Story

Scope City Ridge is a 10-acre mixed-use development located in Washington, DC, on the former Fannie Mae campus. The project is composed of 8 buildings, the majority of which is built over a 3-level below grade parking garage. We installed 33,000 SF of concrete (walkways, subslab, curb, stairs and walls); 64,500 SF of pavers; 8300 LF of granite curb/gutter; 3200 tons of stone/boulders; 1900 LF of Ipe decking; an irrigation system; 90,700 SF of filter fabric; 4300 CF of polystyrene: 12,100 CY of soil; just over an acre of sod; 215 trees, 45,000 perennials; 5700 bulbs; 3650 shrubs; 2100 LF of steel edging; and performed over 9700 SF of soil remediation. Over-Structure 95% of this job was built over-structure necessitating polystyrene and customized soils be used to reduce weight, mitigate/control run off and act as both insulator and a strong base for plants. There were 8 soil profiles with a submittal approval process that took 3 months. When the site’s tower crane was removed early, deliveries were made to the project’s perimeter then repositioned using a telebelt and Georgia buggies, wheelbarrows, dumpers and skidsteers. Hardscape, soil and plant material were all touched at least twice, doubling our labor hours. Incorporating Sustainability The project received the first LEED v2009 ND Gold certification in the DC/MD/VA region (and is only the second in the nation to achieve this certification) as well as the Peoples’ Choice Award from USGBC’s Capital Region. Native material was used to create green spaces aiding in heat island reduction and contributing to community wellness. The project’s original granite cobble was reclaimed and stonemasons spent 3 weeks hand modifying them before resetting them into their new context. Compacted schedule As schedules got compressed, we performed 75% of our work in 4 months—working overtime and weekends. We shifted labor from other branches/jobs and at times, had as many as 70 team members on site. Added Scope/Out of Sequence Work There were over 130 change orders on this project which included adding scope, T&M to fix damage from other trades, and material/spec changes by the architect/owner. Between the time we were confirmed as the landscape contractor to when the contract was finalized, there were 20 bulletins from the L.A./owner, followed by another 20 before we work began. Due to limited space and delays, we often had to work in available areas vs. in an optimized sequence. We mobilized multiple times in multiple areas above and beyond our initial bid. For example, in the area at the front of Building A, we had 12 separate concrete deliveries, 16 hardscape deliveries and seven plant deliveries because we could only work in very small sections at a time as the space became available.