In his new role, Thomas will manage Consigli’s Maine day-to-day operations, business strategy and team leadership. He has been at Consigli for 20 years and has a proven track record of leading some of the largest and most challenging projects in the academic, healthcare and life sciences markets in the region.

“I have been fortunate to work alongside Dave for two decades, and his dedication to our team and to our clients is unmatched,” said Matthew Tonello, Project Executive. “I look forward to our continued partnership as Dave keeps leading Consigli’s people, projects and operations in Maine through his passion, leadership and commitment to excellence.”

Thomas’ promotion to Director of Operations will allow Tonello to focus on key client relationships. He will continue to serve in a leadership role that builds on his mass timber expertise and will provide executive level guidance and oversight of Consigli’s most complex projects.

Thomas serves as a member of the Associated General Contractors of Maine’s Building Committee, and engages with various local industry organizations, including the Bioscience Association of Maine, the Maine Hospital Association, the Maine Healthcare Engineers Society and MEREDA. In addition to his industry leadership, Thomas serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Epic Experience, a non-profit organization aimed at empowering adult cancer survivors to live beyond cancer.

Read more about the announcement in Mainebiz here.

Learn more about Consigli’s Maine operations here.

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Members of the Consigli Construction Co., Inc. project team joined representatives from Bowdoin College and HGA at the ENR Award of Excellence gala in New York City this week to celebrate their design and construction achievement. The winning projects are drawn from the Regional Best Projects Awards series, which represents outstanding projects and projects teams from across the country.

Matthew Tonello, Eric Bottaro and Emerald Boisselle-Byers of Consigli; Rebecca Celis of HGA; John Simoneau of Bowdoin College.

The first pure, commercial-scale mass timber structure in Maine, the $28.5 million, 46,000 sq. ft. and 100% electric project was completed on schedule in less than two years despite significant impacts to supply chain and schedules. The project team was evaluated on how well it was able to overcome challenges and contribute to industry innovation, as well as on overall excellence in design, construction and safety execution.

Read the full Best of the Best feature in ENR here.

Learn more about the project here.

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PORTLAND, ME – The John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies and Barry Mills Hall on the Bowdoin College’s campus has been honored by Engineering News Record (ENR) as a 2023 New England Best Project of the Year. It received top honors in the Higher Education/Research category.

The first pure mass timber structure in Maine, the $28.5 million, 46,000 sq. ft. project utilized glue laminated beams, columns and trusses, as well as other materials. To mitigate potential supply chain and skilled workforce challenges, Consigli proactively secured pricing for the mass timber ahead of significant lumber price increases.

To further support cost savings, Consigli utilized a 4D model using cost analysis to compare mass timber with a more traditional steel, concrete and masonry superstructure and demonstrated that mass timber pre-fabrication strategies was the best choice for the project. Funding for the cost comparison was supported by the U.S. Forest Service, making Bowdoin College one of just 10 institutions to receive agency funding to bring sustainable change to the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.

In addition to receiving this New England regional honor, Consigli also received ENR New York’s top award in the K-12 Education category for its work on the Bronx High School of Science – Stanley Manne ’52 Institute of Science.

Project teams recognized by ENR’s panel of judges as regional Best Project winners were evaluated on how they were able to overcome challenges, contribute to industry innovation and benefit the community, as well as overall excellence in design, construction and safety execution.

Read more about the project in ENR’s November issue here.

View the full list of ENR New England’s 2023 honorees here.

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“For the last 21 years, I have been able to come to work at Consigli with people I consider my family,” said Matt Tonello, Director of Operations – Maine. “Our teams share a commitment and a deep sense of accountability, and none of our work is possible without the greatest set of teammates.”

Best Companies Group, in partnership with the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management and Mainebiz, annually ranks small, medium and large companies throughout the state using thorough company assessment tools designed to gather detailed information from employers and employees.

This recognition was earned through Consigli’s commitment to fostering a strong culture, generous benefits and opportunities for development for its employees.

In addition to benefits supporting the physical and mental health of employees and their families, Consigli also provides its employees with paid volunteer time, generous 401K matching, fitness reimbursement and wellness incentives, summer Fridays, parental leave and a culture that encourages work life balance. Various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) also work collaboratively and thoughtfully to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all employees.

