Texas State University Moore Street Housing – SpawGlass Contractors Inc

Completed in June 2016, Texas State University Moore Street Housing (MSH) will consist of two residence halls containing 598 beds and a connected community building, which will contain student lounges, kitchens, offices and seminar space. Texas State University San Marcos turned to the general contracting firm SpawGlass Contractors Inc., which has completed two previous student housing projects for the institution.

SpawGlass is a 100 percent employee-owned contracting company based in Texas. It was founded in 1953 when Louis Spaw and Frank Glass decided to start their own construction company that would be based on a commitment to client services. The company offers preconstruction, construction and management services that make the process easier for clients, saves time and money and ensures that all project goals are met.

More of the same

Derek McDaniel, project executive for SpawGlass is in charge of managing the MSH project. With this being the third student housing project the company has completed for the university, McDaniel says that SpawGlass and its subcontractors were able to hit the ground running. “This housing project is actually pretty similar to the other dormitories we’ve done for Texas State,” he shares. “We didn’t really have to come up with anything new. We have a strong relationship with the university so we’ve been happy to work with them again.”

While MSH contained many similar aspects to the previous housing projects that SpawGlass has completed for the institution, every construction project has its own unique conditions. The main mechanical room for MSH is below grade in a basement space of the community building, which presented challenges to SpawGlass regarding excavation of the site. “We also had to get started on the mechanical systems while the structures were going up,” says McDaniel. “Other than that, all preconstruction processes have been pretty standard.”

Finding the right subcontractor was crucial in the mechanical scope of the project because completion of this facet guided the rest of construction. “We hired a sub that we had previously worked with on another dormitory,” says McDaniel. “We were confident in their ability to perform and acquire the right manpower to stay on schedule.”

SpawGlass has been able to maintain a strong network of subcontractors and many of the same folks have been utilized in the MSH job. However, one obstacle that many companies in the construction industry have been facing is the lack of manpower. “A shortage of manpower has been prevalent in all of the trades,” says McDaniel. “It was just a matter of getting the right subs signed on for the project. It was actually pretty cool to see everybody utilize their resources and pool all of the right people together.”

As a general contractor, SpawGlass maintains the ability to self-perform certain tasks for each project. For MSH, the company used its own team to complete site concrete and wood blocking. When reviewing potential subs for a job such as MSH, other than safety, quality and price, SpawGlass seeks out companies with experience working on a college campus because a different dynamic is created working at a university while classes are still in session. “We’ve had to be very cognizant of the fact that the campus would be filled with students,” shares McDaniel. “You can’t be disruptive in this type of setting.”

On time, every time

In projecting for possible weather delays, SpawGlass had a specific float time built into the production schedule, which was a requirement of the university. This proved to be beneficial when some of the time was used due to inclement weather, yet construction remained on schedule. While the university did not seek LEED certification for MSH, the building was designed for LEED Certified Intent.

With approximately 600 employees, SpawGlass works with clients throughout the state of Texas, often completing projects in the health care and higher education sectors. One of the company’s key performance indicators when reviewing the success of a project is the ability to maintain the client’s schedule. From the Frost Bank headquarters’ opening to student move-in day at Texas State University Moore Street Housing, SpawGlass does whatever it takes to ensure doors are open on time.