Byron E. Drake
Architectural Project Manager and Senior Designer
Alhambra, CA 91801
310.403.2438 (tel), 626.458.4480 (cell), 626.270.4021 (fax)
Over 25 years’ experience in architectural offices, executing a wide variety of projects and building forms: civic, K-12 educational, colleges and universities, healthcare, museums, offices, parks, religious, retail, sports facilities and transportation projects, having budgets from $200,000 to over $578 million. Responsible for all aspects of architectural projects from conceptualization, through closeout.
Expertise:
• Leadership: training, mentoring and coordinating large project teams and managing multiple projects, communicating project and office objectives, advising individual project leaders to optimize decision processes for programing, design resolution, codes, accessibility compliance, consultant coordination, and development of consistent high quality construction documents.
• Experience: as a project job-captain since 1989, and construction documents production manager since 1994. Have successfully completed numerous large complex project designs, including programming, schematics, codes analysis, design development, construction documents, and specifications.
• Scheduling & Analysis: project planning/value engineering, codes/zoning, and production management.
• Entitlements: pre-planning, thru submittals. Experienced working with DSA, OSHPD, and federal NPS. Have executed zoning changes and conditional use permit applications, including public notifications distribution; attended municipal hearings to gain approval.
• Estimating: Responsible for developing probable construction cost estimates on various projects utilizing industry standard construction cost estimating publications, and proprietary cost data acquired from various vendor/contractor sources, on Excel spread sheets, since 2001.
• Project Quality Control: monitoring design/production processes, and evaluating contributions of individual team members. Responsible for construction documents quality back-check review since 1994.
• Architectural Construction Administration (C.A.): extensive experience in all facets of C.A., providing effective conflict resolution, and contract enforcement since 1990, through consistent even handed interpretation of responsibilities. Highly effective at complex design solutions on large scale projects in real-time; in mid-construction. Have been individually responsible for all C.A. on as many as 22 projects, simultaneously. Have been responsible as C.A. team leader monitoring all efforts of a nine person team conducting C.A. on 75 projects simultaneously.
• Commissioning: Have completed commissioning on projects with budgets up to $12,000,000; have been responsible for monitoring efforts of certified commissioning engineers on projects with budgets up to $578,000,000.
Employment History:
• James Heimler Architect, Tarzana, California. (Senior Designer/Project Manager) 2010-2012
• Gonzalez|Goodale Architects, Pasadena, California. (Project Manager) 2008-2009
• S+A Architecture, Lexington, Kentucky. (Designer) 2006-2007
• Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc., Lexington, Kentucky. (Architectural Designer-Level2) 2000-2006
• Johnson Romanowitz Architects, Lexington, Kentucky. (Construction Administration Specialist) 1998- 2000
• Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, Lexington, Kentucky.
(Designer & Construction Administration Specialist) 1995-1998
• Lester Roberts, Architect, Lexington, Kentucky. (Architectural Designer) 1987-1995
Education:
University of Kentucky College of Architecture
Awards: J. Russell Groves, Professional Practice Award, 1986 (Kentucky Masonry Institute)
Software:
15+ years’ experience with AutoCAD14 through 2012, working knowledge of Revit 2012, well-traveled in MS Office Professional Suite; proficient in Photoshop, PaintShop, and Illustrator.
James Heimler Architect Inc., Tarzana, CA, US, Project Manager
I. As Senior Designer/Project Manager, worked directly with Principle Architect on a project to provide corrections to the Center for Sciences Building, Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California:
• Attended meetings with client project team, Owner Authorized Representative (OAR), and consulting
engineers. This project was narrowly defined to remediate specific design and/or construction deficiencies determined necessary to facilitate certification of various curricula housed within the building, by nationally recognized accrediting agencies.
• Responsible for field investigations to evaluate limited scope work items & propose solutions.
• Worked with client’s team to finalize the Project Scope of Work, complete preliminary construction drawings, coordinate consulting engineer’s plans, and develop probable construction cost estimates.
• The Project was placed on indefinite hold, with preliminary construction documents +80% complete, due to a system-wide moratorium on construction by the Los Angeles Community College District.
II. As Senior Designer/Project Manager, worked directly with the Project Lead Architect. Responsible as design-team leader, quality control leader, and architectural construction administration team Leader on the Los Angeles Unified School District's ADA-75 Bundle Project; A Modified Consent Decree Project to complete all necessary ADA accessibility upgrades required to facilitate the completion, DSA certification and close-out of various bundled construction projects at 75 campuses throughout Los Angeles County, CA:
• Responsible for overall for quality control; to confirm each set of project deliverables delineated all work necessary to achieve comprehensive ADA-accessibility compliance; satisfying the requirements of the Office of the Independent Monitor (IM), and the Division of the State Architect (DSA), to facilitate project certification and final close-out. Subsequently, was assigned overall responsibility for providing limited scope construction administration (CA), in support of OAR team. Communicated project objectives, provided mentoring and discernment to 28-person architectural team.
