Barings, a $431+ billion global asset management firm, engaged Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. to perform construction risk management services at Genesis Marina, a $740 million development project in Brisbane, California. Barings provided $450 million to finance the 570,000-square-foot waterfront project on the San Francisco Bay. Partner provided a Document and Cost Review, Project Budget Review, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and ongoing Construction Project Monitoring and Advisory services over the course of three years.
“Your efforts on this project have been unmatched and I am truly appreciative for all that you and your team have contributed to its success.”
— According to Don Ohle, Senior Director of Construction Risk Management at Barings
Genesis Marina is a Class-A, purpose-built campus of five and six-story buildings and a central plaza on 8.9 acres. The buildings are set above a two-level, site-wide structure containing parking, storage and utility space, and amenities such as conference rooms, a fitness center, and retail/café spaces. The design is built to meet LEED Gold standards, includes numerous resiliency measures and is the first-ever TRUE certified construction project.
In addition to its size and complexity, the site, timing, and use of the Project presented construction challenges which required a high level of vigilance and engagement.
Sub-slab waterproofing was required sitewide. As with many waterfront projects, the Genesis Marina site rests on hundreds of piles with a horizontal waterproofing membrane tied into the pile caps. Because installation of the waterproofing membrane concluded during the rainy season, until the slabs were poured, increased hydrostatic pressure due to ground water would routinely blow out the waterproofing tie-ins at the pile caps, requiring repairs. The team accelerated pouring mat slabs to resolve the eliminate the pressure differential, which resolved the issue.
The potential for differential settlement was considered in context of construction sequencing of the podium. Most of the prominent podium is exposed, formed concrete with a very high-quality finish. After a superficial crack appeared in an early entry point wall, the Structural Engineer of Record and the General Contractor reviewed the pour sequence and concluded that the podium concrete would be poured evenly across the site rather than in phases as initially conceived. There were no issues with concrete integrity or finish quality thereafter. It was a major revision in a highly detailed and thoughtful construction schedule.
The Developer was able to secure a primary tenant for over one-third of the space early in the process, offering cost and time benefits to all parties. In life science projects tenants’ needs include costly and specialized HVAC systems including venting and smoke control with redundancy and separation from adjacent spaces. Because core and shell construction was only 60- 70% complete when the tenant’s specific needs became known, it was possible to transfer some of the TI scope to the core and shell contract to be done at much lower cost and with a time savings that would not have been possible had the tenant entered later in construction or upon completion as is common.
Barings invested in Partner’s construction risk management program to protect its nearly half-billion dollars invested in this large, complex development project. Partner provided a sophisticated project team with experience supporting institutional clients, including a dedicated advisor who remained with the project for its three-year duration. The project was completed on time and within budget. According to Don Ohle, Senior Director of Construction Risk Management at Barings, “Your efforts on this project have been unmatched and I am truly appreciative for all that you and your team have contributed to its success.”
