy Vice President, Human Resources Al Berardi. “These Champions communicate with employees in their region and encourage involvement.”

Key program features include:

• Rewards program designed to help increase the health of all McCarthy partners while, at the same time, controlling healthcare costs over the long-term. Employees and their spouse/partner can earn points for completing proactive, health-related activities that will be directly applied toward reduced medical insurance premiums;
• Complimentary health screenings for McCarthy employees and spouses/partners, including blood pressure screening, BMI/waist circumference checks, cholesterol/HDL/Glucose screenings, and Prostate Specific Antigen screenings;
• Quarterly wellness newsletter delivered to homes of all employees, in partnership with the Mayo Clinic, and discount subscriptions to health-related publications;
• Regular educational wellness webinars available to employees and their families;
• Wellness areas in all main office locations and at all-employee biannual meetings featuring material on health, nutrition, activity and stress/lifestyle management;
• Wide array of company-sponsored wellness employee events

“McCarthy has made great strides in focusing on improving employee health both here in St. Louis and across America,” concluded Glanvill. “This award honors many leading St. Louis organizations, and McCarthy is proud to be included in this group.”

About Healthiest Employers
Healthiest Employers is an organization dedicated to promoting wellness in business. The mission is to educate on the value of a healthy workforce and reward organizations that are wellness leaders. To be considered for the Healthiest Employers award, an organization must meet: be a business, not-for-profit or government entity; employ a minimum of two full time employees; demonstrate evidence of an employee wellness program; and complete the online application.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest American-owned commercial contractors. Headquartered in St. Louis, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned .

Builder’s Innovative Approach Garners National Recognition from Associated General Contractors of America

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. one of the nation’s oldest and largest privately-held construction companies and a 100 percent employee-owned business, was honored last week with a 2011 Education Excellence Award from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Presented during the AGC Training, Education & Development Conference in Kansas City, the Education Excellence Awards recognize the most innovative and collaborative training and development programs in the construction industry. McCarthy was honored in the category of Supervisor-Executive Management for the firm’s Foundations of Leadership Training Program. This AGC award comes on the heels of McCarthy’s placement on the prestigious 2011 Training Magazine Top 125 list and recognition by Corporate University Xchange for training excellence and innovation earlier this year.

“The key to building great projects is building great professionals,” said AGC President Kristine Young. “McCarthy’s leadership training program is an example of how to turn tremendous talent into outstanding professionals.”

Founded as a family-owned business almost 150 years ago, McCarthy is one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in America today. The firm has long fostered a culture dedicated to continuous improvement, and “Learning” represents one of McCarthy’s six company Core Values. 
 
“McCarthy transitioned from family to employee ownership in 2002,” explained McCarthy Chairman and CEO Mike Bolen. “This significant shift, together with a combination of company growth and retirements of a number of long-time leaders, resulted in our need to more aggressively prepare our high-potential employees for growth. The opportunities at McCarthy are vast and varied, and training these future leaders is an exciting part of our continuing success.”

The McCarthy Foundations of Leadership Program was designed to accelerate the advancement of high performers by challenging them early in their career to take charge of their own development through an orchestrated “peek behind the curtain” at the unique issues faced by the leaders of a multi-billion dollar general contractor. This fast-track approach was also designed to challenge these employees, keep them fully engaged in the company and heighten the overall level of professionalism in the industry.

“Our senior leadership is 100% behind the development of future leaders at McCarthy and actively participate in our Foundations program as instructors,” noted McCarthy Vice President of Human Resources Al Berardi. “We have invested an incredible amount of time to create an active learning experience that is both challenging and meaningful. To be honored by our national association for our efforts is especially meaningful.”

About the Associated General Contractors of America
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is the leading association for the construction industry. Operating in partnership with its nationwide network of Chapters, the AGC provides a full range of services satisfying the needs and concerns of its members, thereby improving the quality of construction and protecting the public interest. The AGC represents more than 33,000 leading firms in the industry,  including general contractors, specialty contractors, and service providers and suppliers.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest domestic general contractors. While a formal McCarthy Training Program had been in place for decades, McCarthy formally launched an entirely revamped training program in 2008 under McCarthy Build U. Unusual in the construction industry and among best-in-class training programs outside of the construction industry, the McCarthy Build U framework provides the company with the structure, alignment, centralization and flexibility needed to personalize training to meet both individual and business needs. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.

Download the Olive View Medical Center Case Study

A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held at the 1.75-acre scenic coastal site on Sept. 20. Guest speakers included J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., founder and president of J. Craig Venter Institute; Marye Anne Fox, UCSD chancellor; San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders; David Brenner, M.D., vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UCSD; and Tony Haymet, Ph.D., director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, vice chancellor for marine sciences, and dean of the Graduate School of Marine Sciences at University of California.

