Code Red Consultants
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Experience: Service: Smoke Control Design & Special Inspections

Proto

Boston Properties has been invested in Kendall Square for more than 30 years, and was inspired by the growing energy of the neighborhood to build apartments that offer the right blend of convenience, amenities, culture, and value for residents. Proto, a new Kendall Square apartment building located at 88 Ames Street, is a great example of this connected lifestyle, offering luxury apartments with city views, cool apartment building amenities, proximity to public transportation, and all the best the neighborhood has to offer.

The 22-story, mixed-use tower located in the heart of Kendall Square features 280 apartment residences and 16,000 SF of retail. Resident amenities at Proto include 24-hour concierge service, an outdoor terrace, an indoor fireside lounge, an in-house coffee lounge, collaborative work spaces, a fitness room, and a communal kitchen and dining room. Thirty-six residences at Proto will be designated affordable.

Code Red Consultants served as the smoke control special inspector and fire commissioning agent for the project, responsible for inspecting and testing the building’s smoke control systems as well as performing integrated testing of the building’s fire protection and life safety systems. Due to the project’s tight construction schedule, the firm’s early design reviews played an important role in ensuring the success of the project. Working in conjunction with both the design and construction teams, Code Red Consultants was able to identify ambiguity in the design documents and worked to clarify each trade’s required scope relative to their integration with one another. This level of involvement mitigated the potential for last minute change orders that could have caused a delay to the project’s opening.

FXCollaborative was the architect, and John Moriarty & Associates was the general contractor for the project.

Location

Cambridge, Mass.

Size

22 stories

Cost

$140 million

Completion

2018

Photography Credit

Boston Properties

Proto

Boston Properties has been invested in Kendall Square for more than 30 years, and was inspired by the growing energy of the neighborhood to build apartments that offer the right blend of convenience, amenities, culture, and value for residents. Proto, a new Kendall Square apartment building located at 88 Ames Street, is a great example of this connected lifestyle, offering luxury apartments with city views, cool apartment building amenities, proximity to public transportation, and all the best the neighborhood has to offer.

The 22-story, mixed-use tower located in the heart of Kendall Square features 280 apartment residences and 16,000 SF of retail. Resident amenities at Proto include 24-hour concierge service, an outdoor terrace, an indoor fireside lounge, an in-house coffee lounge, collaborative work spaces, a fitness room, and a communal kitchen and dining room. Thirty-six residences at Proto will be designated affordable.

Code Red Consultants served as the smoke control special inspector and fire commissioning agent for the project, responsible for inspecting and testing the building’s smoke control systems as well as performing integrated testing of the building’s fire protection and life safety systems. Due to the project’s tight construction schedule, the firm’s early design reviews played an important role in ensuring the success of the project. Working in conjunction with both the design and construction teams, Code Red Consultants was able to identify ambiguity in the design documents and worked to clarify each trade’s required scope relative to their integration with one another. This level of involvement mitigated the potential for last minute change orders that could have caused a delay to the project’s opening.

FXCollaborative was the architect, and John Moriarty & Associates was the general contractor for the project.

UMass Boston Residence Halls

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston opened its first-ever residence halls at the start of the 2018 academic year. The 1,077-bed student housing complex consists of two buildings, ranging from nine to twelve stories, offering a mixture of styles ranging from single-occupancy apartments to four-person units. It includes living-learning amenities open to the entire UMass Boston community, such as seminar rooms, study lounges, and a 500-seat dining commons. Code Red Consultants served as code consultant for the project, preparing a comprehensive code compliance approach report as well as construction fire safety and NFPA 241 programs.

Marking an important milestone for the university, the project aimed to provide an inclusive residential student environment. As such, Code Red Consultants sought and received approval for a plumbing code variance to provide gender neutral showers and bathrooms that are open to the corridors on each residential level for use by all occupants.

