By Justin Sinnott

With decades of local experience and a diverse portfolio, Erickson-Hall Construction Co. continues to set the standard for building world-class educational facilities across Southern California. And while summer typically signals a quiet period on school campuses, this is when the San Diego-based firm steps into its busiest, high-energy season: the annual 鈥淪ummer Sprint.鈥�听

During a tight, eight-week window, Erickson-Hall delivers major infrastructure improvements across multiple district sites before the school year begins. By making the most of the summer months, Erickson-Hall听is able to听upgrade campuses with minimal disruption to students and staff. As the firm gears up for another summer sprint in 2026, it is building off the momentum of several recently completed milestone projects. These large-scale builds听showcase听Erickson-Hall’s deep听expertise听in design-build, construction听management听and multi-phase modernizations.听

Erickson-Hall鈥檚 delivery of brand-new Upper Athletic Fields at Beverly Hills High School in March marked a major milestone in Beverly Hills Unified School District鈥檚 multi-phased campus transformation. This ambitious design-build project required upgrading aging recreational infrastructure while carefully听maintaining听the school鈥檚 historic character. The scope of work included the construction of brand-new tennis courts, a lighted softball field, comprehensive utility improvements,听retaining听walls and a permanent modular restroom building 鈥� delivering a dynamic environment for the district鈥檚 3,300 students.听

With a similar focus on multi-use athletic spaces, Erickson-Hall also unveiled the听state-of-the-art听Wiseburn Sports Complex for Wiseburn Unified School District in April. Designed to function as both an athletic engine for student-athletes and a cornerstone for local youth sports organization events, the complex integrates fields for Little League baseball, high school听softball听and youth soccer. More than upgrades to playing surfaces, the scope of work extended to player and spectator amenities, including new dugouts, batting cages, scoreboards, upgraded parking and a full concession building with modern restrooms. These facilities are backed by heavy infrastructure upgrades including underground utilities, irrigation,听fencing听and low-voltage systems.听听

Shifting focus from athletics to the arts, in April, Erickson-Hall also cut the ribbon on a new Center for the Arts at Hesperia High School in San Bernardino County. This project听represented听a significant investment in the school鈥檚 arts education, providing modern, high-capacity spaces designed for student learning, professional听development听and community engagement. At the heart of this 40,500-square-foot versatile hub is a 500-seat performance stage and a flexible multi-purpose area. To accommodate the new facility, the project team also managed broader campus adjustments, including the relocation of existing tennis courts, alongside landscaping and surrounding site improvements to enhance the general campus environment.听听听听

The seamless delivery of these projects highlights Erickson-Hall’s strong focus on preconstruction and early planning. Engaging corporate expertise early provides school districts and civic leaders with听constructibility听reviews and cost-saving strategies that eliminate expensive surprises and delays down the road.听听

Ultimately, navigating these complex, multi-phase builds听requires听deep trust and transparent communication among owners,听architects听and subcontractors. As an employee-owned company, this collaborative spirit is built directly into Erickson-Hall鈥檚 culture. Every team member has a stake in the firm鈥檚 success, translating a personal commitment to quality into tangible, high-efficiency results for clients.听听听

This dedication to community-driven excellence is fully on display as Erickson-Hall works on this year鈥檚 Summer Sprint, which is well underway. The firm is carrying this momentum forward to build the next generation of spaces where Southern California communities can thrive.听

About Erickson-Hall Construction Co.听

Celebrating 28 years of excellence in the construction industry, Erickson-Hall is a recognized industry leader,听having completed听over $4.9 billion in successful construction projects, of which $4.3 billion has been for K-12 and higher education developments.听听The employee-owned company has been serving the Southern California markets of San Diego, Imperial, Orange, South Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties since 1998. Services include preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, progressive design-build, design assist-build, lease-leaseback听and program management for educational, fire, essential services, civic, parks, recreation, faith-based, office and healthcare facilities. The company has an award-winning portfolio of completed projects and has received听numerous听awards for safety. For more information, visit听. Find us on LinkedIn and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.听听鈥�听

Justin Sinnott is Vice President of Corporate Services听at Erickson-Hall Construction.听听

See this article featured in the Design & Construction issue of 糖心少女, available now.

The post Building the Future: Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Delivers Multiple Major Southern California Campus Transformations and Kicks Off ‘Summer Sprint鈥� appeared first on 糖心少女.

The post Building the Future: Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Delivers Multiple Major Southern California Campus Transformations and Kicks Off ‘Summer Sprint鈥� appeared first on 糖心少女.

