Building Specialized Spaces for Global Leader IDEXX

Building Market

By Bill Grover, Senior Project Engineer

When IDEXX a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and distributing veterinary products, which also has water testing and Livestock, Poultry and Dairy diagnostics businesses was looking to expand its footprint into Scarborough, Maine’s Innovation District, Cianbro’s team knew just what was ahead of them. Headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, IDEXX has locations and laboratories worldwide, from The Netherlands and France to Brazil and Australia. With this in mind, Cianbro understood the new facility, named the Horizon Center, would have to be nothing short of state-of-the-art.

The team kicked off construction in March 2022, with the 114,000-square-foot building facility scheduled to open in summer 2023. When complete, the Horizon Center will provide IDEXX additional space for its Water manufacturing, Water and Livestock, Poultry and Dairy engineering, and product support departments that currently operate out of the corporation’s global headquarters.

The Horizon Center contains several specialized spaces that require complicated mechanical designs and specific systems to control cooling, freezing, humidification, and dust collection. All told, 25 major subcontractors are working on IDEXX’s Horizon Center.

In addition to several key Cianbro team members, A/Z Corporation, one of the Cianbro Companies, is the design-build partner responsible for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire suppression design. Cianbro is working with architects from Ci Design, structural engineers from E2 Engineers, and civil engineers from Gorrill Palmer. Constant communication has been critical during the design-build process, especially when working for a client whose needs are ever-changing.

The Horizon Center project certainly is not IDEXX’s first rodeo and, throughout the project, they brought numerous ideas to the table, challenging the team to innovate and find solutions for inefficiencies IDEXX discovered in their existing operations. The clear and prompt communication between all teams throughout design and construction has helped keep the project on schedule. As a result, the team is confident in turning over a building that meets IDEXX’s needs.

Though the final product will be a state-of-the-art facility for our client, there are some design and construction elements end-users might be interested in knowing about:

• Due to a high water table and sandy soils, the building’s subgrade had to be reinforced with stone aggregate piers. The building required 4,085 piers 18 inches wide, 30 feet deep, and spaced 6 feet apart.

• Nine truck bays will handle the shipping and receiving operations.

• The project scope includes relocating a nature trail for the Town of Scarborough. An existing trail segment was cleared and utilized for this project, so when the team nears completion, Scarborough officials will assist in locating a new route that will reconnect the trail ends further back in the wooded area behind the building.

Constructing a New ‘Maritime Front Door’ for U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Located on the banks of the Thames River in New London, Connecticut, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is a reflection of those who call it their alma mater – brimming with excellence and pride. However, in 2017, the USCGA Alumni Association Board of Directors determined that one of the buildings on campus, decades-old Pine Hall, no longer met the Academy’s academic, leadership, athletic, recruiting, and boat maintenance needs. After the Board conducted a preliminary feasibility study, they reached out to alumni, parents, and friends to see if they would provide the financial support needed to construct the new Maritime Center for Excellence to take the place of Pine Hall. There was overwhelming support from all, and especially the alumni, making this the largest alumni funded capital project to date.

In May 2021, after overcoming many challenges, the USCGA Alumni Association awarded A/Z the $18.2 million construction contract for the Maritime Center for Excellence. For Don Ross, A/Z’s Director of Integrated Facilities Management and Program Management Services, the project means more than just delivering a new, stateof-the-art facility. A 1977 graduate of the USCGA, Don also served for four years as a civil engineer instructor and rowing coach at the Academy. Don played an important role in the project’s preconstruction phase, having not only an in-depth knowledge of the USCGA’s expectations and mission needs, but also A/Z’s relevant experience and abilities to successfully deliver this project.

“For me, this is the pinnacle of my career at A/Z, and I’ve been here for more than 26 years,” says Ross. “The USCGA take their motto, ‘Semper Paratus-Always Ready,’ to heart, and our project team has adopted that mindset. I’m proud of the team we have, and I’m equally proud of this facility.”

The Maritime Center for Excellence faces true north right along the Thames River, serving as the Academy’s ”maritime front door” for visitors traveling by water and a gateway for sailing, ocean engineering, and environmental courses. Constructing a project like this next to the water can present a number of challenges, and among those is environmental protection and stewardship. The team developed and implemented a comprehensive Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to ensure the river was protected from hazardous runoff and silt from the job site. In addition, the wind coming off the river was often fierce and the temperatures were bone chilling, but the team kept the environmental controls in place so work could continue uninterrupted through the harsh winter.

“I would say we’ve been lucky to have the team that we’ve had,” says David Bible, Senior Project Manager. “The level of their engagement and the determination to get the job done, and to do it well, has been second to none.”

The upper deck features a multipurpose welcome center, conference room, offices, and a large open viewing area down to the lower deck boat maintenance shop. The lower level also houses everything needed to keep the USCGA waterfront training fleet in peak operating condition — engineering and science labs, workshops (carpentry, paint/ fiberglass, electronics, and engine), and parts storage. The large, environmentally controlled Boat Bay can also hold two L44 sailboats, unlike the old Pine Hall, which could only hold one.

Additionally, the SmithGroup design features a sweeping stainless steel roof framed by large spans of curvilinear glue-laminated (glulam) timbers. Tall glass curtainwall panels and wooden decks wrap around the structure. The building is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The unique design of the roof, which emulates the shape of a boat hull, is a feature that challenged the team with hundreds of coordinates to ensure the roofline was properly constructed.

“The team has proven that no matter what is put in front of us, we can overcome it,” adds Ross. “We’ve worked with tough site conditions and the building’s challenging geometry, but everybody is enthusiastic about seeing this project through. There won’t be another building like this on the USCGA grounds, at least not in our lifetime. It will be around for over a hundred years, I’m sure.”