The UMass Boston residence halls were designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and built by Shawmut Design and Construction. The complex was built through a public-private partnership, a model that is the first of its kind for the UMass system. The UMass Building Authority contracted with Capstone Development Partners to lease a portion of the UMass Boston campus to construct the residence halls. Provident Commonwealth Education Resources, Inc., a nonprofit management entity, owns and operates the facility, and UMass Boston oversees student life.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

260,000 SF

Cost

$120 million

Completion

2018

Photography Credit

Code Red Consultants

UMass Boston Residence Halls

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston opened its first-ever residence halls at the start of the 2018 academic year. The 1,077-bed student housing complex consists of two buildings, ranging from nine to twelve stories, offering a mixture of styles ranging from single-occupancy apartments to four-person units. It includes living-learning amenities open to the entire UMass Boston community, such as seminar rooms, study lounges, and a 500-seat dining commons. Code Red Consultants served as code consultant for the project, preparing a comprehensive code compliance approach report as well as construction fire safety and NFPA 241 programs.

Marking an important milestone for the university, the project aimed to provide an inclusive residential student environment. As such, Code Red Consultants sought and received approval for a plumbing code variance to provide gender neutral showers and bathrooms that are open to the corridors on each residential level for use by all occupants.

The UMass Boston residence halls were designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and built by Shawmut Design and Construction. The complex was built through a public-private partnership, a model that is the first of its kind for the UMass system. The UMass Building Authority contracted with Capstone Development Partners to lease a portion of the UMass Boston campus to construct the residence halls. Provident Commonwealth Education Resources, Inc., a nonprofit management entity, owns and operates the facility, and UMass Boston oversees student life.

Hub on Causeway Tower

Code Red Consultants worked closely with Boston Properties (BXP) and John Moriarty Associates (JMA) on the new 100 Causeway office tower which is the last major phase of The Hub on Causeway development project in Boston, Massachusetts. The 100 Causeway office tower consisted of 24 newly constructed stories above the recently completed East Podium. The base building received temporary certificate of occupancy in Spring 2021 with ongoing fit-out by anchor tenant Verizon Communications Inc.

Code Red Consultants collaborated with both BXP and JMA to develop and implement a complex NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety Plan for the project. In addition, Code Red assisted in the development of a phased occupancy plan for the building which helped to allow the building to open on time with ongoing fit-out construction while maintaining the necessary levels of fire protection and life safety for the building.

Code Red Consultants was also responsible for performing Smoke Control Special Inspections of the building’s three pressurized stairways. During inspection, the smoke control special inspector (SCSI) verified that the smoke control equipment and system complied with the requirements contained within the applicable codes. The systems were accepted by the Boston Fire Department on the first acceptance test, helping JMA and BXP complete the project. In this spirit, the firm commissioned the building’s smoke control systems and achieved the Boston Fire Department approval on the first acceptance test visit.

Lastly, Code Red Consultants performed firestopping special inspection services for the project, helping to ensure the passive fire protection systems were appropriately selected and installed.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

1.8 million SF

Cost

$950 million

Completion

Ongoing

Rending Credit

Gensler

Hub on Causeway Tower

Code Red Consultants worked closely with Boston Properties (BXP) and John Moriarty Associates (JMA) on the new 100 Causeway office tower which is the last major phase of The Hub on Causeway development project in Boston, Massachusetts. The 100 Causeway office tower consisted of 24 newly constructed stories above the recently completed East Podium. The base building received temporary certificate of occupancy in Spring 2021 with ongoing fit-out by anchor tenant Verizon Communications Inc.

Code Red Consultants collaborated with both BXP and JMA to develop and implement a complex NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety Plan for the project. In addition, Code Red assisted in the development of a phased occupancy plan for the building which helped to allow the building to open on time with ongoing fit-out construction while maintaining the necessary levels of fire protection and life safety for the building.

Code Red Consultants was also responsible for performing Smoke Control Special Inspections of the building’s three pressurized stairways. During inspection, the smoke control special inspector (SCSI) verified that the smoke control equipment and system complied with the requirements contained within the applicable codes. The systems were accepted by the Boston Fire Department on the first acceptance test, helping JMA and BXP complete the project. In this spirit, the firm commissioned the building’s smoke control systems and achieved the Boston Fire Department approval on the first acceptance test visit.

Lastly, Code Red Consultants performed firestopping special inspection services for the project, helping to ensure the passive fire protection systems were appropriately selected and installed.

South Shore Hospital, Messina Addition

South Shore Hospital is the region’s leading provider of emergency, acute and outpatient care to the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. Replacing an outdated intensive care unit (ICU), the hospital recently opened a new 24-bed ICU suite with the addition of a two-story vertical expansion to the existing Messina Building. Code Red Consultants served in various roles on the project.

