Construction Notebook

Echo Pacific Construction Inc. began modernization of North Terrace Elementary School, which is a part of Oceanside Unified School District and located on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside.

Awarded to Echo Pacific in April, the $15.3 million project is now under way. The project is part of the Proposition H Bond Program approved by voters in June 2008.

The project includes new infrastructure and modernization of the seven existing buildings and will include new exteriors, interiors and state-of-the-art technology. Additionally, two new framed buildings will be constructed, 11 new portable buildings added and a complete new hardscape with new kindergarten and elementary playgrounds.

Once complete, the site will feature more of an open campus feel, resulting from the deletion of the existing overhead walkway canopies.

“The project is unique in the fact that while the school site is actually located on Camp Pendleton, all of the wet and dry utilities, with the exception of the fire services, come from the city of Oceanside,” said Chris Rowe, owner of Echo Pacific. "This requires unique coordination between both the city and Camp Pendleton Base utilities. Additionally, the entrance to the school will be relocated from a city entrance to one where the students take access from the base to better accommodate the majority of kids from Camp Pendleton who attend.”

This is the third lease-lease back project between Oceanside Unified School District and Echo Pacific Construction.

ETC Building & Design recently announced the addition of Pierre Andrada to its architecture team.

Andrada is the most recent in a series of hires as ETC expands both its architecture and construction divisions to keep up with burgeoning demand.

ETC has experienced phenomenal growth despite the recession with its combination of expert design and building capability under one roof, and it was recently ranked second in the San Diego Business Journalís annual list of top architectural firms by number of local staff.

Before joining ETC, Andrada worked at several leading architectural firms over the course of more than 15 years, including Stantec (formerly Anshen + Allen) and RBB Architects, managing large-scale health care projects with budgets exceeding $300 million.

“Pierre is an excellent addition to our company,” said Michael Engel, ETC director of design services. “His wealth of architectural project management experience at every phase will be a terrific asset in our expanding portfolio of design/build projects in the Bay Area and throughout California.”

Andradaís extensive project management and construction administration experience in health care architecture and design includes every step in the process: client planning/programming, documentation, code interpretation, permitting, construction administration and post-construction. Andrada’s past projects include:

* Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Bed Building Tower-1, Santa Clara, Calif.

* Mils Peninsula Medical Center Replacement Hospital and Professional Building, Burlingame, Calif.

* Riverton Healthcare Facility and Primary Childrenís Medical Center Project, Riverton, Utah

* Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Infill, Santa Rosa, Calif.

* Mercy San Juan Patient Tower and Remodel, New Parking Garage Project, Carmichael, Calif.

* St. Agnes Hospital Bed Tower Expansion and Remodel, Fresno, Calif.

* Hoag Memorial Hospital Outpatient Cancer Center building, Newport Beach, Calif.