For many college students, the new Union on Frank apartment complex will be their new home away from home. Because of that, the Southern Carpet, Hardwood & Tile team was delighted when we were asked to be a part of the project team to create an inviting space to welcome them home.
Located in Tuscaloosa near the University of Alabama campus, Union on Frank features two buildings and a variety of floor plans, including studio, one, two, and four bedroom options. The new complex also offers sought-after amenities and conveniences ideal for the collegiate lifestyle, such as an outdoor terrace, pool, clubhouse, and fitness room.
The lump sum construction project required a large amount of material: 74,000 square feet of carpet, 108,000 square feet of resilient flooring, 1,200 square feet of fitness flooring, 3,000 linear feet of rubber base, 43,000 square feet of porcelain floor and wall tile, 1,900 square feet of hardwood, and 2,000 square feet of thin brick veneer.
A great amount of due diligence went into this project to keep it within budget. We value engineered some of the material in the project, carefully considering products to present to the owner. This was done not only to best manage the budget but also because of the impact of Covid-19 on the supply chain to ensure that chosen products would be received on time as well. Our team excelled in being proactive to ensure we had the materials we needed, when we needed them, expediting orders when necessary and always looking ahead on the schedule to be ready for the next step and all materials that would be needed for it.
Great effort was also made to keep the project on schedule as well. The project was large in size, and the schedule was very aggressive. Our scope of the project had to be completed in approximately four months. Given that aggressive schedule, our team had to ensure a well-followed schedule in order to meet it, adding significant manpower to the team whenever needed and working nights and weekends.
With so many different types of materials to be installed during the project, extensive coordination with our field team was required to not only ensure proper placement, but also safeguard quality. Safety was also a top focus as well, and our field team performed a wonderful job maintaining a safe environment for everyone on the jobsite. Our team closely monitored the project to ensure that all safety protocols were being followed, while also making sure to deliver a high quality producer to the end user. We were proud of the end result: a beautiful facility completed on time and on budget to welcome students to their new college home.
