October 2019 CAM Magazine Special Issue

CAM MAGAZINE EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Gary Boyajian Division 8 Solutions, Inc.

Marty Burnstein Law Office of Marty Burnstein

in Foucher Commercial Contracting Corp.

President

Kevin Koehler

DIRECTORS

Joshua Barney

George Dobrowitsky Walbridge

Daniel Englehart Peter Basso and Associates, Inc.

JJ Barney Construction

Kerlin Blaise Blaze Contracting

Jeffrey Chandler Valenti Trobec Chandler, Inc./VTC Insurance Group

Dennis King DMKING Consulting, LLC

Sanford (Sandy) Sulkes International Building Products, Inc.

James Vargo Capac Construction Company, Inc.

Stephen Frantz Motor City Electric Co.

Michael Green John E. Green Company

Samuel Ruegsegger III The Christman Co.

Paul Stachowiak Integrated Design Solutions, LLC

Erik Wordhouse Edwards Glass Co.

4 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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Special Issue 19

CONTENTS Table of

8 8

About the Authors Letter from the Editor

10

Shinola Hotel

20

Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business

30

The Legacy

40

I-75 Over Rouge and Goddard

48

United Shore

58

Flex-N-Gate

68

University of Michigan’s Biological Sciences Building

80

AUCH Construction Headquarters

90

Hub Ann Arbor

98

Dexter Early Elementary Complex

The Art of Making Shines at Detroit’s Shinola Hotel

Wayne State’s Business School Takes on New Life as the Mike Ilitch School of Business

The Legacy Makes Its Mark in the Heart of Bay City The Road Often Traveled: Reconstructing I-75 Over Rouge and Goddard

A Company on the Move: United Shore’s People-First Corporate Home in Pontiac Bringing Detroit Jobs, Flex-N-Gate Hits the Ground Running

University of Michigan’s Biological Sciences Building Brings Life to the “Science on Display” Concept

AUCH Construction’s New Headquarters: The Miracle at 65 University Drive

HUB Ann Arbor Offers a Fun, Luxury Option for Student Housing

A New Building Designed to Build Better Minds

108

Oakland Center

117

Wagner Place

The Next Level: A Re-Invented Oakland Center Breaks into the Future Dearborn Landmark Hotel Anchors Sleek Tech Workplaces for Ford

126 134 6 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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A B O U T

T H E

A U T H O R S

M A RY

K R E M P O S K Y

M CA R D L E

Mary graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. As associate editor, she has been writing articles for CAM Magazine for over 25 years. She appreciates the opportunity to tour wonderfully crafted and beautifully designed spaces, and feels that learning about sustainability, urban restoration efforts and other vital trends is yet another bonus of working for the design and construction industry.

M A R I LY N

S .

J O N E S - W I L S O N

Marilyn graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in electronic journalism, and has over 35 years of experience in writing, publications and promotion. Currently, she works at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on member and customer communications. Previously, she was assistant public affairs officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Detroit District. As a native Detroiter, she is excited by the city’s resurgence and downtown development.

L I S A

B R I G G S

Freelance writer Lisa Briggs is a versatile writer who brings every subject or content to life – with flair, marketability and distinctiveness. She collaborates with businesses and individuals for their long-term or short-term writing projects.

Lisa currently writes for three Michigan-based magazines, and she can be contacted at briggs1020lisa@gmail.com.

L O U I S

B E D I G I A N

Louis Bedigian is an experienced, creative and dynamic storyteller. He has been writing professionally for more than 17 years and has developed content for startups, agencies and a variety of publications. He began freelancing in 2015 after spending 10 years with GameZone.com and nearly five years with Benzinga.com. He can be reached at louisbedigian@gmail.com.

Letter from the Editor D I A N E

S AW I N S K I

In this 24th edition of CAM Magazine‘s Special Issue, we showcase 12 outstanding construction projects completed by CAM member companies over the past year. The economy continues to thrive, and construction projects in the state of Michigan are moving at a vigorous pace.

Urban revitalization projects from Detroit’s Shinola Hotel to the corporate headquarters of United Shore and AUCH Construction in Pontiac fill these pages. New industrial facilities, such as Flex-N-Gate, are renewing Detroit and generating new jobs in the heart of the city as well. Historical renovations are rejuvenating the downtown areas of cities stretching from Bay City’s The Legacy to Dearborn’s Wagner Place.

From early elementary to the halls of higher education, the design and construction industry is boosting learning environments for all ages with such developments as the Dexter Early Elementary Complex and Oakland Center at Oakland University, as well as Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business and the University of Michigan’s Biological Sciences Building.

