Detailed cost, risk, and schedule analysis for a $295 million military laboratory complex

Why. A series of major earthquakes heavily damaged a military laboratory complex at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. This facility, totaling more than 185,000 square feet across multiple buildings, was centrally located at the client’s campus and housed a large amount of chemical, environmental, and industrial laboratory equipment. Being a critical component of the client’s mission, it was imperative for the client to quickly design and rebuild a new facility.

What. Our integrated design team developed detailed space plans to capture all the equipment, required adjacencies, supporting systems, and the overall flow of this building. We created a phased construction schedule that accounted for the ongoing repair efforts of nearby buildings, relocation to and from other facilities, and the long lead-times for custom cranes and laboratory equipment. We provided cost estimation support that included design estimating, rough order of magnitude (ROM) pricing, life cycle cost analysis, and scenario-based pricing. We also developed a complete cost model that included all funding sources and allocations, including building construction, contractor-provided equipment, owner-provided equipment, cranes, and fixtures, furniture, and equipment (FF&E).