This project is a new ground up bank branch and lending office building in Tacoma for HomeStreet Bank.
The building structure is a fantastic combination of materials: structural steel, engineered I joists, wood framing, and metal stud framing. And that’s just the buildings structure. The exterior of the building features Allura fiber cement siding, stone masonry, accent steel, and aluminum sunshades for a decidedly Pacific Northwest look.
The variety and complexity of the building’s construction components provide two main challenges in connecting these materials. First, the tolerances are extremely tight, not allowing for adjustment. This required a heightened attention to detail and coordination in the shop drawing process. Triple checking dimensions was a must. Second, even if adjustments could be made, these materials are extremely inflexible.
The project site, previously having been the location of several gas stations over the years, but had undergone two thorough clean ups and was granted a Department of Ecology “No Further Action” required letter. Nevertheless, we uncovered 5 buried tanks on site. We removed these tanks from the site and properly disposed of them, excavated and exported the surrounding contaminated soil, and imported and placed structural fill material for work to continue.
During construction we combined our foreman’s proactive approach to schedule (looking for places to move ahead when possible), good weather (allowing for out of sequence work), and the site’s ample room (for parking, deliveries, and laydown) to finish 4 weeks ahead of our contract schedule. The result of thorough preplanning, flawless execution, and a great relationship between the contractor, owner, and architects is a project the finishes early, on budget, and with a happy client.