Don Facciobene Inc.
My first long-term job out of college is at Don Facciobene Inc., a design-build general contractor in Palm Bay, Florida. DFI has 3 subdivisions within the company: site work, bridges, and general contracting. I have spent most of my time here working on the bridges, but have gotten good experience in every other aspect a company like this has to offer.
The project I have spent most of the last year and a half working on at DFI has been for Universal Studios’ new theme park in Orlando - Universal Epic Universe. I have done everything from initial design meetings to final As-Built drawings on this project, read more about this below. In between my time working on the Universal Project I have also done:
- Life-safety, Architectural, and Electrical drawings, as well as a 3D model for Lumena, a luxury apartment condo on Satellite Beach
- Cost estimations and site visits for L3Harris
- Proposals for heavy timber docks, bridges, and buildings for Walt Disney World
- Architectural drawings, 3D modeling, and site visits for the Dragon Pointe house in Melbourne
- Electric drawings for an EV Charing Station at Gator Electric, a car dealer in Melbourne
- Architectural drawings for home renovations in Melbourne
- And many more!
I will show highlights from my time at DFI below, but please ask for any additional information or projects you would like!
Universal Epic Universe - Isle of Berk
Universal Creative Rendering
I cannot share too much about this project as I am still under NDA until the park opens, however, I can share the basics that Universal Studios has already shared on their YouTube channels.
Universal Epic Universe is going to consist of 5 different themed parks, and DFI has been working on one specifically. This has been ‘The Isle of Berk’ which is themed around the How to Train Your Dragon film franchise. This park is modeled after the hometown of Hiccup, the movie’s protagonist, which is a small Viking town. So, we were first contracted to build heavy timber bridges and docks to help provide the immersive feeling of being in a real viking town that only real wood can provide. After we had done some work for them Universal was very impressed with our drawings as well as our in-field work, so they started offering us more work. We currently have more than 50 change orders because they love our work, but the project is wrapping up and the park plans to open in May 2025!
I have done every aspect of work possible on a long-term construction project like this. I have:
Attended initial concept design meetings
Worked with engineers and high-level clients to get approved designs
Calculated material quantities and got prices from material suppliers
Coordinate in-field design solutions with other trades
Submit final As-Built drawings and punch list items
Compiled estimates for change order work including schedules, total prices, and approved concept drawing sets
Walked site with government officials for Certificate of Occupancies
Please see below for some non-NDA images of the park from Google, as well as sources.
https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/epic-universe-how-to-train-your-dragon-isle-of-berk-details
Client
Universal Studios
Years
2019-2025
Location
Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL
Aerial View Of Construction
https://chipandco.com/aerial-look-at-progress-being-made-on-the-isle-of-berk-at-universal-orlandos-epic-universe-580058
Lumena
Lumena is a luxury condo complex that is on land owned by and being developed by DFI. This condominium has been in the talks for many years, but COVID-19 halted construction on this like many other projects. After the pandemic work on it started back up, which included a new set of permit drawings, and new meetings with investors and subcontractors. I have worked on the new round of permit drawings for the first tower being built, as well as the sales center and pool.
This project is starting to pick back up, but so far my work has included:
Life-safety, architectural, and electric drawings for the sales center
Finding subcontractors and putting together pricing packages for new additions to the project
Complete architectural permit set for the first condo building
Full Revit 3D model of condo complex for marketing and rendering purposes
Please see below for conceptual renders of my Revit Model from the Lumena Website: https://lumenafl.com/
Client
DFI
Year
2019-Current
Location
Satellite Beach, Florida
I have done various projects for L3Harris and I am badged for security clearance into their Palm Bay, Florida location. However, due to the nature of this work, I cannot share any details about the work I have completed. My responsibilities have included:
Cost estimations and schedule planning
Problem-solving with contractors and L3 representatives
Site visits for both initial site walk and problem-solving purposes
Client
L3Harris
Year
2024-Current
Location
Palm Bay, Florida
https://www.l3harris.com/
Disney World - Various
I have done a few different projects for different Disney World projects. Please see below for a short review of each project I worked on.
Fort Wilderness:
Fort Wilderness is a large campground-style resort at Disney World with some very nice amenities, including a large pool and park in the center of the campground. We got invited to bid on some heavy-timber aspects of a project to expand that park area. My responsibilities included:
Compiling a count of timber and hardware, then reaching out to suppliers with RFQs
Attending site meetings to represent our company
Disney Polynesian Resort:
The Polynesian Resort at Disney World is one of the most popular large resorts on the Disney World property. This whole resort is built in a heavy timber theme, so we were asked to bid on a job where they want to rebuild an egress staircase in heavy timber. However, because this is an open and functioning hotel, this comes with a world of challenges given we were demolitioning the existing egress staircase. I was part of the team that estimated this project and worked through those challenges with representatives of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Disney Sparrow Resort:
This was a project that I cannot share much about as I am under an NDA, but my responsibilities included:
Estimating prices and planning schedules for heavy timber work and steel work
Write and proof contract documents
Client
Walt Disney Imagineering
Year
2023-Current
Location
Disney World, Orlando, Florida
Disney Polynesian Resort
https://www.forbes.com/sites/megandubois/2022/03/16/walt-disney-worlds-polynesian-village-resort-will-have-a-new-addition-in-2024/
Disney Fort Wilderness Pool
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/cabins-at-fort-wilderness-resort/pools-cabins-at-fort-wilderness-resort/