Consigli has also consistently been named a Top Place to Work regionally in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C., and has been recognized nationally as a Forbes Best Employer.

For more information and a full list of winners, click here.

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At Portland Foreside Development Company’s Building 12, Consigli utilized LiDAR laser scanning to confirm the historic structure’s existing conditions before our own self-perform masons meticulously dismantled and reconstructed the building brick-by-brick at a new location. The project required close coordination with Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Preservation and the local Historic Preservation Board.

The Build Maine Awards is a competitive process where a panel judges construction projects for the year’s best project. The judging process is confidential and well represented by members of the design, engineering, construction, and owner category to ensure diverse views. Criteria projects are judged on include safety, innovation, contribution to the community, environmental sensitivity and more.

Learn more about the project and the Build Maine Award here.

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How does Consigli—which has planned and built more than fifteen projects incorporating timber solutions—coordinate and collaborate with our project partners to plan and deliver high-quality timber structures? With extensive experience analyzing, procuring and installing mass timber, Consigli’s interdisciplinary approach supports our clients—like Bowdoin—in making cost-effective, schedule-driven decisions when planning a mass timber project.

Initial Design

Rigorous pre-construction planning is a must when it comes to mitigating potential cost, schedule and quality impacts associated with a mass timber structure.

• Early Detections of Issues: The smallest details matter when it comes to achieving the desired look and function for such a specialized finish product. Incorporating design intent into early models helps guide crucial design considerations to be incorporated into fabrication documents and allow for timely timber release.
• Structural Reviews: Structural drawing reviews help analyze column spacing, spans of timber elements, choices of direction of primary girders and varying strategies for mechanical ductwork and plumbing routing. The review process can potentially result in cost saving through elements including reducing beam sizes and floor plate thickness.
• Cost Competitiveness: In today’s ever changing and challenging materials market, mass timber has remained relatively steady in pricing. This certainty allows mass timber to be priced early with greater assurance of costs as the project progress. Depending on the application, mass timber pricing can be very cost competitive when compared to steel and concrete and has additional cost benefits in terms of fit-out costs. Mass timber can also remain exposed, reducing the costs of expensive interior finishes on a project.

Selection & Sourcing

Timber species selection can affect the mass timber manufacturer. The right decision-making can support early internal estimates and analyze specific species for the best fit.

• Wood Species & Material Finish: Material selection has a significant impact on the choice of timber manufacturers. From aesthetic to strength of structural design to lengths of members, Consigli can help evaluate timber species and offer options that satisfy aesthetic and structural need.
• Deep Knowledge of Supplier/Manufacturer Market: A strong list of suppliers, both domestic and foreign, ensures competitive pricing for initial bidding during earlier phases of design. As the mass timber is fully designed and released for fabrication, a well-established market knowledge is crucial in bidding installation.

Coordination & Release

Coordination model completion ahead of Construction Documents is critical to final fabrication shop drawings for mass timber. With timber lead times ranging from 16 to 24 weeks from final drawing approvals, time is of the essence.

M/E/P coordination for a mass timber structure.

• M/E/P/FP Coordination: Mass timber penetrations for M/E/P/FP systems must be carefully planned and integrated into fabrication documents. Coordination models for these penetrations allow all pathways to be designed and manufactured in shop in lieu of in field; this is crucial as field cutting is prohibited for this level of finished product.
• Design-Assist Engagement: Engaging design-assist partners for M/E/P/FP systems and mass timber allows the project team to coordinate within the working design model. Creation of CD-level documents through design-assist, even as the rest of the design is in early stages, supports completion of building systems and architectural features for a release of timber well ahead of CDs, mitigating the challenge of timber long lead times.

Delivery & Installation

Careful attention must be paid to the handling, installation and protection of mass timber to maintain the material’s integrity. Hands-on installer experience is imperative when planning a successful mass timber project.

Mass timber logistics & installation considerations.

