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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2015
/ Value Beyond Building /
intendent Brian Yahn. “When you have something that size
moving through space on an active construction site, you
have to be sure everyone involved is in sync and everyone
else is aware and out of the way.”
In total, 2,686 pieces of precast were placed and linked to-
gether by more than 500 tons of rebar and nearly 60,000 em-
bedded connection plates. With precast deliveries beginning
in September 2014 and continuing until April 2015, it was es-
sential that each floor be closed in prior to concrete pours
to protect the newly poured slabs from freezing during the
winter months. When snowstorms occurred, snowmelt was
diverted to prevent damage and large heaters were brought
in to maintain slab dryness in wet conditions.
Davis Partnership’s design called for contemporary angled
disposition relative to adjacent I-25, providing an attractive
counterpoint to existing Tech Center office properties and af-
fording mountain views to from nearly every window in the
building. This allows unique programmatic uses to populate
the first through third floors abutting the parking structure
while floors four and above maintain great internal flexibil-
ity for future reconfigurations through floor plate uniformi-
ty. The juxtaposition of angles results in overlapping orders
where the fourth floor stretches across the parking structure.
Though Yahn has more than 17 years of experience, all
with A&P, facing new challenges is what he enjoys most.
“It’s an unusual intersection of exterior and interior spaces,
different building codes, and construction challenges where
two pieces come together,” remarks Yahn. “To maintain ther-
mal comfort the underside of the fourth floor had to be heat-
ed and the garage access on levels three and four connects to
fully finished interior lobbies without any transition space.”
Another area that contractors need to consider is construc-
tion’s impact on the surrounding community, especially in
a location that combines a heavily trafficked commercial
corridor with a seasonally populated entertainment venue
such as Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater. One of the complexi-
ties of the CoBank project was a utilities tie-in beneath Fid-
dler’s Green Circle, the primary road serving both the venue
and the construction site. The scope of work required A&P to
oversee the relocation of 250 feet of existing sewer line with-
in a 17- to 20-foot trench dug down the centerline of the road.
The sewer line had to be plugged and a temporary bypass
had to be inserted while the line was rerouted. This mandat-
ed 24/7 oversight of the bypass and coordination with South-
gate Water and Sanitation District and transit stakeholder,
RTD.
Today, as CoBank’s employees settle into their new offices
overlooking I-25 to the east and with views stretching across
the Front Range to the west, Anderson, Yahn and the A&P
team have their eyes on their next project. They know well
that regardless of what challenges they face, an open, hon-
est approach to identifying complexities and encouraging a
team-think mentality will continue to pave the way to con-
struction success and owner satisfaction.
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The nearly complete CoBank Center stands tall over a fountain on the plaza pointing the way to the main entrance.
