Experience: Service: Fire Protection & Life Safety Code Consulting

Fairfield University: Dolan School of Business

In September of 2019, Fairfield University moved its Charles F. Dolan School of Business into a new $40 million “state-of-the art” building. The 80,500 square feet Dolan facility includes a simulated financial trading room, big data analytics lab and an entrepreneurship center with ideation lab space — a flexible space designed around engagement with the local business community. Also featured are 16 technology-enriched classrooms, collaborative meeting spaces for students and faculty, as well as a new event space. There is a one-button studio, gaming simulation room, behavioral research lab, and the University’s Center for Applied Ethics. The Dolan School has about 500 graduate students and 1,500 undergraduate students. Code Red Consultants served in the role of fire protection, life safety, and accessibility code consultant on the project. Working closely with the S/L/A/M Collaborative, the design team was able to develop a unique code approach to achieve vertical connectivity through the building and create an alternative egress strategy that met the functional needs of the owner and life safety goals of the code.

Location

Fairfield, Conn.

Size

80,500 SF

Cost

$40 million

Completion

September 2019

Fairfield University: Dolan School of Business

In September of 2019, Fairfield University moved its Charles F. Dolan School of Business into a new $40 million “state-of-the art” building. The 80,500 square feet Dolan facility includes a simulated financial trading room, big data analytics lab and an entrepreneurship center with ideation lab space — a flexible space designed around engagement with the local business community. Also featured are 16 technology-enriched classrooms, collaborative meeting spaces for students and faculty, as well as a new event space. There is a one-button studio, gaming simulation room, behavioral research lab, and the University’s Center for Applied Ethics. The Dolan School has about 500 graduate students and 1,500 undergraduate students. Code Red Consultants served in the role of fire protection, life safety, and accessibility code consultant on the project. Working closely with the S/L/A/M Collaborative, the design team was able to develop a unique code approach to achieve vertical connectivity through the building and create an alternative egress strategy that met the functional needs of the owner and life safety goals of the code.

River House

Construction of the new River House in Providence, RI was recently completed with the ribbon cutting at the South Street site along the Providence River. The new 270-bed residence is part of a larger urban planning effort that includes new street grids, parking, and transportation. Beyond the 270 beds for graduate student housing, the 7-story building also includes numerous small amenity spaces and roof deck.

Code Red Consultants provided code consulting services across all phases of the design directly to the architect of record, SGA, including a comprehensive Code Compliant Report which was approved by the Authorities Having Jurisdiction. Beyond providing architectural plan reviews and code coordination, Code Red Consultants also served by directly interfacing with state and local Building and Fire Officials to address code challenges and provide compliance options throughout the construction process.

Serving in a consulting role, Code Red Consultants was able to provide valuable guidance across both design and construction for a complex residential project, resulting in the successful completion and opening of the new River House.

Location

Providence, Rhode Island

Size

265,000 GSF

Completion

2019

River House

Construction of the new River House in Providence, RI was recently completed with the ribbon cutting at the South Street site along the Providence River. The new 270-bed residence is part of a larger urban planning effort that includes new street grids, parking, and transportation. Beyond the 270 beds for graduate student housing, the 7-story building also includes numerous small amenity spaces and roof deck.

Code Red Consultants provided code consulting services across all phases of the design directly to the architect of record, SGA, including a comprehensive Code Compliant Report which was approved by the Authorities Having Jurisdiction. Beyond providing architectural plan reviews and code coordination, Code Red Consultants also served by directly interfacing with state and local Building and Fire Officials to address code challenges and provide compliance options throughout the construction process.

Serving in a consulting role, Code Red Consultants was able to provide valuable guidance across both design and construction for a complex residential project, resulting in the successful completion and opening of the new River House.

Pier 4 Office Tower

Code Red Consultants provided consulting services for the new Pier 4 Office Tower in Boston’s Seaport District. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and developed by Tishman Speyer, the 13-story, 375,000 SF office tower offers scenic ocean views and features three below-grade parking levels, ground-floor retail spaces, a fitness center, and an amenity roof terrace. The building is currently owned by CommonWealth Partners.

