Provided full A/E services, including obtaining required permits, for the $7,000,000 leasehold improvements to 2 new facilities, totaling 153,600 sq. ft., being constructed by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company for Hewlett Packard (HP) in the San Antonio Industrial Park, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  Future expansion of another 128,400 sq. ft. is provided for on the site.  Each structure was a build-to-suit for Nypro, the final tenant, to facilitate the assembly of HP printer equipment. Design and construction of the tenant improvements, including utility generation as required to support the project, was accomplished simultaneously with the design of the building shells by others for the Owner, Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO).  Tenant requirements required constant coordination, including full time on-site construction observation, between our firm and the Owner’s Architect to keep the project moving forward with the least possible disturbance.  Major items for coordination were to revise the structure to accept equipment mezzanines anywhere in the facility as well as locating thickened slabs that were required for CMU partitions before the slab was poured.The accelerated construction schedule required the turn around of each Client revision or request as quickly as possible in order not to delay the construction being done by others.  In general, this was achieved within 24 to 48 hours.

Provided Architectural, Mechanical, Electrical and Permitting services relating to the renovation of an existing storage warehouse in Catano, Puerto Rico for use as a sales, display, office and warehouse facility for W.W. Grainger.  No structural modifications were made to the facility.  The scope of work included 10,000 sq. ft. of new office space, on two floors, 34,000 sq. ft. of warehouse and 14,000 sq. ft of sub-let warehouse space.  The sub-let space is to be utilized by W.W. Grainger at a future date. Per the lease agreement, construction was required to commence before the Landlord finished vacating the premises.  This complicated the construction sequencing and required careful coordination between the Landlord and Contractor.  The design team was charged with the additional service of being the liaison between the Landlord and Contractor.  The more the Landlord’s schedule delayed the progress of the project, the more involved the design team's on-site responsibilities became.

Initially commissioned to perform a seismic and fatigue analysis on ABB’s Robotic Containerization System (RCS) prior to installation at multiple sites of the United States Postal System (USPS).  The original program called for 100 RCS’s to be installed at 51 sites throughout the United States.  The purpose of the analysis was to insure that the standard RCS could be installed at any USPS location, no matter the seismic zone rating.  In addition, each proposed installation site was visited and an Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Report was prepared on our findings regarding existing conditions, accessibility to the installation site and the structural adequacy of the facility to support the static and dynamic loads generated by the RCS.  Also, for facilities in seismic zones 3 or 4, an analysis of the facility was performed to confirm whether or not the existing structural components would be overstressed by the seismic loads generated by the RCS.

About midway through the program, the preparation of Site Survey Report, that addressed items such as verifying installation schedules and working with each facility to finalize the actual location of the RCS within the facility, was added to the scope of work.  Site Survey responsibilities also included performing a floor flatness survey and interviewing the USPS site coordinator at each site.

The interviews were used to determine each facilities specific requirements for loading the RCS, types of mail to be processed, scanner types, availability of utilities, type of data system and network connection, allowable working hours, parking requirements, loading dock usage, site cleanliness and security arrangements. Throughout the program, we had to constantly adjust our schedule to the ever-changing USPS installation schedule.

Prospective sites were regularly added to, and withdrawn from, the installation schedule by the USPS.  By working closely with ABB, we, in conjunction with ABB, were able to keep pace with the USPS to everyone’s satisfaction.The economic slow down delayed the expected exercise of the USPS’s option to install additional RCS’s.  However, after a four year delay, the USPS has now exercised its option to install an additional 67 RCS units spread over 40 sites and has hired us to continue performing the Site Surveys and A/E reports.