Code Red Consultants

Experience: Market: Education

University of Houston John M. O’Quinn Law Building

The University of Houston offers its students a leading interdisciplinary legal education program that is ranked one of the best in the country. This program has been accentuated through the construction of a new 5-story, 178,600 sf Law Center designed and led by Shepley Bulfinch. Named after the prominent Texas Trial Lawyer, the John M. O’Quinn Law building includes instructional spaces, advocacy skills labs, student areas, courtroom and event facilities, faculty and administration offices, student services, legal clinics, and a law library. In addition, the building also features a series of multi-story floor openings and stairways to enhance the communication amongst all floors in the building.

Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the University of Houston’s Fire Marshal’s Office. Code Red Consultants’ provided building, fire, and accessibility code consulting to ensure compliance with the University’s Fire and Life Safety code while meeting the design teams goals of providing a modern, student-focused environment. Most notably, Code Red Consultants’ assisted the design team in developing a unique code approach for a series of unenclosed vertical openings including several double height spaces as well as a 2- and 3-story communicating stairway.

Location

Houston, TX

Size

178,600 SF

Cost

$93 million

Completion

2022

Photography Credit

Dror Baldinger, FAIA
Architectural Photography

University of Houston John M. O’Quinn Law Building

The University of Houston offers its students a leading interdisciplinary legal education program that is ranked one of the best in the country. This program has been accentuated through the construction of a new 5-story, 178,600 sf Law Center designed and led by Shepley Bulfinch. Named after the prominent Texas Trial Lawyer, the John M. O’Quinn Law building includes instructional spaces, advocacy skills labs, student areas, courtroom and event facilities, faculty and administration offices, student services, legal clinics, and a law library. In addition, the building also features a series of multi-story floor openings and stairways to enhance the communication amongst all floors in the building.

Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the University of Houston’s Fire Marshal’s Office. Code Red Consultants’ provided building, fire, and accessibility code consulting to ensure compliance with the University’s Fire and Life Safety code while meeting the design teams goals of providing a modern, student-focused environment. Most notably, Code Red Consultants’ assisted the design team in developing a unique code approach for a series of unenclosed vertical openings including several double height spaces as well as a 2- and 3-story communicating stairway.

Sacred Heart University Martire Family Arena

The Martire Family Arena is the new premier hockey and skating arena at Sacred Heart University. The 3,600-seat facility houses both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I hockey programs, the University’s nationally ranked figure skating team and men’s and women’s club ice hockey teams. The new arena also serves as a classroom for SHU students pursuing studies in the areas of sports communication & media, sport management, and others. Other building features include a eight rows of premium seating, youth activities on the concourse, suite and club levels for hosting events and corporate outings, a Pro Shop for Pioneer fan gear, equipment, and skate sharpening, and a 180-degree view overlooking Merritt Parkway through a state-of-the-art smart-glass wall system.

In close collaboration with JLG Architects and the SLAM Collaborative, Code Red Consultants worked as the code consultant on the project, assisting the design team in navigating complex code requirements relating to means of egress and the interconnection to the existing West Campus Building. Code Red Consultants also assisted with securing state code modifications relative to the number of plumbing fixtures and omitting fire proofing in the roof. The effort included creating a computational fluid dynamics analysis to evaluate severe case fire scenarios within the arena to determine the temperature and radiant heat flux to which the steel trusses would be exposed.

The following links highlight the new arena:

The Martire Family Arena – Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Walkthrough

Sacred Heart University College Hockey Gameday

 

Location

Fairfield, Conn.

Size

122,580 GSF

Cost

$70 million

Completion

2023

Photography Credit

JLG Architects
The SLAM Collaborative

Sacred Heart University Martire Family Arena

The Martire Family Arena is the new premier hockey and skating arena at Sacred Heart University. The 3,600-seat facility houses both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I hockey programs, the University’s nationally ranked figure skating team and men’s and women’s club ice hockey teams. The new arena also serves as a classroom for SHU students pursuing studies in the areas of sports communication & media, sport management, and others. Other building features include a eight rows of premium seating, youth activities on the concourse, suite and club levels for hosting events and corporate outings, a Pro Shop for Pioneer fan gear, equipment, and skate sharpening, and a 180-degree view overlooking Merritt Parkway through a state-of-the-art smart-glass wall system.

