Brentwood, Tennessee
Guy Brown Investments
Every site offers challenges. Carden Company worked extensively with the owner and architect before construction in order to limit surprises and slowdowns later. The result: Carden Company brought the Guy Brown Building to completion on schedule – and on budget – and met the challenges posed by the site.
Guy Brown Building on Overlook Circle in Brentwood is a distinctive, modern building rising up a dramatic slope. The position of the building on the site was no accident—the builders had to contend with a large water main easement and pump station on half the property. Making a virtue of necessity, the architect incorporated the incline into the design of the building–drawing the viewer’s eye up with it.
Long before the first workers hit the site, Carden, the architect Jim Nickle of Inform Nickle+Smallwood, LLC, and owner Jay Chawan met to thoroughly plan the project and schedule the sub-contractors. Then, there were bi-weekly follow-up meetings to adapt to any changed circumstances. Carden kept the project right on schedule. Jim said, “We were always getting together at the front end, talking through questions with the subs before progressing, so we had it pretty well coordinated and resolved before we got started working on it.”
What appears to be the trickiest aspect to building on the site—the slope and the water easement—became just another aspect to be planned for, with adaptation when necessary. Owner Jay Chawan recalled, “I don’t believe slope was a big issue.” And though the city of Brentwood’s water department, not surprisingly, was particularly attentive to the project, Jay noted that it never threw the project off schedule: “There was a lot of coordination with the water department, the city. More than normal for a Brentwood building—but it was handled well between Carden and the architect.”
Thorough planning also meant an accurate budget. “We identified the costs pretty well on the front end, and we hit those costs. In fact, we didn’t have any change orders on that job that I recall that put the costs over the original budget. That was exceptional.” Jim Nickle said. And owner Jay agreed, “There were no surprises that Carden Company wanted us to pay more for. It was bid very well.”
“I’d like more jobs to have gone like that one with Carden,” said Jim. And Jay, the occupant agreed. “We got a great product and were very happy with the process,” said Jay. “It’s a unique building, and we enjoy it. It’s home.”