Opened in 2017, Elizabeth Catlett Residence Hall is the newest – and largest – residence hall on the University of Iowa (UI) campus. Overlooking the Iowa River on the site of the old Iowa City Water Plant, this unique facility houses more than 1,020 additional students in three nine-story towers built atop a single three-story base structure. The base includes a dining hall, private study rooms, lobby/lounge and laundry facilities.

Stringent building specifications drive team selection.
Catlett Hall is projected to be LEED Silver-certified for its energy-saving features, which include automated HVAC and other mechanical systems.

When evaluating potential contractors for this eco-friendly, state-of-the-art residence hall, UI sought contractors who would deliver the desired quality, the ability to meet an aggressive schedule and exceptional value. Baker Group’s eastern Iowa office was chosen to design-build Catlett Hall’s HVAC Building Automation System.

Design-build requires collaboration. Collaboration yields significant benefits.
“Catlett Hall is UI’s Housing and Dining Division’s first design-build project,” says Jared Pourroy, Engineering Project Manager for Baker Group’s North Liberty office. “Baker Group thrives in design-build projects, in which the owner has identified what they want and need in their building.”

Pourroy explains: “To adhere to the university’s stringent standards for its HVAC control system, we worked closely with the owner. To meet the aggressive schedule, we scheduled and coordinated work with other trades. To contain costs, we collaborated with the architect, engineer and other members of the design team to identify and implement cost-saving options.”

Because of the high level of coordination among trades, design-build also facilitates faster project completion. Catlett Hall was finished in the summer of 2017 and open in the fall.