Bellows
BYLINE FALL 2018
P roject P rofiles
Texas Children’s Hospital Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower EOG Resources Inc. Office Building II
C ompany N ews P roject
in
P rogress
Presbyterian School Early Childhood and Lower School Building
Project Profile Texas Children’s Hospital, Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower / Houston, Texas
Going Up Through this 19-story vertical expansion, Texas Children’s Hospital added 640,000 square-feet atop the fully-occupied, Bellows-built building adjacent to the Texas Children’s® Pavilion for Women which was also completed by Bellows. The Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower, equipped with a roof-top helistop, houses new and expanded operating rooms, as well as a new pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) that spans four floors and has 84 beds, including dedicated neurological ICU rooms, surgical ICU rooms and a progressive care unit. Smith Legacy Tower is the new home of Texas Children’s Heart Center® – ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in cardiology and heart surgery. The Heart Center includes an outpatient clinic, catheterization lab, cardiac intensive care unit, four cardiovascular operating rooms, and cardiology acute care beds. What’s so special about this project is that it means never having to say ‘no’ to a child in need of complex care.
Creating an Environment of Care This is the third vertical expansion Bellows Construction has completed for Texas Children’s Hospital, and while every project is unique, we know the formula for a safe and successful project. The strategy for a project this size had to be meticulous. In fact, at the high point of the project, there were over 800 workers on site. When a project requires a robust amount of manpower, highly-specialized equipment, and precise coordination, it’s imperative to get the planning right. Brent Miller, Vice President of Estimating, and Charlie Kubin, now retired Vice President, worked with Texas Children’s and the architect, FKP | CannonDesign, on pre-construction services beginning in January 2014, about two years before construction. From the initial concept, the team worked closely, meeting weekly throughout the preconstruction phase of this fast-tracked project. Our previous experience working with Texas Children’s and the design team provided a familiarity and collaboration that was a huge asset in keeping the pre-construction phase on schedule with accurate budgets. The leadership team was made up of Tommy Kubin, Vice President and Project Executive; David Kubin, Vice President and Project Manager; and Nelson Kirkham as Superintendent. This was Tommy’s and David’s third major project with Texas Children’s and Nelson’s fourth while Charlie Kubin has represented Bellows on every major Texas Children’s project since 1989.
Before breaking ground on a project this size, the team collaborated, planned, designed, and most importantly, listened to what the client needed. The FKP | CannonDesign team also took thorough steps in making sure the design addressed and answered all of Texas Children’s needs. In order to facilitate this process, the team engaged a Family Advisory Group from the early stages of design through the mock-up process and clinical simulations. Recognizing the importance of family as part of the healing process resulted in patient and family spaces that balance the need for privacy with critical patient care, expanding the size of the ICU rooms, equipping each patient room with family amenities, and situating dedicated family lounges and
“W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation has been part of developing, changing, upgrading, and expanding our Texas Children’s facilities during my 29 years leading our organization. They have constructed many of our facilities in the Texas Medical Center, most recently the vertical expansion of our Smith Legacy
laundry facilities on every floor. When you walk the halls of any Texas Children’s building, you get a sense of community, hope, play, and patient-focused care with an emphasis on family support. Smith Legacy Tower continues that mission. This new inpatient pediatric tower is the realization of the CareFirst initiative that Texas Children’s launched a few years ago to provide a solution that will ensure their ability to care for children who need their specialized services. Having outgrown its current inpatient facilities in West Tower and needing to provide greater access to the most critically-ill children, Texas Children’s partnered with the best team to complete this extraordinary vision to serve more patients and offer state-of-the-art care.
Tower which houses our most critically-ill
As the tallest Texas Children’s facility to date, the new
children and families. Bellows helps us
Medical Center Campus.
create environments within which we do
Anatomy of an Expansion
25-story Smith Legacy Tower is a beacon on the Texas
When Bellows built the existing six-story building, it
what we do best - provide the best possible
was done with a future expansion in mind. One of the first steps for this project was to install the tower crane
care to our patients and their families.”
utilizing the existing mat foundation located four levels below grade. This meant the team had to do some
Mark A. Wallace
demolition work in the garage to open up the knock-out
President and CEO
slabs for the tower crane which was eventually set in
Texas Children’s Hospital
one of the loading dock bays.
