Website: https://www.16tech.com/bid-opportunities/
317-598-0434
Indianapolis, IN, 46202
16 Tech Community Corporation, the non-profit developer of the 16 Tech Innovation District, seeks qualified teams with a combination of experience and expertise in innovative, imaginative, and implementable design that will capture the spirit of the district. The team will design an iconic gateway bridge crossing Fall Creek from Riley Hospital Drive / 10th Street, concepts for four signature entrances as defined by the 16 Tech Design Standards and a concept for an overall campus wayfinding package for the 16 Tech Innovation District. The design of the bridge will be a complete design effort from initial concepts to administration of the construction contract. The other portions of the project will be for a schematic level design effort only. The contracted Design Team will interface with American Structurepoint, the Civil Engineer of Record for the design of all roads and site utilities in the 16 Tech Innovation District. There will be a need to coordinate the bridge approach with planned road alignments, as well as other required coordination activities.
All parties that desire to participate in the Design Team Selection Process should register at http://www.ePlanroom.ReproGraphix.com to download the official version of the document, access additional project information and receive project updates and any other official communications.
The public announcement solicitation document with site images is available here.
BUDGET: $14.5 million
ELIGIBILITY: Teams including professional architects, designers, engineers, artists, and community engagement practitioners with local, national, and international participation (see below for details)
DEADLINE: March 12, 2020
About 16 Tech Innovation District
Situated on 50 acres on the northwest of downtown Indianapolis in the historic Riverside neighborhood and within the Indiana Avenue cultural district, the 16 Tech Innovation District is purposefully designed as a dynamic urban community for scientific research, technology innovation, entrepreneurial activity, and talent attraction.
16 Tech serves both as a signature development project for the new, metropolitan-based 21st century economy of advanced industries and university partners as well as an accelerator for Indiana’s innovation community, catapulting the region to global recognition for cross-sector collaboration and innovation. 16 Tech is located near the existing ecosystem of innovation at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI), start-up companies like Cook Regentec and industry giants like Eli Lilly and Company, SalesForce, Cummins and Rolls Royce. And it sits next to residential neighborhoods connected by rich history and more than 850 acres of city park land.
Although its primary purpose is to drive a wide range of research, innovation, academic, entrepreneurial, technological and commercial activity, 16 Tech will also include residential, retail and recreational activities. In addition to 3 million square feet of research and office space, 16 Tech will invest in public art and other placemaking strategies to add to the area’s vibrant atmosphere. Easy access to walking and biking trails, local waterways, and a multi-use path will provide ample opportunities to connect to the city or reconnect with nature. The 16 Tech Master Plan also calls for the creation of a central green accessible to all who work and live in the district and surrounding neighborhoods. Intended as the principal programmable space and communal destination, the central green will link to a broader pedestrian and open space network that runs through the district. Together, these elements will help tenants recruit and retain the types of highly motivated scientists, researchers, engineers, designers and professionals that are needed to succeed and make 16 Tech a destination for the broader Central Indiana community.
16 Tech broke ground in December 2018 and will open its first office and research building in Summer 2020. Innovation Building 1 will be home to the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, the state’s first and only applied research institute that brings together teams of scientists, engineers and data analysts and leverages existing industry and academic expertise in nutrition science, genetics and genomics, biochemistry, endocrinology, novel delivery systems and therapeutic approaches to deliver important answers to metabolic disease. Innovation Building 1 tenants also include the IU School of Medicine, as well as the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and its industry initiatives.
In January 2020, 16 Tech also commenced the renovation of the former Indianapolis Water Company headquarters; the project is expected to be complete by end of 2020 and will house flexible office and incubator space managed by 1776, the nation’s largest network of incubators, in addition to an advanced makerspace, and an artisan market to provide food / beverage amenities and a lifestyle hub for 16 Tech tenants and visitors. 16 Tech also anticipates breaking ground on the first residential project and a second new class A office building in 2020. Construction is ongoing for several public infrastructure projects including new roads, paths and walkways as well as site preparation for the 16 Tech Bridge. 16 Tech is being developed by the non-profit 16 Tech Community Corporation in partnership with local and state funding, as well as philanthropic and corporate support.
Indianapolis Design Legacy
Indianapolis’s design legacy has a solid foundation that began in the 19th century. While indigenous people were here long before Europeans arrived, the city formally appeared with the surveyor and engineer Alexander Ralston platting the land as a mile square. After the railroad boom, Indianapolis blossomed into a contemporary city filled with forward-thinking projects completed by the likes of Paul Cret, Percival Gallagher, George Kessler, John Rankin, Rubush & Hunter, Bernard Vonnegut, Milton Glaser, and many others. Starting in the late 19th century and through today, monuments and memorials have dominated public areas in the heart of the city. In the 20th century, the city followed post-war design trends. Many excellent projects were designed by Indianapolis-based firms, and Indianapolis is now home to a wide variety of practices across the disciplines. There is a growing body of work by notable firms that do not have offices in Indianapolis, such as Deborah Berke and Partners, David Rubin Land Collective, Diller Scofidio Renfro, HOK, Marlon Blackwell Architects, Michael Graves Architecture and Design, OLIN, SOM, and others.
PROJECT ELEMENTS
16 Tech Bridge
A bridge can be viewed as simply a physical structure that allows people to travel from one place to another. It is also used as a metaphor for connecting people and ideas. For 16 Tech, a bridge is both.