In a slight departure from our more typical focus on commercial construction projects, this year we proudly feature a major infrastructure venture: the reconstruction of I-75 over Rouge and Goddard. Viewed as unprecedented in the history of MDOT, the massive scope of the project affected some 100,000 commuters every day for two years.

The “Project of the Year” will be selected from the 12 Special Issue projects - watch your email to learn how to cast your vote online. The CAM Magazine Editorial Board and your input will determine the winner, which will be announced at the CAM Annual Meeting and Tradeshow in February.

I and the staff of CAM Magazine wish to thank all of the companies that submitted projects for consideration.

We hope that all of you and our CAM membership enjoy this Special Issue 2019 of CAM Magazine.

Diane Sawinski - Editor 8 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KRAEMER DESIGN GROUP, KYLE BERRYMAN

The Art of Making Shines at Detroit’s Shinola By

Mary Kremposky McArdle

10 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

Hotel

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S H I N O L A

H O T E L

Originally built in 1915, the Shinola Hotel’s anchor building is one of Detroit’s historic gems.

The building and its red terra-cotta tiles – along with the vision and the workmanship required to create a hotel out of a series of interconnected structures – are the perfect match for both the Shinola and Bedrock brands.

S

tep into Shinola’s factory within the historic Argonaut Building in Detroit and catch a glimpse of its artisans thinning or shaving the ends of seven, microthin layers of leather, as reported in Craftsmanship Quarterly’s 2016 article, “The Shinola Polish.” The layers will be stitched together to make the leather straps for Shinola’s luxury watches, including The Runwell and The Cass. The same spirit of making fills the world’s first Shinola Hotel, a boutique hotel stitched together from five different buildings in downtown Detroit.

Each “stitch” is a steel beam piecing together this rarity of a hotel recently named to Conde Nast Traveler’s 2019 Hot List of the Best New Hotels in the World.

Two urban makers - Shinola and Bedrock joined forces to revitalize an entire stretch of downtown Detroit at Woodward and Grand River Avenues. Kraemer Design Group (KDG), Barton Malow Company, and the New York City interior design firm of GACHOT Studios combined its talents to weave together this well-crafted development. From Venetian plaster ceilings to hand-woven fabric wall finishes, the entire 160,000square-foot luxury hotel is a tribute to that synergy of mind, hands and inner creative blaze called craftsmanship.

At the Shinola Hotel, well-crafted spaces continuously unfold into a host of beautifully fashioned venues, turning a hotel into a series of experiences. Hand-drawn, hand-painted and hand-fired tiles grace the walls of San Morello’s restaurant, creating a space as gourmet as its black shell puttanesca or mezze rigatoni. Adding to the visual feast, Wolverine Stone Co. installed the white- and carnelian-toned marble flooring in the restaurant. At San Morello, the materials, including a copper ceiling concealing the kitchen hoods, are as authentic as its southern Italian cuisine.

The Evening Bar is an intimate nightspot aglow with a gold-leaf ceiling, high-quality millwork, and leather banquette seating. The Birdy Room conservatory and its glassvaulted ceiling create a sun-lit, garden oasis in the middle of downtown Detroit. Rows of potted plants line the cocktail bar’s backlit wall and hanging greenery forms a type of living cornice in this refreshing event space located within the hotel’s Annex Building. At night, the city glows beyond the glass, offering the ideal urban perch for a cocktail with friends or a standing reception for up to 180 guests.

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Turning an entire assembly of buildings into a boutique hotel is itself an inspired concept.

“It breeds a more creative and dynamic atmosphere than just having a single building,” said Bedrock’s Senior Construction Project Manager Brett A. Yuhasz. “The hotel is as unique and dynamic as the Shinola and Bedrock brands, and I think having that uniqueness creates a hotel experience unlike anything else that you will ever have, whether it is in Metro Detroit or the world frankly.”

To make it happen, Barton Malow used an amazing array of technologies from its welldeveloped, high-tech tool belt. Custom solutions to challenging conditions successfully delivered a gem of a development with a high level of finishes.

The Big Picture The Shinola Hotel’s Woodward Avenue presence is a blend of two historic structures and two buildings constructed to replace three narrow structures. Originally built in 1915 with a 1925 addition, the historical Rayl’s Building is the corner anchor of the entire development. This eight-story, terracotta-clad structure bears the Shinola nameplate and features a Shinola clock ticking out the minutes of downtown Detroit’s ongoing revitalization.

Barton Malow inserted a slender 20-footwide needle of a building in between the Rayl’s Building and the Singer Building, a fivestory structure originally built in 1936 as the home of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Next door to the Singer Building is the final Woodward structure built to replace the 1420 and 1424 buildings.

This building ensemble preserves the character of Detroit’s Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District. “The character of that district, not just lower Woodward but even extending toward Grand Circus Park, was always marked by buildings of varied height and width,” said KDG Principal Brian Rebain. “Maintaining this diversity was very important to the project from a historical preservation perspective.”

