Clark Delivers ISO HQ Early

February 15, 2011
By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

Clark Design/Build of California has wrapped up construction of the $114 million California Independent System Operator Corp. Iron Point headquarters in Folsom, Calif. Relying on the Integrated Steel Design and Delivery process, an Integrated Project Delivery method, Clark and partners were able to complete development of the 278,000 square-foot facility three months earlier than expected.

California ISO’s new home is divided into three wings, including a five-story office building designed to accommodate over 500 staff members. A two-story public wing features a main lobby, training rooms, a cafeteria and support facilities. And a third segment of the property, the mission critical wing, contains a 40,000 square-foot data center, as well as mechanical and electrical utility systems.

Designed by Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects, the headquarters facility qualifies for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum certification, encompassing such green features as an underfloor air distribution system, a greywater irrigation system, photovoltaic solar panels, reflective coating on asphalt parking surfaces and a highly efficient energy system.

California ISO had originally expected completion of their new digs to occur in spring 2011. However, by employing the ISDD process, which promotes open communication and trust between all parties involved in a construction project, Clark and team members Buehler & Buehler Structural Engineers Inc. and Herrick Corp. were able to move quickly through the building stage. Material takeoff and mill ordering occurred at a faster pace, Requests for Information decreased, and with the use of electronic review, the shop drawing production/review/approval process accelerated.

ISDD not only allowed for an early project delivery, it facilitated cost savings, yet, ISDD may not be for everyone. “The ISDD process is changing the traditional standard of practice, and some contractors and fabricators are uncomfortable with embracing this change due to their inherent risk aversion perspective,” the American Society of Civil Engineers notes in a summary of a conference proceeding paper. “As espoused in all the IPD publications, the only way to move beyond that paradigm is to assemble a team you can trust.”