WCS Construction.com

AGC of DC Award

November 11, 2009
WCS Construction is proud to receive the AGC of DC Washington Contractor Award for Solomon G. Brown Corps Center in the category of New Construction. The 74,049 SF, five story multi-purpose building was completed in October, 2008. The Salvation Army spent years working with Anacostia community leaders and groups designing a program for the building that the community wanted and needed. Ultimately the decision was made to provide a teaching and wellness facility to the community. This program was given to the Architect, SmithGroup, who then designed the building.

The building uses consist of 4,100 SF of retail space on the 1st Floor, as well as providing workforce training, daycare center, chapel, classrooms, a health club, and a rooftop running track. The Salvation Army and Anacostia community groups are justifiably proud of their new facility. Major Steve Morris of The Salvation Army is an enthusiastic supporter of WCS Construction's coordination of the facility's construction stating "the entire community is fortunate to have your leadership on so many levels."

The awards ceremony took place Oct. 8, 2009 at the The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art & Portraiture, NW Washington DC.

Mid-Atlantic Construction Award

November 11, 2009
WCS Construction has again been recognized for the unique Solomon G. Brown Corps Center project in Anacostia with their Best of 2009 awards program. The project will be honored in the Winter 2009/2010 edition of Mid-Atlantic Construction and during an awards ceremony Dec. 11, 2009, in Baltimore, MD.

WCS Construction Awarded 801 N Capital Project

November 11, 2009
We are proud to announce that we have finalized our agreement with Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers to renovate the lobby at 801 North Capitol Street, in NW Washington DC. Improvements will include expansion that will more that double the space, relocation of the main entrance with all new storefront glazing, and refurbishment of the existing elevators. The new lobby interior walls will be clad with high end glass and stainless steel panels that will accentuate the new granite flooring. The new coffered ceiling will be raised bringing more of an open perspective to the new reception and waiting areas. Construction should start before the end of the year.

Preconstruction Underway for 2 M Street

November 11, 2009
We are currently performing preconstruction services for 2 M Street Apartments-part of the Northwest One complex. Construction is scheduled to start July 2011. The 2 M Street project consists of 303 apartments and 10, bi-level townhouses in a 13 story high rise concrete structure with 2 levels of underground parking.

This project is a mid to high level apartment facility with spacious common areas and amenities and a roof top pool. The building is programmed for a silver or gold residential LEED certification and will comply with the DC government's Green Building initiatives.

The façade is all brick with energy efficient aluminum punched windows and storefronts, 80% Green roof and a chilled, water source heat pump system.

Funding Received for Sheridan Station and Park Vista

November 11, 2009
The announcement of funding for Sheridan Station and Park Vista comes at a crucial time as the economy begins to show signs of upward movement.

Sheridan Station is a Hope 6 and HUD job, with land awarded by the District of Columbia. The project will be a mixed use development featuring for sale and rental town homes, apartments and senior living units. The site contains 11 acres of vacant land located directly East of Sheridan Road, bound by Howard Road, Sayles Place, Bowen Place, Stanton Road, and Pomeroy Road in the Anacostia neighborhood of DC. Sheridan Terrace Redevelopment LLC is a partnership between lead developer William C. Smith & Co., Union Temple Community Development Corporation, and The Jackson Investment Company. The Public Sector Partners are the District of Columbia Housing Authority and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. On-Site Parking, 3 Tot Lots, Roof Terrace, Green Design Features.

Park Vista is owned by William C. Smith & Co and designed by Bell Architects. This project involved 7 months of demolition and will include the renovation of 78 units, including new bump-out to increase floor space for proposed

Rhodes Hill starts delivering units

November 11, 2009
Two model units were opened for business in early September at our Rhodes Hill Square condominium project in the Clarendon section of Arlington. Sales traffic has been very encouraging with one unit already under contract. A total of 28 of the 89 units have been turned over to the owner, Waterford Development. The remaining 61 units should all be turned over to the owner by the end of November. The majority of the landscaping and other site improvements are complete.

New Senior Estimator Joins WCS Construction

November 11, 2009
WCS Construction is pleased to announce the new hire of Senior Estimator Elmer Goad. Mr. Goad previously worked for subcontractor Southland Concrete where he managed the estimating department and procured work for the large concrete subcontractor. In addition to estimating he has experience in project management, business development and quality control, bringing further expertise to the WCS Construction team.

Owner Commends Quality at The Reserve at Tysons Corner

August 20, 2009
Final Inspections Now Underway

WCS Construction has obtained final building inspections for 50% of the units at The Reserve at Tysons Corner, a new multi-building apartment community in Vienna, Virginia. The work has been underway for 16 months and is on track to meet the GMP contract "20-month schedule." The Reserve at Tysons Corner is a $50 million, 267-unit project being developed by Denver-based Simpson Housing.

