The Bridge in South Dallas – photos by Charles Davis Smith, AIA Photography

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The project’s purpose was dramatic:  “to provide a dignified refuge for homeless, chronic and newly homeless.”

Its execution was artful:  “Translucent exterior panels fill the interim housing with abundant natural light by day; illuminated at night, it serves as a beacon of hope.”

Its storyline was a complex plot of planning: On-time material delivery and staging were essential to the task of modifying/constructing five buildings and conducting complete site improvements within one city block.

Add one more: the exemplary collaboration of owner, architect, and general contractor, and it becomes clear why The Bridge is this year’s Top Winner in the 2010 Topping Out Awards. (Quoted statements above are from the Topping Out 2010 web site.)

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc. (S&P) was the general contractor for The Bridge. George A.  Pontikes Jr., president and CEO, founded S&P in 1989. The company has five offices – Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and New Orleans – and conducts a full range of pre-construction, construction, and consulting services for the commercial, educational and institutional markets.

Typically S&P projects are in the public sector and located throughout the Texas-Gulf Coast region.

The owner/developer of The Bridge is the City of Dallas. Architects were CamargoCopeland Architects and Overland Partners. Structural/civil engineering was by Charles Gojer & Associates Inc. and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering was provided by Blum Consulting Engineering Inc.

For S&P, Chris Hays was the project manager and Eric Blankenship and Brad Taylor served as superintendents.

Combining new construction with renovation of an existing building on the 3.41-acre campus in south Dallas, The Bridge cost $17.2 million and was completed on a 16-month construction schedule.

The site consists of five buildings including a three-story services building, a one-story welcome building, a storage building, an open-air pavilion in the adapted existing warehouse structure, and a dining facility.

The major building materials for the exterior were cast-in-place concrete, structural and miscellaneous steel, CMU, brick veneer, aluminum storefront and curtainwall, translucent panel systems, modified bit roof, and metal roof.

The interior was comprised of metal stud framing and drywall, acoustical ceilings, resilient flooring, resinous flooring, ceramic tile, casework and painted walls/exposed structure.

Project challenges included a tight site, the need for extremely precise logistical planning, and the combination of new construction and adaptive use.

With a mission of “bridging” services for the homeless (job search, training, and temporary housing), The Bridge was an example of exceptional teamwork and successful public and private input.

Adaptive work of the existing building involved removing more than 50 percent of two exterior load-bearing walls, repairing structural cracks and extensive use of shoring systems.

In addition, S&P worked closely with the artist commissioned by the City of Dallas on an art project installation, which was included in the construction scope and required S&P to ensure proper glass openings where multiple façade systems came together.

Because gas service was not in place to support the new facility, S&P also coordinated closely with the city and utility services providers on that aspect.

The Bridge achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification for energy and environmental design.

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc. specializes in general contracting, construction manager-at-risk and design-build delivery methods. S&P has successfully completed more than 500 projects since its inception in 1989. –mh

©2010 Construction News, Ltd.