Local 7 crews placed the final beam into place last month at Symphony Court in Boston. Berkeley Building Company, Catamount Management, Symmes, Maini & McKee and the workers on site signed the beam and set it into place just after noon on August 5. The "topping off" ceremony marked the completion of the 7th floor addition and, while an important milestone, leaves much work remaining before the winter 2014 opening. The project, located at 41 Westland Ave., is the conversion of an existing 6 floor garage built in the early 20th century to a high end condominium building in the Fenway area of the city. There will be 48 units in the building, a common area on the second floor, designated storage areas on the individual floors, roof decks with views of the city and a first floor that will include the lobby as well as parking for the building residents.
Over the past summer, Berkeley Building Co. completed the renovation of the Shattuck Classroom Building at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass. Construction continues on campus at the Dance Studio addition where the foundation is completed and structural steel will start in mid-September with an anticipated completion in January of 2014. The cost of the dual projects is in excess of $3 million and is still on-going with Phase II, The Dance Studio, and completion is expected by the end of December.
In addition, Berkeley Building Co. completed a number of projects at Harvard University ranging from locker rooms on the Boston athletic complex to computer labs in the Cambridge Science Building.
Also completed over the summer two Area Director apartments on the campus of MIT in conjunction with Hecht and Associates Architects. This is the fourth unit of this type that Berkeley has completed for MIT.
Berkeley continues to grow and has completed projects at Phillips Academy, Berklee College of Music, City Place, Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, The new Marriott Hotel, The Waltham-Westin Hotel, Frozenyo, Assembly Square, Lesley University among others.
This year Berkeley expanded into New Hampshire and recently completed a $1.3 million buildout for The British Beer Company in Portsmouth. That successful project led to the construction of the Burger Bar also in Portsmouth now underway.
Finally, in select instances, Berkeley has also served as owners representative in the development of 691 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston, 1075 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge and the replacement of windows at 80 Coolidge Hill in Watertown.
This year Berkeley Building will put in place over $18 million in construction and in 2014 that number is expected to increase significantly.
Emil Frei, president of Berkeley, attributes the success of this fast growing company to the client relationships that his team has built over their experience in the construction industry. The company staff includes those who have over 30 years in the local building industry as well as those right out of Wentworth. Their experience ranges from high rise construction nationwide to local restaurants on fast track schedules. In January, Berkeley outgrew their office space and relocated to Wakefield and their office is growing rapidly as is the field staff with jobsite trailers popping up all around the Boston area. Frei also has a strong understanding of the client's needs and expectations and realizes how competitive the construction industry is, understands that there is no room for error and will do whatever it takes to complete a job on time and on or under budget, even if it means throwing on his "signature" work boots and getting his own hands into the mix. And, given the fact that Berkeley has multiple repeat clients and has grown faster than most general contractors in the area in the less than 4 years, it seems as though the company is doing something right. Berkeley offers a full range of preconstruction services and serves as an owner's representative, construction manager and general contractor.
But Frei and company don't take success for granted. They put all they have into every day on a project, understand that the measure of a company is in how they deal with challenges, not how they revel in success and love the work they do because it is work they love. They would not trade it for the world.