PRESCOTT COLLEGE
CROSSROADS CENTER PROJECT

Objective

To design and construct a multi-use facility that models Prescott College’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility through its design, construction, and function within a budget that caps the project’s indebtedness at $3,000,000.

Contents

1. General Information
2. Project Description
3. Space Requirements
4. Budget
5. Schedule
6. Scope of Design Team Services
7. Design Team Response Instructions
8. Design Team Selection Process
9. Questions and Additional Information

1. General Information

   This request for qualifications outlines the basic requirements for the project. It is intended to give design teams a common understanding of the scope of work.

   Invited candidate teams are welcome to communicate with the steering committee and primary users as a means to gain more detailed information about Prescott College and this particular project. This should be done in a written form of questions or items in need of response. All such communication should be coordinated through the office of the chief operating officer.

   Additional pre-proposal communication may be requested at the discretion of the steering committee or chief operating officer of the College.

   This solicitation does not commit the College to pay any costs incurred in the preparation, presentation, interview or return of submittals.

   Each respondent in submitting a proposal is deemed to have waived any claims for damage by reason of the selection of another firm.

   The College reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to accept or refuse any or all proposals.

2. Project Description
   1. Background Information:

      The Crossroads Center will enable Prescott College to constructively engage the campus and greater world community in research and discussion about the various challenges and opportunities facing our local and global communities. Specific functions to be facilitated by the Crossroads Center will include:
      

      1. Information Commons (integration of College Library with technological and social functions)
      2. Campus Café
      3. Classrooms
      4. Social Spaces
      5. Quiet Spaces
      6. Multifunctional Meeting Space
      7. Outdoor Amphitheater
      8. Administrative Spaces to Facilitate Conference Services

      As detailed above, the Center will involve a conference services-oriented facility that will be integrated with the daily needs of the College’s learning community. The facility will be the primary conduit through which the College engages the greater community through conferences, meetings, and other events. It will also facilitate and act as the central gathering point for the campus learning community through the integration of the information commons (library), café, technology, classrooms, and social spaces.

      Once the basic notion of this facility was embraced, the College engaged the ECOSA Institute, a local ecological design institute, to assist it in putting form to this concept. This involved a variety of charrettes and input from the campus community about functionality and basic design principles. This initial planning resulted in basic programming details and ECOSA’s conceptual design for the Center.

      Prescott College maintains a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility as a core value in its curricular mission and business practices. In keeping with its basic commitment to the environment, any successful facility design must fully address the principles of ecological design. The College is interested in this as a recognized LEEDS project, but is receptive to other acceptable alternatives.

   2. Siting Considerations:

      The facility is to be placed contiguous to the College’s administration building located at 220 Grove Avenue. This space is located adjacent to Butte Creek and currently contains parking, the café, and student services offices. The current structures will be removed by the owner outside of the scope of this agreement. The lots located between the site and Western Avenue are not currently owned by the College, but may later be acquired and incorporated for parking and pedestrian access. The creek and adjacent outdoor spaces should be fully incorporated into the design and functionality of the facility.

   3. Project Scope:

      This is to be a new construction project which should fully incorporate the building with outdoor spaces, specifically the creek, and landscaping. It should also fully address pedestrian access, parking requirements, and all applicable code requirements.

3. Space Requirements

   The vision for this facility incorporates a multifunctional notion of space placement. The total space required for the facility will be dependent upon the final interrelationship between functional areas and the amount of multifunctional space. Therefore, specific square footage estimates of all individual functional areas are not possible at this time. General requirements for functional areas are listed below. Specific figures are indicated for those spaces where size is known.

   • Information Commons/Library (current collections at 35,000 volumes)
   • Campus Café (capable of catering banquets & dedicated seating for 25)
   • Classrooms (6-10 @ 400 SF ea)
   • Social Spaces
   • Quiet Spaces
   • Multifunctional Meeting Space (400 seating or 200 dining)
   • Administrative Spaces to Facilitate Conference Services
   • Outdoor Amphitheater (300 seating)
4. Project Budget

The budget for this project is $ 3 million. This figure is inclusive of planning and design documentation costs. It is also inclusive of all immediate vicinity site work including construction, pedestrian access, parking, and landscaping. It is inclusive of fixtures, furnishings, and equipment. The budget may be augmented by grants, gifts, and other resources identified by the design/build team from outside agencies and entities interested in partnering in a project that models the concepts of sustainable design and environmentally responsible construction.

5. Schedule

   The tentative project schedule is as follows:

   Design team responses due: September 16, 2002
   Design team presentation week: October 7, 2002
   Design contract award: November 1, 2002
   Construction to begin: April 1, 2003
   Construction to be complete: March 31, 2004

6. Scope of Design Team Services

   The following is a list of general services expected as part of this project. Specific details will require significant discussion and clarification during the design process and should be outlined in the final design team contract. The list is not intended to be fully inclusive or exclusive of work which must be done, but is intended to depict the general scope of work needed for the successful completion of this project. The final scope of work will also be dependent upon the budget parameters as outlined in number 4 above and local, State, and other applicable requirements. The selected design team will be expected to produce design, construction, and other necessary documents to fully define the project and contractual arrangements.