In close collaboration with JLG Architects and the SLAM Collaborative, Code Red Consultants worked as the code consultant on the project, assisting the design team in navigating complex code requirements relating to means of egress and the interconnection to the existing West Campus Building. Code Red Consultants also assisted with securing state code modifications relative to the number of plumbing fixtures and omitting fire proofing in the roof. The effort included creating a computational fluid dynamics analysis to evaluate severe case fire scenarios within the arena to determine the temperature and radiant heat flux to which the steel trusses would be exposed.

The following links highlight the new arena:

The Martire Family Arena – Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Walkthrough

Sacred Heart University College Hockey Gameday

Boston Arts Academy

Code Red Consultants teamed in conjunction with the City of Boston, PMA Consultants and Lee Kennedy Company for the construction of the new Boston Arts Academy in Boston, MA. The new high-rise, high school building provides transformative artistic spaces including performing arts, dance studio, music and recording rooms and breathtaking views of the Fenway neighborhood from a roof deck. Code Red Consultants worked in conjunction with Lee Kennedy to develop a comprehensive NFPA 241, Construction Fire Safety Program to ensure the project was completed on time while mitigating the risk of fire during construction. Additionally, Code Red performed Third Party Firestopping Inspections and Smoke Control Special Inspection services on behalf of the City of Boston, via PMA Consultants. Our scope was to confirm that all fire rated joint assemblies and penetrations of passive fire rated barriers had been appropriately installed and the buildings stair and elevator pressurization systems were adequately commissioned ensuring new students, faculty, and visitors were provided with a fire safe environment.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

154,000 SF

Cost

$125 million

Completion

2022

Boston Arts Academy

Code Red Consultants teamed in conjunction with the City of Boston, PMA Consultants and Lee Kennedy Company for the construction of the new Boston Arts Academy in Boston, MA. The new high-rise, high school building provides transformative artistic spaces including performing arts, dance studio, music and recording rooms and breathtaking views of the Fenway neighborhood from a roof deck. Code Red Consultants worked in conjunction with Lee Kennedy to develop a comprehensive NFPA 241, Construction Fire Safety Program to ensure the project was completed on time while mitigating the risk of fire during construction. Additionally, Code Red performed Third Party Firestopping Inspections and Smoke Control Special Inspection services on behalf of the City of Boston, via PMA Consultants. Our scope was to confirm that all fire rated joint assemblies and penetrations of passive fire rated barriers had been appropriately installed and the buildings stair and elevator pressurization systems were adequately commissioned ensuring new students, faculty, and visitors were provided with a fire safe environment.

St. Mark’s Residential Life Building

The new Residential Life Building located at the St. Mark’s campus in Southborough, MA is a 3-story dormitory for students and faculty. This new dormitory is intended to house the incoming third form class and upper-class students at St. Mark’s, replacing the existing West Campus dormitory located on the campus. Spaces in the building include 130 to 140 beds in single and double rooms for students, 12 faculty apartments ranging in size from 3-4 bedrooms, shared common space, a great room, communal kitchen, and outdoor classroom (“Classroom-in-the-Sky”).

Serving as the project’s code consultant, Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the Town of Southborough’s Building and Fire Departments. Working with architect Goody Clancy, Code Red Consultants’ services included building, fire, and accessibility code consulting. Code Red Consultants also assisted the school with seeking multiple Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) variances that provided both the School and the building occupants with greater flexibility and increased security.

Location

Southborough, Mass.

Size

90,000 SF

Cost

$50 million

Completion

2022

St. Mark’s Residential Life Building

The new Residential Life Building located at the St. Mark’s campus in Southborough, MA is a 3-story dormitory for students and faculty. This new dormitory is intended to house the incoming third form class and upper-class students at St. Mark’s, replacing the existing West Campus dormitory located on the campus. Spaces in the building include 130 to 140 beds in single and double rooms for students, 12 faculty apartments ranging in size from 3-4 bedrooms, shared common space, a great room, communal kitchen, and outdoor classroom (“Classroom-in-the-Sky”).

