Gun Lake

Project Delivery: Delivering Complexity with Confidence

Ensuring Design Intent for Large Scale Projects

At first glance, the Wawyé Oasis appears effortless—an all-season, six-story glass retreat filled with light and warmth in the heart of West Michigan. Behind that experience, however, is a highly disciplined Construction Administration (CA) process that ensures bold ideas are delivered with precision, consistency, and confidence.

At HBG Design, Construction Administration is not a back-end service. It is a core component of project delivery—bridging design intent and built reality. On a project as large and technically demanding as the Wawyé Oasis, CA became the engine that aligned teams, managed complexity, and protected the guest experience from day one.

Exceptional Project Delivery

The Oasis is both an engineering and operational achievement: a 32,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed entertainment venue designed to maintain resort-level comfort year-round, supported by more than 800 low-E glass panels and a segmented steel space frame engineered for Michigan’s snow and wind loads.

Delivering a structure of this scale and complexity required constant coordination during construction. HBG’s CA team worked closely with the contractor, consultants, operations staff, and the Tribe to ensure that design decisions were accurately executed and that performance expectations were met in the field—not just on paper.

Embedded Expertise from Day One

HBG provided dedicated on-site CA representatives, including our Construction Administration leader, Jason Fox, who brings deep casino and large-scale hospitality experience. But “on-site” only begins to describe the role. Our CA leaders are fully embedded in the construction process—participating in CM/GC meetings, Owner meetings, and coordination sessions to ensure decisions are clearly documented, communicated, and implemented.

In the field, our CA representatives operate with a clear mandate: be visible, accessible, accountable, and solution-oriented. Site observation debriefs were conducted at the conclusion of each visit, allowing real-time discussion of observed conditions before formal reports were issued. This proactive communication helped resolve questions early, reduced downstream impacts, and reinforced trust across the project team.

Technology That Keeps Teams Aligned

On projects of this scale, speed and clarity matter. HBG’s CA teams leverage purpose-built technology to keep information current and accessible.

Field representatives use iPads and PlanGrid to access the most up-to-date drawings and specifications, generate site observation reports, and track revisions in real time. Work Packages and ASIs are integrated into PlanGrid through our QA/QC process, ensuring alignment between design documentation and construction activities throughout critical milestones—from structural erection to glazing installation to complex mechanical and humidity-control systems.

For RFIs and Submittals, HBG uses the Newforma–Bluebeam connector to streamline reviews and enable real-time collaboration across disciplines. Our contract documents outline a prompt RFI response process—one our team upholds rigorously, even when coordination across multiple consultants is required. The result is faster resolution, clearer documentation, and fewer interruptions to construction progress.

Managing Change with Clarity and Control

Change is inevitable on complex projects. What matters is how it is managed. HBG’s CA team identifies potential changes early, evaluates impacts to design, budget, and schedule, and presents clear options so Owners can make informed decisions.

By closely monitoring RFIs, Submittals, and field conditions, our team minimizes ASIs and reduces opportunities for misalignment. When changes are approved, we focus on value-based solutions that maintain quality, protect design intent, and support overall project goals.

Closing Out with the Same Discipline

Construction Administration doesn’t end at substantial completion. HBG uses Newforma Capture to streamline punch list documentation, allowing items to be recorded efficiently and consistently across the CA team—often with reports generated before leaving the site.

Our services also include reviewing pay applications, coordinating close-out documentation, and assembling complete record drawings, including building signage. Deliverables are provided in the format preferred by Ownership, supporting smooth turnover and long-term facility operations.

Collaboration That Drives Results

The success of the Wawyé Oasis was built on continuous collaboration. Tribal leadership, Owner’s representatives, the CM/GC, specialty fabricators, engineers, and HBG’s design teams remained closely aligned throughout construction. HBG’s role was to maintain momentum, clarity, and accountability—ensuring that every decision supported the project’s performance, schedule, and guest experience.

Design Intent, Fully Realized

Today, when guests step into the Wawyé Oasis, they experience the result of that effort: a space where comfort, structure, and atmosphere perform exactly as intended. That outcome was not accidental. It was the product of an engaged CA team, disciplined processes, the right technology, and a service mindset focused on delivery.

This is how HBG Design turns complex design into successful construction—and how we continue to deliver large, technically demanding destinations with confidence, project after project.

by LINDSAY GRAY