Campus Construction Project Earns Exclusive Award

Challenge: Residence Hall Renovation

The George Washington University (GW) is a renowned private research institution in the heart of the nation’s capital.  Through their ongoing building upgrade efforts, GW found that the highly trafficked dormitory corridors of Mitchell Hall needed updating before students returned for the fall semester. Given the heavy daily use of the hall’s corridors and common areas, the aesthetics and functionality of all nine floors needed rejuvenation to ensure students continued to have an exceptional on-campus living experience.

The planned renovations included new doors, acoustical ceilings, updated lighting, new paint throughout and replacement of worn carpeting with new flooring. Plus, all of this campus construction needed to be implemented in the short time before campus was buzzing with students again.

Solution: A Procurement Method Built for Speed

With less than 45 days before students returned, GW still needed drawings and a finalized Scope of Work for the renovations. To further complicate matters, Mitchell Hall was still fully occupied by summer program students. Traditional procurement methods would not have been able to accommodate the tight project window, so, with the clock ticking, GW turned to Job Order Contracting (JOC) for this time-sensitive campus construction project.

JOC, an Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) construction delivery method, allows many projects to be completed through a single, competitively-awarded umbrella contract, saving valuable time by eliminating the need to bid each project separately. Further, JOC gives project owners access to a pool of readily-available local contractors who have the opportunity to create long-term partnerships with owners by completing high-quality work.

Wondering if your next project could be a fit for Job Order Contracting? See what types of construction projects JOC is an ideal fit for, including renovations, maintenance and replacements-in-kind.

Result: Award-Worthy Campus Construction

The awarded JOC contractor, Centennial, was able to complete the renovations to all nine floors in just 35 days. Not only did Centennial complete the planned work, which included replacing fluorescent lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting and upgrading interior finishes, but contractors performed unexpected mold remediation for problem areas that were discovered during the demolition process.

As a result of the incredible time and cost savings of the project, as well as the collaboration between GW and Centennial to produce quality of the work on an expedited timeline, the Mitchell Hall renovation project won a 2019 Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting.