High-Tech Knowledge
Farnsworth Group High tech knowledge and a full menu of services spells success for the Farnsworth Group, a firm which today has 300 employees across eight states.
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Farnsworth Group A 100 year Tradition, High Tech Knowledge and a full Menu of Services Spells Success for The Farnsworth Group
by Robert Janis
Every company, regardless of their trade, sells itself on experience. But how many years must a firm be in business for one to ascertain that it has the experience necessary to do the job? How about 100 years? With over a century of tradition and experience serving as their foundation for success, Farnsworth Group is driven by 300 employees stationed in 17 offices across eight states. The firm has their roots established firmly in their home town of Bloomington, Illinois, while also maintaining eight offices across that state. “Our founders started by taking their skills from one Illinois community to another, mainly in providing survey services for municipalities,” said Karen Jensen, CEO and president of the company. In every aspect, Farnsworth Group is truly a full service firm. Its offerings include countless niche services in the engineering field, as well as architecture, surveying, commissioning and many others. This allows them to be involved in all aspects of a project from beginning to end.
Some of these engineering services include civil, municipal, transportation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, water, wastewater, structural and more. “Not only can we design a new fire station, office building or school, but we can also provide the roads, infrastructure, site plans and anything else that is required to make any project become reality,” Jensen said. The firm does not only concentrate on the design and construction of the building, but they also offer a wide range of non-traditional services not generally found in a design firm of any size. Farnsworth Group helps clients deal with government boards and entities when applying for grants. They can also create referendums if community approval is necessary to get a concept off the ground. Moreover, they have the knowledgeable personnel who can lobby local, state and federal governments to secure the funding necessary to get a project started. “Over the years we have evolved to meet the changing needs of our clients and today offer
OPPOSITE PAGE: Karen Jensen, PE, who serves as Farnsworth Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stands outside of the Illinois Medical Center complex being constructed in downtown Peoria, Ill. BELOW: Farnsworth Group provided the architectural and interior design services for the Electrolux Collaboration Room. The design of the new state of the art creative space for employee collaboration is a 1400 SF room in Bloomington, Illinois. Interior Design services include unique interior finish selections and designations, brainstorming sessions with the users, custom casework and lighting.
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BOTTOM LEFT: Farnsworth Group design a new 2.3 mgd lime softening water treatment plant, an additional 800 gpm groundwater well, and various water main improvements for this rapidly growing community in central Illinois. All processes are contained in a concrete block building designed for both minimal maintenance and aesthetic appeal. Large windows along the front of the building face east, providing both the attractive and functional benefit of natural light to the interior. BOTTOM RIGHT: Methodist North at Allen Road in Peoria, IL, is a new 3-story, 75,000 SF medical office building. Farnsworth Group provided Architecture, MEP, Structural, Civil and Traffic Engineering as well as interior design and landscape architecture.
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a full suite of engineering services and architecture,” Jensen said. “In addition, we have a specialized group focused on energy consulting, green building design, LEED certification and building commissioning.” Through a deep knowledge of “green” issues and technologies, Farnsworth Group can also serve as a consultant on designing sustainability. The firm spends as much time educating its clients on the nuances of sustainable design as they do their own staff. “It is important that our employees stay on the cutting edge of new systems, especially in the areas of CAD and GIS,” Jensen said. “We also conduct an in-house LEED training seminar to prepare employees for taking the LEED Accredited Professional certification exam. These sessions include all levels of staff, not just the technical personnel. We currently have more than 62 members of our staff who are LEED Accredited Professionals.”
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Project Spotlight: Heartland Bank and Farnsworth Group Consulting Office, Normal Ill. TOP LEFT & RIGHT: This four-story, 48,213 sq. ft. facility is home to Heartland Bank, formerly the Bank of Illinois, located in Normal, Ill. The building features energy efficient systems, natural daylighting, a unique in-floor air distribution system and extensive re-use of recycled materials. Farnsworth Group provided full service design - architectural design; civil, structural & MEP engineering; commissioning and LEEDŽ consulting; and landscape architecture for Heartland Bank. The HVAC system at Heartland Bank uses the cavity below the raised floor for supply air distribution. Conditioned air will be supplied at a neutral temperature (typically 65° F.) then introduced to the occupied spaces via adjustable swirl diffusers located in the raised floor system. The air handling units serving the facility are equipped with variable speed drives which respond to static pressure sensors located within the raised floor supply air plenum. Fresh outdoor air for the purpose of ventilation is pretreated by means of energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) mounted on the roof. The ERVs employ demand control ventilation. Carbon dioxide sensors in the return air stream modulate the ventilation rate based upon actual human occupancy.
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ABOVE & OPPOSITE: Denver, Colo. This new LEED Gold 45,885 SF building houses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Denver District office. The project represents Farnsworth Group’s ability to provide full-service capabilities on a project, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering as well as energy modeling, commissioning and LEED certification on the project.
One project that provides a good example of Farnsworth Group’s expertise is the building that houses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Denver, Colorado. According to Dave Burnison, a Principal at Farnsworth Group, just about all the disciplines which the company specializes in were tapped, including landscape architecture and interior design. The three-story, 46,000 sq. ft. building features a mechanical system that includes a hybrid geothermal system. The construction won a number of awards including the Green Building of America Award, the National 2009 Ultron Doc Award and the Green Decade Plaque of Honor. Farnsworth Group’s client-centered approach and professional foresight are the roots of a rock solid tradition that continues today. ALT
Performance Engineering Performance Engineering is proud to be a structural engineering partner of the Farnsworth Group on projects throughout the country. P.E. is a full service structural engineering firm providing services in more than 27 states with offices in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado. At Performance Engineering, your project is their passion. 6 Architecture Leaders Today
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