Additional work now underway includes drywall finishing in the clubhouse/amenity area and retaining wall work at the site courtyard in preparation for the construction of the swimming pool. With granite tops in progress in the final buildings, all hard finishes are nearing completion on the project apartment interiors. Wood flooring, carpeting, fixtures, and trims are 75% complete and owner acceptance inspections of the finished units are in progress.

The community consists of 322,000 square feet of residential space in eight connected four-story buildings. The wood frame buildings are constructed atop a two-story, 444-space, cast-in-place concrete parking garage/podium structure. Two tower cranes were used in the parking garage and wood frame building construction effort.

David Kutchma, WCS project manager, notes that Simpson Housing's management and apartment leasing teams inspected the first group of apartments in mid-July. According to Steve Bair, director of construction operations with Simpson Housing, "The units, including the detail trim, walls, and cabinets, look better than I have seen in ten years-and more than 12,000 units..."

WCS Construction's dedicated team takes pride in receiving the compliment from Simpson Housing, a discerning client known for high-quality residential projects. The Reserve at Tysons Corner will be complete in December with sales starting in early September.

Multi Apartment Complex Rehabilitation to Begin

August 20, 2009
Construction is set to begin this fall on a project known as Jasper T29 and will consist of major rehabilitation at three separate apartment complexes located in Southeast Washington, DC.

Owner and Developer, William C. Smith and Co., Inc. have engaged the architectural firm of Wiencek + Associates for design documents. Drawings are scheduled to be complete August 2009 with construction starting September 2009. Construction will proceed simultaneously at the three separate locations. Completion for the three properties is scheduled fall 2010.

Waterford Development Commends WCS for the Quality of the First Building Rhodes Hill Square

August 20, 2009
Our relationship with Waterford Development has proven so successful that we are looking forward to working with Waterford on a new project in 2010.

The initial building at our Rhodes Hill Square project in the Clarendon section of Arlington Virginia will be delivered to the owner in August. This is the first 14 of 89 luxury condominiums many with sweeping vistas of the Federal Mall. Heffner Architects unique design of this project allows for 73 of the residences to be two story units. All on grade residences have direct access to below grade parking and on grade private terraces while the upper units provide private rooftop terraces. With hardwood floors, high end appliances, Kohler plumbing fixtures, Medallion cabinetry, and stunning granite countertops throughout. This distinctive project will be complete before the end of 2009.

3333 Wisconsin Ave Apartments

August 20, 2009
The 3333 Wisconsin Ave project is a complete interior demolition and build out of 100 up-scale apartment units located in Upper Northwest DC. Originally a nursing center built in 1972. The building exterior will have new windows, elevated roof deck and front canopy of glass and steel. The interior will contain amenities such as fitness center, club room and theatre. With the demolition complete, new masonry openings for windows are being created, mechanical, electric and plumbing rough in is well underway.

Eric Colbert & Associates is the project architect and the building owner is 3333 Wisconsin, LLC.

WCS Construction Receives 2009 Best of Washington Award

May 18, 2009
2009 Best of Washington Award
U.S. Local Business Association's Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., March 20, 2009 -- For the second consecutive year, WCS Construction has been selected for the 2009 Best of Washington Award in the General Contractors category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

WCS Construction: Surpassing Expectations

May 18, 2009
May, 2009 issue of Construction Digital magazine has published an article celebrating WCS Construction's services and commitment to our clients. We have attached a digital PDF document of the article to share with our valued clients as a reminder of WCS Construction's continuing momentum as a rapidly growing and competitive General Contractor and construction management company. See the excerpts below.

From start to finish, this Washington, D.C. construction management company does a capitol job of running your project.

WCS Construction offers a wide range of construction services including general contracting, construction management, and design/build. Located in Washington, D.C., they cover an area spanning from Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland. The company specializes in new construction and renovation of commercial and residential properties, but they have a diverse range of product categories including residential, commercial, and community building products.

The company also offers a broad range of services for every phase of the project from pre-construction to completion. "We can take a project from pre-construction planning, budgeting, scheduling, and value engineering through the implementation of best construction and management practices to the timely closeout by working closely with our clients and their consultants as a team committed to the final goal of providing what the client desires."

WCS begins each project by providing a client with an objective summary of products and their intended use. They will then attempt to find as many qualified bidders as possible in order to ensure that the client gets the most competitive pricing possible. This devotion to strong preconstruction helps to ease the transition into construction.

