In September 2020, Vaughn partnered with MAREK to provide drywall, acousical ceilings and walls, framing, window coverings and rough carpentry on the new 425,000 square feet, Texas Department of Transportation HQ in Southeast Austin.

 

Designed by San Antonio-based architect Marmon Mok, the five-story administrative building posed a unique and challenging feature spanning the length of the building, commonly referred to as the “Eyebrow.” Traditional construction of the eyebrow would require crews framing 29,065 square feet of steel, at times over 100 feet in the air, resulting in weeks if not months of work. Factor in unreliable Texas weather with heavy use of boom lifts and it becomes obvious why a project manager would seek out other options.

 

The Eyebrow feature required extensive collaboration between Marek and commercial wall system fabricator, NOW Specialties, to ensure the critical dimensions met the architect’s design intent. Following meetings, Marek then crafted an off-site production process that would prove most beneficial to both the project’s schedule and bottom line.

 

Renderings courtesy of Marmon Mok Architecture