Edgemoor Real Estate Services, along with George Mason University faculty and leadership, project team members and business partners, celebrated the outstanding progress being made on the construction of the Academic VI/Research II Building for the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Since breaking ground one year ago, the project team has completed a geopier foundation system, topped out structural steel, and installed the masonry façade and roofing. The exterior skin is being finalized by the placement of glass in the windows and atrium. Project delivery is scheduled for early 2009. The morning event was highlighted by remarks from Dr. Alan Merten, George Mason University President and Geoffrey Stricker, Managing Director with Edgemoor Real Estate Services. Interested parties were able to tour the 180,000 square foot future home of the Volgenau School, which will contain 80,000 square feet of academic space, 80,000 square feet of research space, and 20,000 square feet of third party lease space that will foster a collaborative research environment between the University and the private sector. The Academic VI/Research II Building will be the largest academic building at George Mason University. The five-story building will be LEED™ certified and feature a brick and cast-stone façade. Positioned at a prominent site near the main campus entrance, visitors to the building and the campus will be greeted by the structure's four-story glass atrium. Edgemoor is providing turnkey development services, including planning, programming, end-user coordination, permitting and supporting the University's efforts in fundraising, leasing and public relations. Clark Construction is providing design-build services, including budgeting, design coordination, constructability review and scheduling for the project. The project is designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. This project was procured under Virginia's "Public Private Educational Facility and Infrastructure Act of 2002," which allows public entities to partner with the private sector to design, construct, finance and/or operate public facilities. This is the first university project to be procured in this manner in Virginia.