Of equal importance, the hotel had to have sufficient density to support 129 guest rooms and a diversity of spaces. The solution: Deep building setbacks in the two connecting buildings.

The setbacks are “shadow structures” of greater height that are pushed into the background to preserve the streetside prominence of the low-rise building sections.

CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

11

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE FRANZEN

Hand-woven fabric wall finishes in the reception area welcome guests to this world-class boutique hotel in the heart of Detroit. Thread by thread, Detroit artist Margo Wolowiecz created this commissioned fabric mural for the Shinola Hotel.

The needle-thin 1412 Building’s setback houses an all-important elevator bank.

“Having that elevator bank allowed us to maintain the historic appearance of the street front but also meet the functional demands of the hotel’s program,” said Rebain.

History not only meets function in these deep setbacks, but the design strategy creates a series of rooftop terraces as well.

These furnished and landscaped terraces offer a hotel guest a great place for enjoying a summer evening or viewing Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The Shinola Hotel experience continues directly behind Woodward Avenue. A former parking lot is now the Annex, a contemporary structure hosting event space and the glasswrapped Birdy Room. The underside of a multi-story sky bridge, connecting the Annex to the main hotel, is clad in chiseled metal panels that are part of the transformation of an alleyway into a pedestrian walkway.

The pedestrian walkway is lined with women-owned businesses such as Lip Bar cosmetics, Drought Juice, floral shop Posie Atelier, a vintage shop named Velvet Tower, and a clothing store called Good Neighbor.

MadCap Coffee Co., a beer garden called the Brakeman, and eateries such as Penny Red’s complete this outdoor space named Parker’s Alley in honor of Thomas Parker. In 1809, Parker acquired this parcel of property in a land drawing held after the Great Fire of 1805 12 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

decimated Detroit, becoming one of the first African-American landowners in Detroit. A stroll down Parker’s Alley is proof that downtown Detroit is truly rising from the economic ashes.

The Spark A simple conversation between Shinola Founder Tom Kartsotis and Quicken Loans and Rock Family of Companies Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert launched this landmark hotel. More than a chat, it was a meeting of the minds between two business leaders who are both deeply committed to Detroit.

Whether crafting Runwell watches or turning vacant eyesores into gems, both companies are committed to Detroit’s growth as well as to job creation and quality work.

“Shinola’s well-crafted products are made to last for years, and similarly that is what we are trying to do with our real estate portfolio,” said Bedrock’s Director of Hospitality Andrew Leber.

Creating a hospitality venue that is more home than hotel is a natural fit for both companies as well. Bedrock’s efforts have helped to make downtown Detroit a habitable place to live, work, and play, and “Shinola welcomes customers into their retail stores as if it was their home,” said Leber.

Shinola and Bedrock have created a unique hotel marked by “the residential inspiration of its design,” said Leber. “The

rooms don’t look and feel like any hotel guest room you have seen or stayed in, either nationally or internationally. The product is different and unique, and I think that is what is speaking to hotel guests these days.

People don’t want to travel and stay in a generic hotel room. They want something that is more akin to their home, and that is what is designed at the Shinola Hotel.”

In this dream home of a hotel, the guest rooms are arranged in 56 different configurations. Each guest room has custom furniture and even custom mattresses made in Michigan, while some guest rooms have fireplaces and all are dog-friendly, except for pet-free rooms for allergy sufferers. Not to mention the eating nooks, walk-in closets, bathrooms with both full tubs and spa showers in some guest rooms. “It is very residential,” said Yuhasz. “The rooms are more like extremely comfortable living rooms than traditional hotel rooms.”

A space called the Living Room makes the entire city feel at home. GACHOT Studios selected the custom furnishings, ranging from leather couches to camel brown armchairs.

Detroit’s own Library Street Collective selected the art and photography in this highceilinged space bathed in natural light where on any given day people are sipping a cup of coffee, working on their laptops or enjoying a meal with friends delivered directly to their seats.

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S H I N O L A

The Right Place, the Right Team Shinola and Bedrock selected the right place to build this collective dream home: A coveted corner of prime real estate almost in the center of downtown Detroit. “The hotel is literally at the corner of Main and Main,” said Yuhasz.

Shinola and Bedrock selected the right team as well. “KDG is the foremost historic expert in terms of downtown Detroit,” said Leber. Added Yuhasz, “Kraemer does much of the consulting for our historic properties downtown, whether it be assisting us with the National Park Service or understanding the tax credit applications we submit for historic structures. Kraemer has an extremely strong reputation, specifically in the Detroit market, as being a very talented architect of record in the realm of historic structures.”

