OREM, Utah -- Furst Construction of West Valley City has completed work on a 8,200-square-foot facility for North Eastern Services (NES), a full-service vocational and day training center for people with disabilities, located at 443 So. Commerce Rd. in Orem. A ribbon cutting celebration will be held on location Thursday, November 18, at 1:00 p.m., followed by a public open house from 2:00-8:00 p.m.

The facility will be North Eastern Services' new headquarters, and includes workshop and day activity areas, as well as administrative office areas for its 300-plus individuals served. Construction began in September and was completed on time and under budget.

Furst renovated the existing two-level structure and added improved restroom facilities, a kitchen demo area and other multipurpose space. Designed by architect John Wilhite, the center is equipped to offer individuals a safe, relaxed environment where they can learn employment and personal living skills from trained professionals and volunteers.

NES offers day services, including workshop instruction on everything from meal preparation and health and safety, to community awareness and involvement, as well as employment opportunities and training; individuals can participate in work contracted by NES and performed at the center, or prepare for job opportunities in the community. NES has been in business for 22 years and currently employs 330 staff members at centers in Logan, Roosevelt, Vernal, Ogden, Clearfield, Layton, and Salt Lake City.

"This new facility will allow North Eastern Services to offer additional services and opportunities to these individuals," says NES president Wayne Crabb, "in a continuing effort to help people with disabilities achieve independence, build self-esteem, and enjoy a full quality life."

North Eastern Services was founded in 1983 and offers a broad range of services designed to support and assist individuals with disabilities and their families. In addition to being a caring and nurturing environment where individuals can receive support and respite, NES provides job training and placement as well as instruction on personal living skills. For more information on the center and its programs, please call (801) 426-4961.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Furst Construction has completed a 30,000-square foot renovation and expansion project for Wasatch Presbyterian Church (WPC), located at 1626 So. 1700 E. in Salt Lake City. A dedication ceremony was held on location Saturday, June 19, at 3:00 p.m., followed by a public open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The project included demolition of the church's existing fellowship hall, remodeling 15,000 square feet of existing space for a new fellowship hall and administration areas, and the addition of a 15,000-square foot, three-level facility to accommodate the church's children's education wing, including their 46-year-old accredited preschool, a 4,000-square foot multipurpose room with a basketball and volleyball court, and several classrooms.

The project was designed by Don Mahoney, principal of Salt Lake-based EMA Architects. EMA was retained by WPC in 2001 to develop architectural solutions to accommodate the church's 500-plus members and its growing preschool. Furst Construction was contracted in June of 2003. EMA's James Knight and Furst's Dean Jarman were project managers, and Robert Bennett, also of Furst, was superintendent.

Planning for the new building project began with the goal of revitalizing the church's campus, which was originally built in 1946. "This renovation will alleviate some of the problematic system overlaps typical of an older building such as ours," says construction committee chair Larry Ann Castle-Fericks, "and provide additional space for enhanced congregational fellowship and community outreach programs. It will allow us to offer better facilities as well as additional services for our members and our community."

Through an exclusive alliance with Ogden, Utah-based architect Daniel Cook & Associates (DCA), Furst and EMA were able to utilize some innovative concepts found in DCA's Building God's Way (BGW) program, designed to help Christian organizations realize significant savings on their construction projects.

According to Furst Construction president Bob Furstenau, "Wasatch has been able to take advantage of BGW's unique Ministry of Construction approach and Cornerstone Supply network, which have helped them increase their ministry while meeting project goals, resulting in high-quality new facilities for the church."

Some significant building upgrades included improving the structural integrity of the foundation, addition of an elevator, installing translucent wall panels for abundant, natural light in activity areas, and ensuring ADA accessibility throughout the campus. Construction challenges included weather-related delays at critical phases, as the Salt Lake Valley experienced its coldest winter season on record. Tying into older parts of the existing structure, which had undergone several renovations, both major and minor, over the years, was also challenging.

Wasatch Presbyterian Church also benefitted from volunteer and gift-in-kind donations throughout construction. In addition to helping with some of the actual construction-from installing the decorative wrought-iron railing to landscaping and periodic cleanup of the site-church members and volunteers provided lunch for the workers once a week, as well as hundreds of prayers for their safety and success.

The WPC project has been nearly four years in the making, with fundraising and planning for growth being especially challenging in order for the church to realize its much-needed renovation and expansion. WPC wishes to thank the Episcopal Diocese of Utah and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Foundation, from whom they have received contributions.

"This is a new beginning for the congregation of Wasatch Presbyterian Church," says Rev. David Henry. "We have been at the corner of 17th East and 17th South for 57 years and we are continuing to serve the community and serve God."

Wasatch Presbyterian Church has been involved in community outreach programs for several years, from hosting Boy and Girl Scout events and activities to conducting prison ministry and volunteering for the Salvation Army soup kitchen. For more information on Wasatch Presbyterian Church and Preschool, please call (801) 487-7576 or visit www.wpcslc.org.

SHERIDAN, Ore. - Sept. 15, 2004 - In a joint-venture partnership, Furst Construction of West Valley City, Utah, and Engineered Structures Inc. of Portland, Ore., have completed a new 83,000-square-foot public school for Sheridan School District 48J in Oregon. Faulconer-Chapman school opened its doors to nearly 600 students last week, ahead of schedule and under budget, thanks to an innovative building program and an exceptional project team.

