Post-hurricane destruction demands complex renovations and extensive collaboration.
Four years after the destructive forces of Hurricane Katrina left the Hyatt Regency New Orleans in tatters, DonahueFavret/ Welbro was hired to provide pre-construction and Construction Services to transform and redevelop the facility to a level far past its former glory. DonahueFavret/Welbro, a 50/50 partnership, was up to the challenge of this $116.8m, 14-month transformation. During production of the construction documents, as our partner and all members of the design team were from out of state, DonahueFavret was relied upon heavily to perform extensive pre-construction investigative services to establish the current condition of the facility. Exterior windows had been replaced in the months after Katrina, and fan coil units in the rooms were replaced as the building was being evaluated. The 28-story, 1.4 million square foot building was badly damaged in most places, and conditions varied greatly from floor to floor. We planned and executed an exhaustive evaluation of every space within the facility noting not just what was visually obvious, but also what was hidden behind walls and above ceilings, and what would and wouldn’t work with the current design intent, thus eliminating for our Owner a huge number of costly and time consuming conflicts in the Architectural and Interior Design documents. We also worked alongside selected subcontractors to evaluate the Plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical systems within the facility. These valuable activities served to streamline completion of the MEP documents and again eliminate a vast number of costly and time consuming conflicts.
Square Footage
1,200,000
Completion
14 months (2011)
Owner
PDSI Inc.
Architect
Project Location
New Orleans, LA
The depth of experience of each team member was impressive and definitely a plus as their contribution of helpful and creative solutions seemed to be the norm when facing tricky conditions. The sheer size of the project combined with the extensiveness and complexity of the renovations demanded efficient and effective communication. Your team effortlessly directed the work of a very large sub-contracting group in close coordination with a large design consultant team, a true testament to their professionalism and skills in communication.
Tom Hogan, Principal
Hogan Campis Architecture
