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What We Build

Adaptive reuse construction in Los Angeles

A change of use, the seismic and accessibility work it triggers, and utility upgrades.

  • Shoring towers under a bow truss roof inside a brick building, with new footings dug into the floor
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
  • Concrete wall formwork and scaffolding rising under an exposed timber bow truss roof
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
  • New glulam beams and roof framing set on block walls, with a crane beyond
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President

What decides the job

What we plan around on an adaptive reuse project

A change of use calls for a detailed review of the existing building, including structure, accessibility, fire protection, utilities and energy performance. We work through those questions with the design team and map out the means and methods to deliver the project.

  1. 01

    The change of use

    A new occupancy and current code often trigger upgrades to the original building design. We work closely with the design team to incorporate the scope into the budget and schedule.

  2. 02

    The unknowns

    Old buildings require thoughtful planning and exploratory probes to accurately budget and execute construction.

  3. 03

    What is kept

    The parts of the building that give it its character need protection from the first day of demolition through the final clean.

Before you start

The pre-mobilization checklist

We believe most of what goes wrong on a construction project can be prevented with detailed planning up front and alignment across the full team. This is the list we work through with an owner before mobilization, so that on the first day of construction we have a clear path forward.

Who provides what

  • Every owner-furnished item is on a delivery log in the schedule, with who buys, receives, stores, installs and connects it, and the date it is needed on site.
  • Furniture, equipment, signage, audiovisual, security and data are each assigned to the owner or the contractor, down to who provides the conduit, the cable and the devices.
  • For each owner-furnished item, the backing, power, conduit and final connection our trades still owe it are assigned and priced.
  • The owner’s own vendors are named, with their insurance, the site rules and the date their in-wall requirements are due before walls close.
  • Utility accounts for power, gas, water and data are open in the right name, and each provider has confirmed its account in writing.

Design and decisions

  • The set issued for construction includes every agreed value engineering change and bid answer, in every discipline.
  • Every finish is tagged to one product, color and finish, and each open selection has a decision date worked back from its lead time.
  • Each allowance names what it stands in for, who answers it and the date it becomes a firm price.
  • The construction plans include layout dimensions for all partitions and relate back to grid lines.
  • A consolidated RCP has been issued, showing the ceiling finishes with all MEP systems overlaid.
  • The owner’s equipment list, with each item’s power, heat and weight, is with the engineers, so the service, the cooling and the structure are sized from it.

Permits and approvals

  • The building permit is issued, and its description names every scope that will be inspected.
  • Whoever controls the building, the landlord or the operator, has approved the drawings and the construction rules in writing.
  • Approvals outside the building department are tracked with the agency, who holds each one and its date: public works, each utility, the fire department and the air quality district.
  • Every deferred submittal, such as fire sprinkler, fire alarm or storefront, has its own plan check time on the schedule.
  • The special inspector has been hired by ownership, and their contact information has been shared with the team.

Procurement

  • Long lead items are identified, and drop-dead dates have been established from each item’s required-on-job date and estimated lead time.
  • Items that wait on an outside approval are logged with that approval as their trigger, such as switchgear, which waits on the utility.
  • The submittal schedule has been reviewed and confirmed with all reviewers, using their real review times, with a resubmission round carried for millwork and steel.
  • The trade partners for the first eight weeks are under contract, and every other trade has a planned award date.

The site

  • Existing conditions, including neighboring properties and shared areas, are photographed and video recorded with dates before work starts.
  • Hours for loud work, quiet work and deliveries are confirmed in writing, with loading, parking and elevator use.
  • A site logistics plan covering deliveries, hoisting and laydown is issued to every trade and named in each subcontract.
  • Every existing utility and meter is confirmed active, and every new service has its application filed and dated back from when it is needed.
  • The site safety plan and the emergency plan are posted, with the muster point identified.
  • Neighbors and other tenants know the schedule and who to call, and the calendars of noise-sensitive neighbors are in hand before demolition.

Financials and reporting

  • The schedule of values for invoicing is established, and the payment calendar has been reviewed and confirmed between ownership and the lender.
  • The weekly owner report has a confirmed format and a scheduled weekly distribution time.
  • Additional insured endorsements are confirmed, and approved insurance certificates are on file.
  • The weekly meeting schedule is set for the owner, the design team and the trades.

For an adaptive reuse project

  • The existing building has been surveyed, and the hazardous materials report is in hand.
  • Selective investigation is done where the structure, the roof or the utilities are uncertain.
  • The elements to be kept are marked on the drawings and protected on site.
  • The structural work and its special inspections are sequenced.
  • Any historic review and its conditions are known.
This checklist as a PDFPDF

The PDF of this checklist is on its way. Email hello@macdougallbuilders.com and we will send it when it is ready.

How a job runs

  1. Chapter 1PreconstructionWe treat every bid and preconstruction engagement as if we are already responsible for building the job.
  2. Chapter 2During the buildDecisions get made while there is still time to act on them.
  3. Chapter 3Closeout and afterCommissioning, training and inspections planned months ahead, so the delivery date holds.

Questions

Adaptive reuse, asked plainly

Can you price it before the onsite investigation is completed?

We can price what is known and carry the rest as named allowances until an investigation can be completed.

Who decides what a change of use requires?

Building code will guide the design team on change of use requirements. We review the building with them early so those requirements are in scope when the budget is completed.

How do you handle surprises?

You hear it from us first, with a recommendation and the date a decision is needed by.

Start with a conversation

Let’s talk about your project

Tell us what you are planning, where the design stands and the date you are working toward. We will call to talk it through.

Let’s talk about your project