The Amway Center began its journey on July 26, 2007 when the Orange County Commission approved a public building program in a 5 – 2 vote. This program included a new events center, performing arts center and renovation of the Citrus Bowl Stadium.
On July 25, 2008, the stadium started taking physical shape as Hunt Construction Group, in association with Rey, Albu, HZ and Burns alongside architect Populous and owner Orlando Magic, held the official groundbreaking. The then unnamed facility became Amway Center on August 5, 2009.
The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando.
The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower and spire serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline.
At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena. The building features a sustainable, environmentally friendly design, unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors and the largest, high-definition scoreboard in an NBA venue as well as multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Every level of ticket buyer will have access to: the Budweiser Baseline Bar, Club Restaurant, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience, Orlando on Demand Info Garden, Kid’s Zone, and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate. Continue reading
Completed by the Hunt/Lydig Joint Venture in December 2008 with Integrus Architecture, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center recently received its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification.
The 560,000-square-foot Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is the first correctional facility to achieve LEED Gold certification. Even better, building the facility to LEED standards did not add to the overall construction cost; helping to set a new standard in correctional facility construction.
Building to higher standards has many benefits. The state will benefit long-term from reduced utility costs thanks to a decrease in the use of water, sewer, natural gas and electricity. Overall, it is estimated the prison will use 32% less energy when compared to a similar-size facility. Continue reading
Let the pouring begin! Concrete pours have started at the site of the new Barclays Center Arena, marking the beginning of the $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards development project in downtown Brooklyn.
When complete, the 670,000-square-foot multi-purpose arena will feature 18,000 seats, 105 luxury suites, public concourses on two levels, courtside VIP club and suite level club restaurant both complete with self-serving kitchens and an adjoining basketball practice facility. The arena will host NBA games, concerts, circuses, minor league hockey games and other family events. The primary tenant will be the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.
By the end of the foundation pour, nearly 13,000-cubic-yards of concrete will be set and more than 9,000 tons of steel will be used to construct the arena. The facility is on schedule to open mid-2012. Continue reading
With phase one nearing completion and phase two entering preconstruction, the massive CityScape project is gearing up for its second installment. Southwest Contractor covers everything you need to know about the various phases of this project’s construction and what it will mean for the downtown landscape. When complete, the build-out will consists of over 2.5-million-square-feet and unite three city blocks.
Today’s edition of the Arizona Republic includes a great overview of Hunt’s innovative use of Building Information Technology on the CityScape project in downtown Phoenix. CityScape is the first project in North America to utilize the BIM software known as ArtrA.
Created by ArtrA Inc. as part of AEC Design Group based in Gathersburg, MD, ArtrA is unlike anything currently in use in North America as it goes well beyond 3-D building modeling. For a better understanding of the capabilities of ArtrA and how it is being utilized by Hunt, be sure to check out our BIM overview.
Hunt chose CityScape as the flagship project for the software because of the nature of its construction. The facility is a core and shell project which makes testing the software easier and allows for tweaking for use on more complicated projects – such as the Marlins New Ballpark in Miami, FL.
Be sure to check out the full article for a rundown on Artra and the many benefits it offers to both the construction team and the owner.
The new international terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has a new virtual tour available. Check it out for a sneak peek of the new 1.4-million-square-foot terminal.
When completed, the facility will feature new gates, custom offices, APM station, an advanced baggage handling system, new parking structure, elevated roadways and an APM train & utility connector bridge back to existing Concourse E. The scope of work also includes more baggage handing, a fuel pit and jet bridge modifications at Concourse E.
Scheduled for completion April 2012, construction for this massive facility is being managed by Holder-Manhattan-C.D. Moody-Hunt, A Joint Venture. Atlanta Gateway Designers serve as the architect for the new terminal structure. For more videos on this project, be sure to check out the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson YouTube page.
The new UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh facility recently passed the requirements for LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification. A big congratulations goes out to all those who worked hard to achieve this status and to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for taking the green initiative in setting this goal.
UPMC states on their website:
The new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is designed as a “green” campus, meaning that buildings use key resources such as energy, water, materials, and land more efficiently than buildings erected simply to building code. It’s been established that green (or environmentally sustainable) buildings contribute to improved health, comfort, and productivity of their residents by utilizing more natural light and promoting better air quality. Continue reading
Hunt was recently awarded the contract for the Ed Smith Stadium renovation in Sarasota, Florida. Hunt will be working with locally based W.G. Mills and Hoyt Architects on the fast-track renovation. Construction is scheduled for completion by February 2011 to ensure the facility is ready for it’s first game on March 1, 2011.
Built in 1989 to replace Payne Park, the stadium currently holds 7,500 people. In 1998 the Cincinnati Reds made Ed Smith Stadium their home until 2009 when their lease expired with the city and stadium. Prior to the Reds, The Chicago White Sox occupied the facility from 1989 to 1997.
The Baltimore Orioles, who spent one year in the facility back in 1991, signed a 30-year lease to make Ed Smith Stadium their new home. They played their first spring training game on March 3rd against the Rays who they bested 12 to 2. Continue reading
Love it or hate it, you have to give soccer credit for the facilities created around its fans. Some of the largest and most impressive facilities in sports have been created around giving soccer fans the best experience possible.
This level of dedication to venue size and fan experience expands beyond the two most popular sports in the world (NASCAR and soccer). Baseball, football, basketball, hockey and even golf are seeing luxuries and attention to detail fans and players could only imagine decades ago. Even older venues are getting major facelifts and modern-day improvements to bring them up to the level of greatness now expected in a sports facility.
That being said, SportsPro magazine was kind enough to give their two cents on the finest sporting facilities in the world. Hunt Construction Group is proud to see Lucas Oil Stadium sitting at number 22 in the top 30. During its construction, Hunt worked closely with architect HKS, Inc. to ensure every seat in the house was a good seat. Continue reading
Hunt Construction Group, Inc., an industry leader in BIM, VDC and Integrated Delivery, has changed how building Facilities Management teams can more efficiently respond to component breakdowns.
Hunt debuted ArtrA software at the CityScape Phase I Development, a 618,000-square-foot, 28-story mixed-use tower in downtown Phoenix. In March, Hunt delivered the building to developer and owner, RED Development. About a month later, the Hunt team delivered a coordinated 6D model to RED’s FM staff.
With ArtrA, the 3D BIM model embeds 6D information electronically, including as-built drawings, operations and maintenance manuals, documentation, commissioning FM data as well as anticipated service schedules — in one place, on one model.
“In implementing ArtrA FM software for the first time on a jobsitein the United States, Hunt is writing an essential new chapter in BIM, significantly enhancing FM applied technology,” said Ondrei Poliak, national director of BIM/VDC Technologies for the company. Continue reading
