Grand Canyon University Event Center
Phoenix
Sports Arena
Requires Team
Coordination
TDIndustries Uses
MISOP, BIM and
Pre-Fab to Deliver
Located in the heart
of Phoenix, Arizona,
Grand Canyon
University (GCU) is
a premier, private
Christian university.
GCU’s event center
is a 135,000-squarefoot facility with a
5,000-seat arena that
will host men’s and
women’s basketball,
national conferences,
concerts and events.
The $40 million venue
is the crown jewel
of GCU’s expansion
plans to accommodate
a growing student
body at its Camelback
Road campus.
THE FACE OF
INNOVATION
tdindustries.com
Case Study
The Situation
GCU’s goals for its event center were two-fold: 1) to
enhance the on-campus experience for its students;
and 2) to provide the greater Phoenix area with a
top-notch entertainment and sports venue that
would raise GCU’s profile in the community. GCU
selected Tempe-based Architekton as architects and
wanted a design that was unlike other structures in
the Valley.
Architekton partnered with Kansas City-based 360
Architecture to design a unique facility that would
accommodate both the loud, raucous environment
of basketball games, as well as capture the acoustic
mood of a concert or lecture.
GCU selected Perini Building Company of Phoenix as the general contractor. Perini selected
TDIndustries in Phoenix to provide Design/Assist MEP services during the design phase and
construction. The construction schedule was challenging with a start date of July 2010 and
completion date of August 2011.
The Solution
TD’s entire team was involved in this Design/Assist project. In addition to using Building Information
Modeling (BIM) technology, TD’s Building Systems Integration (BSI) group designed and implemented
a customized integration system utilizing a Tridium® management and control platform for the HVAC
system. The integration system also incorporates a Delta Controls package installed by Arizona Control
Specialists, Inc. that can be utilized for other systems such as lighting, security, fire, and safety.
TD also used its proprietary MISOP (Mentally Installed Systems on Paper) throughout the construction
phase and relied heavily on its pre-fabrication shop for plumbing and piping components. Some of the
systems built were:
• HVAC systems that included two 275 ton chillers, 11 air handlers with VAV and fan powered boxes,
along with 22 fan coil units to meet heating and cooling requirements;
• Two fan wall arrays were added to accommodate pyrotechnic displays. Each array consists of 16
individual fans working in concert to remove smoke during pyrotechnic displays; and
• A customized system design and equipment installation to meet evacuation requirements while
maintaining an acceptable noise criteria level (sound level).
The Success
TD’s proactive planning and schedule development allowed the construction team to improve the
project end date by 45 days. This accelerated schedule led to the issuance of a Temporary Certificate
of Occupancy two weeks earlier than planned. In addition to the earlier completion date, the TD team
had no lost time accidents on the project.
The facility will provide a first class sports and entertainment venue that will benefit both GCU and the community.