STV honored for campus building project

Philadelphia — STV earned top honors from the Construction Management Association of America’s (CMAA) Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the firm’s role in the restoration and expansion of Rowan University’s downtown Camden campus. The firm was awarded a CMAA Project Achievement Award in the Higher Education (under $20 million) category.

Facing increasing student enrollment at its downtown Camden campus, Rowan University embarked on a two-phase plan to restore the stately First Camden National Bank & Trust building and to add more classroom and faculty space.  Rowan selected STV to serve as construction manager and owner’s representative to restore and reconfigure the space within the main bank and adjacent 1950s-era annex building while also overseeing the construction of a 13,800-square-foot addition. In all, the project doubled the number of classrooms and office spaces while adding computer labs, support areas and study lounges, including one within the bank’s old vault and safety deposit box area.

“The project team overcame significant challenges to control the project’s cost and keep construction on schedule,” said Gus Maimis, LEED AP BD+C, STV senior vice president and Northeast territory manager for STV’s Construction Management Division. “What’s more impressive is that all of this was done while classes were still in session. It took a lot of creativity, flexibility and communications to keep things on track and minimize any disruption to students and faculty.”

The newly renamed Rowan Camden Academic Building places all of the university’s Camden campus under one roof while preserving the character of the Classical Revival bank building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

CMAA recognizes outstanding and often complex projects annually with its Project Achievement Award. As part of these awards, the organization acknowledges the significant role construction managers play in controlling costs, timing, quality and safety for the overall success of a project’s implementation.

The project team was honored for its work at the CMAA Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s awards banquet in June at Camden’s Adventure Aquarium.