During the design phase, Code Red Consultants served as code consultant to SmithGroup (formerly TRO) and prepared a comprehensive code compliance approach report that addressed the scope of work necessary to implement the enhanced life safety features required in a high-rise structure in the context of the existing building. Additionally, Code Red Consultants assisted the project team in successfully obtaining approval from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to utilize the latest healthcare design requirements in the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) on the project. This was a key factor in aligning the design requirements of the IBC with the requirement of NFPA 101, and achieving a compliant and efficient design for the client.

Prior to the start of construction, Code Red Consultants assisted South Shore Hospital and Turner Construction with the preparation of the campus and project NFPA 241, Construction Fire Safety Plan. The plan outlined the requirements associated with protecting the contractor, fire department, and building occupants from the inherent fire hazards associated with construction. During construction, Code Red Consultants served as the Smoke Control Special Inspector for South Shore Hospital and assisted with the commissioning of the new stair pressurization systems.

Location

Weymouth, Mass.

Size

42,300 SF

Cost

$62 million

Completion

2017

Photography Credit

SmithGroup (formerly TRO)

South Shore Hospital, Messina Addition

South Shore Hospital is the region’s leading provider of emergency, acute and outpatient care to the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. Replacing an outdated intensive care unit (ICU), the hospital recently opened a new 24-bed ICU suite with the addition of a two-story vertical expansion to the existing Messina Building. Code Red Consultants served in various roles on the project.

During the design phase, Code Red Consultants served as code consultant to SmithGroup (formerly TRO) and prepared a comprehensive code compliance approach report that addressed the scope of work necessary to implement the enhanced life safety features required in a high-rise structure in the context of the existing building. Additionally, Code Red Consultants assisted the project team in successfully obtaining approval from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to utilize the latest healthcare design requirements in the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) on the project. This was a key factor in aligning the design requirements of the IBC with the requirement of NFPA 101, and achieving a compliant and efficient design for the client.

Prior to the start of construction, Code Red Consultants assisted South Shore Hospital and Turner Construction with the preparation of the campus and project NFPA 241, Construction Fire Safety Plan. The plan outlined the requirements associated with protecting the contractor, fire department, and building occupants from the inherent fire hazards associated with construction. During construction, Code Red Consultants served as the Smoke Control Special Inspector for South Shore Hospital and assisted with the commissioning of the new stair pressurization systems.

Serenity Apartments

Code Red Consultants provided consulting services for the new Serenity Apartments, a mixed-use building located at 101 South Huntington Avenue in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. Designed by Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, Inc. and developed by Longwood Group, the 195-unit apartment complex offers scenic views of Olmsted Park and provides 2,100 SF of retail space along South Huntington Avenue.

Code Red Consultants collaborated with Suffolk Construction to develop and implement a pre-incident fire plan for the project. Additionally, the firm worked closely with Longwood Group to prepare the Boston Fire Department (BFD) Place of Assembly permit application for the amenity areas of the building. Code Red Consultants also commissioned the building smoke control systems and achieved BFD approval on the first acceptance test, helping Longwood and Suffolk complete and open the project on time.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

244,700 SF

Cost

N/A

Completion

2017

Photography Credit

Longwood Group

Serenity Apartments

Code Red Consultants provided consulting services for the new Serenity Apartments, a mixed-use building located at 101 South Huntington Avenue in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. Designed by Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, Inc. and developed by Longwood Group, the 195-unit apartment complex offers scenic views of Olmsted Park and provides 2,100 SF of retail space along South Huntington Avenue.

Code Red Consultants collaborated with Suffolk Construction to develop and implement a pre-incident fire plan for the project. Additionally, the firm worked closely with Longwood Group to prepare the Boston Fire Department (BFD) Place of Assembly permit application for the amenity areas of the building. Code Red Consultants also commissioned the building smoke control systems and achieved BFD approval on the first acceptance test, helping Longwood and Suffolk complete and open the project on time.

RISE on Apache

Located across the street from Arizona State University (ASU), RISE on Apache is a new luxury student residence building offering an amenity-rich, off-campus housing experience for 833 ASU students. One of the tallest buildings in Tempe, the 15-story, 640,000 SF mixed-use student housing complex includes 384 residential units, three ground-floor retail spaces to engage the street, and a four-story parking structure and surface lot with a total of 414 parking spots. Amenities for students include a rooftop jumbotron, three outdoor shaded decks, a rooftop pool and hot tub, and a 24-hour fitness center.

