Erland constructed The Autism Institute, a 3-story addition to the main building at the New England Center for Children, as a research and education center dedicated to transforming the lives of children with autism. NECC has both day and residential programs for students ages 3 – 22 years. This project faced the challenges of construction on an occupied school campus compounded by the particularly vulnerable population that could be hypersensitive to noise and vibration. Communication with the client was key. The Erland project team developed great respect for the mission of NECC and the importance of its work with the autistic population. This resulted in a successful proposal to our company’s Management Team to establish The Erland Foundation as a vehicle for raising funds to help with charitable causes that enhance quality of life for groups in the communities where we work. Our first event – an evening of bowling dubbed Strike Out Autism Night – raised money in excess of our highest expectations for NECC.
