Category Archives: Design-Build

It’s No Mystery Why Design-Build is Your Best Bet

Winchester Mystery House 001 by Cowgirl Jules, on Flickr

Growing up in Central California, I was always fascinated by the stories I had heard and read about San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House. To this day, I haven’t been inside, but its fascination lingers.

Mrs. Winchester orchestrated construction on her house, interior and exterior, continually, until she died. To most of us that is the making of a nightmare. But it’s her methods that are most curious.

The website describes her building design:

Winchester Mystery House by InSapphoWeTrust, on Flickr

“According to legend, Mrs. Winchester enacted a nightly séance to help with her building plans and for protection from ‘bad’ spirits. While she sometimes drew up simple sketches of the building ideas, there were never any blueprints….or building inspectors! In the morning, she would meet with John Hansen, her dutiful foreman, and go over new changes and additions.”

Her unorthodox methodology explains the random building anomalies – chimneys, roof lines, hidden passageways, doors that open to brick walls, and stairs that go nowhere. Was she really confusing the spirits, or just confused?

Traditional Design & Construction:

Mrs. Winchester’s building method is, by no means, traditional. Most building owners and tenants hire an architect or space planner, go through the (sometimes long) design process. After the drawings are submitted to the City, the client (or their construction manager) invites three (or more) general contractors to bid, collect and sometimes answer RFIs, and award the contract to the lowest bid, presuming that bid has everything covered.

As an owner, you can go that route. But we think there’s a better way.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

It’s no secret that Riggins Construction & Management, Inc. specializes in design-build tenant improvements and new building construction, especially since Tom Riggins has a construction engineering degree from Cal Poly. Our approach to construction from an engineering background allows us to streamline the entire process for you, our client. Continue reading →

Project Profile: RBC Transport Dynamics

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Riggins Construction & Management, Inc. is proud to announce the completion of the design-build RBC Transport Dynamics project right in the heart of Orange County, California.

The goal for this project was to create a cohesive facility on this two-building, two-shift manufacturing campus. The caveat is that the work had to be performed while maintaining their production levels at 100%.

The building unification combined the manufacturing and production area, test labs, and chemical storage with a new, engaging office space and high-end training facility. Two existing buildings were connected by a new building addition. A new steel-framed, metal building for chemical storage and bead-blasting was also added on site.

The second phase of this project was twofold: create fluid access and incorporate additional security features. Monument and site signage was added as well as the creation of a focal point from the street. The new metal-clad entry with its aluminum sun shade louvers does this beautifully. Continue reading →

ADA Compliance Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare

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You wake up in the dark hours of the night in a cold sweat reeling from the nightmare. You’ve been in a car accident and now you’re assigned to a wheelchair. Will you be able to keep your job?

For thousands of Americans this isn’t just a nightmare; it’s their reality. Whether permanent or temporary, disabilities can become a challenge in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has instituted a number a code reforms that continuously evolve to meet a variety of needs.

You may not be aware that these codes affect your building from the required path-of-travel from the city street through the parking lot to the landing at your door, from the type of doorknobs to the type and placement of switches and so on.

No way they have 60" turnaround.

A photo posted by Tom Riggins (@rigginsconst) on Apr 10, 2013 at 8:24pm PDT

Restrooms, for example, happen to be a small room that are heavily affected by these codes. Even if the tile countertops are beautiful and the floors are polished, their height might not be code-compliant or the mirror may be hung too high. You see, it’s not the beauty that counts, it’s how they measure up.

For instance, if your warehouse has a set of single-use restrooms that haven’t been upgraded since 1980, they may not be large enough to comply with ADA/HC accessibility. Generally, single-use restrooms must be a minimum of 6′-7″ x 6′-9″ if the door swings out or 6′-7″ x 7′-10″ if the door swings in.

Because we specialize in design-build, we are accustomed to presenting solutions that will both put you into compliance with code and meet your aesthetic and functional needs.

For further consultation on your individual project, please give Tom a call at (714) 953-6333.