The Barton Malow team fit the bill exactly.

“We went through an RFP process, but it all came down to the people at Barton Malow,” said Yuhasz. “You can look at preconstruction costs and a number of different metrics, but at the end of the day, I think what is very important to us is the people we will work with on a day-to-day basis. This was an incredibly strong team that worked on this project.”

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Personal chemistry was pivotal on this highly collaborative project. “We hired very talented firms and engaged in intensive collaboration,” said Yuhasz. “Everyone did a bit of everything, and I think at times people had to step outside of their comfort zone and work as a collaborative team to bring the project to fruition. Andrew (Leber) walked the job-site with us in a hardhat every Thursday morning at 8 a.m., and Barton Malow even made some design judgment calls in some instances.”

Budget: “Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves” This collaborative team lived the Shinola motto: “Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves.” The team delivered a building with a consistent level of high-quality finishes on an aggressive schedule and on a budget as well-crafted as the building itself. “In the early phases of the project the budget was established by an intense estimating and value engineering process,” said Barton Malow Senior Project Manager Jeff Stachowiak. “In the design development phase, designers and the construction management team met biweekly to re-estimate and value engineer the latest iteration of drawings.

“As the project evolved through different

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design iterations, the owner and our construction management team allocated different allowance dollars to areas that were proving to be more expensive than expected,” Stachowiak added. “It was a concerted effort between the owner, design team and the construction management team to maintain cost and schedule throughout the development of the interior design.”

Without sacrificing quality, Barton Malow delivered the Shinola Hotel within budget and on an aggressive schedule, the target date for completion being the North American Auto Show in early January 2019. “There were a lot of very intense discussions upfront to avoid compromising the quality of the finished product while still hitting the end date,” said Stachowiak. “As a credit to Bedrock, these types of conversations were happening the day we were brought on board with our estimating team. We said, ‘We know this is going to be challenging, so we have to start the process now.’”

Barton Malow established due dates for material decisions to successfully juggle quality, schedule and budget. “We said, ‘We need to make a decision by such and such a date,” said Stachowiak, “and if we are going to change a material, we have to discuss how

CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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it will influence the overall aesthetic of the project and the flow of the schedule.”

As a case in point, the project team collectively agreed to use a Venetian plaster ceiling in lieu of gold leaf in the events entry.

“This strategy allowed us to finish the area sooner without compromising the quality of design,” said Stachowiak.

Schedule: Visualizing Success Barton Malow’s technological savvy helped to formulate and execute a well-planned schedule. Barton Malow Senior Project Engineer Adam Pigula explains the Oracle Primavera P6 and the 4D Syncho plugin used to sequence construction activities: “The system ties the 3D architectural model and the P6 schedule together with Synchro to create a visual 4D schedule, 4D representing time. For the full life-cycle of the project, we can progress the schedule month-by-month or even day-by-day. The model will populate and we can see the day the caissons started or populated in the model. As the model progresses the building develops right in front of your eyes based on the sequencing selected.”

The system assisted Barton Malow in planning the placement and movement of a series of cranes as the buildings rose and the already tight site progressively decreased in size. Barton Malow has been using the program for several years under the guidance of Jason Neff, Barton Malow’s Virtual Design & Construction manager and one of the pioneers of 4D scheduling.

Using Midwest manufacturers whenever possible for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) eased the schedule and boosted regional employment. “The FF&E in the building is highly complex and specific to each space,” said Leber. “The four buildings that span the Woodward streetscape have multiple room types, which create challenging furniture styles and layouts. Rather than outsource FF&E procurement overseas and wait for a specialty finish item to ship to the site, we went to Ohio and Michigan manufacturers, not only because both Shinola and Bedrock felt it was important for job creation and the quality of the products, but also because it helped to compress the delivery time frame.”

For Barton Malow’s part, the first two levels PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE FRANZEN

Detroit’s own Library Street Collective selected th called the Living Room. The entire city can feel enjoying a cup of coffee, a conversation with fr seats.

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Multitasking on the Jobsite The aggressive schedule was as intense as watching sand rapidly sift through an oldfashioned hourglass. Barton Malow “turned over the hourglass” of the two-year project in January 2017. Beginning in February 2017, three activities took place concurrently over the first four months: interior demolition of the historical structures, demolition of the three narrow buildings, and foundation placement for the Annex Building.

Barton Malow’s debris removal plan aided the schedule. Temporarily, “we used the old elevator shafts in the Rayl’s Building as basically our trash chutes,” said Stachowiak.

Demolition debris from the upper floors of the Rayl’s Building traveled down the vintage shafts and was funneled into the basement of the adjacent 1412 Building via a series of cut openings and ramps in this needle-thin neighbor slated for demolition.