Bellows Byline | Fall 2018
Project Profile Texas Children’s Hospital, Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower / Houston, Texas
“This complicated expansion in the middle of the Texas Medical Center required an extensive collaborative effort between the construction team, the design team and the owner. We were very fortunate to have a group of team members that were familiar with each other from previous projects of this size and complexity. The coordination did not stop after the contract documents were complete but carried on until the owner’s move-in dates. The successful completion of this project would not have been The tower crane extended from the lowest floor of the parking garage, through the existing six-story building, and would eventually continue through the lower roof of the new tower. A material hoist was also required and had to be anchored on the outside of floors three, five, and seven. Bellows removed existing windows, installed new supports for the hoist braces, and installed temporary protection to keep the building dry. These rooms had to be modified for use around the new supports. Outside of the required renovation, these were the only areas that had to be shut down throughout the entire project. One of the most difficult challenges was extending the seventh floor to the full footprint of the existing building. This required the installation of concrete columns above the executive space. The team had to be conscientious while working on this floor as it contained the mechanical, electrical, and generator equipment for the existing building. Minimizing shutdowns was the goal. The team worked around Texas Children’s board room meeting schedule
possible without the many special and dedicated subcontractors and suppliers. I would put them up against any others in the country. The project’s success took a dedicated and tireless Bellows team, including managers; field, main office, and equipment yard personnel; field supervisors; and workers. Looking back, it seems like the construction gates never closed with the daytime work efforts, the months of after-hours deliveries that were required to overcome the materials stocking challenges, and the nighttime building skin installation. Successful supervision takes a team of dedicated professionals. It was truly a remarkable team effort and my hat’s off to everyone involved.” Tommy Kubin Vice President W. S. Bellows Construction
and any other planned events. The team also added 17 new elevators and removed, reinstalled, and extended one of the existing service elevators. The original design had existing knock-out slabs for the new elevators but the work had to be carefully coordinated around the hospital’s operations. Bellows removed the knock-out slabs by chipping the concrete and then adding steel to support the new elevator rails. All of the demolition and steel installation work was done after hours. The building is now equipped with 23 elevators. BIM coordination was extensive given the high volume of technology and medical equipment. The coordination started months before the material was needed. Due to the limited amount of laydown space at the site, most of the MEP equipment was manufactured, preassembled, and delivered to the site after hours to be ready for installation the following day. Bellows and its subconsultants also had to coordinate the delivery and installation of over 20 air handling units to levels 15 and 25 using the tower crane. This had to be done before the exterior precast and windows were installed but then had to be immediately closed up to prevent weather damage. The exterior precast for the building was delivered from San Antonio to the Bellows main office’s equipment yard and was then transported to the project for installation by the night shift. In total, there were approximately 170 deliveries for just the precast alone. When Bellows completed levels 1-15 in May 2018, the staff, doctors, patients, and families moved in and hit the ground running while we were still working above. Levels 16-25 and the penthouse were completed in September 2018 with a total of 2,427,489 manhours. The recipe for success in completing this mega project was a combination of thoughtful design, great communication, coordination of the owner’s wishes, and our fastidious execution of a complicated construction sequence.
Ribbon-cutting of the Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower. L-R: Tony Mansoorian, COO, Nelson Kirkham, Superintendent, Laura Bellows, CEO and Chairman, Charlie Kubin, Vice President (ret), David Kubin, Vice President,
This building is a physical representation of all the
Tommy Kubin, Vice President
pediatric advancements Texas Children’s has accomplished. It’s a nod to those who have come before who helped bring Texas Children’s to the standard it is today and stands as a guidepost for striving to achieve the unthinkable. It’s a place of hope and healing for children from all over the world. It’s the Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower.
Bellows Byline | Fall 2018
Project Profile EOG Resources Inc. Building II / Midland, Texas
EOG Resources Inc. is one of the largest producers of oil in the lower 48 states and has made their mark in the oil and gas industry, to say the least. The success of the company meant an increase in jobs which eventually lead to a need for more office space for their Midland location. In 2013, Bellows completed their three-story, 86,000-sf office building and structured parking garage. The building was designed to be low-maintenance, energy efficient, and was built to serve as a prototype for future EOG developments. Fast-forward five years and Bellows was back for their expansion. Aside from EOG’s thriving success, the driving force for a second building was to bring all of their Midland employees together on one campus. A second building that is essentially a duplicate seems simple enough to build, but the combination of time between construction of the first and second buildings and the challenging location meant a team that was approximately 90% new. The main hurdle was getting the whole team familiar with the design, but after that was accomplished, the project progressed smoothly. Building II is a mirror image of Building I, is connected by an enclosed walkway, and was constructed on the site where the parking garage, now demolished, once stood. It was built to maximize office space and team huddle abilities while Building I contains the conference rooms, cafeteria space, and grand reception area. In addition to Building II, a four-acre, covered parking lot and a Rock Shop / Control Room were built on the same campus. During this time, we also completed a field office for EOG Resources in Monahans, located an hour southwest of Midland, as well as a build-out of two floors for their Downtown Houston office. Bellows is proud to see our clients grow and we’re always happy to provide the spaces they need to succeed.