The new K-8 school, built using a unique delivery method, is expected to attract interest from dozens of other school districts across Oregon and Washington needing new facilities faster and at lower construction costs.

Construction began in August of 2003. "We had a pretty demanding construction schedule to meet," says Furst Construction project superintendent Rick Chatterton, "but our crews were able to work quickly and efficiently, allowing us to meet and even exceed critical deadlines."

The new facility was built adjacent to the existing Chapman School campus, and will combine Chapman's fourth through eighth grades with the K-3 studentbody of neighboring Faulconer Elementary School, which was destroyed by a fire in March of 1998. All but the gymnasium of the existing Chapman School will be demolished now that the new facility has been constructed. The new Faulconer-Chapman school includes a second gymnasium, 31 classrooms, science and computer labs, special needs rooms, office and administration areas, a full-size cafeteria and kitchen, and two libraries-one for elementary students and one for mid-level grades.

School district saves money, learns ABCs
In addition to being finished ahead of schedule, the project came in under budget, saving the school district even more than they anticipated when they decided to implement an innovative and affordable building program over a year ago.

According to Superintendent Roy Williams, the Sheridan School District saved nearly $4 million by utilizing the "design-build" process allowed by the state's "Alternative Public Construction Procedures." ORS 279, applied initially by Oregon Department of Transportation for highway improvements, equally empowers school districts to adopt money-saving practices commonly used in the private sector. These include the design-build project delivery approach, combined with an innovative national program called Affordable Building Concepts (ABC), founded by Ogden, Utah-based architect Daniel Cook (DCA), designer of the Sheridan school.

While the traditional design-bid-build procedure is still the most common method of public contracting, many recent public projects for new schools have used alternative public contracting methods. The Sheridan School District chose the design-build procedure to substantially reduce their project cost and completion schedule. On all its projects, DCA is involved in every aspect of the conceptual planning, design and construction oversight of the school project. The ABC program incorporates affordable design concepts, factory-direct purchasing of high-quality materials and finishes, and a unique delivery system that incorporates all aspects of the construction process to ensure a faster schedule and initial savings during construction. It also provides long-term reductions in utilities and maintenance costs. Even the layout of classrooms, gymnasium, cafeteria and other spatial elements complement the construction and subsequent operational efficiencies.

According to Furst president Bob Furstenau, the cooperative nature of the ABC program fosters efficiencies at several critical phases of construction. "Because of our unique scheduling sequence, we are able to streamline construction trades, increasing efficiency and reducing costs to subcontractors, which in turn reduces the overall project cost. The initial cost of Faulconer-Chapman was based on a 13-month schedule, and we were able to finish in 111/2 months, which also contributed to the cost savings."

Furst project manager Craig Bennett commends local subcontractors, who played a huge part in the speed and quality of construction. "Furst has completed several school buildings utilizing the ABC method and design like that used in Faulconer-Chapman. We have become very efficient in the construction of these buildings. And although this was many of the local subs' first experience on a school of this type, their talent and dedication were instrumental in making sure the project stayed on track and ensuring materials and systems were installed correctly." Bennett adds that Furst looks forward to using many of the same subcontractors on future projects.

Rick Rainone of Cornerstone Construction Management, hired to represent the school district, notes that the ABC program assisted the School District in balancing the budget during the design phase. "It appears that the final construction costs will return a meaningful savings to the school district," says Rainone.

John Boutinen, Oregon and Washington business development manager with ABC, says, "Using the ABC program, we were able to deliver a larger, higher quality school faster and for nearly $4 million less than the project once proposed for the district. Equally important, the new school will cost less to operate and maintain because of the type of roof, insulation, lighting and air-conditioning systems designed into the typical ABC school."

"We're thrilled with our new school," says Superintendent Williams. "The solution we found in ABC has brought us a beautiful new building at a significant savings in time and cost to the public."

Affordable Building Concepts
Affordable Building Concepts provides for the affordable construction of private, charter and public schools and community facilities nationwide. The design and delivery of an ABC school is considerably different than most school construction throughout the United States. ABC takes each project from the start of design and master planning through construction and beyond, using affordable concepts that bring significant savings. Although project designs vary according to each school's needs, they share common concepts of construction, which provide low maintenance and utility costs and a substantial reduction in the overall construction cost.

All construction projects start with site issues, which ABC faces early on by coordinating with the civil engineer and working with the site topography rather than against it. Beyond the site, ABC's goal is to construct schools for the future, meaning no bearing walls exist; the buildings have large spans and as few columns as possible, allowing for additions and interior changes to be made easily and economically. And ABC plans for the possibility of additions from the beginning so that systems can be expanded for any future buildings.

Special consideration goes into the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in each school, including sophisticated "smart" mechanical units, high-efficiency light fixtures, and plumbing. Classrooms, while state-of-the-art, have finishes that are also chosen based on affordability and durability. The bottom line is that simple design elements and repeated concepts are used to save money, yet each design is customized to meet the needs of the school.

DCA is presently involved in over $800 million of school construction around the United States. Furst Construction has been involved in 13 projects over the past five years in conjunction with DCA and the ABC program. Furstenau says, "I believe it would be beneficial for other school districts to take a look at this approach to save money and operational costs on their new school facilities."

ABC's innovative solutions provide well-designed, high-quality facilities that boast low ongoing maintenance and utility costs within the school marketplace. All designs incorporate the proven and innovative techniques that have saved millions of dollars to schools throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.affordablebuildingconcepts.com.

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