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and foundations were installed in the connecting buildings, including placement of three- to four-foot thick mat foundations for the 1412 Building. “Concurrently, stud framing and MEP fitout began on the upper floors of the Rayl’s Building,” said Stachowiak.

Threading MEP systems in the Rayl’s Building and ultimately throughout this building cluster called into play the use of laser-scanning technology. Barton Malow laser-scanned each individual floor after interior demolition and created a model of the MEP systems. “We used the model in conjunction with KDG’s architectural and Integrated Design Solution’s electrical and mechanical models to come up with the routing for the trade contractors,” said Pigula. “This helped the trades keep the systems above the ceiling to maintain the design intent calling for open spaces, particularly in the public spaces.”

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he art and photography in a high-ceilinged space at home seated on the custom furnishings and riends or even a meal delivered directly to their

The same plan was executed in the Singer Building located due north of the 1412 Building. “As we demolished the 1412 Building, we removed the basement debris from all three structures at one time,” added Stachowiak.

Barton Malow removed the 1420 and 1424 Buildings in 72 hours to protect residential tenants in a neighboring apartment building from any potential safety issues. “On Friday at about 5:00 p.m. we evacuated the apartments, and Bedrock secured hotel rooms for the tenants for the entire weekend,” said Stachowiak. “We worked around the clock to finish the demolition.”

Concurrently, Barton Malow oversaw the drilling of 20 caissons 117 feet below grade for the Annex Building foundations, followed by placement of a grid of grade beams.

Barton Malow encountered substantial foundations and steel remnants of a former DTE power plant on the site. “We just kept drilling through these remnants, but we chewed up a whole lot of drill bits doing it,” said Stachowiak.

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A Scan in Time Saves Nine Laser-scanning would prove pivotal in the structural steel phase. A robust platform was constructed over the new Annex Building foundations to create space on this tight urban site for material staging and crane placement to make way for structural steel erection on the Woodward buildings. Before one steel “stitch” could be placed, the project team encountered a structural surprise: The upper reaches of the Rayl’s and the Singer Buildings were somewhat tilted toward each other. The tilt was thought to be slight but a laser scan proved otherwise.

Ultimately, laser-scanning technology saved more than just the day. The technology shaved weeks off of this tightly scheduled project. “One of the things that we found when we took a laser scan of the space between the buildings was just how severe those two buildings came in together,” said Pigula. “If we had started setting steel before the scan, only then would we have found out that it would not have fit in between the buildings.”

In creating a laser-scan model, “we cut out what would have been four to six weeks of rework and fabrication time,” said Pigula. “We

16 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

avoided that headache before it became a reality. We successfully got the right lengths of steel in place to build the new structure in that area.”

For steel installation, a Kobelco CK-1600 crawler crane, configured in tower mode, was staged on the south end of the platform from July to September 2017, according to Barton Malow’s Director of Steel Operations Mark Braekevelt, PE, in the February 2018 issue of CAM Magazine. The “tentacles” of the crane’s luffing jib has a 175-foot working radius capable of reaching over the Woodward buildings.

The crawler crane was used to set steel for the new elevator bank in the 1412 replacement building, as well as other significant steel sections. “We also set infill steel and rooftop grillage steel, which supports the Rayl’s Building’s new rooftop mechanical units,” added Braekevelt.

Prior to the new elevator’s installation, Barton Malow repurposed the Rayl’s Building’s vintage service elevator to transport personnel and materials. “We brought an expert on board to activate the elevator,” said Stachowiak. “It was literally the kind of elevator that had to be operated with

a lever and a crank. We used it until the new elevator bank was installed in the 1412 connecting building. Repurposing the old elevator saved the time and cost of constructing and using a buckhoist.”

“Ultimately, we demolished the old elevator and in-filled every floor as part of a guest room,” added Stachowiak. A part of Saksy’s Lounge in the Rayl’s Building occupies the former elevator shaft as well.

Interior Connections In the Rayl’s interior, Barton Malow worked down to the beginning of the large floor plates on the fifth level. “Both the fifth floor and the lower-level kitchen in the Rayl’s Building were worked on simultaneously, because the kitchen demanded a significant amount of coordinated work and the space had to be turned over prior to the guest rooms for training purposes,” said Stachowiak.

At the fifth floor, Barton Malow began working north and tackling the task of creating level corridors throughout this cluster of four buildings. Historical buildings often present baffling structural anomalies, and the Rayl’s Building was no exception. The building’s concrete structure did not carry through to the exterior of the north wall. Four horizontal courses of brick, tallying 10 inches in width and vertically stacked along the full height of the building, were discovered in lieu of concrete. “The question became ‘How are we going to tie-in the corridors of the new 1412 Building to this unique piece of engineering?’” said Stachowiak. The answer involved adding a considerable amount of new steel “thread” to stitch together the new corridor openings of the Rayl’s and 1412 Buildings.

