A M King Awards Auburn University First Place in ASC’s 2024 Design-Build Competition
It was a cross-border bind at The Associated Schools of Construction’s (ASC) Region 2 Design-Build Competition on Tuesday. Ultimately, the 6-member team from Auburn University solved the crafty puzzle posed by sponsor A M King. It was the fifth time that A M King provided the project for the Design-Build portion of ASC’s five-part, Integrated Project (IP) Delivery competition.
This year, 38 teams from 18 universities competed in seven categories: Design-Build, Concrete, Preconstruction, Commercial, Heavy Civil, Shadow Competition and the newly-added Graduate Competition. More than 250 students, 40 faculty, and 25 industry partners participated in the career fair and the student competitions that concluded with an award ceremony on Tues., Nov. 19 recognizing the top schools for each problem category.
ASC Design-Build Competition Background
In the Design-Build Competition, 34 students from six schools—Auburn University, Georgia Tech, University of Florida, Kennesaw State, Appalachian State University, and Mississippi State University—took on the pseudo role of Design-Builder in constructing a new facility for Mr. Lucky Enterprises, a Mexico-based distributor of fresh and frozen produce. Student teams were informed that the building should serve as both the company’s U.S. headquarters and the main point of distribution from Mexico to the U.S. and Canada.
“A M King and their incredible team that runs the Design-Build competition are outstanding partners with ASC Region 2, explained John Hildreth, PhD, PE. “The Design-Build competition continues to grow and attract more student teams each year and A M King is leading the way. The competition this year focused on a produce distribution facility, which brought a unique and interesting challenge to the students. They have learned so much and greatly appreciate all the effort A M King puts into making the competition a success.”
“A M King was honored to sponsor the 2024 ASC Region 2 Design-Build Competition,” says JD Boone, A M King Business Unit Leader. “What an amazing opportunity it has been to meet and engage with such talented young men and women who will no doubt be future leaders within the AEC industry. Each team did a fantastic job of applying the skills and knowledge they have acquired in their collegiate careers to a real case study project in a professional setting. I am excited to see what the future holds for these bright students.”
Project Scope and Requirements
The battle began with each team receiving a congratulatory letter from A M King announcing their prequalification to bid on a greenfield cold storage distribution facility in Laredo, Texas. The project scope contained development of a seven-acre site in the Pinnacle Industrial Park within the City of Laredo; 10 loading dock positions and 76 additional spaces for trailer and employee parking. Participants were thrown several curveballs related to design of the 35,000-sf distribution portion of the facility.
The greatest challenges for the participants included accommodating nearly 2,000 pallet positions across five temperature zones and strategic placement of a forced air room, USDA office and trucker dormitory. They also needed to accommodate 10,000 square feet of class A corporate office space and employee welfare areas. The final twist was an addendum to create a 1,500 sf (maximum sf) employee amenities space.
Each team took this information and then developed plans to comply with the specified requirements. They communicated their plans of action to the judges through written submissions and in-person presentations.
Design-Build Competition Winners
Auburn University, First Place winner for the second year in a row, included Tigers Seth Aude, Kayleigh Smith, Myrna Jalkh, William Hines, Wesley Hawkins and Tyler Machen. The team scored high marks for their floor plan design, detailed renderings, exceptional presentation, excellent communication and emphasis on mental health as part of their safety plan.
Appalachian State University, new to the competition and Second Place winner, received high scores for their in-depth, preliminary research on food projects, materials and hygiene. They focused on on refrigeration, specifics about the forced air cooler, fire protection, IMP usage, dock door seals, insulated doors, racking systems, and SQF (with a “sanitation expert” on staff.)
Georgia Tech secured Third Place with a great introduction to their “company,” specific design goals, customized amenities, and a building oriented to minimize impact of sun/heat on the cold storage areas.
A M King’s Team and Commitment
A M King team members who participated in the competition were JD Boone, Business Unit Leader; Catherine Knight, Design Leader; Brendan Stucko, Assistant Project Manager; and Sarah Smith, Marketing Manager.
“A M King is committed to supporting and partnering with select universities in furthering design and construction education,” says Dan Crist, A M King President. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with the ASC sponsors, faculty and students.”
A M King is an integrated Design-Build firm based in Charlotte, NC with offices in Greenville, SC and Chicago, IL. An employee-owned company, A M King consistently and successfully delivers quality projects throughout the United States. With an experienced team committed to protecting clients’ assets, the firm provides property consulting, design, construction, and facility services in key market sectors including food processing, food distribution, industrial manufacturing, and corporate properties.
The Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) is the professional association of construction educators and industry practitioners working together for the development and advancement of construction education. The ASC is made up of nine regions: seven regions covering the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and two international regions covering Europe and Oceania/Asia/Africa. Region 2 covers eight southeastern U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The southeast region includes 28 accredited construction schools that stretch from Virginia to Florida to Mississippi.