By Lindsey Coulter

The 糖心少女 Design + Construction Symposium brought education leaders, architects, designers, contractors, developers and facilities professionals together Aug. 5 at Denver鈥檚 historic Tivoli Turnhalle to examine how evolving needs are reshaping the design and delivery of K-12 and higher education environments.听

Held on the Auraria Campus, the event focused on project-driven discussions around student belonging, school safety, community engagement, mass timber, urban听development听and the increasingly compressed construction schedules facing school districts. The symposium was designed to move beyond broad industry trends and examine real projects and lessons that can be applied to future work.听

Designing for Belonging听

The program opened with a keynote from Dr. Drew Coleman, Chief of Schools for Jeffco Public Schools, who challenged attendees to consider the relationship between school environments, student听experience听and educational outcomes.听

Coleman鈥檚 presentation, 鈥淏uilding Belonging: Designing Schools Where Students Feel Safe Enough to Learn and Prepared Enough to Lead,鈥� examined how the physical environment can either support or hinder student success. His perspective connected education leadership, school听culture听and the built environment, reinforcing the symposium鈥檚 emphasis on designing schools around the needs of the people who use them.听

The keynote was followed by a district-level perspective from Micah Ali, president of Compton Unified School District. Ali discussed the development of Compton High School and the importance of trust,听continuity听and community partnerships in delivering major educational facilities projects.听

Born and raised in Compton, Ali played a foundational role in the development of听the high听school and has extensive experience in land use, development and partnerships aimed at expanding opportunities for students.听He also is helping guide the district’s upcoming Centennial and Dominguez Hills High School projects.听听

The discussion illustrated a broader theme that ran throughout the symposium: successful school construction is not simply about delivering a building, but about creating facilities that reflect community priorities and support long-term educational goals.听

Beyond Safety and Security听

The morning continued with a design panel examining how safety, security,听belonging听and well-being can coexist in school environments.听

Panelists听Erika Ashauer, Human Experience Research Lead for HCM鈥檚 PK-12 Studio; Joel Williams, Studio Director at QKA; Guy Grace, vice chair of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools; and Pat Tackney, Security & Architectural Sales Consultant for McGrory Glass Systems,听expanded the traditional definition of school safety beyond access control and security hardware. Panelists considered how visibility, privacy, supervision,听comfort听and a sense of belonging can influence the experience of students and staff.听

The discussion reflected a broader shift in school design toward environments that address both physical safety and the emotional and social conditions that help students learn.听

Summit House Provides a Case Study in Innovation听

After a networking break, the symposium shifted from K-12 schools to higher education and student听housing听with a case study听on听Metropolitan State University of Denver鈥檚 Summit House.听

Presented by听Martha Nelson, Director of Planning, Design and Construction for MSU Denver; Ben Diaz, Senior Development Manager for Columbia Ventures; Macy Huffaker, Project Architect with SAR+ Architects; Ryan Marshall 鈥� Superintendent at PCL Construction,听the听session, moderated by Leone Dick, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Administration at MSU Denver,听explored the planning,听design听and delivery of MSU Denver鈥檚 first residence hall.听

Summit House听represents听a significant milestone for the university and for Colorado construction. The 12-story student residence is being delivered using mass timber and is positioned to become the tallest mass-timber structure in the state. The project also incorporates an urban construction environment and a public-private delivery model. (糖心少女)听

Rather than focusing on mass timber as a standalone innovation, the presentation examined the combination of decisions and partnerships听required听to make the project possible. Those included material听selection, planning,听logistics,听development听and construction delivery.听

The case study also gave attendees a closer look at the increasingly complex role of construction teams working in dense urban environments and managing innovative structural systems.听

Racing the Summer Construction Clock听

The symposium concluded its formal program with a panel focused on one of the most persistent challenges in K-12 construction: delivering projects within the limited summer construction window.听

Moderated by Chuck Amos, CEO of听SchoolBondFinder, the panel featured David J. Henderson,听Deputy听Chief of听Operations for Cherry Creek School District, and Justin Sinnott,听Vice听President of听Corporate听Operations at Erickson-Hall.听

Dubbed 鈥淭he Summer Sprint,鈥� the discussion听addressed听planning, coordination, risk听management听and project delivery during the period when schools are vacant but must be ready for students when the new academic year begins.听

Henderson brought more than 25 years of K-12 construction and听facilities听leadership to the discussion, including oversight of approximately听2 million square feet听of capital improvement,听construction听and renovation projects across Colorado school districts.听Sinnott contributed experience in project planning, execution, risk management and operational efficiency.听

The panel underscored how compressed schedules are placing greater emphasis on early planning,听coordination听and delivery strategies that can reduce risk while听maintaining听quality.听

The topic also reflected broader pressures facing districts nationwide. 糖心少女 recently examined the 鈥淪ummer Sprint鈥� as an increasingly demanding period in which districts must complete everything from HVAC replacements and classroom renovations to larger capital projects before students return.听