In collaboration with Turner Construction Company and City of Boston officials, Code Red Consultants worked to develop and implement a phased occupancy plan and an owner’s master construction fire safety program to allow for building occupancy while tenant fit-out construction continued on the upper levels. Code Red Consultants worked closely with Turner and Elkus Manfredi to prepare the Boston Fire Department (BFD) Place of Assembly permit applications for the amenity areas of the building. Code Red Consultants was also responsible for commissioning the building smoke control systems and achieved BFD approval in a timely manner, helping Turner complete construction and open the project on time.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

13 stories

Cost

Unknown

Completion

2019

Rending Credit | Photography Credit

James McLovin

Pier 4 Office Tower

Code Red Consultants provided consulting services for the new Pier 4 Office Tower in Boston’s Seaport District. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and developed by Tishman Speyer, the 13-story, 375,000 SF office tower offers scenic ocean views and features three below-grade parking levels, ground-floor retail spaces, a fitness center, and an amenity roof terrace. The building is currently owned by CommonWealth Partners.

In collaboration with Turner Construction Company and City of Boston officials, Code Red Consultants worked to develop and implement a phased occupancy plan and an owner’s master construction fire safety program to allow for building occupancy while tenant fit-out construction continued on the upper levels. Code Red Consultants worked closely with Turner and Elkus Manfredi to prepare the Boston Fire Department (BFD) Place of Assembly permit applications for the amenity areas of the building. Code Red Consultants was also responsible for commissioning the building smoke control systems and achieved BFD approval in a timely manner, helping Turner complete construction and open the project on time.

Longwood Medical Helipad

One of Boston’s world-renowned medical facilities recently completed a new helipad to jointly serve their own and other neighboring facilities in the Longwood Medical Area. Designed by NBBJ and constructed by Walsh Brothers, the new helipad sits 262 feet high on top of the Tower roof, more than 50 feet above the old helipad landing site. The new and improved helipad is larger and can accommodate heavier aircraft, including those used by the U.S. Coast Guard for medical emergencies from offshore sites. As part of the project, two of the existing elevators were extended two stories to reach the new helipad.

Code Red Consultants served as the code consultant, responsible for developing a detailed code report documenting compliance with the Massachusetts State Building Code and NFPA 418, Standard for Heliports, associated with this unique project. This report was utilized as the basis for review and approvals by the Boston Inspectional Services Department and Boston Fire Department. During construction, Code Red Consultants was also responsible for developing an NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety Plan to assist with Fire Department and emergency responder response and to help ensure that the property and hospital patients, staff, and visitors were safe at all times.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Completion

2018

Rendering Credit | Photography Credit

NBBJ / Walsh Brothers

Longwood Medical Helipad

One of Boston’s world-renowned medical facilities recently completed a new helipad to jointly serve their own and other neighboring facilities in the Longwood Medical Area. Designed by NBBJ and constructed by Walsh Brothers, the new helipad sits 262 feet high on top of the Tower roof, more than 50 feet above the old helipad landing site. The new and improved helipad is larger and can accommodate heavier aircraft, including those used by the U.S. Coast Guard for medical emergencies from offshore sites. As part of the project, two of the existing elevators were extended two stories to reach the new helipad.

Code Red Consultants served as the code consultant, responsible for developing a detailed code report documenting compliance with the Massachusetts State Building Code and NFPA 418, Standard for Heliports, associated with this unique project. This report was utilized as the basis for review and approvals by the Boston Inspectional Services Department and Boston Fire Department. During construction, Code Red Consultants was also responsible for developing an NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety Plan to assist with Fire Department and emergency responder response and to help ensure that the property and hospital patients, staff, and visitors were safe at all times.

Congress Square – Mixed-Use Renovation & Addition

Related Beal recently completed a substantial renovation and addition to 33 Congress Street, part of the “vertical urban campus” of the revitalized Congress Square in Downtown Boston. Once home to the world headquarters of Fidelity Investments, this property encompasses a full city block and is comprised of five interconnected buildings. Formally nine-stories in height, 33 Congress was gut renovated from the inside out and stacked with a new eight-story, vertical curtainwall addition.