Designed by Shepley Bulfinch, Code Red Consultants served as the code consultant on the project and developed a detailed code report documenting compliance with the local building and fire codes, reviewed architectural plans for code compliance, and worked closely with Tempe’s Plan Review Department to resolve any code-related concerns. Code Red Consultants also developed a Smoke Control Rational Analysis Report for the stairway pressurization systems.

Location

Tempe, AZ

Size

640,000 SF

Cost

N/A

Completion

2017

Photography Credit

Matthew Dula Photography

RISE on Apache

Located across the street from Arizona State University (ASU), RISE on Apache is a new luxury student residence building offering an amenity-rich, off-campus housing experience for 833 ASU students. One of the tallest buildings in Tempe, the 15-story, 640,000 SF mixed-use student housing complex includes 384 residential units, three ground-floor retail spaces to engage the street, and a four-story parking structure and surface lot with a total of 414 parking spots. Amenities for students include a rooftop jumbotron, three outdoor shaded decks, a rooftop pool and hot tub, and a 24-hour fitness center.

Designed by Shepley Bulfinch, Code Red Consultants served as the code consultant on the project and developed a detailed code report documenting compliance with the local building and fire codes, reviewed architectural plans for code compliance, and worked closely with Tempe’s Plan Review Department to resolve any code-related concerns. Code Red Consultants also developed a Smoke Control Rational Analysis Report for the stairway pressurization systems.

Prudential Center

Retained by Boston Properties, Code Red Consultants is providing ongoing smoke control special inspection services for all buildings contained in the Prudential Center, including the retail arcade, Prudential Tower, and other office buildings. The firm also provided NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety documentation, as required by the Boston Fire Department, for the entire portfolio of buildings in the complex.

Code Red Consultants addressed several challenges during this project. The older smoke control systems needed maintenance to achieve compliant performance, as they had not been tested to this rigor in many years. Permits by the Boston Fire Department were also held up until the Construction Fire Safety Programs were developed by the firm.

With Code Red Consultants as a trusted advisor on code compliance issues, Boston Properties is viewed as an innovator in the real estate community for how to organize and compile a comprehensive construction fire safety plan.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

>1M GSF

Cost

N/A

Completion

Ongoing

Prudential Center

Retained by Boston Properties, Code Red Consultants is providing ongoing smoke control special inspection services for all buildings contained in the Prudential Center, including the retail arcade, Prudential Tower, and other office buildings. The firm also provided NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety documentation, as required by the Boston Fire Department, for the entire portfolio of buildings in the complex.

Code Red Consultants addressed several challenges during this project. The older smoke control systems needed maintenance to achieve compliant performance, as they had not been tested to this rigor in many years. Permits by the Boston Fire Department were also held up until the Construction Fire Safety Programs were developed by the firm.

With Code Red Consultants as a trusted advisor on code compliance issues, Boston Properties is viewed as an innovator in the real estate community for how to organize and compile a comprehensive construction fire safety plan.

Partners Healthcare Office Building

Partners Healthcare’s new administrative office is located in Somerville’s Assembly Square and offers 825,000 SF of administrative office space and a 2,000-car parking garage adjacent to the new Assembly Row Orange Line MBTA station. The building will house 4,500 employees and also includes 100,000 SF of future retail space. Suffolk Construction Company was the project’s general contractor, and Gensler was the architect. Code Red Consultants served as the design team’s code consultant as well as the project’s smoke control special inspector and consultant to phased occupancy. Code Red Consultants’ team worked closely with project stakeholders and the City of Somerville to develop a code compliant approach that allowed the design to achieve the desired open concept office space. The firm demonstrated the code approach to the City of Somerville using life safety drawings that illustrated the compliant use of unprotected vertical openings, horizontal exits, and occupied roof decks.

Location

Somerville, Mass.

