Remote work and cross-country team integration to deliver buildings in far reaching places have become familiar to many of us since March of 2020. Thankfully, we were well positioned to adjust quickly because of some amazing projects that allowed us to put this technologically driven practice into place well ahead of the pandemic. Our inter-office team had the opportunity to collaborate on an FBI field office in San Juan Puerto Rico that overcame several challenges beyond online coordination.
OWNER’S VISION
The General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sought to consolidate the operations of the FBI previously located throughout the island to a state-of-the-art new facility located on federally owned property in Hato Rey-San Juan. A LEED Gold and Design-Excellence project, this 171,000-gsf facility includes a five-story office tower and a 16,500-gsf service and technology Annex within a secure six-acre site. The project also afforded an opportunity to incorporate artwork into the building design and federal campus as part of the GSA’s Art in Architecture program.
RELATIONSHIPS AND INTEGRATED SERVICES
The SJFO opportunity was built on our partnership with Wight & Company Architecture (formerly Lohan Anderson) and Walsh Construction on previous design-build Federal Office Buildings in Norfolk, VA (2013) and Sacramento, CA (2017). The project was another opportunity to support the talented GSA and FBI team of professionals to help create a new federal facility critical to U.S. law enforcement missions. It was also an opportunity to flex our integrated services muscle by providing both structural engineering and protective design services. We were able to inject expertise and depth of talent from across multiple offices to solve technical challenges and provide the leadership needed to deliver a successful project. KPFF’s New York office led the structural design effort with the Los Angeles Structural office and Protective Design Group, based in San Francisco, providing blast and protective engineering design.
HURRICANES AND EARTHQUAKES
During September of 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island causing widespread damage and an enormous disaster recovery effort by local agencies, FEMA, the U.S. Federal Government, and the people of Puerto Rico. Site work and foundation construction was underway when Maria hit with recorded 150+ mph winds, resulting in damage to construction trailers and temporary site elements. Walsh and GSA were able to implement repairs quickly and to keep the project going which was important in providing continuity of work for many in the local construction trades workforce in the midst of the tragic natural disaster.
In January 2020, the strongest earthquake since 1918 struck Puerto Rico with the epicenter located just off the southwestern coastline, approximately 100 miles from the new field office. The magnitude 6.4 event produced moderate ground shaking (MMI V) and peak ground accelerations of around 0.05g registered near the project site. No damage to the new facility was reported.
BEYOND NATURAL HAZARDS – MANMADE THREATS
KPFF designed the facility to resist environmental load effects due to earthquakes and hurricane winds, including large missile impact due to wind-borne debris. In addition to consideration of these natural hazards, the facility was designed to meet Interagency Security Committee (ISC) criteria for Facility Security Level (FSL) IV to mitigate risks associated with acts of terrorism and crime. KPFF collaborated with Wight, Walsh and FBI security stakeholders to perform a threat and vulnerability assessment related to vehicle ramming; the result was design and integration of unique, site-adapted elements into the secure perimeter barrier system. Applying nonlinear, dynamic analysis techniques, KPFF utilized performance-based-design to engineer the building’s primary frame, exterior facades, and utility protective elements to resist blast loading due to stationary unscreened and screened vehicle-borne IEDs and other explosive threats. The office building was hardened to resist progressive collapse in accordance with GSA criteria. The hurricane- and blast-resistant façade features architectural precast panels constructed with white Portland cement and integral aluminum sunshade systems.