From Conversation to Job Site听

Attendees also听had the opportunity to take the听morning鈥檚听discussion into the field with an exclusive tour of MSU Denver鈥檚 Summit House.听

The tour provided a firsthand look at the mass-timber residence hall and connected the project鈥檚 planning and delivery discussion with its physical construction. According to 糖心少女, the project听represents听the intersection of student housing demand, urban development, innovative听materials听and alternative approaches to project delivery.听

Across its sessions, the symposium emphasized a common challenge facing both K-12 and higher education: making increasingly complex capital investments serve long-term institutional and community goals.听

From Coleman鈥檚 examination of belonging to Ali鈥檚 discussion of community trust, the design panel鈥檚 exploration of safety and well-being, Summit House鈥檚 innovative delivery and the final panel鈥檚 focus on compressed construction schedules, the event demonstrated that the future of educational construction will require collaboration across disciplines.听

Rather than treating design, construction, operations and educational outcomes as separate considerations, the symposium brought those perspectives together around a shared question:听How can the industry create schools and campuses that are not only built successfully, but equipped to serve the people and communities who depend on them?听

The post Design + Construction Symposium Tackles Real Challenges with Real Solutions appeared first on 糖心少女.

The post Design + Construction Symposium Tackles Real Challenges with Real Solutions appeared first on 糖心少女.

By Justin Sinnott听

With decades of local experience and a diverse portfolio, Erickson-Hall Construction Co. continues to set the standard for building world-class educational facilities across Southern California. And while summer typically signals a quiet period on school campuses, this is when the San Diego-based firm steps into its busiest, high-energy season: the annual 鈥淪ummer Sprint.鈥�听

During a tight, eight-week window, Erickson-Hall delivers major infrastructure improvements across multiple district sites before the school year begins. By making the most of the summer months, Erickson-Hall is able to upgrade campuses with minimal disruption to students and staff. As the firm wraps up another summer sprint in 2026, it is building off the momentum of several recently completed milestone projects. These large-scale builds showcase Erickson-Hall’s deep expertise in design-build, construction management and multi-phase modernizations.听

Erickson-Hall鈥檚 delivery of brand-new Upper Athletic Fields at Beverly Hills High School in March marked a major milestone in Beverly Hills Unified School District鈥檚 multi-phased campus transformation. This ambitious design-build project required upgrading aging recreational infrastructure while carefully听maintaining听the school鈥檚 historic character. The scope of work included the construction of brand-new tennis courts, a lighted softball field, comprehensive utility improvements,听retaining听walls and a permanent modular restroom building 鈥� delivering a dynamic environment for the district鈥檚 3,300 students.听

With a similar focus on multi-use athletic spaces, Erickson-Hall also unveiled the听state-of-the-art听Wiseburn Sports Complex for Wiseburn Unified School District in April. Designed to function as both an athletic engine for student-athletes and a cornerstone for local youth sports organization events, the complex integrates fields for Little League baseball, high school听softball听and youth soccer. More than upgrades to playing surfaces, the scope of work extended to player and spectator amenities, including new dugouts, batting cages, scoreboards, upgraded parking and a full concession building with modern restrooms. These facilities are backed by heavy infrastructure upgrades including underground utilities, irrigation,听fencing听and low-voltage systems.听听

Shifting focus from athletics to the arts, in April, Erickson-Hall also cut the ribbon on a new Center for the Arts at Hesperia High School in San Bernardino County. This project听represented听a significant investment in the school鈥檚 arts education, providing modern, high-capacity spaces designed for student learning, professional听development听and community engagement. At the heart of this 40,500-square-foot versatile hub is a 500-seat performance stage and a flexible multi-purpose area. To accommodate the new facility, the project team also managed broader campus adjustments, including the relocation of existing tennis courts, alongside landscaping and surrounding site improvements to enhance the general campus environment.听听听

The seamless delivery of these projects highlights Erickson-Hall’s strong focus on preconstruction and early planning. Engaging corporate expertise early provides school districts and civic leaders with听constructibility听reviews and cost-saving strategies that eliminate expensive surprises and delays down the road.听听

Ultimately, navigating these complex, multi-phase builds听requires听deep trust and transparent communication among owners,听architects听and subcontractors. As an employee-owned company, this collaborative spirit is built directly into Erickson-Hall鈥檚 culture. Every team member has a stake in the firm鈥檚 success, translating a personal commitment to quality into tangible, high-efficiency results for clients.听听听

This dedication to community-driven excellence is fully on display as Erickson-Hall works on this year鈥檚 Summer Sprint, which is well underway. The firm is carrying this momentum forward to build the next generation of spaces where Southern California communities can thrive.听

Justin Sinnott is Vice President of Corporate Services听at Erickson-Hall Construction.听听

The post Building the Future: Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Delivers Multiple Major Southern California Campus Transformations and Wraps Up 2026 ‘Summer Sprint鈥櫶� appeared first on 糖心少女.

