Wells was an integral part of the project team’s value engineering process, helping ensure the development’s success. The original design used hand-laid brick, precast concrete and metal panels. By providing samples and mockups to showcase GateLite’s aesthetic versatility, Wells was able to achieve each of these building materials in the precast exterior using thin brick, acid etch and metallic staining to simulate metal panels. Also, the original superstructure designs incorporated perimeter drop-beams in the cast-in-place slab to support what was originally heavy exterior materials. GateLite completely eliminated the need for drop-beams due to its lightweight properties, and reduced floor to floor heights, facilitating substantial project savings.

In addition to value engineering efforts, Wells was hired by the developer to provide Design-Assist services. Wells’ preconstruction team included drafting and engineering, estimating, and project management. The design-assist included months of coordination with the design team and Revit modeling to advance the project from schematic design to building permit documents. In addition to working with the design team, Wells provided constructability reviews, project phasing and site logistics, and schedule reduction.