Plant was recently awarded the $35 million UCLA Wooden Center Seismic Improvements project. Sitting in the heart of campus, the nearly 190,000 GSF, two-story building contains gymnasiums, courts, weight training, group fitness, staff offices, and meeting rooms.
Seismic corrections will include new brace frames; selective structural strengthening at columns; drag, diaphragm, and CMU wall connections; fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) collector strengthening; and other general repairs and modifications. Work will also enclose the exterior loggia and add 2,600 GSF of programmable space. Upon completion, the new roofing membrane will replace the existing one. A portion of the building will remain occupied and operational during construction.
Vice President and Construction Manager Travis Knight, who will lead CM/GC services from Plant, stated: “the significance of this seismic improvement marks another milestone in the heart of the UCLA campus. It also represents an anchor for Plant bringing our profound expertise back to the Los Angeles market. The project will require deep understanding of the building structure and existing conditions. We will bring together all the qualified individuals and approach the project with detailed planning, ingenuity, and excellence. The Wooden Center will stand the test of time to continue to honor the legacy of the University as well as John Wooden for many years to come.“
Designed by the ideas-driven firm and environmental steward NBBJ, the project will be built to achieve LEED Gold certification.
While this project marks Plant’s first foray onto the UCLA campus, it fits within our portfolio of over 100 seismic retrofits, dozens of higher education and UC deliveries, and a rapidly expanding catalog of Southern California work. The team lands on site in Q1 of 2024 and looks to an late 2025 completion date.
