PM Engineer is proud to announce that two designs have been chosen to receive PME Excellence in Design Awards for 2004. Congratulations to Harris Consulting Engineers, LLC, of Las Vegas, NV, for its World Market Center project, and to KJWW Engineering Consultants of Rock Island, IL, for its Harper College Avante Center project. These designs were judged exceptional by our distinguished panel of editors, engineers and consultants, based on the following criteria: Innovation in design, customer satisfaction, ability to meet schedules, cost-efficient strategies, and community improvement. Nominated designs could be submitted by consulting, specifying or design engineering firms.
HCE is providing HVAC, plumbing and electrical design services for the new World Market Center, a $1 billion home furnishings complex being built by Furniture Mart Enterprises, a Los Angeles-based firm. The World Market Center will be built in six construction phases, and will provide three 10-story towers, a pavilion and a four-story trade fair. The project began Jan. 1, 2004, and will be completed before the end of 2010. At completion, the facility will contain 7.5 million square feet of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibit areas for the furniture industry. Phase one construction will end in 2005 and will contain 1.3 million square feet of exhibition area. Phase one's design center and showroom will operate year-round, coupled with a 1 million-square-foot convention center, with a 2.5 million-square-foot retail, office and housing development planned for the following phases. Requirements for design were to accommodate the flexibility needed for trade shows and the changing plans required for presentations. For example, some trade shows have high ventilation requirements and high heat release lighting and equipment, while others are more subdued. The World Market Center design needed to address all of these issues.