• Attended meetings and was responsible for interface/coordination between architectural staff and, LAUSD Project Team: consisting of LAUSD Supervising Architect, the IM, Facilities Access Compliance Unit (FACU), and Central Closeout Team, and also with the OAR, the Independent Quality Review Consultant (IQRC) and Civil Engineering.
• Responsible for all site investigations: Developed a proprietary Access Compliance Checklist, and analytic-photography protocols used to complete site investigations: documenting all non-compliant conditions in designated project areas on each campus.
• Provided field-training to each member of an 18 person team assigned to complete comprehensive site accessibility compliance surveys; monitored all field-work and oversaw development of Detailed Scope of Work Documents for each project.
• Reviewed design solutions on all projects; checking plans to confirm codes compliance and conformance to ADA-accessibility requirements.
• Oversaw team efforts to coordinate design review comments provided by FACU and also the IQRC.
• Coordinated and reviewed efforts of individual project team leaders during the construction documents phase to effect quality plan-set detailing.
• Acted as main contact for Civil engineer: oversaw coordination of all civil plans; back-checking review sets and monitoring document exchanges. Personally completed civil coordination for 28 projects.
• As CA Team Leader, was primary contact for OAR team; responsible to review all efforts of 9-man CA team-interface w/ OAR team; attended pre-construction scope-walk meetings and project start-up meetings. Monitored logging/distribution, executed quality-control review of all inquiry responses & change directives prior to distribution. Also, was individually responsible for all CA on 12 projects.
III. A new Elementary School for Academia Avance in El Sereno, Los Angeles, California: Worked directly with Principal Architect, attending Owner’s meeting with City of Los Angeles DBS. As Senior Designer/ Project Manager,was responsible for codes/zoning analysis, executing schematic design & associated site development proposal drawings including, street entrances, vehicle access driveway & parking, fire & emergency improvements, and pedestrian access, Schematic building layout proposed was type-5 construction and included a tension fabric shade/lunch shelter & play area. This proposed private 280 student (K-8) elementary school was to be located on a hill-top site. Project was tabled by owner to pursue additional funding.
Practice (formerly GGA+), Pasadena, CA, US, Project Manager
As Project Manager, was responsible as a member of the architectural design team providing full time on-site design & construction administration services on the Los Angeles Unified School District's Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, Los Angeles, CA; a $570,000,000.00 multi-school K-12 educational project.
• Responsible for coordinating a complete redesign of mechanical, electrical, plumbing & fire systems throughout, working with project BIM modeling team and contractor team to execute architectural redesign and maintain overall design continuity, while limiting necessary modifications to on-going structural framing fabrication and erection. Completed architectural revision drawings, issued construction change directives and submittals. Attended submittal review meetings with DSA to revision approvals. This major redesign was necessary to coordinate with previously completed major systemic structural design changes required by the DSA, and was accomplished in approximately 100 days, while under construction, after the revised structural steel package was approved by the DSA and released for fabrication.
• Completed designs for all property boundary walls, coordinating various complexities including agreements between owner and numerous adjoining property owners. Attended meetings with general contractor to complete coordination of all engineering and architectural considerations with shoring designs. Additionally, was responsible for ADA compliant design of various interior site-ramps and walkways.
• Responsible for major design revisions to the campus maintenance facility, exterior plaza, ramps and stair areas adjoining the Historic Cocoanut Grove Auditorium including, the generator enclosure, vehicle ramp/fire lane, to support heavy fire & emergency trucks on roof-top turn around, coordinate structure to match adjoining historic main entrance elevations, facilitate adequate storm water drainage, coordinate major utilities in the area and provide blast protection at generator enclosure.
• Responsible for redesign for outdoor pool deck to relocate surge-tank and add a new ticket kiosk to facilitate public use of pool by the City of Los Angeles during summer.
• Coordinated and executed major bulletins representing changes and additions to numerous elements of the building and campus design; developed and submitted field change directives for DSA review; attending DSA review meetings. Shared responsibility to review all contractors’ submittals for various components of the work. Answered RFCs for architectural and civil conditions relative to site work, and for designated areas within this ~240,000 s.f., seven-story building.
S+A Architects, Lexington, KY, US, Architectural Designer
I. A New Remote Ambulatory Care Clinic for Highlands Regional Medical Center, Prestonsburg, Kentucky:
As Architectural Designer, responsible for architectural design development, producing schematic plans for pre-manufactured building (by others); executed site design, including site grading, street entrance, parking, accessible pedestrian access, & landscaping, for this new facility to serve southern Floyd County, Kentucky.
II. A Study for Exterior Renovations to Highlands Regional Medical Center, Prestonsburg, Kentucky:
As Architectural Designer, worked with Principal Architect on preliminary studies for exterior renovations existing hospital; conducted materials research, executed existing building elevations, and generated schematic façade details.
