A new hotel is coming to Santa Cruz, well Capitola actually. The new Fairfield Inn is set to open summer 2011, all 84 rooms and 95,000 square feet of it.
CFS Engineering was selected by Slatter Construction, project manager and general contractor for owner Aspromonte Hospitality, for the $15 million project to provide pre-construction interdisciplinary document coordination services and construction layout and control surveying. CFS Engineering had to draw on both civil engineering and land surveying expertise to accomplish this objective.
The building footprint covers about 90 percent of the site, including the partial subterranean parking garage. The intricacy of the building foundation added to the complexity of fitting the building exactly to the surrounding terrain and ensuring that the requirements of all other disciplines were satisfied. The task required a thorough analysis of the architectural, civil, structural, and mechanical plans in order to identify and resolve all conflicts prior to construction layout. Relying on their civil engineering expertise and obtaining prior approval from each discipline, CFS Engineering made the necessary adjustments for each discipline to suit the governing structural plans. Armed with the assurance from their office, the CFS land surveyors then seamlessly laid out the building control for construction.
A good indication of a job well done is when you don't get any calls from the Contractor. And that was the case for CFS Engineering during this project. It reminds me of the old Herbert Hoover tribute to the profession of engineering:
"It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards of living and adds to the comfort of life. That is the engineer’s high privilege.
The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot, like the architect, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot like the politician screen his shortcomings by blaming his opponents and hope the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny he did it. If his works do not work he is damned.
On the other hand, unlike the doctor, his is not a life among the weak. Unlike the soldier, destruction is not his purpose. Unlike the lawyer, quarrels are not his daily bread. To the engineer falls the job of clothing the bare bones of science with life, comfort and hope. No doubt as years go by the people forget which engineer did it, even if they ever knew. Or some politician put his name on it. Or they credit it to some promoter who used other people’s money…
But the engineer himself looks back at the unending stream of goodness which flows from his success with satisfaction that few professions may know. And the verdict of his fellow professionals is all the accolade he wants."
And so another project is nearing completion with only a few minor details remaining to resolve. Looking ahead to the next one. Stay tuned.
Cheers!
Clark E. Stoner, PE, PLS
CFS Engineering
Some photos:
Just a hole in the ground at this point.
CFS Engineering is a civil engineering and land surveying firm located in Santa Cruz County, California. The firm is headed up by Clark E. Stoner, principal civil engineer and land surveyor for CFS Engineering. CFS Engineering's central office is located in Capitola, California, in the heart of Santa Cruz County.
The Fairfield Inn project is located in Capitola, California.