A new student housing community in Phoenix is now serving residents after a coordinated construction effort that brought multiple building systems under a single delivery team.
The Rambler project involved Power Design performing electrical, mechanical and several technology and life-safety scopes while working with Layton Construction. The approach was designed to streamline coordination across systems on a project governed by a fixed student move-in schedule.
Power Design's scope extended across electrical and mechanical work as well as low-voltage systems, fire alarm, closed-circuit television, distributed antenna systems and gas detection.
Power Design Systems Superintendent Jose Quintana said the project brought multiple trades together under the same organization, allowing teams to coordinate work throughout construction.
The low-voltage package included security cameras, audiovisual systems, access control, a jumbotron and wireless card readers throughout the residential units.
Fire alarm and other life-safety systems received particular attention during commissioning. The project team emphasized completing and testing the systems according to established installation and commissioning practices rather than focusing solely on inspection approval.
Student housing projects operate under deadlines that are closely connected to the academic calendar, leaving limited flexibility for construction delays near occupancy.
Layton Construction Superintendent Nick Erickson said Power Design consistently brought solutions to project issues and helped maintain progress toward the scheduled completion.
The team's previous experience with fire alarm work on other residential towers in the Tempe area also supported coordination with local building officials and fire marshals. Familiarity with permitting and inspection processes helped reduce potential delays during the final stages of the project.
The Rambler demonstrates how multi-trade construction can consolidate coordination across electrical, mechanical, technology and life-safety systems on complex residential projects.
For developers and general contractors delivering student housing, a unified systems team can provide a single point of coordination while supporting installation, testing and commissioning across multiple scopes. The model can be particularly relevant for projects with occupancy dates that cannot easily move because of academic schedules.
Source: Power Desigh Inc.