Serving as the project’s code consultant, Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the Town of Southborough’s Building and Fire Departments. Working with architect Goody Clancy, Code Red Consultants’ services included building, fire, and accessibility code consulting. Code Red Consultants also assisted the school with seeking multiple Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) variances that provided both the School and the building occupants with greater flexibility and increased security.

Loyola University’s Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning

Originally constructed on the Campus of Loyola University in 1992, Beatty Hall was transformed into The Fernandez Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning through a substantial renovation and expansion project led by Shepley Bulfinch. The newly renovated building serves as the central hub for the campus community and features active learning classrooms, creative labs and innovation spaces, career centers, interactive lounges, and a café.  In addition, the building also features a four-story atrium to enhance the communication amongst all floors in the building.

Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the City of Baltimore’s Building and Fire Departments. Code Red Consultants’ services included building, fire, and accessibility code consulting as well as performance-based design analysis of the atrium smoke control system using a computational fluid dynamics computer model.

Location

Baltimore, Maryland

Size

61,600 GSF

Cost

$40 million

Completion

Winter 2021

Photography Credit

Shepley Bulfinch

Loyola University’s Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning

Originally constructed on the Campus of Loyola University in 1992, Beatty Hall was transformed into The Fernandez Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning through a substantial renovation and expansion project led by Shepley Bulfinch. The newly renovated building serves as the central hub for the campus community and features active learning classrooms, creative labs and innovation spaces, career centers, interactive lounges, and a café.  In addition, the building also features a four-story atrium to enhance the communication amongst all floors in the building.

Code Red Consultants was responsible for developing and presenting the building’s code compliance approach to the City of Baltimore’s Building and Fire Departments. Code Red Consultants’ services included building, fire, and accessibility code consulting as well as performance-based design analysis of the atrium smoke control system using a computational fluid dynamics computer model.

Major Howard W. Beal School

Code Red Consultants teamed with PMA Consultants, LLC and Fontaine Brothers, Inc. on the construction of the new Major Howard W. Beal School in Shrewsbury, MA. The school is designed to provide an inclusive environment for children in grades K-4 including classroom, media, music, performing and art rooms, physical education, cafeteria, and staff support spaces. Code Red Consultants performed firestopping special inspection services as required by the Massachusetts State Building Code on behalf of the Town of Shrewsbury, via PMA Consultants, LLC. The firestopping inspections performed included destructive inspections in accordance with ASTM E2174 and ASTEM E2393 in an effort to verify that the fire rated joint assemblies and penetrations of passive fire rated barriers were installed per the product design documents and the applicable regulations.

Location

Shrewsbury, Mass.

Completion

June 2021

Major Howard W. Beal School

Code Red Consultants teamed with PMA Consultants, LLC and Fontaine Brothers, Inc. on the construction of the new Major Howard W. Beal School in Shrewsbury, MA. The school is designed to provide an inclusive environment for children in grades K-4 including classroom, media, music, performing and art rooms, physical education, cafeteria, and staff support spaces. Code Red Consultants performed firestopping special inspection services as required by the Massachusetts State Building Code on behalf of the Town of Shrewsbury, via PMA Consultants, LLC. The firestopping inspections performed included destructive inspections in accordance with ASTM E2174 and ASTEM E2393 in an effort to verify that the fire rated joint assemblies and penetrations of passive fire rated barriers were installed per the product design documents and the applicable regulations.

Somerville High School

The scope of the project included the demolition of the existing Somerville High School Building and construction of a new High School at 81 Highland Avenue in Somerville, MA. The building is 6-stories above-grade providing approximately 396,000 square feet of space for programming including classrooms, offices, laboratories, dining, gymnasium and auditorium functions. The High School officially welcomed students in March of 2021 with a capacity to support almost 1,600 students.

