Grading commenced for the Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health in August and the new facility is scheduled to open for the fall semester in 2010. Darland is providing comprehensive construction services for this nearly 57,000 sq. ft. facility.

"This is a complex project," states Darland project manager Adam Simpson. "It will be a LEED certified building, which requires extensive planning, documentation, and partner coordination on all aspects of construction. We are sourcing recycled or earth-friendly materials and selecting paints and adhesives with low volatile organic compound levels. We not only have to track the materials, but also transport distances, and waste disposal or recycling, even our paper use and pop cans. It's a challenge, but one we are well-suited to handle."

The three-story facility will serve as the home for the UNMC College of Public Health. With 106 offices, 11 classrooms, and a computer lab, it will provide a central location for the College, which is now spread out across the UNMC campus.

"Darland is the ideal contractor to carry out the green initiatives we have designed," notes Michael Alley, Principal of Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture. "Darland has the detailed qualification and management processes needed to assure that the construction team will be able to meet the demands of LEED certification. In addition, this project is on a very tight site, so sequencing, timing, laydown, and parking issues are all critical. The Darland team has proven to us, on equally demanding projects, that they can complete projects on time, on budget, and meet our objectives."

Simpson adds, "UNMC is on its own power distribution and steam/water systems. We'll be tying into those systems, but must do so without impacting the critical systems performance around campus. This takes extensive planning with the UNMC utility team and our project team. When you are working on a healthcare campus, there is no room for mistakes. We're proud of the fact UNMC has the confidence in us to manage this job for them."

Darland is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and has completed projects in 15 states. Darland"s expertise in construction management-with an emphasis on proactive planning-has earned the company a reputation for exceeding client expectations.