The Union Dallas
The Union Dallas | Dallas, Texas
Innovative architecture, myriad on-site amenities and a dynamic location at the confluence of five city streets in bustling Uptown Dallas all contributed to a one-of-a-kind development known as The Union, delivered by DPR in late 2018.
The new 800,000-sq.-ft., two-tower mixed-use development is surrounded by Dallas’ premier sports, entertainment, museum and outdoor park venues. Designed by HKS, Inc., the LEED Gold and Energy Star-rated complex includes a contemporary 420,000-sq.-ft., 23-story Class-AA office tower with floor to ceiling blue-tinted glass which offer striking views of the Dallas skyline. The office complex features an all-encompassing amenities deck on the 8th floor complete with a state-of-the-art fitness center, tenant lounge and an adjacent conference center that can accommodate up to 75 people.
Coordination and Collaboration
The Union also contains a 309-unit, 31-story high-rise apartment building, 87,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, a signature, outdoor central plaza with large trees in a park-like setting, and 10 levels of above and below-grade parking. Amenities include a 60,000-sq.-ft. Tom Thumb grocery store on the ground floor, multiple dining options, conference centers, tenant lounge, gym and pool deck overlooking the plaza.
DPR worked collaboratively with the owner, RED Development, and architect, HKS, Inc., on all aspects of the project, providing in-depth estimating of each component during preconstruction to aggressively validate the cost model and create cost innovation opportunities to meet the owner’s needs. Self-performing the project’s $53 million concrete package and other scopes using DPR’s own highly skilled forces helped DPR maintain schedule and deliver a top-quality project.
The entire development is designed and constructed with guest experience in mind. From the parking garage to executive office suites it was built with emphasis on well-being and health at every level.
The
Challenges
While there were a number of unique challenges from the project’s inception, the most critical was the physical complexity of the jobsite, which is situated on 3.5 acres with a 20-foot elevation change from Akard Street to Field Street. To accommodate this, HKS designed the project with two first floors from different entrance locations.
The location and size of the site also made the project logistically challenging to build. The presence of residential neighbors on three of the site’s four sides required the team to take extra care to avoid disruptions and noise pollution. They were challenged to find ways to alleviate stress on the city and neighboring residents during site excavation, which was supported by a 65-truck fleet coming and going from the busy site.
In addition, the site was divided in half by a city street that had overhead power lines as well as underground storm and sewer lines; requiring the team to temporarily reroute utilities until the $4.5 million utility scope of work began.
The
Challenges
While there were a number of unique challenges from the project’s inception, the most critical was the physical complexity of the jobsite, which is situated on 3.5 acres with a 20-foot elevation change from Akard Street to Field Street. To accommodate this, HKS designed the project with two first floors from different entrance locations.
The location and size of the site also made the project logistically challenging to build. The presence of residential neighbors on three of the site’s four sides required the team to take extra care to avoid disruptions and noise pollution. They were challenged to find ways to alleviate stress on the city and neighboring residents during site excavation, which was supported by a 65-truck fleet coming and going from the busy site.
In addition, the site was divided in half by a city street that had overhead power lines as well as underground storm and sewer lines; requiring the team to temporarily reroute utilities until the $4.5 million utility scope of work began.
The
Solutions
To address the site construction challenges, DPR carefully planned material deliveries and construction activities to avoid disruptions and reduce noise pollution. Scheduling work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., instituting temporary lane closures, coordinating closely with the city and instituting just-in-time deliveries all helped construction progress smoothly. The entire construction team set up their office off-site at a neighboring space in order to avoid using any of the project site’s limited lay-down space.
The team came up with an innovative solution to mitigate the existing utility relocation challenge that saved time on the schedule. It involved digging two holes on either side of the utilities crossing through the site and temporarily rerouting them around the site. The temporary work included 1,600 linear feet of electrical duct bank approximately 15-20 feet deep in the center of highly trafficked city streets.
To manage the congestion caused by the large truck fleet that supported the site excavation, DPR implemented a live loading technique. This cut the staging need in half and allowed excavation to continue as originally scheduled. The city of Dallas was reportedly happy with the reduced traffic and emission-impact this solution had on the area.
The
Solutions
To address the site construction challenges, DPR carefully planned material deliveries and construction activities to avoid disruptions and reduce noise pollution. Scheduling work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., instituting temporary lane closures, coordinating closely with the city and instituting just-in-time deliveries all helped construction progress smoothly. The entire construction team set up their office off-site at a neighboring space in order to avoid using any of the project site’s limited lay-down space.
The team came up with an innovative solution to mitigate the existing utility relocation challenge that saved time on the schedule. It involved digging two holes on either side of the utilities crossing through the site and temporarily rerouting them around the site. The temporary work included 1,600 linear feet of electrical duct bank approximately 15-20 feet deep in the center of highly trafficked city streets.
To manage the congestion caused by the large truck fleet that supported the site excavation, DPR implemented a live loading technique. This cut the staging need in half and allowed excavation to continue as originally scheduled. The city of Dallas was reportedly happy with the reduced traffic and emission-impact this solution had on the area.
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