Providing services directly to Related Beal as well as general contractor Consigli, Code Red Consultants prepared detailed NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety & Impairment Plans to ensure that fire safety was properly maintained throughout the construction process. Code Red Consultants then developed a comprehensive Phased Occupancy Plan and Building Evacuation Plan that was approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, allowing the building to be occupied in phases while still under construction. Code Red Consultants also provided consulting services for all phases of the project, including assisting Elkus Manfredi (interiors architect) with the development of assembly permit drawings and collaborating with the installing fire alarm contractor to generate phased fire alarm design drawings Serving in a consulting role, Code Red Consultants provided valuable guidance, insight and expertise for this complex adaptive reuse project in the heart of downtown Boston.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

17 stories

Cost

$130 million

Completion

2018

Rending Credit | Photography Credit

Related Beal

Congress Square – Mixed-Use Renovation & Addition

Related Beal recently completed a substantial renovation and addition to 33 Congress Street, part of the “vertical urban campus” of the revitalized Congress Square in Downtown Boston. Once home to the world headquarters of Fidelity Investments, this property encompasses a full city block and is comprised of five interconnected buildings. Formally nine-stories in height, 33 Congress was gut renovated from the inside out and stacked with a new eight-story, vertical curtainwall addition.

Providing services directly to Related Beal as well as general contractor Consigli, Code Red Consultants prepared detailed NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety & Impairment Plans to ensure that fire safety was properly maintained throughout the construction process. Code Red Consultants then developed a comprehensive Phased Occupancy Plan and Building Evacuation Plan that was approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, allowing the building to be occupied in phases while still under construction. Code Red Consultants also provided consulting services for all phases of the project, including assisting Elkus Manfredi (interiors architect) with the development of assembly permit drawings and collaborating with the installing fire alarm contractor to generate phased fire alarm design drawings Serving in a consulting role, Code Red Consultants provided valuable guidance, insight and expertise for this complex adaptive reuse project in the heart of downtown Boston.

Elmira Corning Regional Airport Modernization

In 2016, Elmira Corning Regional Airport, a county-owned public airport in Chemung County, New York, received a $40 million grant from the State of New York for use in a major redesign and revitalization project. The improvements aimed to increase airport passenger space by 25 percent by adding two new jet bridges, 300 new parking spaces, a new 3,000 SF bar and restaurant, and state-of-the-art passenger amenities. Designed by Fennick McCredie Architecture, the project included the demolition and reconstruction of the existing terminal to introduce new functional areas that are consistent with current airport standards of design. The new building includes ticketing, airline operations areas, baggage screening and handling, gateholds, concourse, and tenant spaces such as restaurants and retail shops.

Code Red Consultants was engaged to provide fire protection and life safety code consulting. The project needed to maintain a balance of functionality during construction such that the airport was able to remain operational throughout the construction process. The project’s scope and size required a complex solution for firewall separations to permit the desired openness between the nonsecure and secure portions of the airport under the roof of a connected singular structure.

Location

Horseheads, NY

Size

50,000 SF renovation and 35,000 SF expansion

Cost

$58 million

Completion

2018

Rendering Credit

Fennick McCredie Architecture

Elmira Corning Regional Airport Modernization

In 2016, Elmira Corning Regional Airport, a county-owned public airport in Chemung County, New York, received a $40 million grant from the State of New York for use in a major redesign and revitalization project. The improvements aimed to increase airport passenger space by 25 percent by adding two new jet bridges, 300 new parking spaces, a new 3,000 SF bar and restaurant, and state-of-the-art passenger amenities. Designed by Fennick McCredie Architecture, the project included the demolition and reconstruction of the existing terminal to introduce new functional areas that are consistent with current airport standards of design. The new building includes ticketing, airline operations areas, baggage screening and handling, gateholds, concourse, and tenant spaces such as restaurants and retail shops.

Code Red Consultants was engaged to provide fire protection and life safety code consulting. The project needed to maintain a balance of functionality during construction such that the airport was able to remain operational throughout the construction process. The project’s scope and size required a complex solution for firewall separations to permit the desired openness between the nonsecure and secure portions of the airport under the roof of a connected singular structure.