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Lexington, KY, US, Project Manager
I. A New Visitor’s Center for Mammoth Cave National Park, KY:
As Architectural Designer II, responsible for schematic design, design development, codes analysis, coordination of phasing, materials selection, cost estimating, consultant interface & coordination. Executed two sets of architectural construction documents. The design accommodated construction in two phases, allowing uninterrupted occupancy and beneficial use by the NPS; providing continuous services to park visitors. This new 25,000 s.f. visitor’s center was designed to facilitate “Silver” level project certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Senior park staff tabled construction due to changing priorities; diverting available funds to replace electrical systems and relight 10 miles of publicly accessed cave pathways.
II. Baltimore Washington International Airport Parking Garage:
As Architectural Designer II, developed schematic designs for ten repetitive pedestrian circulation towers serving an 8,400 space parking facility. The towers were designed as reinforced mass-concrete with elliptical glass curtain wall construction. Each tower contained elevator banks and stairways, and varied in height from eight to ten stories. Worked with principal lead architect in St. Louis office, and coordinated with other team leaders responsible for various elements of the overall design, located in various U.S. offices. As production team leader for the vertical circulation towers, was responsible for efforts of team personnel in Lexington and Louisville KY offices. Completed interface/coordination with consulting engineers, and cost estimates for pedestrian vertical circulation towers.
III, Replacement of Mammoth Dome Stair Tower, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY:
As Architectural Designer II, Assisted Lead Engineer, with site investigations, developed preliminary design, conducted materials research and construction methodology analysis. was responsible for completion of architectural & structural construction documents.
IV. Replacement of Cave Electrical and Lighting System, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY:
As Architectural Designer II, assisted in-cave field survey work, and participated in execution of cave mapping drawings under leadership of Project Surveyor. Worked as part of design team to complete engineered construction documents for relighting ten miles of publicly accessed cave passageways.
V. Stabilization and Preservation of Three Historic Churches; Joppa Missionary, Good Spring and Mammoth Cave Baptist Churches in Mammoth Cave National Park:
As Architectural Designer II, was responsible for meeting with the Park's historian and peservation officer to define project scope at each site. Conducted field inspections and photo-surveys. Identified priorities to match project scope with available funding. Completed construction documents and coordinated structural engineer's drawings to stabilize foundations, re-roof, repair, preserve and paint these three historic structures.
Vi. A new Tour Bus Dispatchers’ Office and Bus Parking facility, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY:
As Architectural Designer II, responsible for schematic design, design development, codes analysis and cost estimates. Executed all architectural construction documents, consultant interface and plan-set coordination for this new 16 space pull-through bus parking lot with refueling station and +900s.f. dispatchers' office, designed to blend harmoniously with existing adjacent historical maintenance buildings.
Johnson Romanowitz Architects, Lexington, KY, US, Construction Administration Specialist
Martin Luther King Academy for Excellence, Fayette County Public Schools, Lexington, Kentucky
• Assisted in construction documentation and conducted construction inspections as field agent for project architect on this combination middle/high school designed for alternative education.
Renovations and additions to four McCracken County Schools, Paducah, Kentucky:
• Assisted in construction documentation, conducted construction inspections, coordinated and documented contract changes as field agent for the project architect. This project involved various combinations of classroom additions, library renovations, gymnasium additions and re-roofing.
Rollins Fine Arts Center, Cumberland College, Williamsburg, Kentucky:
• Conducted field inspections and handled coordination with the Contractor on this design build project.
Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, Lexington, KY, US, Architectural Designer/Construction Administration Specialist
Gosser Fine Arts Center, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, Kentucky:
• Conducted construction administration field inspections, coordinating with Owner, consultants and Contractor.
Warren Central High School, Warren County Public Schools, Bowling Green, Kentucky:
• Assisted in construction documentation and conducted construction administration in the field. Functioned as liaison between consultants, contractors, architect and client.
Renovations and Additions to Bush and Walkertown Elementary Schools, Warren County Public Schools, Bowling Green, Kentucky:
• Conducted field inspections and handled construction coordination.
Lester Roberts Architect, Lexington, KY, US, Architectural Designer
Perry Central High School, Perry County Public Schools, Hazard, Kentucky:
• Participated in Owner Group meetings and in developing a client-specific design program. Helped develop schematic designs and construction documents.
• Coordinated project bidding phase through bid opening and post-bid consultation advising client.
• Was responsible for all facets of construction administration and field inspection, including up to 30 hrs per week of on-site observation and daily reports. Acted as liaison between architect, client and contractor. Reviewed submittals and prepared change orders. Conducted monthly progress meetings, reviewed and authorized construction payment applications, attended School Board Meetings; providing Project Status up-dates. Executed punch-lists and project close-out.
Renovations and Additions to Viper and R.W. Combs Elementary Schools, Perry County Public Schools, Hazard, Kentucky:
• Assisted in construction documentation and conducted all facets of construction administration and field inspection. This project involved complete “roof-off” 30 year renovations with major additions at both schools. The project was complicated by extremely tight sites in mountainous terrain and by a demanding 90-day deadline to achieve substantial completion and occupancy by the Owner.
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, Architecture
Completed 4+ years of 5-year BArch degree.
Life events repeatedly dictated a return to employment in preference to degree completion.
