The Glenmere at The Village at Rockville

Rockville, Md.

Award of Merit

KEY PLAYERS

OWNER: National Lutheran Communities & Services

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: BCT Design Group

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Howard Shockey & Sons Inc.

CIVIL ENGINEER: Johnson Bernat Associates Inc.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Carroll Engineering Inc.

MEP ENGINEER: Century Engineering Inc.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Partners in Planning

OWNER’S REP: ARCH Consultants

SUBCONTRACTORS: Bahia Construction LLC (Concrete); JW and Sons Inc. (Framing Drywall); Grounded Electrical Construction LLC (Electrical)


Given the project’s location in an existing senior housing community, the team safeguarded residents particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 as well as its own staff. That workforce was continually in flux, as offsite exposure and quarantines frequently depleted staffing without warning. The discovery of an undocumented electrical feeder line on the 305,000-sq-ft infill project forced resequencing of site activities and a revision to the layout of access roads to the jobsite. A change in owner leadership prompted a last-minute redesign of the building’s common spaces, an area originally scheduled to be finished first, given its time-sensitive elements. The redesign triggered steel and ductwork changes as well as another revision to the project’s critical path and workforce deployment strategy.

The silver lining in the pandemic’s impacts was the application of remote video inspections. Using drones and handheld devices along with digital design technology, the team had accurate information to verify work quality and project progress even with the seemingly continual sequencing changes.

Despite industry-wide material supply chain disruptions, the project was delivered on time and nearly $1 million under budget. Besides two residential towers with 130 independent living apartments in mixed configurations, the project includes a clubhouse, spa, aquatic and wellness center and underground parking. Landscaped outdoor courtyards and interior connectivity to existing buildings provide links to the development’s other buildings and features.