• Logistical Planning Handling & Installation: Development of the right logistics plans for efficient installation—accounting for any potential double handling and required special care—is paramount to creating schedule certainty through installation. The right project partners develop proper delivery, loading and sequencing unique to each site.
• Protecting your Investment through Insurance & Temporary Protections: Consigli’s in-house Job Site Insights platform allows our clients to protect their investment through floor-by-floor detection of potentially damaging elements to the timber structure, including water, fire or any other elements that may stain or mar the finished product. Additionally, temporary protection is often required and includes the use of hard walls held off the timber columns for UV and moisture protection, floor plate protection from UV, moisture and foot traffic, maintenance of humidity and temperature post close-in. The most effective timber structure protection is speedy building enclosure to reduce environmental impact on the timber itself. Once enclosed and final systems are brought online, maintaining proper humidity levels is critical to keeping the timber looking and functioning at its best.
• Self-perform Capabilities: Consigli self-performs mass timber installation and protection, giving us added control over schedule, quality and continuity of installation because we are that much closer to the product. Our 650 in-house craftspeople share our standards for quality and are a strong additional resource to call upon to get work done on time.

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Design

When planning an aggressive project schedule, utilize repetitive design details to ensure quality and efficiency as multiple elements are built simultaneously off-site.

Pre-cast Concrete Foundations

The concrete foundations at Johnson Pond Houses were designed to eliminate on-site formwork and ease transportation to site. Consigli’s Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) team developed 35 concrete panel shop drawings to be repeated for each building. Each panel included every penetration, lifting device, reinforcing detail and finishing requirement, with concealing joints between panels. Foundations Engineer of Record Trillium Engineering reinforced details and accelerated drawing approvals.

To confirm there were no conflicts between the concrete, volumetric modular structural unit models, embeds and site work, each panel type was digitally modeled and clash-detected with the structural unit models. Drain lines, HVAC system louver openings, boiler vents, sprinkler drains and electrical conduits were modeled and sleeved in the panels based on the 3D model of Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection (M/E/P/FP) systems.

Volumetric Modular Structural Units

KBS Builders Inc. (KBS) pre-fabricated structural units that allowed in-factory framing, electrical, plumbing and fire protection installation. Consigli and the Kaplan Thompson Architects design team engaged M/E/P/FP design-build subcontractors for weekly coordination meetings to advance the design with KBS. With 18 structural units per building repeated across four houses, coordination and review of KBS shop drawings were required twelve weeks prior to on-site delivery.

The design-build delivery of the four repetitive buildings allowed the team to rapidly adjust design details and apply adjusted concepts from the first building to the last in real time for schedule and quality improvements. The structural units were designed to deliver nearly complete interiors for all spaces except the corridors and pre-cast basements.

Pre-fabrication

Traditional on-site construction limits simultaneous trades on site, due to its inherent sequential nature (first comes site work, then foundation, framing and so on). Pre-fabrication supports faster, higher-quality construction by simultaneously managing multiple trades and delivering materials to site only when installation-ready.

Pre-cast Concrete Foundations

Consigli Self-perform in Pre-casting Yard

With zero flexibility on structural unit delivery, the team had only four working days to set the foundation walls for each building. Consigli turned the parking lot adjacent to the project into a near-site pre-casting yard to construct foundations during sitework, allowing the team to pre-cast and pre-kit the panels on truck beds for just-in-time (JIT) delivery once the site was ready.

From the VDC group’s detailed drawings, Consigli’s self-perform team formed and pre-casted each of the 140 panels. A heated form structure supported rapid pre-cast at ground level, reducing jobsite hazards such as weather-caused slips and potential soil/excavation collapse in the foundation holes. The Consigli carpenters’ pre-casting system formed, reinforced, casted, cured and stripped panels on a five-day cycle.

Volumetric Modular Structural Units

Structural unit pre-fabrication occurred simultaneously with site preparation, foundation and steel fabrication, all of which converged on the date units were delivered to site. Each 18-unit building took 20 working days to pre-fabricate, including the installation of M/E/P systems, insulation, operable windows, an exterior air vapor barrier and a highly insulated exterior wall system to provide a Net Zero Ready structure. The interiors of the bedroom units, bathrooms and common area rooms included the installation of drywall, light fixtures, electrical outlets, flooring and finish paint.

Delivery & Installation

Pre-fabrication reduces on-site labor density, ensures manpower consistency and decreases safety incidents. To reap the benefits of off-site prefabrication against an aggressive project schedule, extensive coordination of trades is essential. 