Maintaining a continuous flow of open corridors throughout the four buildings was important to the hotel’s functionality and was the reason for building the new connecting structures. The Rayl’s and the Singer Buildings are concrete-framed, while the original 1420 and 1424 buildings were a combination of different construction types.

Code mandated a separation between these different framing materials for fire safety.

“From a code perspective, having different construction types open to one another would have meant installing a lot of doors to separate the structures,” said Rebain.

“Having doors would have eliminated the cohesive feel of the hotel.”

Varied floor elevations still beset this unique blend of buildings. Using the floor elevation of the Rayl’s Building as a benchmark, floor elevations varied by a few inches in some cases and by over three feet in another, according to Stachowiak.

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Barton Malow used custom expansion joint covers to make up the two- to three-inch floor variance in Saksy’s Lounge, an intimate space with cozy seating, art work, a marble fireplace and well-stocked bookshelves that straddles the Rayl’s and the 1412 buildings.

“The covers are actually on a hinge, allowing us to make up any elevation of floor as long as it is code compliant,” said Pigula. Barton Malow worked with the Muskego, Wisconsinbased Inpro Corporation, a leading provider of door and wall protection, sustainable building products, expansion joint systems, and decorative surface products that developed these covers. “They didn’t have these expansion joint covers prior to this project,” said Pigula.

The Singer Building’s floor elevations were an incredible 36 inches to 40 inches below its neighbors. Barton Malow built up the floor with geo-foam and a concrete slab. “We took what looks like heated wires and cut the foam into the necessary shapes,” said Stachowiak.

“We stacked the foam, built stud walls around it, and poured a four-inch slab over the top to create a type of geo-foam floating floor.”

The floating floor “allowed for a creative routing of utilities,” continued Stachowiak.

“Because the interstitial space created by the floating floor aligned with the ceiling cavity of the adjacent structures, utilities were able to be run under the floating floors without any awkward and costly bends in the ductwork and piping.”

Exterior Restoration: High-Technology and Vintage Terra-Cotta The Rayl’s Building is the perfect home for a hotel dedicated to craftsmanship. Red terracotta tiles blanket the exterior façade in fans of palmate leaves. Barton Malow used drone technology to help restore the lovely terracotta face of the Rayl’s Building. A drone, hovering close to this century-old building, was used to assess heat and water infiltration of the terra-cotta exterior. “We were having a couple of water issues early on in the project,” said Pigula. “We used the drone to fly up the face of the building for the purpose of making a heat map of the building exterior.

This process showed us the locations that may have holes in the existing facade.”

Ultimately, the project team replicated only 300 terra-cotta tiles, basically cleaning and tuck-pointing the majority. “The exterior was not in terrible condition, but we did partner with Boston Valley Terra Cotta to replace the cracked, decayed pieces or those at risk of falling,” said Yuhasz.

PULLMAN SST created several different mock-up tiles to help the team select the optimal shade of red for the replicated tiles.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE FRANZEN

Rows of potted plants line the cocktail bar’s backlit wall, and hanging greenery forms a type of living cornice in the Birdy Room conservatory located within the hotel’s Annex Building. The rest of the space features a glass ceiling and walls, offering a grand view of downtown Detroit.

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Replicating Vintage Wood Windows Exterior restoration included the replication of actual wood windows across the entire building. The elegantly arched windows on the seventh floor would have been difficult to replicate in the more typically used aluminum, leaving a mix of wood and aluminum frames. Some windows, having been bricked over for quite some time, were not good candidates for accurate restoration.

“We wanted a consistent look across the entire façade,” said Rebain, “and we wanted each wood window to match the original exactly.”

For the wood type, KDG selected a sustainably grown tree in the mahogany

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“Although hard to detect, there are almost four slightly different variations of red on the exterior tiles,” said Yuhasz. “We had to decide how far we wanted to go in one direction.”

Today, the terra-cotta tiles of the Rayl’s Building are illuminated by both natural light and accent lighting. “The pattern of the terracotta and the shadows cast from the exterior lighting and at sunset look amazing,” said Yuhasz.

The Shinola Hotel is marked by the residential inspiration of its design as shown by this guest room’s fireplace, living room, and dining area. Each of the 56 different guest room configurations offers custom furniture and even custom mattresses made in Michigan.

family called Sapele. “It is a bit more easily sourced than true mahogany,” said Rebain.

“We needed a strong wood like Sapele that is able to resist wind load, because some of these windows are huge. Sapele is a very durable hardwood that can be formed relatively easily and doesn’t warp due to moisture as much as say a pine or other softwood.”

