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Unbound Fort Worth Drop-In Center

Fort Worth, Texas

Expertise

  • Community

Services

  • mechanical / plumbing engineering
  • electrical engineering
  • structural engineering

Size

  • 3,800 SF

Unbound Fort Worth’s new drop-in center for trafficked youth will be located in the basement of the existing OneSafePlace building, and will be the first facility of its kind in Tarrant County. The space is designed to emulate the feel of “mom’s basement”, and will serve as a safe place for kids to sleep, shower, do laundry, and receive counseling.

Baird, Hampton & Brown is glad for the opportunity to work with VLK Architecture and donate mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural engineering design services to this project. The renovation of the existing 3,800 square-foot space in the basement includes resting areas, offices, restrooms, and a common area including a kitchenette.

The project began with a site visit to verify as-built conditions, followed by demolition to remove a restroom and walls. The electrical scope of work included verification, study, and replacement of light fixtures to ensure they are energy-efficient LED, and meet or exceed current energy code requirements. Also included are data connections for the offices, computer stations, and reception area, and lighting controls to comply with the current energy code. Mechanically, the pre-existing HVAC system remains with adjustments to serve new spaces, and verification that the system is properly serving each renovated area. Design work also included the addition of several toilets and laundry machines.

BHB’s structural team provided support details for new interior glass walls as well as a new opening cut in the existing vault wall. Recommendations for structural impacts of other elements, such as shower drains, were made to help the architect provide cost effective solutions.

Key People

  • Ronald Ishmael, PE, LEED AP

    Ronald Ishmael, PE, LEED AP

    Vice President | Structural Engineer

    Growing up, Ronald’s family had strong ties to the construction industry and was often involved in some type of construction project – whether it be for a local nonprofit, family members, or the farm he lived on. In fact, his childhood home was a barn that his parents turned into a house. It comes as no surprise that Ronald knew he wanted a career in construction from a young age, and his success in mathematics pushed him toward engineering. He attended Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in construction management through the civil engineering department. During his last semester, however, the degree program was altered, and he decided to switch to the specialty of structural engineering. The unplanned change of course turned out to be exactly what Ronald had been looking for.

    Now, he has garnered nearly 15 years of diverse industry experience and continues his journey at BHB as the firm’s first structural engineer. His background includes structural design services for new and existing buildings, structural assessments and evaluations, historic preservation, and forensic failure investigations. Ronald has experience with multiple construction materials such as steel, concrete, wood/timber, cold formed steel, ICF, foundations, and FRP, and has extensive experience in elevated concrete design. He is also heavily involved in the Fort Worth Structural Engineers Association of Texas (SEAoT) and is a past president of the International Concrete Repair Institute.

    Outside of the office walls, Ronald spends his spare time with his wife, a high school anatomy and forensics teacher, and two children, Laykin and Cohen. He can often be found fishing, working on personal construction projects including his wife’s classroom, playing with his kids, and rooting for the Texas A&M football team. Ronald also enjoys traveling to unique places and finding activities that involve communicating and interacting with local residents. His recent expeditions include visiting off-the-path wineries in Napa and Sonoma, finding local hot spots in Alaska, and taking a road trip through the Philippines.

    Project Experience

    Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex

    Education

    Texas A&M University:

    Bachelor’s Degree/2006/Civil Engineering

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