Orange County - Performing Arts Center Project and Construction Management

Client: Orange County

Location: Costa Mesa, CA, U.S.

Map showing the location of Orange County - Performing Arts Center Project and Construction Management

Executive Summary

Fluor provided program and construction management services for the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California. The facility includes a world-class rehearsal, performance and recording facility as well as theater operations and restaurant.

We proposed several innovative construction methods to the owner and architect to meet Orange County's $200 million budget.

Client's Challenge

The Orange County Performing Arts Center management wanted to build a new performing arts center with a budget of $200 million. The new facility would serve as the permanent home of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

The facility includes a world-class rehearsal, performance and recording facility commensurate with the orchestra's artistic quality, achievement and aspirations. In addition to providing facilities for orchestral functions, the 260,000-square foot complex supports theater operations and houses a five-star restaurant. The complex also accommodates extensive backstage support spaces including dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms and numerous private practice rooms. It contains a 2,000-seat concert hall and a 500-seat music theater.

Orange County selected one of the world's most renowned architectural firms, Cesar Pelli and Associates, as the prime architect for the new facility. Acoustical excellence was also another top priority, and Russell Johnson, Artec Consultants, was selected as the acoustical engineer for the project.

Because the original contract exceeded the budget limitation, Orange County needed a firm to review the contract and make recommendations on how to reduce the costs of the new performing arts center while maintaining quality requirements and meeting the budget.

Fluor's Solution

After selection as the program and construction manager on the project, we recommended using our proprietary FOCUS℠ process to identify areas for costs savings. We worked closely with the client and representatives of the architectural and the acoustical firms to identify ways to achieve the cost savings without sacrificing the quality required for the project. As a result of using the FOCUS process, more than $40 million in cost savings were identified and recommended to meet Orange County's budget.

The construction site was relatively small and adjacent to an apartment complex. We implemented a community outreach program and continually communicated planned construction activities with all neighbors via the owner's website.

We implemented many innovative construction methods on the project. These included installing a temporary de-watering system in each of the theater lift pits to allow construction of the basement to move forward during the rainy season. Additionally, we installed a man and material hoist in the lobby to service the construction of the north half of the building and a second hoist inside one of the reverberation chambers to service the south end.

We also coordinated construction activities and permitting with numerous state and local regulatory agencies.

Conclusion

We successfully completed the Orange County Performing Arts Center to the satisfaction of the Center's management.

Fluor maintained an outstanding relationship with the client and community throughout the project. The Fluor team established a sense of trust and competence throughout the project by stewarding Orange County's budget and schedule. The result is a stunning piece of architecture that residents of Orange County will enjoy for many years to come.