Rebain presented the wood replacement windows to the Detroit Historic District Commission for approval and conducted shop drawing reviews. Widely respected in its field, Blackberry Systems, Kalamazoo, was the selected trade contractor.

With the exception of the building’s original terra-cotta cornice, removed in the modern era, this undertaking preserves one of Detroit’s best examples of Art Nouveau Sullivanesque-style architecture. Louis Henry Sullivan is regarded as the spiritual father of modern architecture. “The general shape of the building, particularly the tall arched window bays, was part of the Sullivanesquestyle,” said Rebain. “The materiality of the entire façade, being all terra-cotta, was another part of his style.”

The Singer Building’s limestone-clad neoclassical exterior was in good condition.

“We cleaned it and replaced a few limestone pieces,” said Stachowiak. The Shinola Hotel’s

exterior tapestry includes the red brick of the new 1412 Building selected to blend with the alley-side red brick of the Rayl’s Building, and the black brick, granite base and black aluminum storefront of the L-shaped building that replaces the 1420 and 1424 buildings.

A Different Kind of Alley Barton Malow used its high-tech tool belt to create Parker’s Alley, including refurbishing the historic fire escape scaling the alley-side of the Rayl’s Building. Using laser-scanning technology, Barton Malow documented the fire escape’s existing structure, including the placement of every cross brace member.

“Using laser-scanning technology allowed us to make sure that after we took the fire escape apart and refurbished the metal that we would be able to reassemble it true to the fire escape’s historic nature,” said Pigula.

Bumler Mechanical’s rerouting of a central steam port from Parker’s Alley through the Annex Building took the same level of innovation. The port, one of three in Detroit, had to be “briefly cut, reworked and rerouted to billow through the Annex’s chimney,” said Stachowiak. “The vent fans run 24/7/365, so the next step was to ensure that the rooms would not be impacted by the fan noise nor could any of the steam exhaust ‘rain down’ on the active exterior public spaces around “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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the hotel. This required a highly detailed plume dispersion analysis, acoustic engineering, and sound attenuation devices.”

The main five-story section of the contemporary Annex Building was the last structure built. The site was at peak congestion and just-intime material delivery became even more necessary. Barton Malow brought in the last of the cranes – a 22-ton boom truck crane – to complete work on the Annex’s singlestory section now housing the Brakeman Beer Garden.

Unveiling a Gem After two years of construction, the Shinola Hotel was unveiled to Detroit and to the world. Craft and artistry flourish throughout the Shinola Hotel. In the 1420/1424 building, the light-wood ceiling trusses and custom millwork counters in the hotel’s downtown Shinola store are in sync with the craftsmanship of the Shinola products on display. In the Annex Building, Russell Plastering Co. replicated the leafy tile pattern on the Rayl’s exterior in Venetian plaster. The sumptuous plaster work adorns the ceiling of Bixby Hall, one of the hotel’s largest event spaces. To bring the craftsmanship of Old Detroit into this contemporary space, “Russell Plastering made molds out of the terra-cotta tiles and actually built a panel system,” said Yuhasz.

The Shinola Hotel’s blend of craftsmanship and a concierge mentality begins at the front door. In the reception area, Detroit artist Margo Wolowiecz’s hand-woven fabric wall covering welcomes the visitor. Thread by thread the commissioned fabric mural subtly recreates Detroit places and events. Guest keys are in illuminated millwork cubbies behind a staffed front desk made of walnut.

“We thought about the guest experience as comparable to an European-inspired hotel where guests are encouraged to engage with the team and leave the key as they come and go from the hotel,” said Leber.

What could be called concierge lighting illuminates the private dining room next to San Morello. “The room has adjustable custom light fixtures,” said Leber. “Guests can pull the fixtures up tight to the ceiling for a standing reception or bring them down to a Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

lower level and set individual tables underneath them. We didn’t want to have guests forced to use the space and table settings based on the position of the light fixtures. ” At the Shinola Hotel, the entire city is a guest. In the lobby, dubbed Detroit’s Living Room, the focal point is artist Nick Cave’s large boldly colored multimedia collage dotted with sequins drawing the eye to its color and glow. One of the hotel’s 11 fireplaces adds its own glow to the space.

Because it is a wood-burning fireplace, Bumler Mechanical worked in overdrive to route a flue nine stories around the jogs in the historic structure until reaching the roof. “It was challenging,” said Yuhasz, “but it is cozy on a cold December night to have a fire roaring in this space.”