The $35 million facility, designed to be the most environmentally friendly and only “net zero energy” biological laboratory in the world, is envisioned to support approximately 125 scientists and other staff to further the Institute’s goals in genomic research and policy.  The location of the facility, on land leased from UCSD at the Scripps Upper Mesa, was chosen for its proximity to and potential for collaboration with the many renowned academic research centers in the La Jolla area.

Formed in 2006 through the merger of several affiliated institutes, the J. Craig Venter Institute is the world’s leading multidisciplinary genomic-focused organization, employing approximately 300 scientists and staff at locations in Rockville, Md., and San Diego. Calif.  President and Founder J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. is regarded as one of the leading scientists and entrepreneurs of the 21st century, most famous for his role in constructing the first synthetic bacterial cell and sequencing the human genome. He and his staff are dedicated to human, microbial, plant and environmental genomic research, the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics, and seeking alternative energy solutions through genomics.

“We have carefully assembled a project team comprised of the nation’s top laboratory design and building professionals, and are delighted to have McCarthy execute our vision for this unprecedented facility,” said Robert Friedman, director of the J. Craig Venter Institute’s California campus. “Representing the most ambitious sustainably designed biological research laboratory project ever to be built, the new J. Craig Venter Institute is integral to the Institute’s quest to perform the science needed to solve critical environmental and human health challenges.”

According to Craig Swenson, project director for McCarthy, the new J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla will be one building consisting of a single-story, 12,605-square-foot laboratory wing; a three-story, 28,600-square-foot office wing; a 3,560-square-foot loading dock area; and a partially below-grade, 44,040-square-foot parking structure.  The laboratory and office wings will sit atop the roof/podium deck of the parking garage.

The new facility will feature cedar wood siding, a wood window curtain wall and storefront system, metal panels, interior wood flooring, and exposed architectural concrete, which McCarthy will self perform. Construction is targeted for completion in June 2013, with a tenant move-in date of September 2013.

According to Ted Hyman, FAIA, a partner with Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP, and principal architect for the new J. Craig Venture Institute, La Jolla, the new research facility will incorporate high performance architecture, low-energy-use systems, water conservation strategies and onsite renewable power generation. The building massing and envelope have been designed to maximize the use of daylight to improve indoor comfort while further reducing overall building energy use.  The building is proposed to be “net-zero” for electrical energy, intended to produce as much electricity on-site as it consumes annually. This will be made possible by integrating numerous energy efficiency measures throughout the building systems, incorporating operable windows and efficient lighting, and by reducing internal plug loads wherever possible.

On-site renewable energy will be generated through the sizeable photovoltaic roof. The project team has also pursued a “zero discharge” philosophy for the site design based on the combined strategies of infiltration, on-site wastewater treatment, and water reuse. Rainwater will be collected and stored in a cistern, filtered, then reused for toilet flushing and site irrigation.

Other sustainable design features include recycled content; natural ventilation and passive cooling; use of regional materials; green roofs; native, low-water landscaping; high-efficiency plumbing to further reduce water use; and sustainably harvested wood. The project team is targeting LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“It was critical that we had a general contractor on board that not only had lab facility experience, but who also fully understood sustainability practices and how to navigate a project through the LEED certification process,” said Hyman. “We have teamed with McCarthy on numerous such projects, and are looking forward to collaborating with them on this unprecedented, ultra-green facility.”

McCarthy has built more than 50 LEED projects across the country, and is ranked among the nation’s top lab builders. Its number of on-staff LEED accredited professionals is 400 and growing. In San Diego alone, McCarthy built the new Rady Children’s Hospital Acute Care Pavilion, which was LEED Certified shortly after opening; and the Allied Health Education and Training Facility at San Diego Mesa College, which achieved LEED Gold. The company is currently working on the Miramar College Parking Structure & Police Station, which is on track to receive LEED Platinum; the new 180,000-square-foot, four-story Math and Science Building at San Diego Mesa College, for which the team is targeting LEED Gold; and the new 196,000-square-foot, five-story Health Sciences Biomedical Research Facility at UCSD, expected to be the highest performing and most sustainably designed research lab on the UCSD campus and among the greenest in the country.

“We’re extremely honored to be building this high-profile, very complex laboratory facility for such a prestigious organization as the J. Craig Venter Institute,” said Ron Hall, executive vice president of McCarthy, who oversees San Diego operations for the firm. “It’s humbling not only to be constructing the world’s first carbon-neutral laboratory, but also helping to advance such important environmental and human causes.”
 