The 16 Tech Bridge, spanning nearly 350 feet across Fall Creek, will connect the innovation district with 10th Street and the myriad research assets in Indy. While the bridge will serve as an important physical structure, it’s much more than that. It will be an iconic connection into the innovation district and the primary architectural expression of the district’s unique energy. The bridge will serve as an entryway to the 16 Tech Innovation District and the design will support the objectives of the 16 Tech Master Plan. The initial concept for the bridge infrastructure has an overall width of approximately 90 feet, which would include driving lanes, parking lanes, sidewalks, planting beds, and a combination sidewalk / multi-use path / trail to enhance the overall experience of entering the district. The overall length of the bridge from top of riverbank to top of riverbank is approximately 350 feet. The north end of the bridge site will connect to the future central green park that will be a public space for gathering and programming within the 16 Tech District. The south end of the bridge site is less than two miles to downtown Indianapolis and will connect to IU Health University Hospital, Riley Children’s Hospital, Eskenazi Health, and the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI). Of special note on the south end of the bridge is an urban park designed by Percival Gallagher of the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm. The park, which was designed in 1929-34 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, is situated on the west side of Riley Hospital Drive between the IU Health and Eskenazi hospitals. Upon completion, the 16 Tech Bridge will be dedicated as a public asset and serve as a public right of way. The bridge must meet appropriate standards of reliability, durability and maintainability.
Signature Entrances
The 16 Tech Design Standards identify four locations for “signature entrances.” The Design Standards identify that these are key locations for approaches into the 16 Tech District. As the first experience that many individuals will have of 16 Tech, the signature entrances will help to establish an arrival as well as a sense of place within the larger context of the city. It is the intent of this process to identify an integrated schematic design approach for the signature entrances, the bridge and district wayfinding, so that each of the design elements reinforce the other as well as the identity and brand of 16 Tech. The design of the entrances can be any combination of elements such as art, architecture, lighting or site amenities to create this experience.
Wayfinding
It is the intent of this integrated schematic design process to identify an approach for wayfinding for 16 Tech that is cohesive with the 16 Tech bridge and the signature entries. The wayfinding scope of work should address any and all forms of needed directional communication and include universal design features, for all individuals. Expected vehicular wayfinding includes: vehicular wayfinding around the perimeter of the district to navigate efficiently to desired destinations; vehicular wayfinding within the district to areas such as parking lots and drop offs; and a logical naming or numbering system for vehicular wayfinding within the district parking structures in order to develop a common understanding of these structures. Expected pedestrian wayfinding scope includes identification of directional signage for district pedestrian pathways in order to create a mental map of the district and increase awareness of walkable alternatives for district residents and workers. Wayfinding should also take into account additional forms of mobility and transportation, including scooters, ride-sharing services, etc. Specific to this project, wayfinding will also include schematic scope for trail signage and directional information for the anticipated 16 Tech Trail. Additional wayfinding scope for trail systems should identify common ways and means to integrate 16 Tech District wayfinding with the adjoining city trails.
DESIGN TEAM REQUIREMENTS
The Lead Design Firm shall assemble a project team from their own organization as well as consultant firms to assist the Lead Design Firm in the execution of the project. The Lead Design Firm will manage the entire process with periodic input and approvals from the Owner and its Owner’s Representatives. Generally, the following project roles will need to be identified and addressed in the RFQ submission for this project:
16 Tech is committed to creating equitable opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and inclusive environments for all people to thrive and participate in the innovation district including but not limited to design and construction projects. As part of this submittal, the team is asked to describe the inclusion of minority, women, veteran, disabled and LGBTQ individuals and business enterprises within the project team and should strive to be in alignment with the construction phase requirements listed below. When the bridge project progresses into the construction phase, the minimum required thresholds for the bridge construction team are:
The Design Team is expected to have a strong background and a high level of experience with the technical requirements and processes necessary for permitting the bridge portion of the project with entities such as the Army Corp of Engineers, various agencies with the State of Indiana (IDEM, INDOT, etc.), and the City of Indianapolis (DMD, DPW, IndyParks, etc.)
It is desired that there be both International / National and Local participation included on the project team.
TIMELINE
SELECTION PROCESS
Lead Design Firms and their consultant firms are invited to participate in the project selection process led by a Selection Committee composed of prominent Local, Regional and National members. The process to identify a Design Team to lead this project has four stages.
Stage 1 – Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Submission
Stage 2 – Request for Proposal (RFP) Submission
Stage 3 – Interview
Stage 4 – Selection
SELECTION CRITERIA
All of the respondents to the RFQ request will be evaluated by the Selection Committee against the criteria and weighting listed below in order to determine a shortlist for selection to the RFP / Interview Phase.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) TEAM: 25%
PROJECT EXPERIENCE: 25%
PROJECT APPROACH: 25%
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 25%
As a part of the Interview process the selected Design Teams will be evaluated against the following criteria during the RFP / Interview phase.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
The submission should be limited to 32 pages, including front and back covers. The RFQ submission should address the following items:
HOW TO SUBMIT
The submission should include two hard copies and one electronic copy in PDF format on a thumb drive or other reproducible media. The submission is due before 2:00 p.m. on March 12, 2020 to the Owner’s Project Manager: Synthesis Incorporated, 251 N. Illinois Street, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46202, Attention: Greg McMullen.
QUESTIONS? All questions during the RFQ stage of the process are to be submitted prior to 2:00 p.m. on February 28, 2020 and directed ONLY to the Owner’s Project Manager, Greg McMullen at Synthesis Incorporated, 317-951-9500 or mcmullen@synthinc.com. Addenda will be issued to all participants clarifying any technical questions that are asked by the participants.