2020 was a difficult year for all, and as 2021 begins, we will be highlighting HP’s 2020 projects over the coming weeks, and celebrating the people of HPL that allowed for these projects to be successful.
Up first is the Purdue University Disability Resource Center – Testing Center.
The Purdue University DRC – Testing Center functions as a space that allows for Purdue Students with all different types of learning disabilities to take tests in a more inviting and functional environment. The space features aesthetically pleasing sound proofed rooms, white noise systems, wooden baffles and even a machine that stamps brail for students with vision impairments. Sean Barnes, one of HP’s Construction Managers, led the effort on this project.
With the project beginning in late February and ending in mid July, it took place during the height of Covid and quarantine. When asked what problems came up due to Covid, Sean said the main issue they ran into was lead times on materials, especially electrical and lighting. Since factories were shutting down and sending people home, there was no way of pinpointing exact delivery dates. With the help of Justin Caffey (another HP Construction Manager), the men were able to source and alternate supplier and keep the project on schedule.
This was also the first time progress meetings were conducted virtually in lieu of your typical weekly onsite project rundown, where the whole project team would be present. But with working together and precise communications, the team didn’t skip a beat.
So what was Sean’s favorite part of the project?
“The finished space, it looked so cool. They (Purdue) were in another area that they had outgrown a long time ago, and that area had been converted from dorms, nothing like what this new space allows for now.”
