Swinerton Builders was the general contractor for the Sunroad Centrum Office Building in Kearny Mesa, Calif., which overcame a major challenge along the way.

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Swinerton Builders commenced construction on the Sunroad Centrum Office Building in Kearny Mesa, Calif. in March 2006, anticipating another successful project for its long-time client, Sunroad Enterprises.

However, the 180-foot-tall building was situated near Montgomery Field airport, directly in a flight path. Project Executive Pete Cox says the $53 million project had commenced smoothly until the building was topped out at 180 feet, and the FAA issued a warning that the building may interfere with the safe landing of aircraft. This brought the project to a complete halt, he recounts.

The city mandated the structure be lowered by 20 feet, Cox says. The project was already two-thirds complete, but the construction team was forced to shift gears and demolish the already completed top floor.

“This is something that nobody else has ever done before, as far as I know,” Cox says. “We were able to quickly prepare and execute a plan that worked amazingly well, especially considering the fact that the project was completed during the rainy season of the year.”

Swinerton demolished the top floor and removed all mechanical and electrical equipment with minimal damage to the interior of the building, Cox says.

The firm’s longstanding relationships with its subcontractors and the project’s owners contributed to Swinerton’s ability to minimize budget and schedule increases, he adds. “The project’s budget was increased from that point on, but we kept in constant communication with the owners,” Cox says.

“We took it upon ourselves to keep them posted about all changes, and had weekly meetings to make sure they were always fully award of the project’s progress.”

In addition, all subcontractors remained on the project until the building was fully completed in April, eight months after its original completion date. “We had very positive relationships with our subcontractors throughout the course of the project,” Cox explains. “They all stayed through the demolition and rebuild portions of the project,” Cox continues.

Seeing Green
The Sunroad Centrum project is the first pre-certified LEED core and shell project in the entire San Diego area, according to the company.

The firm recycled approximately 50 percent of its construction waste, and built low-water consumption landscaping throughout the property.

“A particular focus was on reducing water consumption, given the lack of local water resources in San Diego,” the company asserts. “Water-conserving toilets, urinals, showerheads and lavatory faucets were all specified, resulting in a water-consumption savings of more than 38 percent compared to standard fixtures.”

Swinerton as a whole stresses the importance of green in many projects. In fact, the firm’s headquarters in San Francisco received the LEED gold certification from the USGBC, Swinerton notes.

A Strong Impact
Swinerton Builders operates offices primarily throughout the West Coast, and has been active in the San Diego market since 1993, the firm says. The San Diego team paved the way for other contractors as it became the city’s first builder to specialize in high-density residential projects.

Today, it also is known for its work in commercial, healthcare, hospitality, higher education, retail and banking, Swinerton says. “Swinerton Builders in San Diego has played a significant part in the expansive growth of San Diego since 1993,” the company states.

“We offer dedicated teams of local San Diego experts in preconstruction, general building and special projects, combined with the resources and capacity of a larger, top-ranked national company capable of meeting any construction need.”

Swinerton Foundation
The company is committed to improving and contributing to the communities in which it operates. The Swinerton Foundation organizes and promotes programs that “support worthwhile youth, health, human service and cultural environmental programs on a select basis,” the company says.

The foundation’s mission is to positively impact the community and operate as a good corporate citizen. It also strives to draw on the firm’s experience and dedicated employees to “foster a positive image of the construction industry,” the foundation explains.

Community Involvement
The firm encourages employees to take on community leadership roles, as well. “As a company and as a corporate family, we have the duty to participate in the betterment of our communities,” Swinerton says.

“We think that our commitment to integrity and excellence in our people includes the responsibility to help those in need and encourage and support our employees to do likewise.

“While our resources are limited and there are more worthwhile causes than we can support, we know we need to do what we can.”