\nBy Luke Streit, PE\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nBeing the local engineer helped us sprint to the finish line<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h6>\nBy Luke Str<\/span>ei<\/span>t<\/span>, PE<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nI\u2019ve had many experiences in which being a local engineer has played a \nmajor role in the success of a project, \nincluding in my role as IMEG\u2019s project manager for <\/span>MedPharm<\/span> Iowa<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIt was a complex project, and\u00a0<\/span>the state-awarded license mandated\u00a0<\/span>it had to\u00a0<\/span>be operational in just one\u00a0<\/span>year. Besides\u00a0<\/span>my team\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0technical abilities, one of the critical differentiators that enabled\u202f<\/span>us<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u202fmeet the\u00a0<\/span>tight\u00a0<\/span>deadline was our local presence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Specifically, this allowed us to bring the following value to the client:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Familiarity<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0IMEG, project architect FEH Design, and\u00a0MedPharm\u2019s\u00a0owner, Kemin Industries, all are in Des Moines and knew of each other\u2019s reputation and history.<\/span>\u00a0We also had recently worked\u00a0<\/span>together on\u00a0<\/span>Kemin\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>new world headquarters<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>complex<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Client\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>understanding<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Because of our past collaboration,\u00a0<\/span>Kemin knew we understood\u202f<\/span>their<\/span>\u00a0procedures and thought processes and could get up to speed quickly on a new project.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Community experience:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Our knowledge of and experience with the City of\u00a0Des\u202fMoines building department facilitated timely meetings with\u202fdepartment\u202fofficials\u202fprior to the receipt of the license\u00a0<\/span>and construction permits.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Knowledge of local codes: <\/strong>We understood the permitting and inspection processes as well as the code requirements that would come into play with the existing building a 1960s-era freight distribution warehouse.<\/li>\n
- Responsiveness:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Ongoing project meetings and s<\/span>ite visits to investigate existing conditions\u00a0<\/span>required\u00a0<\/span>only local travel<\/span>, and we were able to be on site at a moment\u2019s notice once renovation had begun.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Despite all the challenges on this project<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0our team \u2013 which included general contractor, Neumann Bros., and mechanical and electrical contractor, Baker Group \u2013 delivered the project on time and on budget.\u00a0<\/span>O<\/span>ur local<\/span>\u00a0presence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>as a\u00a0<\/span>big factor<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0success.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\nGetting a complex renovation project from design to operation in one year is no simple task. But that\u2019s what the design and construction team\u00a0<\/span>was asked<\/span>\u00a0to accomplish for\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>, Iowa\u2019s first medical marijuana manufacturing facility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nI served as project manager for IMEG, which provided MEP, fire protection, and technology\/security design for the facility. Our work with <\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>project<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>architect<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0began as soon as\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>\u00a0was granted a license by the State of Iowa in late November 2017, allowing them to manufacture three types of medical marijuana products to be sold at the state\u2019s five licensed dispensaries. The license also required that the company have the products ready to dispense by Dec. 1, 2018 \u2013 giving us 12 months to complete the project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBesides our technical abilities, two critical differentiators helped\u00a0<\/span>our team<\/span>\u00a0meet the state-mandated deadline<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>our local presence and\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>experience\u00a0<\/span>and familiarity with\u00a0<\/span>each other and\u00a0<\/span>the owner<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOur<\/span>\u00a0same team<\/span>\u00a0had recently worked on the design for the new world headquarters of Des Moines-based Kemin Industries,\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0parent company. Kemin knew we understood the firm\u2019s procedures and thought processes and could get up to speed quickly on a new project. Our local presence provided us with experience working with the City of\u00a0<\/span>Des<\/span>\u00a0Moines building department and made it easy for us to meet with department officials prior to the receipt of the license. This ensured we understood the permitting and inspection processes as well as the code requirements that would come into play with the existing building \u2013 a 1960s-era freight distribution warehouse near the Kemin campus. We also were able to investigate the existing conditions of the building.