Case Study: University of Pennsylvania advances cross-disciplinary collaboration with Southland Industries' design-assist mechanical and plumbing services

University of Pennsylvania shifts 38% of labor hours offsite with Southland Industries

The University of Pennsylvania required a new academic facility, Amy Gutmann Hall, to serve as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration and data science. The challenge was to deliver this complex, large-scale mass timber project using a design-assist approach to mitigate procurement issues and maintain budget targets. Southland Industries was engaged to provide design-assist mechanical and plumbing services to meet these goals.

Southland Industries implemented a solution focused on extensive prefabrication to overcome site constraints and accelerate the schedule. The team prefabricated over 500 elements for a floating riser system and six major equipment skids, shifting 38% of labor hours offsite. This approach contributed to over 39,800 onsite work hours with zero safety incidents and helped reduce the total project budget. The completed building, which achieved LEED Gold certification, provides a reduced carbon footprint and makes data analysis tools more accessible across the university community.

University of Pennsylvania