Size

825,000 SF

Cost

$465 million

Completion

2016

Photography Credit

GateHouse Media/Somerville Journal

Partners Healthcare Office Building

Partners Healthcare’s new administrative office is located in Somerville’s Assembly Square and offers 825,000 SF of administrative office space and a 2,000-car parking garage adjacent to the new Assembly Row Orange Line MBTA station. The building will house 4,500 employees and also includes 100,000 SF of future retail space. Suffolk Construction Company was the project’s general contractor, and Gensler was the architect. Code Red Consultants served as the design team’s code consultant as well as the project’s smoke control special inspector and consultant to phased occupancy. Code Red Consultants’ team worked closely with project stakeholders and the City of Somerville to develop a code compliant approach that allowed the design to achieve the desired open concept office space. The firm demonstrated the code approach to the City of Somerville using life safety drawings that illustrated the compliant use of unprotected vertical openings, horizontal exits, and occupied roof decks.

Millennium Tower

Code Red Consultants worked closely with Millennium Partners and Suffolk Construction Company on this iconic, 54-story luxury residential tower that transformed the Boston skyline and Downtown Crossing. This project was erected during a period of heightened awareness of construction fire safety in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To that end, Code Red Consultants worked hand in hand with Suffolk Construction to develop and implement a pre-incident fire plan that was viewed by many at the City of Boston ISD/FD as the gold standard. Separately, Code Red Consultants helped the building owner achieve early occupancy while still finalizing construction. This was achieved via close negotiations with city officials, where there was an upfront contract that the fire/life safety systems afforded to building occupants would not be compromised. In this spirit, Code Red Consultants commissioned the building smoke control systems and achieved the Boston Fire Department’s approval on their first acceptance test visit.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

1.1 million SF

Cost

$650 million

Completion

2016

Photography Credit

Millennium Partners

Millennium Tower

Code Red Consultants worked closely with Millennium Partners and Suffolk Construction Company on this iconic, 54-story luxury residential tower that transformed the Boston skyline and Downtown Crossing. This project was erected during a period of heightened awareness of construction fire safety in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To that end, Code Red Consultants worked hand in hand with Suffolk Construction to develop and implement a pre-incident fire plan that was viewed by many at the City of Boston ISD/FD as the gold standard. Separately, Code Red Consultants helped the building owner achieve early occupancy while still finalizing construction. This was achieved via close negotiations with city officials, where there was an upfront contract that the fire/life safety systems afforded to building occupants would not be compromised. In this spirit, Code Red Consultants commissioned the building smoke control systems and achieved the Boston Fire Department’s approval on their first acceptance test visit.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital NICU Expansion

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) completed a three-phase addition and renovation project of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Connors Center for Women’s Health Building. Code Red Consultants was retained directly by the general contractor, Walsh Brothers, to develop a comprehensive NFPA 241 plan that ensured the fire safety of staff, patients, and construction personnel over the course of the project, which was built adjacent to the active NICU and directly over the occupied Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Unit on the fifth Floor.

Upon completion of the expansion, Code Red Consultants helped the NICU maintain continuous occupancy during the subsequent and complicated phased renovation project. This was achieved via negotiations with Boston city officials, where there was an upfront contract that the fire and life safety systems afforded to building occupants would not be compromised. In this spirit, Code Red Consultants recommissioned the building smoke control systems prior to each turn of occupancy and achieved Boston Fire Department approval at each phase’s first acceptance test visit. Code Red Consultants’ hands-on approach ensured that the important NICU facility would open on time.

Location

Boston, Mass.

Size

20,000 SF

Cost

N/A

Completion

2017

Rendering Credit

Code Red Consultants

Brigham and Women’s Hospital NICU Expansion

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) completed a three-phase addition and renovation project of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Connors Center for Women’s Health Building. Code Red Consultants was retained directly by the general contractor, Walsh Brothers, to develop a comprehensive NFPA 241 plan that ensured the fire safety of staff, patients, and construction personnel over the course of the project, which was built adjacent to the active NICU and directly over the occupied Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Unit on the fifth Floor.

Upon completion of the expansion, Code Red Consultants helped the NICU maintain continuous occupancy during the subsequent and complicated phased renovation project. This was achieved via negotiations with Boston city officials, where there was an upfront contract that the fire and life safety systems afforded to building occupants would not be compromised. In this spirit, Code Red Consultants recommissioned the building smoke control systems prior to each turn of occupancy and achieved Boston Fire Department approval at each phase’s first acceptance test visit. Code Red Consultants’ hands-on approach ensured that the important NICU facility would open on time.