The InterContinental Buckhead

Project Heading for a Fall 2004 Completion

By Debra Wood

The InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel, now under construction at a cost of more than $100 million, will blend Southern hospitality and grace with upscale, contemporary amenities.

"Atlanta is a prime destination for international business and leisure travelers," said Jeff Senior, vice president of brand management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, The Americas, explaining the chain's interest in the Georgia location. Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta began preconstruction activities in 2001 when the developer, The Hogan Group of Tampa, planned a 400,000-sq.-ft. office, hotel and parking complex. But with dot-com companies failing, the office market slowed, requiring the owners to reconsider their plans.

Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates of Atlanta redesigned the structure into a 392,000-sq.-ft. hotel with ballrooms, health-club facilities and a 500-car underground parking garage. Each ballroom has a separate kitchen, in addition to the hotel's restaurant and kosher kitchens.

The hotel's floor plate expanded during the redesign. Rooms were added to each floor, and the height decreased from 25 to 21 floors. Fewer floors shaved costs for exterior skin and also eliminated some repeating items such as electrical closets, linen storage rooms and vending machine areas.

"It's a very efficient layout," said Bill Garcia, project architect. "There is absolutely no part of the site that wasn't used. It was in response to the tight urban design and an outgrowth of the maximizing use of the site from a design and functional perspective."

A 22,000-sq.-ft. garden courtyard sits atop the parking structure and administrative and support facilities. The garden, off the lobby and ballrooms, provides an open-air space for functions.

"The garden is a big feature of the design," Garcia added. "The idea at the podium level is there is an extension of the inside of the hotel outside, in a secluded private, Southern garden. The interior has been designed in context to the exterior. There are a lot of garden motifs used."

During preconstruction, Hardin and its electrical and mechanical subcontractors, Henderson Electric Co. of Stone Mountain, Ga., and McKenney's of Atlanta, worked with engineers and designers to develop energy-efficient techniques that will decrease operating costs.

"Our job is to meet the budget and build it as quickly as possible with the latest technology and the best materials," said Tom Booth, construction manager for Hardin.

A smart heating-and-cooling system detects when someone is not in the room and adjusts the temperature accordingly. The hotel will have hardwired and wireless Internet access, a video security system and electronic locking systems.

"All of the lighting in the common areas and exterior are controlled by dimming systems," said Jim McBride, vice president of Henderson.

Hardin began construction in November 2002 with 40 percent of the construction documents complete. The company did phased permitting for land disturbance, erosion control, grading, foundation and structure work in 2002 but did not pull the final building permit until March 2003.

"Each permit allowed me to do a little more work, so while they were completing design and finalizing details, the job was coming out of the ground," Booth said. "It has worked out very well."

Hardin excavated approximately 36,000 cu. yds. of soil to make way for the parking garage. The building sits on caissons. The tower is two-way, post-tensioned concrete. The project has consumed more than 28,000 cu. yds. of concrete, 2,600 tons of rebar and 300,000 lbs. of post-tension cable.

The exterior is precast concrete with natural stone accents. The precast was modeled to resemble granite. Hardin used beige, stone windowsills that blend with the precast and allowed the company to run the curtain wall vertically, saving on erection costs, which run about $500 per piece. The exterior includes a complex matrix of different stone colors.

"Part of what we have done is design the building to get the look [the owners] wanted and at the same time getting economy of materials and speed of construction," Booth said.

Hardin constructed a 20- by 50-ft. mock-up that gave owners a representation of the precast, stone, glazing and eyebrow at the top of the structure. It also completed finish schedules for every guest room and priced out everything from the fixtures to the tiles.

The site is tight, and none of the 380 to 420 workers, including management staff, can park on the property. Staff rented parking at neighboring office and hotel buildings. Some subcontractors are busing in craftspeople. Deliveries are scheduled before or after rush hour.

As part of the plan, Hardin built a granite wall to block off the neighboring historic homes.

The project topped out in November and was 65 percent complete in December. Interior finishes and trim were under way on lower floors. The project is expected to wrap up on time for a fall opening.

Booth said Hardin was running ahead of schedule in some areas, and crews worked weekends to make up the time lost because of record rainfall.

Hardin also obtained a variance from Atlanta's noise ordinance to work a second shift during precast installation. To help reduce noise, the cranes and trucks did not have backup alarms.

"For everyone, the cost is in the details," Booth said. "I'm proud of how the building looks and how as a team we have come together to meet the owner's needs and budget."

Project Team:

Developer: The Hogan Group, Tampa
Operator: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
General Contractor: Hardin Construction Co., Atlanta
Architect: Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates, Atlanta
Electrical Contractor: Henderson Electric Co., Stone Mountain, Ga.
Mechanical Contractor: McKenney's, Atlanta