St. Olaf College Residence Hall

Harris has had a long and successful history of working on the St. Olaf College campus. Our design team worked with the College and the other design partners to provide the best options and meet St. Olaf’s long-standing commitment to match or exceed the quality and aesthetics of their existing buildings.

Harris was committed to a strong buy-out process, performing a second and third buy-out comparison after design completion to ensure the most efficient equipment and make vendors competitive. Our buy-out process resulted in very minimal material and equipment delays, despite material delays, escalation costs and shortages. Harris performed prefabrication and a full BIM model, which allowed for smooth installation and coordination among the other trades.

The project faced a number of challenges, including material + equipment escalation costs, material delays in all trades and a shortage of plastic piping. Our team found solutions to each of these issues, having purchased all equipment and materials and coordinated early, setting aside storage, and managing the workforce to ensure consistent quantity of labor.