Learning Valuable Lessons
Construction Management Agency Method Leads to Successful School Construction
By Craig Workman
One of the key components that separates good construction managers from great construction managers is the ability to take the knowledge gained from each project and apply it on future projects. S. M. Wilson & Co. has been providing the Construction Management Agency (CMA) delivery method for public entities since 1994, working on $500 million worth of projects under that method in just the last five years. This includes projects for municipalities, healthcare facilities and public school districts.
When the voters of the Ladue School District passed a $29.97 million multi-phased renovation project in 2007, S. M. Wilson was chosen as Construction Manager for a variety of work planned for the district’s high school, middle school and four elementary schools. With the knowledge gained from other CMA building programs, S. M. Wilson began an intensive process of planning and implementing a successful multiple site building program. However, this project was not without its challenges. Working as a team with the architect, district and trade contractors, significant challenges were overcome and the lessons learned led to S. M. Wilson landing a similar building program for a neighboring school district.
“The project included major additions and renovations at six schools within the district. We managed construction activities from kitchen remodels to new tennis courts to auditorium and classroom additions,” said Mark Winschel, Project Manager for S. M. Wilson. “There were multiple phases and deadlines for each aspect of the project. The work included complete mechanical and electrical system renovations at the middle school as well as installation of fire sprinklers. The nature of this type of renovation work uncovered numerous unforeseen conditions with structures that in some cases were 50-plus years old. Working in and around occupied buildings during school hours and completing substantial renovation work over short summer breaks made matters even more challenging.”
Under the program, the high school received numerous updates to further elevate the school’s performing arts and athletic programs. The auditorium was expanded to include a new spacious lobby and a mezzanine to accommodate 720 total seats for audience members. All new lighting, audio and video systems were added in the auditorium as well as an orchestra pit. In addition, eight new tennis courts, a new track and Bermuda sod and an irrigation system for the football field were added at the high school.
The middle school cafeteria was expanded to accommodate the school’s increasing enrollment. In addition to the mechanical and electrical system renovations, the middle school work included a 25,000-square-foot, two-story classroom addition that included new science labs, three-stop elevator addition and a locker room and physical education space renovation.
The four elementary schools each received additions ranging from an elevator at Reed Elementary, to classroom additions at Conway Elementary and Old Bonhomme Elementary, to a classroom and library addition at Spoede Elementary. All four elementary schools also received completely remodeled kitchens with state of- the-art appliances and serving lines.
Finding Creative Solutions Together
“We had significant unforeseen issues to overcome including decaying plumbing pipe requiring replacement and escalating costs, at that time, for building materials,” Winschel added. “Our middle school electrical contractor went out of business during the early stages of the project, and we even had a flood at the high school that delayed the construction of the new track.”
Fortunately, S. M. Wilson knew what to do: get the architects, the key trade contractors and the school district together to study the challenges, listen to each other and develop collaborative and creative solutions that meet the program’s needs. Thanks to strong existing relationships with the architects involved and extensive educational facilities construction experience, S. M. Wilson was well-suited to meet these tasks.
“We have an extensive working relationship with S. M. Wilson dating back to the late 1990s,” says Art Bond, Principal of Bond Wolfe Architects for the high school portion of the Ladue School District project. “They bring a consensus-based relationship approach to the table, which is very valuable to the project’s owner. They come to us with ideas for resolutions, not just problems.”
The mechanical system at the Ladue Middle School was supposed to be completely replaced as part of the program, but budget constraints forced the Wilson team to seek other solutions.
“We had to rethink everything regarding the middle school HVAC system,” says Paul Kallestad of C.E. Jarrell, mechanical contractor for the project. “Thanks to a total team effort involving architects, trades, the school district and S. M. Wilson, things got back within budget and the resulting system met the building’s current and future needs. Throughout this trying time, S. M. Wilson maintained a positive atmosphere for finding solutions to problems versus blaming others for those problems.”
