When Biodesix, a leading cancer diagnostic solutions company, decided to expand, the fastest solution was to repurpose and existing facility. They selected an old department store in the heart of Centennial Valley to expedite the construction process, upgrading it into a state-of-the-art life science facility. Hunt Electric provided a complete electrical systems overhaul to the building’s existing framework, wiring it to fit the new owner’s laboratory, office, and amenity space needs.

The timeline was tight, compressed into 12 months. The typical lead time for switch gear equipment is 50-54 weeks, so Hunt Electric worked closely with our strategic distribution partners to present the owner with an option to reduce that lead time to 44 weeks. Our team also pushed for early design completion and executed early procurement. Even though we pushed this timeline, we still only had six weeks from procurement to the electrical final. Compressing the electrical energization, testing, and startup into a six-week timeframe required meticulous planning and allowed for zero errors. This planning required careful consideration of other trade partners’ power needs for sequencing and setup. Hunt made a creative plan to energize the mechanical equipment ahead of schedule. With a combination of permanent feeders, new panelboards, and temporary cables, Hunt allowed for the energization and start-up of mechanical equipment two months before permanent power was available.

Because this was an old department store, there weren’t any existing as-builts. Hunt performed a field assessment, created a one-line diagram, and developed a selective demolition and temporary power plan to keep all activities on schedule.  To keep key elements intact until we energized the permanent power, we installed a temporary generator to keep construction and mechanical power live while de-energizing the old service. Hunt Electric upgraded the existing 600-amp service to a 4,000-amp permanent service. The labs were electrically dense, with over 600 circuits for approximately 15,000 sq. ft. of space. Hunt’s Building Information Modeling (BIM) team created a model that enabled our field team to lay the conduit accurately to power the labs and save space.

Hunt Electric is proud to have been a part of this project to support Biodesix’s mission to diagnose and treat critical diseases. Our innovative approach to a tight schedule powered all construction phases, and the building is now energized to support Biodesix’s life-saving missions.