The Holly Ridge and Gardenia Way Residence Project consisted of one 9-story tower and one lower 7-story tower, both cast-in-place concrete structures. The 207,000 gross square foot structures house 803 beds with the 9-story upper building housing 496 beds for UCLA students and the 7-story lower tower containing 307 beds. The site area was 2.11 acres (91,744 SF) on a sloping hillside perched above the campus.

The sloped hillside situated between two busy campus roads created a challenge in both planning and construction for Holly Ridge and Gardenia Way Residence Halls. The site has a 75-foot elevation difference across the congested project site.  PCL’s proactive on-site BIM facilitator led the MEPF coordination effort throughout construction. Early on in the housing project, a mockup of the typical exterior elevation was built as a 3D model in BIM. First, PCL utilized 3D modeling to study the design-build shoring system pre-hard-bid.  

This mockup included much of what was required per specifications and resolved many of the execution concerns the designers and end users had with these systems. The hillside logistics and construction of large mat foundations, retaining walls, extensive underground utilities, (including electrical duct banks, sewer, water and stormwater retention system) and even crane and hoist placement were sequenced. The PCL BIM facilitator also worked with the architect to resolve many unanticipated design and constructability issues.

For a project of this size, achieving LEED Gold Certification means coordination between departments on multiple levels. During their submittal process, PCL’s LEED Coordinator reviewed all of the product data for formatting and compliance with LEED specifications for an array of subcontractors. This proactive approach kept the project on track and on budget for LEED certification. Subcontractors with diverse LEED requirements were given special attention.  When a subcontractor overlooked a seemingly standard component in their work when a specialized component was needed to be something specific to achieve LEED certification, PCL caught the oversight at the submittal stage. A simple fix of liaising with the subcontractor ensured the bid and the certification would remain intact.