DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 19)

A rendering of the Pentagon Memorial at night shows its lighted reflecting pools. and Lee and Associates, LLC was named as the design-build team, with Balfour Beatty as general contractor and Lee and Associates as architect and engineer. Specialty contractors also delivered specific features of the memorial. (See “Snapshot.”) Selection of the design-build team emphasized the need to work with the Department of Defense, the Pentagon Renovation and Construction Program (PENREN) and the designers of the original concept. In addition, renovations to the Pentagon were going on during the memorial’s construction, and the design-build team had to coordinate with other contractors. seNsItIve coNcerNs Recognizing the importance of the Pentagon Memorial to the families of those who died and the country as a whole, the team approached the project with respect. Equally important was the need to stay within budget because the memorial was funded completely by donations. And the project needed to stay on schedule for the memorial’s opening ceremony on Sept. 11, 2008. To fulfill the memorial’s intent and ensure the structure would last a century or more, each component had to be made specifically for this unique design —no standard components would fit the concept. Members of the team spent nearly three years researching materials and construction took two years. Those involved went beyond the project administrators, designers and contractors to include the victims’ families and other key stakeholders. The team worked with 28 entities across nine states, developing and refining the design until it created a memorial that would satisfy both practical concerns and emotional needs. “The Balfour Beatty team achieved great results by remaining true to the primary design elements,” said James J. Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund Inc. and the brother of victim Dave Laychak, in a letter supporting the project’s dbia.org summer//2012 19 photo courtesy of IoMEDIa http://www.dbia.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DBIA IQ Summer 2012

DBIA IQ Summer 2012