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP, is both the architect and interior designer. KPFF Consulting Engineers is the structural and civil engineer; Integrated Design Associates is the electrical engineer, and Integral Group is the mechanical and plumbing engineer. Atelier Ten is the sustainable design consultant, Jacobs Consultancy is the laboratory planner, Andropogon Associates is the landscape architect, Natural Systems is the environmental designer, David Nelson & Associates is the lighting design consultant, and Davis Langdon is the cost estimator.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest, privately held construction firms.  As the largest general building contractor in California and one of the top green construction firms, McCarthy is committed to the construction of high performance buildings. The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for science & technology, healthcare, education, office, parking, entertainment, retail, and industrial facilities; tenant interiors; mixed-use; and bridges and highways.  In addition to San Diego, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/ .

To make sure your project is smooth sailing, check out the latest edition of McCarthy’s Insights That Build^sm newsletter. You’ll find specific tips about what to look out for if you are planning a project but have been out of the market for a while.

Feature articles in this edition include:

Speed-to-Market: How to move from concept to delivery in record time
by John Buescher, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, McCarthy Vice President, Operations

In the building industry, the old saw ‘time is money’ has never been more accurate. Here’s how owners can take best advantage of all that speed-to-market has to offer.

(Re)Building Healthcare: The cure for an ailing market is already here, if you know where to look
by Steve Mynsberge, LEED AP BD+C, McCarthy Executive Vice President

Attentive healthcare owners are starting to build again. Learn more about what to look for if you’ve been out of the market for a while as well as some pitfalls to avoid.

BIM in Action: St. Jude Medical Center Northwest Tower
by Marc Howell, McCarthy Design Manager

See how a truly integrated and collaborative team is using BIM to achieve success.

Mandated Air Quality Controls and New Generation: Is EPC the path?
by Ryan G. Miner, Director of Business Development, MC Industrial

This deep recession combined with regulatory uncertainty has much of the industrial construction market paralyzed. In light of all this uncertainty, owners considering construction must carefully review options for timing, determine the best method of execution, and evaluate the mechanics of cost recovery before moving forward.

See the National Edition now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

The new Math and Science Building will occupy the area immediately east of the existing Learning and Resource Building and south of the I-300 Building. Last November, construction crews began disassembling three older buildings on the campus before performing hard demolition and breaking ground for the new facility. Construction is being carefully monitored and managed to minimize disruption to regular campus activities.

The new $92 million instructional building is being funded by the $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program, which is providing for new teaching and learning facilities, major renovations and campus infrastructure projects at Mesa, City and Miramar colleges, and six continuing education campuses. Completion is slated for March 2013.

This is the second major project McCarthy has worked on at San Diego Mesa College on behalf of the San Diego Community College District. The company also built the new three-story, 50,000-square-foot Allied Health Building, which was completed in August of 2009.

“Both students and faculty members can look forward to this being a wonderful new addition to the San Diego Mesa College campus,” said David Umstot, vice chancellor of facilities management for the San Diego Community College District. “The Math and Science Building is more technically complex than most construction projects, and we believe McCarthy is best suited to build it based on their extensive experience with laboratories and higher education construction projects, not to mention their excellent performance on the Allied Health Building.”

Designed by Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building will house four floors of classrooms, laboratory space and offices for the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physical sciences.  Additionally, several faculty/student interaction areas have been incorporated into the building’s design. The new Math and Science Building will be constructed of structural steel with concrete shear walls and an exterior curtain wall.

The building’s design incorporates numerous sustainable features, with the project team targeting LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.  All classrooms, teaching laboratories, and the majority of the staff offices will optimize the use of natural daylight. The windows will utilize high-performance, low “E” glazing that will allow natural daylight to enter the building, while rejecting unwanted ultraviolet and infrared light waves. This, in turn, will help reduce the amount of energy required to condition the building. The roofing construction will consist of a cool-roof material, which also will reflect unwanted energy and reduce the amount of energy consumed.

Consistent with sustainable design practices, many of the interior finishes at the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building will be made from recycled material or rapidly renewable sources, such as bamboo. Construction waste also will be recycled.

According to McCarthy Project Director Robert Betz, one of the biggest challenges facing the construction team is the project’s location on a compact 200,000-square-foot site, right in the middle of the campus.

“Project access is a major issue that will pose ingress/egress as well as subcontractor scheduling challenges throughout the two-year build-out,” said Betz. “We have worked with the District to devise a plan that will allow us to work within the site constraints while causing the least amount of disruption possible to traffic and ongoing activities.”

Project team consultants for the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building include Hope Engineering for structural engineering, and X-nth for mechanical and electrical engineering. The program manager for the Propositions S and N construction program for the San Diego Community College District is Gafcon.

About McCarthy  
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial builders. The firm has been building in the education market for the last 50 years. In addition to San Diego, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas and Atlanta.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.