Address: 6550 Sanger Road, Orlando, Fla. 32827

Work: KENPAT installed interior wall and acoustical ceiling elements, including the wall insulation and spray-on insulation.

GC: BE&K Building Group

Architect: HOK Architects

Dates: June 2011 – June 2012

Awards:

• 2013 ABC Central Florida Chapter Excellence in Construction Eagle Award

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University of Florida (UF) Research Center

Situation

In 2012, the University of Florida sought to centralize its research departments in a single location. The project involved building a 106,000-square-foot, five-story classroom and office building with a lecture hall and laboratories in the Orlando area.

Task

The General Contractor, BE&K Building Corporation, contracted KENPAT to install the interior wall systems and acoustical ceilings. The assignment also covered wall insulation and spray-on insulation.

Action

The building presented unique challenges for the team. The first-floor auditorium had a complex ceiling with sloping drywall soffits and acoustical panels. The team aligned radius features throughout the ceiling design, ensuring consistency as the room narrowed at the stage. The team used Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to determine the radius points since the center point was outside the building.

The laboratories' detailed construction was crucial to the building's final product. Funding for these labs came midway through the project, adding scope without extending the deadline and creating congestion as all trades worked simultaneously.

The design required bulkheads for the glass fronts of the offices and laboratories. The bulkheads addressed concrete imperfections, ensuring consistent height and aseamless 'floating' appearance of the glass.

In the first-floor lobby, various interior bulkheads were constructed to integrate with the project's fire protection system, incorporating fire doors and glass smoke containment areas. The completion of most of these elements was contingent upon the arrival of custom-built fire protection products on site.

Result

The demanding pace necessitated rigorous safety protocols, with regular inspections and daily planning ensuring project safety. The adherence to high standards of quality and safety measures was recognized by the ABC Central Florida Chapter, which awarded this project the 2013 Excellence in Construction Eagle Award.