For many years, Wight has been a trusted partner of DuPage County, focusing on project planning, facility conditions assessments, design, and construction management at-risk. Much of the work that has been completed aligns with Wight’s Design-Build delivery model that brings an integrated approach to every aspect of the project.
As COVID-19 shifted the County's priorities, so, too, did the Wight team's approach to facilities on the DuPage County Government Complex. Wight was engaged to execute multiple, concurrent CARES Act-funded, rapid response projects that addressed challenges resulting from the pandemic. These projects were focused on the Courthouse Facility and included HVAC improvements, air disinfection, courtroom technology upgrades, and courtroom builds-outs to provide safer staff and public engagement. In order to complete the work in 2020 as necessitated by the CARES funding requirements, the best way to carry out this critical work on such an accelerated timeline was through Wight's integrated model.
One of the most exciting aspects of the DuPage County efforts was the HVAC replacement project for the Courthouse Building. With engineering support from Epstein it included one of the largest Thermaduct installations in the nation. Special thanks to Thermaduct for producing this video:
After installation of the new ductwork, Wight's team eliminated four older packaged rooftop units (RTUs), replacing them with two larger and far more efficient ones, as seen in the drone footage below. These upgrades had been on the Courthouse's "wish list" for some time. Before the end of the year, Wight completed one other COVID response project, upgrading the HVAC equipment in the nearby Sheriff's Office and County Jail.
Through Wight's careful management of CARES funds - and in coordination with with our partners at Sheet Metal Works Inc., The Hill Group, Thermaduct, and Trane - the entire complex achieved major milestones through the team's ability to fast track work on these projects.
Wight greatly values our long-term relationship with DuPage County and the trust they put in our employees and partners to carry out a major project under exceptional conditions. Our team proved they could launch quickly and work efficiently, while still looking out for the long-term interests of the County, the Courthouse, and all those who will enter its doors.