One of the keys to successfully managing a renovation on a large college campus is dealing skillfully with scheduling concerns. There are a variety of ways to do this.
It is important, for example, to identify potential constraints early, build them into the project schedule, and include them in contractor agreements. Understanding that construction work was to be completed in a research lab, planners found it pivotal to connect with the dominant user groups, which were the researchers. Their schedules were reviewed, including when they would be using the labs or when they would be in their offices, and to ensure that schedules aligned to avoid project disruption or delay. This allowed project teams to plan ahead and ultimately create an accurate time frame that was included in contractor agreements.
In addition, when working on a metropolitan college campus it is important to make each project’s timeline very specific to its surroundings. For example, proximity plays a large role in scheduling. Chem ’73 is very close to the university’s athletic fields, so it was impossible to rely heavily on crane work at times when the area was highly populated during the different "home" sporting events. Taking this kind of potential constraint into consideration, it is valuable to budget off-hour and non-standard working shifts. Flexibility is key. Consider setting up a schedule with floating activity that can continue unaffected by changing university constraints.
Mastering Unique Challenges of College Renovations
Managing Scheduling Concerns During College Renovation
Smart Budgeting, Good Communication Keep College Renovations Moving Smoothly
