PDG was contracted by the U.S. General Service Administration to design the temporary Houston laboratory facilities for the Customs & Border Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security. The permanent laboratory facilities had been destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. Preliminary design began in January 2006, and the facility opened in December of that year.

The PDG Team worked with CBP and GSA personnel to provide programming, design, and construction supervision for the 3,600-square foot facility on the top floor of the Leland Tower and the 4,000-square foot facility in the Garage of the Federal Building Complex. Concurrent with the laboratory facility construction, PDG also designed the administrative offices for laboratory personnel on a lower floor of the Leland Tower.

 

Upon completion of the design of the temporary facility, the PDG team commenced the development of the Basis of Design (BOD) for the new permanent 26,000-square foot Southwest Science Center. Subsequently, PDG was contracted to provide Construction Management & Inspection Services (CM&I) to the GSA to oversee the design and construction efforts of the construction team. This facility opened in the summer of 2008.

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Due to the success of the Houston forensics laboratory for Custom Border Patrol, PDG was asked to provide CM&I for the new facility in Long Beach, CA, including the complete peer review of all architectural, structural, and MEP deliverables, as well as cost estimates at the 30%, 65%, and 90% stages.

The 34,266-square foot facility was constructed inside an existing airplane hangar at the Long Beach Airport. Vibration & acoustic isolation, as well as seismic isolation were issues that required careful planning and design along with precise construction means and methods. The PDG team monitored construction on a weekly basis, reviewed RFI’s, submittals, and provided independent government estimates for all change proposals.