Company News Bellows Promotions and Retirements
Back row L-R: Paul Oliver, CFO; Ray Mancias, VP; Brent Miller, VP of Estimating; Nick Mathews, Director of MCRT; Warren Bellows IV, VP of Project Controls; Tim O’Malley, VP. Front row L-R: Tommy Kubin, VP; David Kubin, VP; Jack Bellows, President; Laura Bellows, CEO and Chairman; Tony Mansoorian, COO; Russell Jones, VP; Tommy Lee, VP of Safety
Management Team Welcomes New President and Three Vice Presidents Jack Bellows, President, great-grandson of company founder Warren S. Bellows, joined Bellows Construction in 2008. He recently served as project manager for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation. Jack graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in civil engineering followed by a Master of Engineering in civil engineering. David Kubin, Vice President, whose grandfather worked for Bellows as a carpenter on the San Jacinto Monument and whose father recently retired after 63 years with the company, joined Bellows Construction in 1984. David has since worked on three Texas Children’s Hospital projects: the Mark Wallace Tower, the Pavilion for Women, and most recently, the Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower. Other notable projects include the 777 Tower in California and the Schlumberger Technology Campus in Houston. Tim O’Malley, Vice President, joined Bellows Construction in 1991 as a project engineer working on the Compaq Center project. He recently completed the award-winning International Union of Operating Engineers Training and Conference Center in Crosby, Texas. O’Malley holds a Bachelor of Construction Science degree from Texas A&M University. Warren Bellows IV, Vice President of Project Controls, great-grandson of company founder Warren S. Bellows, joined the company in 2007, following three years of summer internships, upon graduation from Duke University. Bellows IV holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in civil engineering with a structural concentration from the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke, where he was named a member of Chi Epsilon, a civil engineering honor society.
Retirements Bellows is sincerely grateful to Leo Richardson, Labor Foreman, Malcolm Kelley, Superintendent, Norm Molen, Superintendent, David Morris, Vice President, and Charlie Kubin, Vice President, for their dedication and outstanding work during their time at W. S. Bellows Construction. These talented gentlemen delivered the highest level of service to our company. Each spent an impressive amount of time at Bellows. In fact, if you add up their years of experience, it’s a combined 198 years! (Leo: 39, Malcolm: 28, Norm: 25, David: 43, and Charlie: 63) The jobsites won’t be the same without Leo’s strong presence and cando attitude. Norm’s gregarious personality and perfectionist eye cannot be replicated. We’ll miss Malcolm’s expert versatility and his gentle smile. In addition to delivering quality projects, David the “Pesterer” has built some of our strongest client relationships, setting us up for continued success. And last, but certainly not least, Charlie and his down-to-earth charm, supreme wisdom, and unwavering loyalty are legendary. Each of these gentleman has undoubtedly left his mark at Bellows and our company is better for it. Leo, Malcolm, Norm, David, and Charlie: Thank you so much for the excellence you have shown in your work for Bellows and for our clients. Your retirement is well deserved, but we will miss you. As we celebrate this next chapter with you, please know that you will always be part of the Bellows Construction family.
Bellows Byline | Fall 2018
W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation P.O. Box 2132 | Houston, TX 77252-2132 713.680.2132 | 713.680.2614 Visit our website: www.wsbellows.com
Project in Progress: Presbyterian School Early Childhood and Lower School Building
Project team celebrating no accidents to date at the safety celebration. L-R: Laura Bellows, CEO; Julia Odell, Project Manager, Scott Wingard, Superintendent; Tim O’Malley, Project Executive; Dr. Mark Carleton, Headmaster; David Morris, Project Executive; Chandler Sulton, Building Committee Chairman; Jack Bellows, President
An estimated $25 million project will expand Presbyterian School’s footprint to include a new four-story 53,165 square-foot Early Childhood and Lower School building with extensive renovations to the existing Middle School. The new building will house the Center for Early Learning with indoor areas opening to outdoor play and classroom spaces, new collaborative spaces that encourage critical and creative thinking in Lower School, new art spaces, areas for after-school programs, and nearly 2,000 square feet of additional outdoor play space. The second phase of the project is to fully renovate and expand the Middle School to better accommodate existing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) initiatives and to create gallery and performance spaces for student and community artists. Presbyterian School’s expansion and renovation will allow the School to accommodate its strategic growth plan and innovative teaching methods.