Belknap Residence Hall, Phase I
University of Louisville

The project was initiated as a replacement for outdated dorms and is the first new hall on campus in over 30 years. The new hall features housing for single- and double-occupancy rooms and a host of amenities to make it a living/learning community including classrooms, two-tier lounges and gaming suites, private study rooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities.
Great communication skills throughout the project.
The customer support went beyond expectations.
During commissioning, Paladin’s field tasks focused on two elements 1) incorporating the University’s Physical Plant standards into all elements of the commissioning process: design, submittal reviews, field observation, and functional testing and 2) optimizing the tools the Physical Plant uses in daily operations such as their centralized building automation system and Maximo task order system. A detailed and customized commissioning plan allowed turnover to be achieved by Substantial Completion with all systems commissioned and open issues resolved.
Through Triple Bottom Line Analysis of just eleven credits pursued, it was revealed that a $540,000 additional investment in sustainable design and construction strategies returned to all stakeholders over $988,000 in benefits.
The new residence hall allows students to learn not only lessons from a college education, but also the values of sustainable living.
Paladin led the coordination efforts and tracked key milestones beyond the typical scope for commissioning services to support the progress toward completion. The firm’s persistence helped overcome and address the unforeseen delays created by the pandemic, and the building was functional prior to occupancy.
The firm’s Construction Checklists proved valuable as they identified many operational and maintenance deficiencies and corrected them prior to the end of equipment warranty periods.

