Capital Programs is excited to announce the Kahua Implementation Project. The new software will be used as a comprehensive Project Management tool for Capital Programs staff and our vendors. Successful completion of this effort will result in increased efficiency, consistency and tracking with a single application to manage capital projects from start to finish. We are making every effort to reduce duplication of work and modernize our operations to match industry standards.
The project timeline is expected to take a year. Please stay tuned in as we provide you with project updates along with more information about Kahua and its benefits.
Single Prime
Per 30 ILCS 500 Section 30-30(a-5) the University of Illinois has been authorized to use the Single Prime delivery method for projects over $250,000. This means that when projects have two (2) or more of the five (5) prime subdivisions of labor trades (Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), the project can combine these trades into one bid. Some requirements concerning the contracting community that need to be adhered to when using this Single Prime delivery method are:
- Successful low bidder and each of the 5 subdivisions of work has prequalified with the university.
- The bid of successful low bidder identifies the name of the subcontractor, if any, and the bid proposal costs for each of the 5 subdivisions of work.
- Contract entered with the successful bidder provides that no identified subcontractor may be terminated without the written consent of the university.
- BEP and VBP aspiration goals will still be in effect for these Single Prime Projects
The University of Illinois is anticipating bidding some projects using this new available Single Prime delivery method in the next few months.
Facilities Condition Assessment 2023 Update
This is a System lead RFP, database ownership and future PSC payment management for completion of a Facilities Condition Assessment at UIUC, UIC and UIS. These assessments and future database will provide universities with key information and tools in order to budget and prioritize future deferred maintenance goals.
- System Purchasing managed the 9SNC2208 procurement process and is currently taking the selected vendor to the May Board of Trustees meeting for approval. University lead walkdowns and pre interview meetings for shortlisted vendors took place during January. Interviews and database demonstrations took place at the end of February and beginning of March.
- Each university will have heavy PM type roles in working with the successful vendor in supplying information, guidance, drawings, providing building access, draft report reviews, database information reviews, vendor pay app reviews/confirmation, etc. during the Initial Assessment period. Initial Assessment period is expected to be completed approximately 17 months after agreement execution. After that time, universities will have the option to amend the original agreement, which will allow selected vendor to continue with additional building assessments.
Contract Execution Task Force
A task force team, consisting of team members from all three universities and the System Office of Capital Programs, was formed with the goal of documenting the current contract formation, review, and execution process, the timelines associated with that process, and offering suggested improvements to increase efficiency. The team completed tasks to accomplish these goals over a two-month period. The project sponsors completed their review of the report, and the team reconvened to prioritize the recommendations for implementation. The task force will continue to meet and evaluate the implemented changes for effectiveness and suggest adjustments, as necessary. The finalized report incorporating all review comments and the priority list is being completed at this time and will be shared with leadership shortly. A big thank you to all of the team members and to leadership for their ongoing support for this project.
University of Illinois Springfield - Library Commons
Bailey Edward Design
As student education, experiences, and needs become more holistic and symbiotic, the forward-thinking leaders of the University of Illinois System and University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) determined that UIS’s new Library Commons will bring together library and student services into a single location whose unified resources will guide the student through a successful educational experience leading towards launching an impactful career. Situated on the last open parcel of UIS’s main quad between the neighboring Student Union and Health & Sciences buildings, the 68,000 sf LEED Gold facility will be a nucleus for advanced and innovative learning, teaching, and collaboration.
This student-centric, integrated learning environment will be the new home for Information Technology Services (ITS), the Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA), Career Developmental Center, Library Services and Collections, and all associated spaces including classrooms, conference rooms, auditorium, study areas, collaboration spaces, a testing center, offices, and a makerspace. To develop a path forward for the UIS Library Commons, the architectural team of Bailey Edward Design and Pfeiffer, with the assistance of the UIS Core Committee and Facilities & Services representatives and the Capital Development Board, conducted numerous program confirmation conversations to gain insights into the UIS vision for the Library Commons and their needs and wishes for future collaboration.
The design stands proudly in the quad where students, faculty, visitors, and staff are welcomed through the entry of an ascending masonry spiral, a physical representation of the student’s educational journey and process of discovery. Immediately upon entering, students are in a central open atrium space. From this vantage point, students can see the main welcome/joint-services desk on the ground floor, the Career Development Center and CASA on the second floor, and ITS and open reader space on the third floor. Beyond this initial discovery point, the spiral becomes a three-story ‘useful’ stair incorporating seating terraces while encouraging movement, casual study, informal learning, and relaxation. At its pinnacle, the spiral terminates at a high-ceilinged, celebratory reading room with a large, open view overlooking the quad where the journey began while framing a vista to the world beyond the campus, a nod to their future potential.
Outside, the Library Commons adds to campus connectivity completing a student-centric triangle with the Student Union to the southwest and University Hall to the west. A gradient garden, a partially paved and vegetated path, beginning at the main entry reaches towards the center of campus. This pixelated landscape will host a beautiful sculpture as part of the CDB’s Art-in-Architecture program. To the south, a rain garden serves as a friendly, landscaped area for views and enjoyment of nature as well as a backdrop for the outdoor patios of the 200-person event room and makerspace. While also assisting in the natural water drainage for the site, the outdoor areas are another opportunity for the UIS’s grounds staff to showcase their dedication to beautifying the campus.
In response to the goals created by the University’s Campus Senate Committee on Sustainability, the Library Commons is designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification. As currently designed, the building is slated to reduce energy usage by 73.33%. By diverting construction waste from landfill, by salvaging and recycling material, using regional materials regarding material extraction, harvest, manufacture, or recovery, and using wood-based materials from sustainably harvested forests certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the construction of the new Library Commons minimizes its carbon footprint. To ensure long-term health and wellbeing of the individuals using the space, materials and finishes will have no or low-emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or off gassing.
In the end, the new UIS Library Commons will enhance the wellbeing of all who use the building through its cutting-edge approach to program, design, and sustainability. Thank you to the University of Illinois System, the University of Illinois Springfield, and the State of Illinois Capital Development Board for thinking about the future in new and exciting ways and providing the material and management support to see it happen.