   The general scope of services required to successfully design this facility will include:

   1. Architectural design
   2. Engineering
   3. Construction Cost Estimation and Oversight
   4. Project management
   5. Cost control
   6. Other consultants as required
7. Design Team Response Instructions

   A total of 5 copies of each team’s proposal must be received at the following office on or before September 16, 2002:

   Office of the Chief Operating Officer
   Prescott College
   220 Grove Avenue
   Prescott, AZ 86301

   The following is a list of the minimum information to be included in the written and graphic responses for this project:

   1. Description of Firm: History and description of the firm, including number of personnel in each discipline and a complete description of in-house services.
   2. Organization: Proposed project organization, including the names and resumes of key project personnel; an organizational chart delineating internal relationships; and the resumes of principals in the firm.
   3. Similar Project Experience: Description of similar project experience, including at minimum:
      1. name and location of project
      2. owner representative and telephone number
      4. dollar value of project
      5. design schedule
      6. construction method
      7. principal and project architect in charge
   4. Current Workload: Description of current projects, including as a minimum:
      1. name and location of project
      2. dollar value
      3. design start and completion dates
      4. construction start and completion dates
      5. principal in charge and project architect
      6. owner’s representative and telephone number
   5. Insurance: List all insurance coverage currently carried by the firm, including E & O and general liability
   6. Statement on Project Approach: Provide a management plan and detailed task schedule outlining the firm’s intended approach to this project and plan for working with the owner to ensure a successful project. Specifically, describe the way in which you intend to approach the schematic design and design development of the project. Also indicate how you will organize and manage the design team and the relationship of the client to the design team.
   7. Statement on the Unique Qualities of Your Firm/Team: Address team’s unique ability and qualities to undertake this project successfully and within the environmental/sustainable, functional, economic, and other parameters given.
   8. Statement on Ecological/Sustainable Design & Construction: Address firm’s notion of the ecological/sustainable design strategies that should be included in this project. This should include philosophical commitment, specific strategies, and graphical representation of similar sustainable design projects.
   9. Cost Control: Address firm’s approach to monitoring costs and ensuring that the project comes in at or below budgetary constraints, and developing value engineering alternatives. Be sure to specifically describe, in detail, the process you will use to ensure that the project budget is met and completed on schedule.
   10. Consultants: List any and all consultants, including their disciplines, which the firm will utilize on this project. Provide a description and credentials of each consultant’s firm. It should be noted that the owner reserves the right to approve or refuse any or all consultants.
   11. Project Budget and Estimated Disbursement Schedule: A general project budget which outlines the major cost centers of the project along with an estimate disbursement schedule should be included. High levels of confidence in an ability to successfully implement and complete the project as proposed and within established budgetary constraints is essential.
8. Design Team Selection Process

   Prescott College formed a steering committee to oversee the Crossroads Center project and this committee make a recommendation to the President and senior management team of the College. The President will make his recommendation to the Board of Trustees who will finalize the selection of the design team.

   Prescott College is utilizing a combination written proposal evaluation and interview process to select the design team for this project.

   The following criteria are likely to be considered, in no particular priority, in evaluating written and graphic proposals:

   1. experience and demonstrated success of firm in ecological design and construction
   2. familiarity with and sensitivity to the Prescott College community and campus
   3. quality of written/graphic response that authentically respond to the College’s environmental principals.
   4. experience and demonstrated success of firm in design projects at institutions of higher learning
   5. experience and demonstrated success of firm in design of projects of similar functions
   6. experience and demonstrated success of members of proposed design team with similar projects
   7. demonstrated success in completing projects on schedule and within budget
   8. satisfaction of former and/or present institutional clients
   9. creativity, appeal, and timeliness of past projects
   10. experience of proposed consultants
   11. project approach and organization
   12. demonstration of creativity
   13. chemistry of design team members
   14. project ideas, particularly the integration of the functional spaces with each other and the greater campus
   15. clarity and method of presentation
   16. ability for successful integration of ecological design principles, this may include but is not limited to category of LEED rating (Gold or Platinum preferred)
   17. comments on budget, cost control, and value engineering
   18. comments on project and construction support services
   19. familiarity with Prescott City zoning, code compliance, and permit approval issues
   20. cohesion and clarity of roles of design members and consultants
   21. other factors as may be deemed appropriate by the committee

   Written/Graphic proposals will be evaluated and selected teams will be invited to participate in second-round interviews/presentations.

   Second-round interviews/presentations are tentatively scheduled for the week of October 7, 2002. Each participating firm will be notified well in advance of exact time and location. Interviews are expected to last no more than 90 minutes and will be attended by the coordinating committee and the campus community at-large. All key members of the proposed design teams are expected to participate, including Principal-in-Charge, Project Architect, Engineer(s), Landscape Architect, General Contractor, and any other individuals proposed to play key roles in planning, and design of this project. Design teams should take approximately 45-60 minutes to present their proposal and then be prepared to respond to questions from the committee and from the community at-large.

   The final recommendations from the committee will be based on review of written/graphic responses, the results of interviews/presentations, and subsequent reference checks.

9. Questions & Additional Information:

   All questions and requests for additional information, including communications with the committee and/or primary users, should be made through the Office of the Chief Operating Officer. Inquiries can be made via email at scorey@prescott.edu or phone at 928-778-2090, ext 4100.