Design and Innovation: building a space that connects people, education and development

Insper’s mission to be a reference center for generating education and knowledge is now represented on its new campus in Vila Olímpia, São Paulo. The new building was designed with a focus on innovation and sustainability, following the molds of the world’s most renowned universities, represented in unique and vibrant study spaces that support the creation of ideas, development and differentiated solutions.

CTE Management was responsible for conducting all stages of the project, from the initial analysis and design compatibilization, hiring the main contractor and other specialized suppliers, up until the construction management of the building (Core & Shell) and its interiors (Fitting Out)

About Insper

INSPER is a non-profit institution dedicated to teaching and research, offering graduate and postgraduate courses, as well as executive education, in particular through its MBA programs. Originally from IBMEC, founded in Rio de Janeiro in the 70’s, it was created in 1999 as an independent entity and today is a reference as a business school, having several international certifications in the area.

The Project

In May 2016, CTE began its activities with Insper, through the technical assessment of the projects, seeking to contribute to the best solutions in energy efficiency, as well as to ensure compatibility between the various disciplines. In sequence, it initiated the bidding process for the hiring of the company that would be responsible for the Core & Shell construction. The selection work was quite complex. The privileged location, size of the work and the importance of the institution attracted a large number of construction companies interested in participating in the Project.

The credibility and impartiality of the CTE were paramount for the process to take place in an unbiased, organized and technically more appropriate manner for the type of contract that was required.

A major challenge of the project was to generate the least possible impact on the neighborhood, consisting of high-standard condominiums or older buildings, which could be affected at various moments of the construction – thus preserving not only the maintenance of neighboring buildings, but also the image of this Educational Institution.

In addition, the work could not affect the routines and flow of Insper’s own students, who maintained their normal academic activities in the neighboring building, throughout the works.

The construction company selected in the bidding process was R. Yazbek, and, in a partnership with CTE and specialized consultants, began pre-engineering work to identify new technical alternatives that would generate financial savings and deadline reductions. After some studies, the initially planned contention and foundation systems were changed, resulting in a 30-day reduction in the construction schedule.

The works started in February 2017 and the activities went on in a continuos way, maintaining the initial deadline gain throughout the execution of the project’s structuring phase.

Another important change, which directly impacted the project and the execution of the work, was the replacement of all HVAC condenser units initially planned for ground floor, to the building roof. This would prevent the reverberation of installed equipment from causing disturbances to nearby buildings, including Insper’s current building itself.

Managing changes of this nature is quite complex. CTE’s management activities involved multidisciplinary teams, composed of professionals from various specialized disciplines (installation, automation, air conditioning, structure, among others), to align project reviews, compatibility and planning of implementations in a work already in progress.

In February 2018 CTE was also hired to manage the interior works, which included all finishings, furniture, equipment, internal installations and the highly complex automation system.

The architecture of this system involved a DALI protocol, responsible for the automated control of lighting, air conditioning, access, electricity and gas consumption, among other functionalities.

Even with all the challenges involved, the building was inaugurated within the school term that began in February 2019.

Highlights of the work

The building has 15,750m2 of built area, distributed through six floors, 3 basements, 5 laboratories, 20 classrooms and several relaxed areas for reading, study or simply socializing. Highlights of the interior architecture include the German-made giant toboggan (which connects the 2nd floor to the ground floor) and the rooftop, for students and teachers to enjoy the outdoors, with a panoramic view of the region.

One of the labs created was FabLab, an area dedicated to carpentry, tooling and printing with 3G technology. It follows concepts from different high-level colleges, where technology is not limited to the installed equipment, but also extends to the room itself. The environment has a central vacuum cleaner system for the painting area, compressed HVAC system and adaptive lighting.

Among the management activities of CTE, the financial management of the contractor was another highlight in this venture. We opted for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) management contract with all payments made directly by Insper. This process carries some risk for the Customer, but if well managed is very rewarding. It requires from the manager very strict control of all subcontractors, invoices and payments.

After the conclusion of the work, with the formalization of the contract closing draft, CTE achieved savings of 6% for the Core & Shell contract and 5% for the Fitting Out contract, as compared to the initial budget of the work.