Plymouth State University, Merrill Place Residence Hall and Conference Center

Plymouth State University’s (PSU) newest residence hall, Merrill Place Residence Hall and Conference Center, is a seven-story, 288-bed building that allows PSU to further integrate its academic cluster model into the living-learning experience for students. In addition to being the premier residence hall on campus, Merrill Place also serves as the centerpiece to PSU’s growing conference and events department. With full-service conference facilities and on-site hotel-style housing, Merrill Place will help Plymouth State grow its summer conference business and have a direct, positive impact on regional tourism and economic development.

Code Red Consultants assisted architecture firm Perkins + Will in confirming code compliance for the design of Merrill Place as a student residential structure that doubles as a business center during the non-school months of the year. The code compliant design achieved a balance between student and public access.

Location

Plymouth, New Hampshire

Size

95,000 SF

Cost

$33 million

Completion

2017

Photography Credit

Anton Grassl

Plymouth State University, Merrill Place Residence Hall and Conference Center

Plymouth State University’s (PSU) newest residence hall, Merrill Place Residence Hall and Conference Center, is a seven-story, 288-bed building that allows PSU to further integrate its academic cluster model into the living-learning experience for students. In addition to being the premier residence hall on campus, Merrill Place also serves as the centerpiece to PSU’s growing conference and events department. With full-service conference facilities and on-site hotel-style housing, Merrill Place will help Plymouth State grow its summer conference business and have a direct, positive impact on regional tourism and economic development.

Code Red Consultants assisted architecture firm Perkins + Will in confirming code compliance for the design of Merrill Place as a student residential structure that doubles as a business center during the non-school months of the year. The code compliant design achieved a balance between student and public access.

Autodesk BUILD Space

Designed by architecture firm SGA, Autodesk’s BUILD (Building, Innovation, Learning, and Design) Space is a unique R&D workshop that provides a venue for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to experiment in a shared, collaborative environment. Located in the Innovation and Design Building in Boston’s Seaport District, the interior fit-out included various workshops and laboratories that are used as “incubator” spaces by industry innovators and startup companies.

Code Red Consultants provided fire protection and life safety code consulting for the 67,000 SF space that houses more than 60 pieces of advanced fabrication machinery including Autodesk’s cutting-edge digital fabrication technologies, 3D printing, laser cutting, six industrial robots, and 11 workshops for woodworking, metal fabrication, and the like. Beyond code consulting services, Code Red Consultants developed a comprehensive hazardous materials and operation code report to outline the required protection features needed for the incubator spaces.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

67,000 SF

Cost

N/A

Completion

2016

Photography Credit

Spagnolo Gisness & Associates

Autodesk BUILD Space

Designed by architecture firm SGA, Autodesk’s BUILD (Building, Innovation, Learning, and Design) Space is a unique R&D workshop that provides a venue for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to experiment in a shared, collaborative environment. Located in the Innovation and Design Building in Boston’s Seaport District, the interior fit-out included various workshops and laboratories that are used as “incubator” spaces by industry innovators and startup companies.

Code Red Consultants provided fire protection and life safety code consulting for the 67,000 SF space that houses more than 60 pieces of advanced fabrication machinery including Autodesk’s cutting-edge digital fabrication technologies, 3D printing, laser cutting, six industrial robots, and 11 workshops for woodworking, metal fabrication, and the like. Beyond code consulting services, Code Red Consultants developed a comprehensive hazardous materials and operation code report to outline the required protection features needed for the incubator spaces.

Yale University Sterling Memorial Library

Opened in 1931, Sterling Memorial Library is one of Yale University’s most prominent buildings and the largest of all the Yale libraries. This interior renovation project included the construction of new classrooms, meeting rooms, offices and collaboration areas on the entry floor, classrooms on the first floor, and alterations to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Code Red Consultants worked closely with the design team to develop strategies for egress, plumbing, and accessibility compliance, which can be challenging with small renovations in older buildings. The firm successfully presented a compliance alternative, which was approved by the Office of State Building Inspector, to address existing building constraints that made strict compliance impractical in this historic building.

Code Red Consultants also worked closely with Yale and the design team to develop a security strategy that met the University’s needs and maintained a compliant life safety strategy. The plumbing fixture approach that was developed by the firm helped to avoid unnecessary plumbing upgrades, a strategy that resulted in cost savings for the client.

Location

New Haven, Conn.

