Challenge Design-Build Project Delivery Addressed

The Courthouse project had several past lives — each ending abruptly as the design soared well beyond budget. With the Courts and GSA under heavy political scrutiny by Congress to develop a project which would be viewed as tax dollars well spent, GSA opted to solicit and employ a design-build solution which would balance architectural significance, high sustainability and timeless design with tight budget constraints. As a result, the project team overcame significant challenges to meet all of these objectives and more. Furthermore, new standards for design-build best practices were developed which are now being employed on GSA projects nationwide.

Summary

Featuring a distinctive “floating” cube design, the new U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles is a monumental engineering marvel which was realized through a collaborative design-build approach. The project team overcame significant challenges, setting new standards of excellence for the design and construction of future judicial facilities. The iconic structure now stands as a testament to design-build delivery and is a model of civic architecture of which all stakeholders and U.S. citizens can be extremely proud.

Design-Build Team

Client/Owner: General Services Administration
Design-Builder: Clark Construction Group – California, LP
General Contractor: Clark Construction Group – California, LP
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Engineers: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Syska Hennessy Group Inc.
Specialty Contractors: CONCO, Herrick Corporation
Specialty Consultant: Herrick Corporation
Other Team Member: JACOBS
Duration of Construction: 36 months
Project Cost: $343,866,917