Multiple entities were involved with the Garfield Avenue
project, including the state Division of Facilities Development
and Management, University of Wisconsin System
Administration, City of Eau Claire, campus representatives,
and the Ayres design team.
“We knew going in that a lot of people would have interest
in the project,” Rindo said. “We needed to get their input,
needed to ensure that we were listening, and then come up
with a design that reflected the dreams and vision of campus.
That includes the utility work – this was a utility project that
solved some serious problems for us and allowed us to do the
landscape work.”
Goodwin said coming to a consensus on design concepts
can be challenging, but it helps to approach the projects as a
design team, working collaboratively to meet project needs.
“I love working on higher education projects,” she said. “We
work with a good group of people – they are professionals
bringing expertise to the table.”
Ayres has partnered with the university on projects for
several decades, and that provides valuable insights not only
into the physical campus but also into the ebbs and flows of
campus life.
“Ayres really knows our campus well,” Rindo said. “When
you have a partner that knows the campus and understands
our preferences, challenges, and opportunities, then you
can speak the same language. Construction pain fades pretty
quickly after a project when you have an outcome you really
appreciate. It’s inevitable that things pop up; you have to
be nimble and make adjustments to mitigate any issues
that arise. And that requires really good partnerships and
communication among all the people involved.”
Collaborating for a greater good
Colorado State University in Fort Collins has been an Ayres
client for various projects. But most frequently CSU has been
a collaborator. For decades, CSU Hydraulics Laboratory staff
have worked with Ayres’ engineers on research projects for
the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
as well as erosion control product performance testing for
manufacturers.
NCHRP is a forum for collaborative research administered
by the National Academy of Science’s Transportation Research
Board in cooperation with the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials and the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA). The NCHRP provides practical, ready-
to-implement solutions to problems facing the transportation
industry. CSU’s Hydraulics Laboratory was designed for these
sorts of studies. Its indoor and outdoor testing facilities allow
researchers to do experiments and model studies in a large
range of scales.
“CSU’s hydraulics lab features some of the largest facilities
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