Size

20,000 SF

Cost

N/A

Completion

2018

Photography Credit

Christopher Gardner Photography

Yale University Sterling Memorial Library

Opened in 1931, Sterling Memorial Library is one of Yale University’s most prominent buildings and the largest of all the Yale libraries. This interior renovation project included the construction of new classrooms, meeting rooms, offices and collaboration areas on the entry floor, classrooms on the first floor, and alterations to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Code Red Consultants worked closely with the design team to develop strategies for egress, plumbing, and accessibility compliance, which can be challenging with small renovations in older buildings. The firm successfully presented a compliance alternative, which was approved by the Office of State Building Inspector, to address existing building constraints that made strict compliance impractical in this historic building.

Code Red Consultants also worked closely with Yale and the design team to develop a security strategy that met the University’s needs and maintained a compliant life safety strategy. The plumbing fixture approach that was developed by the firm helped to avoid unnecessary plumbing upgrades, a strategy that resulted in cost savings for the client.

Vassar Brothers Med. Center Inpatient Pavilion

Considered the largest construction project in the City of Poughkeepsie’s history, a new inpatient pavilion under construction at Vassar Brothers Medical Center will change how patients in the region experience healthcare. The new eight-story facility includes an emergency department and trauma center, state-of-the-art operating suites, a 30-bed critical care unit, more than 200 private patient rooms, a rooftop helistop, and a conference center. The innovative building will have a distinctive shape that follows the aesthetic of the Hudson River.

Working with architect CallisonRTKL, Code Red Consultants’ services included development of a comprehensive code report, preparation of life safety plans, and coordination with design team members and Authorities Having Jurisdiction on all code compliance facets of the project. Our firm was engaged early in the design process to establish a code compliance strategy for the building, a critical step in determining how the new hospital would be integrated with the existing facility. As a longtime consultant for Health Quest, Code Red Consultants was relied upon to help ensure that the facility would be code compliant for all regulatory agencies including the City of Poughkeepsie, New York Department of Health, The Joint Commission, and CMS.

One of the most significant challenges was that the healthcare requirements of the 2010 New York State Building Code, based on the 2006 International Building Code, were somewhat outdated. In some instances, these requirements were significantly more stringent than future editions of the Code as well as the provisions of NFPA 101. Code Red Consultants proposed solutions as alternative methods of design to alleviate design challenges and reduce construction costs. One of these alternative methods included the omission of smoke dampers at ducted penetrations of smoke barrier walls. This accepted solution saved the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in installation costs as well as significant inspection, testing, and maintenance costs over the life of the building.

Location

Poughkeepsie, NY

Size

752,000 SF

Cost

$500 million

Completion

2019

Vassar Brothers Med. Center Inpatient Pavilion

Considered the largest construction project in the City of Poughkeepsie’s history, a new inpatient pavilion under construction at Vassar Brothers Medical Center will change how patients in the region experience healthcare. The new eight-story facility includes an emergency department and trauma center, state-of-the-art operating suites, a 30-bed critical care unit, more than 200 private patient rooms, a rooftop helistop, and a conference center. The innovative building will have a distinctive shape that follows the aesthetic of the Hudson River.

Working with architect CallisonRTKL, Code Red Consultants’ services included development of a comprehensive code report, preparation of life safety plans, and coordination with design team members and Authorities Having Jurisdiction on all code compliance facets of the project. Our firm was engaged early in the design process to establish a code compliance strategy for the building, a critical step in determining how the new hospital would be integrated with the existing facility. As a longtime consultant for Health Quest, Code Red Consultants was relied upon to help ensure that the facility would be code compliant for all regulatory agencies including the City of Poughkeepsie, New York Department of Health, The Joint Commission, and CMS.

One of the most significant challenges was that the healthcare requirements of the 2010 New York State Building Code, based on the 2006 International Building Code, were somewhat outdated. In some instances, these requirements were significantly more stringent than future editions of the Code as well as the provisions of NFPA 101. Code Red Consultants proposed solutions as alternative methods of design to alleviate design challenges and reduce construction costs. One of these alternative methods included the omission of smoke dampers at ducted penetrations of smoke barrier walls. This accepted solution saved the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in installation costs as well as significant inspection, testing, and maintenance costs over the life of the building.