“We worked closely with the Wilson team to rethink the system and get it under budget,” said Todd Jacobs of Christner Inc., architect for the middle school and elementary schools renovations. “In addition, we achieved suitable compromises on many other aspects of the Ladue project which preserved design priorities while getting costs under budget.”
“Throughout the preplanning and the construction process, S. M. Wilson really listened to me and gave serious consideration to my input,” said Mike Noonan, Facilities Manager for the Ladue School District. “We established a strong mutual respect for one another, which led to better communication and better decision making throughout the life of the project.”
Once the construction work began, a new electrical contractor had to be brought in on short notice to take over at the middle school. Since Bell Electric was already working at the high school, and they were the second low bidder on the middle school, S. M. Wilson and the school district turned to Bell.
“Bell Electric came in and picked up the work right away, without hesitation,” Noonan added. “I think it was because of S. M. Wilson’s reputation and previous experience working together that Bell jumped in immediately—with no regrets. There was never any panic. Everyone showed confidence throughout this challenging time.”
Mixing Construction With Instruction
In order to meet tight construction deadlines, demolition and construction work at the Ladue school sites had to be conducted during the school year. This presents a need for additional safety planning, as well as the need to preserve a positive learning environment with few distractions.
“The key to running a construction site during the school year is early planning,” Winschel says. “We met with school officials to build a construction schedule based largely around the school’s schedule, right down to times of day when buildings would be empty. We also scheduled activities that allowed crews to work during extended summer and winter vacations, as well as other single days when school was out.”
Program Completed On Budget, Team Moves Ahead to Clayton
Thanks to all the planning, collaboration, communication and teamwork, the entire Ladue building program was 
completed within the budget, and the middle school project was completed well ahead of schedule, with work largely finished three months early.
“Completing the middle school classroom addition early enabled us to move students out of the temporary classroom trailers and back into an improved learning environment for the beginning of the school year instead of mid-semester,” Winschel said.
The high school and elementary school facilities were completed on schedule and in time for the beginning of the fall 2009 semester.
“They really laid good groundwork upfront on this project, which played out during construction and ultimately paid off well for everyone involved,” said Noonan. “We are very pleased with the result.”
This success has not gone unnoticed in the St. Louis area educational community.
S. M. Wilson was recently named Construction Manager for a $51 million program of building renovations, expansions and site improvements for the School District of Clayton in Clayton, Mo. The two-year, multi-phase building program will include improvements to Clayton High School, three elementary schools and the district’s Family Center. Funding for the program was made possible by the recent passage of Proposition S by voters in the School District of Clayton.
Clayton High School will receive three new additions, including a three-story science and technology addition consisting of new classrooms and science labs and a small two-story addition featuring athletic department space and new health classrooms. The school’s theater will also be renovated along with many of the existing classrooms and offices. The project also includes HVAC and building system upgrades.
The elementary schools will all receive additional classroom space, as well as repairs and updates to the heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems. The Family Center will receive additional early childhood education classroom space.
“The lessons we learned on the Ladue project will carry over directly to the Clayton program,” says
Winschel, who will lead the Clayton program for the same S. M. Wilson team that worked the Ladue program. “We now have an even better understanding of what we will face at Clayton since the scope of work is very similar to Ladue’s program. Specifically, S. M. Wilson will be using video cameras to inspect underground utility piping during the design phase at Clayton schools. Understanding the condition of this piping now allows repairs to be incorporated into the bid documents, which will be more cost effective than issuing change orders to a contractor.
“We are very happy to be working again with the same S. M. Wilson school project team,” said Bond, whose firm is also architect for the high school portion of the Clayton School District program. Trivers will be the architect for the elementary schools and Family Center. “There will be much carry over from the Ladue experience. I am able to talk directly with anyone at any level at S. M. Wilson, instead of only dealing with top executives. This builds trust and moves decisions and workflow forward more quickly and effectively.”
“We see ourselves as part of the community when we handle school projects,” Winschel says. “Schools are an important part of the communities they serve, and we want to make the schools we work on the best that they can be.”