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAt the time of design,<\/span>\u00a0medical marijuana processing was a new type of project for the team,\u00a0<\/span>so<\/span>\u00a0Kemin arranged for us to visit a similar facility,\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>\u00a0Colorado, in Denver. We toured that facility and met with the users to gain a better understanding of the highly secure, strictly controlled scientific process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nEarly design and planning<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOur proactive investigations saved us valuable time and allowed us to hit the ground running once the project was given the green light by the state. We spent the first month meeting with the owner, user groups, and contractors to work through the tight project budget and schedule and conduct master planning-type exercises to determine not only what needed to be operational on day one, but also how to provide flexibility for future growth and expansion. We then conducted several rounds of conceptual design, aided by an architectural firm with expertise on the unique process equipment requirements. Using rendering software, we turned our Revit model into a 3D virtual walkthrough to help the owner see, understand, and approve the final design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe project delivery was a highly collaborative effort between the design team,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the general contractor, the fire protection and security systems subcontractors, and the mechanical and electrical contractor<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>he trade contractors also provided prefabricated assemblies, which were critical in meeting the timeline.<\/span>\u00a0We peer reviewed each other\u2019s work throughout the project and worked closely with the vendors to determine the utility requirements of all equipment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nTo allow\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>\u00a0the time it needed to grow, harvest, process, and package its\u00a0<\/span>first batch of\u00a0<\/span>product<\/span>\u00a0by the state\u2019s deadline<\/span>, design and construction w<\/span>ere<\/span>\u00a0phased, with the most critical and time<\/span>–<\/span>sensitive spaces brought online first.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPhase 1<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nDesign and construction for phase 1 consisted of office and support spaces, core mechanical, electrical, and utility spaces, and the \u201cmother grow room\u201d\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0propagation chamber for the genetic stock of all the plants. Th<\/span>ese<\/span>\u00a0prefabricated room<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0w<\/span>ere<\/span>\u00a0delivered to the site and then connected to all utilities, including reverse osmosis (RO) water.\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>he mother chamber\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>operational by February, allowing\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>\u00a0to begin growing breeding stock while the next two phases were being designed and built.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAll infrastructure that would be needed for phases 2 and 3 also was installed during phase 1. This included all AHUs, chillers, electrical gear, emergency generator, water service, sanitary sewer, and natural gas. The\u00a0<\/span>portion of the\u00a0<\/span>fire protection system\u00a0<\/span>serving phase 1<\/span>\u00a0also was\u00a0<\/span>operational, allowing the\u00a0<\/span>city\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0issue a certificate of occupancy\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>MedPharm<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so that it could\u00a0<\/span>begin operations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPhase 2<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe facility\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>vegetation and flower rooms\u00a0<\/span>and related support spaces were designed and constructed in phase 2 and came online in June \u2013 in time to receive the first crop of\u00a0<\/span>plants from the mother\u00a0<\/span>grow\u00a0<\/span>chamber.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThis phase \u2013 which connected each room to the building infrastructure installed during phase 1 \u2013 required several design iterations for grow lighting specifications, lighting layout, as well as HVAC systems \u2013 primarily cooling and dehumidification. Lighting, temperature, and humidity are critical for these rooms; any deviation from acceptable levels puts the entire crop at risk for lower yields and\/or disease, costing the owner in wasted resources, time, and revenue. Thus, sensors constantly monitor room conditions and all mechanical and electrical systems have redundancy<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A carbon dioxide enrichment system was also designed and utilized for the grow rooms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPhase 3<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe final stage of the project provided design and construction of the extraction<\/span>, quality control,<\/span>\u00a0and packaging spaces. These areas are essentially a lab space in which employees\u00a0<\/span>separate the oils from the\u00a0<\/span>dry cannabis\u00a0<\/span>matter\u00a0<\/span>and package the final products, which come in the form of creams, pills, and drops.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThis stage required attention to all utility\u00a0<\/span>and safety\u00a0<\/span>requirements for the processing and lab equipment, along with close coordination with the owner and equipment manufacturers.\u00a0<\/span> | |