When completed in 2009, Miami-based 1450 Brickell will be a 580,000-square-foot, 35-story, Class-A office building. It is also shooting for LEED silver certification.

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With its latest office high-rise project, Coastal Construction Company is bringing one of the first LEED-certified office buildings to downtown Miami. Coastal is the construction manager for 1450 Brickell, a 580,000-square-foot, 35-story, Class-A office building developed by the Rilea Group. The $136 million dollar project broke ground last August and is expected to be completed in December 2009.

According to Vice President Jeff Lee, the high-rise project, which is currently targeted for silver LEED certification, was well into the design phase when the decision was made to pursue the certification.

“One of the challenges we had in preconstruction was maintaining the original project budget,” Lee says.

“Overall, when you look at the additional cost to achieve the LEED certification, it was less than one percent of the original budget.

“But as far as the payback is concerned, the savings on the maintenance and operational costs of the building more than pays for itself.”

The new wrinkle in the plans could have also delayed the start of construction and disrupted the entire project schedule. However, Lee says the Coastal team worked closely with the project architect, Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates Inc. (NBWW), so that the design changes necessary to achieve the LEED certification were made without any schedule delays.

“We were able to go ahead and proceed with the foundation construction while some of the decisions involving the LEED certification were being made,” Lee says.

According to Lee, this project is one of the first Class A LEED-certified high rise buildings built on Brickell Avenue in recent years. The project is 20 percent completed and Lee says Coastal has not run into any unanticipated challenges thus far.

Innovative Curtain Wall
Because of the complex exterior design, 1450 Brickell required a top-tier manufacturer. After interviewing various companies from around the world, Coastal selected Enclos Corp. of Eagan, Minn., to manufacture and install the system.

“Enclos and Coastal worked jointly to provide a custom design that was economical and within the project budget,” Lee says.

“The curtain wall interlocking system will be pre-assembled and pre-glazed in a controlled environment at the Enclos facility. This interlocking system is complete and does not require field applied sealants internally or externally”.

The numerous angles designed by NBWW in the building’s exterior are another challenge for the curtain wall contractor. “It is one of the premier systems available,” Lee adds.

“From top to bottom, the building tower introduces a variety of geometric angles and Enclos has maintained all of the angles with its glazing system.”

Vast Experience
Coastal Construction has a great deal of experience in high-rise construction in South Florida and, according to Lee, is one of the main reasons Alan Ojeda, president of Rilea Group, chose Coastal as the construction manager.

The teamwork of Ojeda and Coastal on 1450 Brickell has forged a positive relationship, according to Lee. “Alan is a very knowledgeable owner and has been involved with us from day one in preconstruction,” Lee says. “Now that the job is underway, he participates in weekly meetings.

“Alan does not run projects by committee; instead, as questions arise, he works in partnership with the architect, engineers and Coastal.

“Satisfying the customer is the top priority of Tom Murphy, CEO of Coastal Construction Co.

“This is our first project with Alan Ojeda, and it reconfirms that success comes with good working relationships and satisfying the client from the start.”

About Coastal Construction
Coastal Construction Company offers a range of construction services for commercial projects, such as hotels, schools, churches, offices and specialty buildings.

The Coastal family of companies is structured into separate entities according to areas of expertise.

These entities include Coastal Construction, Coastal Condominiums and Coa-stal Interiors, which are subsidiaries of Coastal Construction Group. Coastal Homes, which builds luxury single family homes, is a separate company.

One half of the Murphy family 100-year history in the construction industry has been in South Florida. Thomas P. Murphy and his brother, John, founded Coastal on the “same family values that have been passed down from generation to generation.”

The company currently has more than $1 billion worth of construction projects in progress. Coastal Condominiums focuses on the condominium and timeshare market. The company says it has completed more than 3,700 condominium units for more than 15 million square feet.

Coastal Interiors handles interior build outs and renovations in the residential and commercial buildings, including condominiums, offices and retail spaces.