Pre-cast Concrete Foundations

Concrete panels were delivered just-in-time and placed with a crane with structural steel support beams. Consigli’s self-perform installers set the entire foundation wall system in less than three days—from the first panel being set to the start of wood sill plate installation.

Threaded inserts allowed clean picks off the panels’ sides. Embedded cam rotational picks rotated the panels from their flat to vertical positions for installation. Temporary bracing held the panels in place while awaiting structural unit installation, and top embeds were set to lock in the units come time for installation.

Volumetric Modular Structural Units

Structural Unit Installation

Structural units were delivered in two stages per building (left and right side, two-floors high). In typical pre-fabricated structural unit assembly, units fit with no openings to the exterior. Unique to the Johnson Pound Houses, the structural units had openings for corridor connections when set in place. Keeping each building weathertight between setting units and getting the roof tilted required careful, multi-trade coordination.

Consigli reviewed punch list items throughout construction, catching deficiencies when work was first put in place. Every item delivered was immediately quality reviewed, further accelerating the completion of each building by taking early corrective action.

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“Our success on some of Maine’s most complex buildings over the past 20 years stems from our talented, passionate builders,” said Matt Tonello, Director of Operations for Consigli’s Portland, Maine office. “This top honor is a testament to their dedication to their craft, our company and our community.”

This year’s list consisted of 100 employers throughout the State. The list was compiled by the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management with the goal of encouraging excellence in employers and recognizing those that have established and consistently fostered outstanding workplace environments.

Consigli has also consistently been named a Top Place to Work regionally in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C., and has been recognized nationally as a Forbes Best Employer.

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“Consigli has built a name for itself in the Maine community, and we are proud of our people and the work we have done here in the state,” said Matt Tonello, Director of ME Operations for Consigli’s Portland, Maine office. “Our employees’ dedication to their craft and the community is what has led us to this honor for the last 15 years.”

The organization that manages the ranking program, Best Companies Group, selects the recipients based on information gathered from applicants, including employee benefits, workplace policies and employee responses to a comprehensive satisfaction survey.

Consigli has also consistently been named a Top Place to Work regionally in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C.  The company was also recognized nationally as a Forbes Best Employer in 2021.

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Across our projects, one thing always remains constant: we aim to build and create places that drive deeper connections within communities. Recently, our Portland team worked on a project at Family Violence Project (FVP) in Maine, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence. FVP offers support to abuse victims and also has two shelters for those seeking help and who need a safe place to stay. One of the shelters was in desperate need of an upgrade and general maintenance improvements. To help FVP, Consigli and a team of subcontractors assessed the shelter and committed to doing a complete renovation of the shelter. The main goal was to make this space feel more like a home and less like a shelter.

Like many mission-based organizations, FVP relies heavily on donor support and funding, which means managing a tight budget in order to offer its services. The shelter was a 100-year-old house with six bedrooms converted into efficiency apartments and the front entrance had an unsafe ramp largely used by mothers with strollers. The flooring needed to be replaced, there were plumbing issues throughout, and there were overall general maintenance issues that needed to be addressed. Further, this project was also unlike others in that it was critical to keep the anonymity of FVP’s clients in order to keep them safe. The discretion of all parties involved was crucial to not reveal the identities of the women and children at the center.

This renovation would not have been possible without the incredible support of our team of subcontractors who dedicated their time and materials to do the necessary repairs. Johnson and Jordan upgraded the plumbing in the kitchen and all the bathrooms which included the installation of a new shower and water heater that supported the entire house. Ace Painting painted every wall, trim, and surface of the house that needed a fresh coat and Paul White Tile installed new flooring in the entire home. To ensure that the children had ample space to run and play the team did an entire cleanup of the front and back yards with the help of Atlantic Landscaping providing the mulch and Hammond Lumber donating all the materials to update the porches to include outdoor seating.

In just six short weeks, the Family Violence Project shelter is now an inviting space for any domestic violence survivors who needs a safe place to heal and recover. When we gathered at FVP’s newly renovated shelter to celebrate the opening, we were reminded about what it means to be part of a business that values relationship-building. The significance of this project was not about how much time and materials went into this renovation. It was about how a team came together to create spaces where all communities can thrive. We are grateful to the Family Violence Project for the work they do and for the residents in sharing their stories with us.

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