Kanso Milford
Milford, Massachusetts.
EXCELLENCE IN SECURITY and Merit Award, Residential/Hospitality
Presented by AvalonBay Communities Inc.
Owner/General Contractor: AvalonBay Communities Inc.
Main design company: The Architecture Team Inc.
Civil Engineer: Civil Design Group
Structural Engineer: Provide engineers
MEP Engineer: RW Sullivan Engineering
Geotechnical/environmental consultant: Sanborn Head & Associates
Landscape architect: Hawk Design Inc.
Subcontractors: Baystate Engineering Corp.; Commonwealth Electrical Technologies Inc.; Diaz Construction Co.; Fernandes Masonry Inc.; Firestop Associates Inc.; FM Construction Group; Master Framing Inc.; Schlager Co. Inc.
Built on an aggressive 21-month schedule, the $45.4 million multifamily residential development features more than 160 apartments in three mid-rise buildings. The community prioritizes simplicity, functionality and affordability without compromising the quality of living space. Amenities were limited to a dog park, a bus stop, electric vehicle chargers, a grill area, detached garages and a separate recycling/garbage building. Due to the conditions of the site, a well for irrigation was not possible, nor was the use of village water an option. Instead, the team designed a system of three 10,000-gallon concrete tanks to collect and store rainwater from the building’s roofs.
The proximity of the city’s fire department headquarters presented multiple challenges during the construction phase. In addition to requiring close coordination and communication for utility connections to streets that could not be closed for any length of time, the groundwater was contaminated with chemicals from firefighting foam that had been used during training exercises. All deep sewer works and other construction below the water table had to include groundwater treatment before discharge, while saturated excavated soil was stored for testing.
Photo by Michael Nesbitt, courtesy of AvalonBay Communities Inc.
The hard granite encountered during construction had to be blasted away to make way for underground utilities and the building’s foundation. The project’s safety plan called for all other construction activities to stop during blasting events, with fire crews on site as an additional precaution.
All subcontractors were pre-qualified to meet the minimum workplace safety requirements of the owner/general contractor. As the timber frame structures took shape, the team implemented a fire suppression and safety program that included the application of fire retardants with spray, surveillance cameras and other measures in accordance with national fire protection standards. All external safety observations were captured in a technology-based management tool, facilitating frequent and effective information analysis to understand project trends, risks and hazards. The results were used to influence performance goals, training, planning and security-related conversations with business partners.
