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ABC renderingLocal firm creates home for state’s construction industry

Metro Business Chronicle / JACK CRISS, Publisher/Executive Editor

Jackson, MS April 2007—The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Mississippi recently commissioned Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons, Ltd. (CDFL) Architects and Engineers to create a vision for the future of the state’s construction industry.

A team of architects, planners and engineers will develop the plans for centralized locations for the ABC’s management,
services, outreach and training programs. ABC purchased four acres in the Airport Metroplex near I-20 and the Jackson Evers International Airport. Site preparation has already begun on the project with construction slated to get underway by June of this year. The three-story complex is scheduled for completion by December.

“We were selected in a competitive interview process based on our understanding of the project and our experience with similar types of projects,” says Rob Farr, Senior Project Principal and CDFL President. “For ABC, this project represents a major commitment to the Mississippi construction industry by creating a center of excellence designed to support members of one of the state’s largest industries. For us at CDFL, it is a great opportunity to work with our contracting partners to create a new vision of excellence for the industry as a whole.”

As early as 2002, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security began to predict growth rates of 17% to 23% in construction-related occupations. In September of 2005, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the demand for building and contracting professionals in the state quickly exceeded the supply.

ABC’s Mississippi chapter, already designing its new headquarters, recognized the need for a state -of-the-art education facility to promote formal training in construction management, estimating, safety and numerous other areas. The Mississippi Contractors Education Foundation (MCEF) was asked to join the complex to create a hub for the Mississippi construction industry. The 14,800 square foot ABC headquarters will house the association’s administration
offices, a 100-person meeting room, and a space where contractors can view blueprints of building plans. The MCEF building will contain administrative offices, two classrooms and workshops which will serve as teaching tools with “cut-aways” to expose internal building structures for viewing by students. ABC also plans to expand the complex by offering additional space available for lease to allied companies.

ABC will tap into its own membership base to construct the buildings, which will form a new district for industry representatives and association members to convene.

The primary and lead architects from CDFL involved in the project are: Ann Somers, AIA, Principal-in-Charge; Matthew Buchanan, Intern, Project Manager; Rob Farr II, AIA, Senior Project Principal; Bob Byrd, PE, Senior Mechanical
Engineer; Jesse Browning, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer.

Farr says his firm wants to emphasize how important the new complex’s “green” design is and hopes this projects will serve as an example for other architects and builders in the state.

“Green building is a pseudonym for a high-performance facility,” Farr explains. “To achieve the performance level desired, all aspects of the building have to meet a standard (as defined by the LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - rating system) above the normal benchmark for energy usage, indoor environment and the environment as a whole by utilizing concepts in sustainable construction. A high-performance building such as this one will provide savings in both economic and global realms by maximizing the value of expenditures in both first and long-term operating costs. We’re saving money without harming the environment,” Farr says.

“We at CDFL are excited about the potential opportunities that this project will create for growth in the contracting and construction industry,” Farr summarizes. “This is more than just three buildings; it is a center where ABC members
can work, convene, discuss projects and educate new members.”