Why ISEC

What is most notable on VNGC was our role as a selected Risk and Reward Trade Partner. This large, award-winning, hospital project in the heart of San Francisco was delivered using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method. The collaborative efforts of our ISEC team, along with all other stakeholders, helped eliminate any potential issues that were resolved in real time.

ISEC participated in the design and construction of our scopes of work and was a vital part of the effort to drive Lean process to reduce cost, improve productivity, and support the theme of constant improvement at all levels.

There was a culture of constant improvement, transparency, and trust. We succeeded in our mission to build a world class project.

ISEC positively handled many major challenges including material handling and operations, international product supply chain constraints, and the COVID-19 pandemic while working on the McGregor Square project. The team of 30 talented ISEC-employed installers quickly adapted to unpredictable material transportation options, impacting the vertical mobility of supplies.

A skip elevator was used at the beginning of the project to tackle the material transportation to the 12 different floors. As the project progressed, passenger elevators soon became the main vertical transportation method, completely changing how our team loaded the materials for transport and impeding the amount of material that could be transported at any given time. ISEC also built temporary pre-fabrication hardware rooms in each of the three buildings for on-site storage, assembly, and material management, allowing for minimal disruption to other trades while employing lean construction principles.

Finally, ISEC managed many national and international vendor supply chain limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly ordering material for release prior to international lockdowns and ensuring the project stayed on schedule. Thinking outside of the box, ISEC also sourced local vendors for any quick turn owner changes.

The Challenge

ISEC faced a complex project involving several unique wood ceiling systems, none of which had been built before. At the bid stage, critical details and specifications were incomplete, and some of the selected materials did not meet the design intent. The sealed bid format restricted clarifications or exclusions, putting the project’s timeline, budget, and quality at risk. We couldn’t accurately define material lead times, costs, or performance parameters, adding to the uncertainty.

The Solution

After being awarded the subcontract, ISEC joined design sessions with the general contractor, architect, and owner’s representative, collaborating closely to address the project’s challenges. We engaged our network of custom millwork manufacturers to review and develop solutions that met both aesthetic and performance requirements. For the wood comb ceilings, we selected Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) to ensure dimensional stability, avoiding the warping and twisting that could occur with the initially specified materials. By sawing and re-configuring the LVL, we created architectural-grade wood panels  which combined stability with a refined appearance.

The Results

ISEC successfully delivered custom wood ceiling features, including wood combs, chandeliers, wormwood planks, and meeting planks, all of which turned out warm, natural, and visually stunning.

Lessons Learned

This project highlighted the importance of early design influence, engaging vendors for creative solutions, and building offsite mockups for unique features, ensuring that ISEC could deliver exceptional results despite initial challenges.