Code Red Consultants was engaged for NFPA 241 compliance, third party firestopping special inspection, and smoke control special inspection services. We teamed with PMA Consultants, Suffolk Construction and architect SMMA to both develop a plan that met the requirements of NFPA 241, the expectations of the City of Somerville, and the construction methods of the contractor. Additionally, Code Red coordinated with the project team to complete third party inspections for opening protectives in fire-rated wall and floor assemblies and for the buildings smoke control systems.

Throughout the project, Code Red Consultants provided construction administration-related assistance and management on an as-needed basis to ensure that the project remained on track to achieve the target occupancy date and that compliance with NFPA 241 was maintained as the associated construction operations and hazards changed.

Location

Somerville, Mass.

Size

6 stories

396,000 SF

Cost

$256 million

Completion

March 2021

Somerville High School

The scope of the project included the demolition of the existing Somerville High School Building and construction of a new High School at 81 Highland Avenue in Somerville, MA. The building is 6-stories above-grade providing approximately 396,000 square feet of space for programming including classrooms, offices, laboratories, dining, gymnasium and auditorium functions. The High School officially welcomed students in March of 2021 with a capacity to support almost 1,600 students.

Code Red Consultants was engaged for NFPA 241 compliance, third party firestopping special inspection, and smoke control special inspection services. We teamed with PMA Consultants, Suffolk Construction and architect SMMA to both develop a plan that met the requirements of NFPA 241, the expectations of the City of Somerville, and the construction methods of the contractor. Additionally, Code Red coordinated with the project team to complete third party inspections for opening protectives in fire-rated wall and floor assemblies and for the buildings smoke control systems.

Throughout the project, Code Red Consultants provided construction administration-related assistance and management on an as-needed basis to ensure that the project remained on track to achieve the target occupancy date and that compliance with NFPA 241 was maintained as the associated construction operations and hazards changed.

UMass Lowell Coburn Hall

In January 2020, UMass Lowell moved back into the University’s original academic Building, Coburn Hall. This building underwent a dramatic $47 million renovation, restoration and expansion. Working closely with CBT Architects, this challenging project successfully maintained the historic fabric of the 123-year-old building while allowing for necessary upgrades to the facility including modernized classroom and office spaces, accessibility upgrades, and new MEPFP systems. The most noticeable change to the building is a four-story, 14,000-square-foot addition at the rear of the existing 60,000 SF facility. Beyond providing an accessible entrance to Coburn Hall’s lower level, the addition includes a second-floor hallway (lined with offices) that provides an accessible “bridge” between the building’s two wings. Code Red Consultants served in the role of fire protection, life safety, and accessibility code consultant on the project.

Location

Lowell, Mass.

Size

74,000 square feet

Cost

$47 million

Completion

January 2020

Photography Credit

Wikimedia user Ktr101 under Creative Commons license. No changes were made.

UMass Lowell Coburn Hall

In January 2020, UMass Lowell moved back into the University’s original academic Building, Coburn Hall. This building underwent a dramatic $47 million renovation, restoration and expansion. Working closely with CBT Architects, this challenging project successfully maintained the historic fabric of the 123-year-old building while allowing for necessary upgrades to the facility including modernized classroom and office spaces, accessibility upgrades, and new MEPFP systems. The most noticeable change to the building is a four-story, 14,000-square-foot addition at the rear of the existing 60,000 SF facility. Beyond providing an accessible entrance to Coburn Hall’s lower level, the addition includes a second-floor hallway (lined with offices) that provides an accessible “bridge” between the building’s two wings. Code Red Consultants served in the role of fire protection, life safety, and accessibility code consultant on the project.

Harvard University, Harvard Hall

Code Red Consultants teamed in conjunction with Harvard University, Jones Architecture, and Consigli Construction on the renovation of the iconic Harvard Hall. This challenging project successfully maintained the historic fabric of the building while allowing for necessary upgrades to the facility including modernized classroom space, accessibility improvements and upgraded fire protection features. In addition to reviewing the appropriate code approaches to facilitate these upgrades, discussions with the City of Cambridge were necessary in order to ensure an appropriate level of protection was provided as a dynamic Construction Fire Safety Plan was implemented on a day to day basis.”

