In September 2004, Kiewit Construction Company, a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, completed construction of the $4.7 million Island Pacific Academy, the first private school built in fast-growing Kapolei. The pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade facility provides a nearby alternative to the private schools in Honolulu.
During construction, a concrete drivers' strike brought about some unanticipated challenges. Kiewit Construction Company maintained an aggressive schedule and worked through the challenges to finish the two-story, 28,000 sq. ft. school two months ahead of schedule. Kiewit Construction Company ultimately choose precast concrete to move the project forward. This enabled concrete components to be precast during the strike. When the strike ended, the foundation concrete was poured and crews erected the precast components.
Using the design-assist delivery method, Kiewit Construction Company worked closely with the designer to price alternative construction plans that saved the client more than $1 million on the building itself. Changes were made to the building and roof configurations, allowing for more efficient use of exterior and interior space and materials. Instead of using one large chiller, the ventilating system was altered to include four air conditioning units hidden on the roof, minimizing the amount of ductwork required.