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    Balfour Beatty Honored with Design-Build Institute of America’s Southeast Region Excellence Award for Best Educational Facility

    July 05, 2018


    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Southeast Chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has recognized Balfour Beatty with its Design-Build Excellence Award for Best Educational Facility for its work on the Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences at Francis Marion University (FMU) in Florence, S.C. DBIA’s awards program showcases design-build best practices, and celebrates the achievements of owners and design-build teams across the spectrum of the construction industry.
     
    As part of the university’s master plan, the new health sciences complex was the first state-procured design-build project in South Carolina. FMU chose the design-build delivery method so there would be a single point of responsibility for design and construction. It also allowed for concurrent design and construction activities.
     
    “It was an honor to serve as the lead contractor on this award-winning project because we know from experience that a truly integrated, design-build team is the ideal partner to achieve success for our clients,” said Jeff Sandeen, vice president and Carolinas business unit leader for Balfour Beatty. “Continuity is one of the most beneficial results of the integrated, design-build team approach as the same team is invested in the project from award through completion. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have been part of the university’s vision and execution of such a wonderful project.”
     
    FMU's Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences is a 52,000 square-foot, multi-level facility that accommodates a variety of the university’s medical and health sciences programs. The facility includes a 150-seat auditorium, classrooms, labs, conference rooms, locker rooms and offices. Designed to prepare students for the healthcare workforce, the center includes eight exam rooms that are used for student instruction to simulate real-world healthcare situations.
     
    Little and Watson Tate Savory served as the design partners for the transformative project. The design-build team unified with FMU to create one team that worked together to leverage previous team chemistry, national design-build expertise, and unique local knowledge to deliver a high-quality, award-winning facility.