Once a project enters the construction phase, WCS continues to scrutinize the work in order to ensure that it stays on schedule and on budget. Some of their other construction services include contract administration, submittal review and RFI management, subcontractor coordination, safety management, and quality control.

SmithGroup Commendation

May 18, 2009
Solomon G. Brown Corps Center

WCS Construction's relationship with our architects is another vital part of our business. Speaking of this relationship, Colden Florance, Principal of SmithGroup recommended WCS Construction "based on your company's outstanding performance as the General Contractor for the 74,000 GSF, 5-story Corps Center for the Salvation Army in Anacostia, SE, Washington, DC."

"Through our many years of collaboration on this project, from the Pre-construction to the Construction Administration phases we found WCS and its personnel most knowledgeable, dedicated, and experienced, which lead to a well-executed, award winning project."

"The variety of building uses required multiple space, lighting, acoustical, and system solutions and WCS attention to detail and ability to manage multiple trade sequencing brought the building to life and to become a development catalyst in Anacostia while setting a high-quality standard for the neighborhood."

"WCS also distinguished itself by their proactive approach to identifying potential issues ahead of time saving costly after-the-fact remedies to the Owner. We are very pleased to see our design vision executed with quality and care."

We want to thank Mr. Florance for his kind words which speaks for our commitment to building strong business relationships that help ensure the smoother management of our clients projects.

The Unitized Flashing System

February 25, 2009
The Reserve at Tysons Corner is a multi-story apartment complex being built in Vienna, Virginia. Dave Kutchma is the Senior Project Manager for the $50 million project, which features 322,000-square-foot of residential wood frame building over a two story below grade 444-space parking garage. When it came to planning for the masonry work's flashing system an innovative product solution was found that would save not only half the time and labor of installing separate components, but provide a user-friendly, virtually fail-safe installation, with a high quality composite masonry flashing system. WCS Construction, together with masonry contractor Oak Tree Building Group, and SK&I Architects hit upon substituting a unitized flashing system for the separate components in the specifications. The TotalFlash system for the exterior brick cavity walls, although costing more up-front compared to buying separate components, cut installation time and labor costs significantly, off-setting the higher cost of the product with the value added benefit of a quality, one-piece flashing system. This system elminates installation errors commonly found in conventional systems, further allowing the skilled workers to focus on the more challenging tasks. The product provides redundant protections against water infiltration wall failures and mold growth which contribute to a building's longevity. This added protection was a major selling point for the owner.

Wood Frame Construction over Concrete Podium

February 25, 2009
Avera Station 4-Story Wood Frame Apartments

One of our fastest growing areas of expertise is that of wood frame construction over slab-on-grade or podium parking garage. Where residential height limitations are a concern, wood frame structures offer a more cost effective alternative with savings between 15-25% compared to concrete and structural steel buildings.

Avera Station is a prime example of this, being a recently completed 4-story wood frame apartment complex over a 2 level below grade parking garage. The Vienna, Virginia project was recently recognized by the Association of General Contractors of DC with their New Construction Award 2008. WCS Construction returned to the owner $2 million in cost savings, and completion of the project 2.5 months ahead of schedule --despite starting late due to permitting delays!

The Reserve at Tysons Corner is a similar project currently ongoing in Vienna, Virginia which also features 267 apartment units over a below grade parking garage. In October of 2008, the wood framing work on this project was subject to a rare visit by a Canadian and Japanese delegation of timber and lumber industry officials who wished to tour the project and see an outstanding example of this construction type.

As you will have noted in our feature article, The Reserve at Tyson's Corner has also been recognized for the quality and cost savings offered by the unitized flashing system used for the masonry work. There's no question that WCS Construction has the experience and the expertise to offer you an exceptional alternative.

Examples of Representative Wood Frame Podium Projects

The Reserve at Tysons Corner: 267 units, 4-story wood frame, 2 levels below grade parking structure (444 spaces) with podium.

Rhodes Hill Square: 89 luxury condominiums, 4-story wood frame, 1 level below grade parking structure (169 spaces) with podium.

Avera Station: 250 units, 4-story wood frame, 2 levels below grade parking structure (400 spaces) with podium.

Metro Place @ Town Center: 397 units, 4-story wood frame, 5-story precast parking garage (420 spaces).

8045 Newell Street: 120 units, 5-story wood frame, 1 level below grade parking garage. One of the first '5-story' wood frame projects constructed in the DC Metro area.

"WCS Construction built a very well constructed building, with no delays, and did so with professionalism and integrity." - Chris Akkerman
VP of Production Multifamily, Beazer Homes
(Avera Station / Carmel Vienna Metro Apartments)
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