December 2025 marked the grand opening of an eight-story, 194K SF clinical tower at Connecticut Children’s, a pediatric hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, the product of two and a half years of construction.

Getting this project across the finish line required ensuring that the building could withstand different loads and conditions. This involved close collaboration during the construction process between general contractor DPR Construction, the project’s construction manager, and structural engineer and detailer GPLA.

DPR Construction initially approached GPLA to design a tower crane foundation, which supports the crane during construction. Their collaboration expanded to GPLA handling construction engineering and delegated design for 16 project scopes. This work included the scaffolding and fence post curve designs and a prefabricated wall panel design for the stair and elevator rooftop “doghouse.” The firm also provided analysis and engineering expertise to determine the safety and structural soundness of the building’s components, helping the construction firm mitigate risks.

In one example, prior to putting a scaffold or lift on an existing roof slab, the construction team consulted GPLA to assess whether the roof slab was designed to handle additional weight.

The project required a deep understanding of engineering foundations — something that GPLA provided, said Zoe Zhang, a project manager with the firm. Its project managers were able to cover a wide range of services due to their diverse engineering backgrounds.

“Construction engineering is in and of itself an expertise,” Zhang said. “Whether we have to do an analysis of an existing structure or help with design, we take the tasks that come our way and respond with options and feedback in a timely manner.”

She said hospital projects in particular call for strict coordination with the construction team and an understanding of the design requirements of a healthcare facility. GPLA needed to account for the mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems and the heavy equipment to be brought in when evaluating the building for safety and structural integrity. 

As this project involved delegated design, GPLA needed to submit a structural calculations package — a document that shows the specifics of how the design meets code within the building design intent — and drawings for the project to the engineer of record, who signs off on the work. 

GPLA liaised between DPR Construction and the engineer of record to pass along any questions and get answers quickly. This seamless coordination meant that GPLA and DPR Construction could work together and solve any issues before submitting the final documents, and avoid any surprises down the line.

“Communication was key the whole way through,” Zhang said. “We developed a very close relationship and talked through any strategies or challenges that came up.”

The firm’s primary goal was to assist DPR Construction in moving the project toward the finish line, providing timely responses or design opinions without missing a beat, she said.

Zhang said from the firm’s perspective, this teamwork was the project’s greatest success.

“We were someone that DPR Construction could lean on, whether they needed a quick analysis or to work toward a solution,” she said. “Whether that role is filled by myself or another project manager on our team, this is a service GPLA provides.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and GPLA. 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.