During a recent project for a biologics pharmaceutical manufacturer, general contractor McGough Construction needed to do a seemingly simple task: recess a piece of equipment into a wall.

But taking on this task required meticulous strategizing. The facility was in production mode, and the equipment needed to be installed in a wall separating a clean room and an area designated as controlled not classified. 

While both are clean environments, the levels of cleanliness required are different, and a clean room requires maintaining proper pressurization cascades relative to the surrounding spaces. This required McGough to create a plan for installing the equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner while limiting impact to both rooms.

Whether it’s a new build or a renovation of an operational facility, McGough works to develop a deep understanding of its clients’ goals — something essential when collaborating with clients in the life sciences industries, especially with their numerous safety requirements and regulations. 

“It’s one thing to build the project. It’s another to be mindful of what happens after the project is handed off to the client,” McGough Project Executive Jonathan Iserman said. “We’re ensuring the environment is ready for what comes next for them, whether that be bringing equipment into the space or preparing for their systems to come online.”

When working in production facilities, McGough seeks to understand manufacturing schedules, equipment timing, utilities, commissioning, qualification and validation requirements, and incorporates those aspects into its logistics planning and scheduling while always keeping the communication lines with owner, engineer and subcontractors open and active, he said.

These specialized environments, whether they be labs or small-scale production facilities, typically depend heavily on temperature and humidity regulation, clean air, and spaces that can be decontaminated or sterilized between uses, said McGough Vice President and Practice Lead for Life Sciences and Advanced Technology Thomas Hannasch. 

“We strive to deliver high-quality, functional and attractive spaces for life sciences professionals,” he said. “The process entails asking specific questions, being keen to hard and soft requirements and understanding what’s necessary to meet those needs, then working with the design team and subcontractors to achieve the results as cost-effectively as possible.”

During preconstruction, the firm meets with building owners and design teams to talk through project requirements and any potential site or operational constraints that may exist for the construction crews that need to execute the work. 

When the work is in an operational facility — which it often is for McGough — the construction team may also need to consider any constraints dictated by local and corporate departments, such as quality, environmental, health and safety, manufacturing and production. 

Factoring in requirements from manufacturing and production in particular is especially important when planning to minimize the risk of unwanted downtime or potentially creating risks that may be otherwise avoidable, Hannasch said.

“You may only have a window of time to plan an outage around a manufacturing schedule, but that outage might not completely tie in with the construction sequence,” Iserman said. “There are temporary provisions and workarounds that need to get put into place to facilitate these activities.”

Another critical aspect requiring mindful consideration is cost transparency. Hannasch said this is key even in the very early stages of the project, as it helps set realistic expectations from the start. A client also factors these costs into its budget.

“We act like the money is coming out of our own pocket,” he said. “It’s not about trying to maximize profit on the job but about maximizing the benefit delivered to the client and making responsible decisions.”

McGough emphasizes finding solutions that will offer the most value for its clients. Many times, the return on investment demands a schedule-driven project, but that doesn’t mean costs and quality should be sacrificed, Hannasch said. Sound project management means delivering on all three while keeping in mind the priorities.

He said McGough builds strong working relationships because it has a clear understanding of its clients’ requirements and goals.

“To us, it’s not just another construction project,” Hannasch said. “We’re getting them what they need to succeed in their business.”

This article was produced in collaboration between McGough Construction and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.