OAKLAND, CA—1700 Webster is a 23-story residential tower set in downtown. Designed by Perkins + Will, the building will feature a partially enclosed rooftop with a lounge and a pool, and a fifth-story elevated plaza deck with a fitness center and lounge areas. The project is scheduled for completion in winter 2018/spring 2019.

Privately held building contractor Suffolk was selected to manage the construction by Portland-based developer Gerding Edlen. Suffolk will utilize its “build smart” approach, such as using the latest lean construction principles, and virtual design and construction to enhance team-wide collaboration, increase efficiencies and minimize waste. The Suffolk team also performed extensive preconstruction services for the project, including a complete 5D estimating process.

In the first of a two-part exclusive, Sven Van Der Sluis, project executive at Suffolk, recently discussed the type of projects that Suffolk is undertaking, including the build smart approach of 1700 Webster.

GlobeSt.com: On what projects is Suffolk working in the Bay Area?

Van Der Sluis: Suffolk is experiencing significant momentum in the Bay Area, from San Francisco and Oakland to the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Our build smart approach and innovation mindset resonates with the tech-driven culture of the Bay Area, as well as with our local clients and partners. We have been able to introduce a new way of planning and constructing buildings on the West Coast that is disrupting the construction industry, and this market appreciates our willingness to push the boundaries of what is possible and transform the construction experience on project at a time. In fact, we just hit a major milestone, the topping off for our Station Park Green project in San Mateo, and we were just selected to manage two additional phases of that project, which is scheduled to be completed in summer 2019, in addition to our work at 1700 Webster in Oakland.

GlobeSt.com: Can you share more information about 1700 Webster?

Van Der Sluis: 1700 Webster is the first high-rise building to break ground in Oakland in nine years, making it a monumental project in this city. We're excited to be working with developer Gerding Edlen and architect Perkins + Will on the project. The building will be a 23-story 270,000-square-foot mixed-use tower featuring 206 apartment units, ground-level retail space and three levels of above-grade parking. We're thrilled to be managing construction of this signature project for Oakland and we're excited to implement our build smart approach to deliver a project experience unlike any other in the region, if not the country.

GlobeSt.com: What milestones have been accomplished on site?

Van Der Sluis: The most visible milestone on the project is the completion of the Level 5 amenity deck concrete pour. Above Level 5, the building footprint narrows as the tower structure continues to climb. Once we are past the podium level, the tower rises at a fast clip and it is always exciting to see how day-to-day progress changes the neighborhood character and skyline.

But beyond the construction activity that has begun to take place, a great deal of intricate and detailed planning has already occurred behind the scenes during the preconstruction phase, and that upfront planning is what makes our build smart approach so unique. By partnering closely with the client and architects earlier in the process, we created sophisticated, cutting-edge virtual models of the building that allowed us to build a 'digital twin' of the building.

The reality is that we built the building before we actually started building it. By leveraging this sophisticated model, we were able to identify design and constructability issues we wouldn't have been able to find with traditional drawings, and then address those issue using the model much earlier in the process, rather than fixing mistakes and redoing work in the field which can be extremely costly and time consuming. We spent six months prior to construction building the virtual model, which was an upfront investment in time and resources that we know already paid for itself during the early phase of construction. The model is then continuously updated throughout the life of the project.

GlobeSt.com: What is your role on the project?

Van Der Sluis: I oversee the day-to-day activities on the project and manage the incredible team of Suffolk superintendents and project managers who will make the client's vision for this project a reality. I am a passionate 'virtual' builder, and I absolutely love my job and my team.

GlobeSt.com: On what projects is Suffolk working in the Bay Area?

GlobeSt.com: Can you share more information about 1700 Webster?

GlobeSt.com: What milestones have been accomplished on site?

GlobeSt.com: What is your role on the project?

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