The post Building the Future: Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Delivers Multiple Major Southern California Campus Transformations and Wraps Up 2026 ‘Summer Sprint鈥櫶� appeared first on 糖心少女.

By Josh Curran

As the buses pull away from schools on the final day of school this June, a new race begins. For students, summer is a time for family vacations and sleep-away camps. But, for school leaders, maintenance crews and elected school boards, it is the start of an unforgiving 10-week race. The goal is clear: complete essential renovations and upgrades and have their school building safe and ready to welcome students back in August. In the school construction industry, we call this the 鈥淪ummer Sprint鈥�. And, it is the ultimate test of a district鈥檚 capital improvement strategy.听

During the听hot summer听months, the core challenge for local districts is not just the work itself, but the sheer volume of projects that must be delivered simultaneously. Managing听numerous听small to mid-sized upgrades including everything from HVAC replacements to classroom refreshes very often听stretch听the already limited staff resources to their breaking point.听

Increasingly today, savvy district leaders are solving this challenge by shifting to a new construction contracting playbook: one that emphasizes Qualification-Based Selection (QBS).听听For these districts, QBS allows them to choose a trusted partner based on their expertise, capabilities and past performance rather than just the bottom-line low-bid dollars and cents. By prioritizing a contractor鈥檚 ability to deliver, districts can mitigate the risks associated with the compressed 鈥淪ummer Sprint鈥� window, while ensuring they鈥檙e keeping an eye on delivering value for taxpayers.听

Methods like Construction Management (CM) and Job Order Contracting (JOC) are both forms of QBS. While they have nuanced differences, both factor a builder鈥檚 qualifications into the award process. Whether districts decide to go with Construction Management or JOC, both help district leaders close the staffing and resource 鈥渃apacity gap鈥� through an on-going, standing partnership that offer a variety of operational benefits:听听

• Accelerated Delivery:听With a building partner already in place, the work can start in weeks rather than months, ensuring no time is wasted during the short summer vacation.听

• Transparent Pricing:听Whether using a Construction Manager or a JOC Unit Price Book, these methods provide the fiscal accountability and budget control that school boards听require.听

• Reduced Administrative Burden:听A single procurement process can cover multiple summer projects, cutting down on the staff hours needed to manage the workload.听

• Quality Consistency:听Working with a trusted, experienced team ensures that standards听remain听high even when the schedule is tight.听

• Solves the “No Bidder” Problem:听Small and mid-sized projects (like a single door replacement or emergency repair) often听fail to听attract quality bidders in a traditional cycle. By having an established partner,听you鈥檙e听guaranteed to have a high-capacity, pre-qualified builder that is ready to respond to any scope, regardless of size or market conditions.听

• Flexibility and Scalability:听These models are ideal for the small projects that dominate summer renovation听lists听 as听well as larger capital programs phased over multiple summers.听

There are other 鈥榟idden benefits鈥� of QBS for school districts, too. Ask any school CFO about their most-recent design-bid-build capital project. They鈥檒l tell you that their biggest frustration throughout the project is change orders. In many cases, low bids often lead to change orders that ultimately and unexpectedly sets up an adversarial relationship between the district and the builder. Because prices are set by the pre-negotiated Unit Price Book, the adversarial nature of traditional bidding is removed with JOC. If the scope changes, the price is simply adjusted using the same trusted catalog.听听Similarly, in a Construction Management delivery scenario, the CM performs the sealed public bidding on behalf of the district, providing a granular and transparent accounting of all costs throughout the project. No more “low-ball” bids followed by expensive surprises.

By shifting toward this new qualifications-based听selection, local school leaders can manage their aging buildings and upgrade their facilities more effectively while听remaining听responsible with taxpayer funds. This approach allows districts to stay ahead of facility needs during the 鈥淪ummer Sprint鈥� without exhausting their internal teams.听听

But, most importantly, it ensures that when everyone returns for that first bell in August or September, the school will be safe and ready for the students to learn.

Learn more about strategically tackling Summer Sprint projects at the Aug. 5 Design & Construction Symposium in Denver. Get your tickets today!

Josh听Curran is Vice President and Director of K-12 Construction for Chicago-based national infrastructure builder F.H. Paschen.听

The post Why 鈥淭he Summer Sprint鈥� Requires a New K-12 School Construction Contracting Playbook听 appeared first on 糖心少女.

The post Why 鈥淭he Summer Sprint鈥� Requires a New K-12 School Construction Contracting Playbook听 appeared first on 糖心少女.