Location

Cambridge, Mass.

Size

10,000 SF

Completion

2020

Harvard University, Harvard Hall

Code Red Consultants teamed in conjunction with Harvard University, Jones Architecture, and Consigli Construction on the renovation of the iconic Harvard Hall. This challenging project successfully maintained the historic fabric of the building while allowing for necessary upgrades to the facility including modernized classroom space, accessibility improvements and upgraded fire protection features. In addition to reviewing the appropriate code approaches to facilitate these upgrades, we navigated discussions with the City of Cambridge to ensure an appropriate level of protection was provided as a dynamic Construction Fire Safety Plan was implemented on a daily basis.

Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center, Lafayette College

Designed by Payette and serving as the new departmental home for Biology and Computer Science, the Integrated Sciences Center at Lafayette College is a 5-story building on a central campus courtyard that includes teaching labs, research labs, offices, a café, a rooftop greenhouse, and a spatially dynamic atrium that extends four stories. Code Red Consultants had several roles to play on the project both in design and during construction. During design, we provided fire protection and life safety code consulting services. The nature of the laboratory-focused facility necessitated our expertise on the use/storage of hazardous materials as well as the location and distribution of fire-separated control areas throughout the building. Strategic coordination was necessary given the adjacent central atrium, which was a focal point of the structure. We documented the code compliance approach of the fire-rated separations and egress compliance in a set of life safety drawings we developed for the permit submission. Due to the unique geometry of the atrium and requirement for emergency smoke exhaust, we also provided performance-based fire/smoke modeling services to evaluate tenability during egress and help size the roof-mounted exhaust fans and natural supply locations.

During construction, Code Red Consultants also served as the project smoke control special inspector. In this capacity, we were responsible for conducting design and shop drawing level documentation reviews across multiple disciplines, development of test plans for building smoke control, conducting field inspections during construction, and verifying performance of the smoke control system at the completion of construction. Code Red Consultants worked in conjunction with Turner Construction to coordinate testing within the building to ensure successful final acceptance testing by the City of Easton Building and Fire Departments and on-time delivery of the building to the Owner. The building was available to be shown off for an open house and tours on the first day of the Fall 2019 semester.

Location

Easton, PA

Size

103,000 GSF

Cost

$64 million

Completion

August 2019

Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center, Lafayette College

Designed by Payette and serving as the new departmental home for Biology and Computer Science, the Integrated Sciences Center at Lafayette College is a 5-story building on a central campus courtyard that includes teaching labs, research labs, offices, a café, a rooftop greenhouse, and a spatially dynamic atrium that extends four stories. Code Red Consultants had several roles to play on the project both in design and during construction. During design, we provided fire protection and life safety code consulting services. The nature of the laboratory-focused facility necessitated our expertise on the use/storage of hazardous materials as well as the location and distribution of fire-separated control areas throughout the building. Strategic coordination was necessary given the adjacent central atrium, which was a focal point of the structure. We documented the code compliance approach of the fire-rated separations and egress compliance in a set of life safety drawings we developed for the permit submission. Due to the unique geometry of the atrium and requirement for emergency smoke exhaust, we also provided performance-based fire/smoke modeling services to evaluate tenability during egress and help size the roof-mounted exhaust fans and natural supply locations.

During construction, Code Red Consultants also served as the project smoke control special inspector. In this capacity, we were responsible for conducting design and shop drawing level documentation reviews across multiple disciplines, development of test plans for building smoke control, conducting field inspections during construction, and verifying performance of the smoke control system at the completion of construction. Code Red Consultants worked in conjunction with Turner Construction to coordinate testing within the building to ensure successful final acceptance testing by the City of Easton Building and Fire Departments and on-time delivery of the building to the Owner. The building was available to be shown off for an open house and tours on the first day of the Fall 2019 semester.