SME was retained to provide Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) services for the new KAR Auction Services International HQ, an international provider of a variety of used-vehicle sales and auction services.

KAR Auction Services International HQ, a 5-story, 250,000-square-foot office building, is primarily clad with a glass and aluminum unitized curtain wall that features “folds” in the assembly.

SME was retained early in the Design Development phase to consult on the approach of the curtain wall system and other building enclosure components. We participated in design charrettes with the Owner, Architect, and General Contractor to determine the optimum approach for connecting different elements of the building’s skin. We performed an in-depth review of the curtain wall shop drawings, performance specifications, and calculations, resulting in us identifying multiple risks that the team was able to address well ahead of the curtain wall fabrication.

During construction, SME provided routine site visits to perform air and water infiltration testing and address any challenges the team encountered. The building was completed in the summer of 2019 and has served as the company’s international headquarters since then.