The ornate metal balusters of the Living Room’s staircase lead directly to Saksy’s Lounge, an intimate space at the confluence of Detroit’s past and present. As a historical artifact, a hand-painted wall sign advertises the wares of Meyer Jewelry Store, a past retail tenant of this 114-year-old building. It may have been a paint chip from such a sign

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that inspired the Shinola blue color. “A blue paint chip was uncovered during initial demolition,” said Leber. “It was used by GACHOT to inspire the Shinola blue seen throughout the interior.”

In the guest rooms, Shinola blue is the color of the window trim and of a stripe in the Alpaca blanket. The color is used to full effect in the leather chairs of the Foundry Room, a well-appointed space for business meetings and creative brainstorming sessions.

For guests, the public and diverse groups, ranging from wedding parties to business meetings, the Shinola Hotel offers a comfortable place to relax, dine and gather in celebration of both personal events and the resurrection of a once almost vacant downtown.

For those who have witnessed almost 50 years of disinvestment in Detroit, the city’s now animated and bustling downtown seems like a mirage. But the shine is very real, and the new Shinola Hotel, and those dedicated to its making, have played a strong role in polishing not only Detroit’s image but its reality.

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Wayne State’s Business School Takes on New Life as the Mike Ilitch School of Business

By Marilyn

S. Jones-Wilson

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAMES EWING PHOTOGRAPHY

The student spaces of the Mike Ilitch School of Business face Woodward Avenue beside Little Caesars Arena. The move from Wayne State’s midtown main campus to downtown has raised the school’s profile and contributed to significant growth in enrollment.

rom two cramped, outdated buildings, the business school at Wayne State University has been rejuvenated in the form of the Mike Ilitch School of Business, a sleek glass and limestone gem on Woodward Avenue, a few blocks north of downtown Detroit.

The new building, complete with smart technology and a dramatic rooftop canopy, solidifies the school’s connections with local businesses, sport teams and the community at large. Drawing on its stylish looks, the school attracts more than attention – current and prospective students have found a home for success.

Made possible by a grant from the Mike Ilitch family, the new 125,000-square-foot business school took shape on three parcels at Temple Street and Woodward Avenue, beside Little Caesars Arena. The school’s enrollment has surged to over 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, who now enjoy a bright, innovative study environment with four floors, a two-story glass atrium, and a variety of flexible, accessible classroom options. “We’ve grown 150 percent,” said Steve Townsend, director of marketing and communications for the Mike Ilitch School of Business. “We’re the fastest-growing part-time graduate business program in Michigan, and one of the fastest-growing in the country.”

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Need for a Change Change was a necessity, not a luxury, for the previous incarnation of Wayne State’s business school, established in 1946.

Previously, the college was housed in two different buildings on campus, the 1964 Prentis Building and the 1914 Williams C. Rands House. “When they moved us into Prentis in 1964, it was supposed to be our temporary home,” Townsend said. “We were there for some 50 years.” Together Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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their total square footage was very cramped – under 100,000 square feet.

The Prentis classrooms were in the basement, while the Rands House was added as the administrative and career planning annex in 1991. Both buildings had issues with temperature control.

Townsend said his office averaged 85 degrees in the summer. “In the summer we would die,” said Linda Zaddach, assistant dean for student services and director of the Frederick Student Success Center. As for the winter, she added, “I didn’t have heat in my office. Every year I froze.”

“It’s nice to finally have a permanent home,” Townsend said. “It was important to our dean and our president that this building not be an Ivory Tower, that it actually engage with Woodward Avenue and the city. All of the student spaces face Woodward, so it’s very much like a window onto downtown.” The U-shaped building combines the elegant permanence of limestone with large expanses of glass that maximize both light and connection with the street. While classrooms and public areas are oriented outward, faculty offices and private spaces face a courtyard.

“My expectation was that our new home would provide an educational anchor institution in the heart of the business community, and bridge the gap between downtown and Wayne State’s midtown campus,” said Bob Forsythe, dean of the Mike Ilitch School. The architectural design group at SmithGroup kept Detroit’s revitalization in mind while envisioning a beacon – using transparency by day and strategic lighting at night – that would link the university’s commitment to the city and its industry, local sports teams and community.

Tight Timeframes From design work early in 2016 and the start of construction in November of that year, the timeline of the $59 million building was about 16 months, with the school moving in June 2018 to get ready

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for the fall term. The Christman Company, working jointly with L.S. Brinker, found the greatest initial challenge to be the large number of construction projects in the area, including 10 months of overlapping work on the arena next door. “There was a lot of construction surrounding our site,” said Jennifer Emerick, senior project manager for Christman/Brinker. “We had a big neighbor next door, and a parking structure being built down the road.

Honestly, it worked out. We met all the players, we were able to share site access when we needed to, and it just worked really well.”

Competition for labor meant prequalifying subcontractors, and early bidding out of the larger steel members helped the team stay ahead of the tight schedule. “We worked directly with SmithGroup’s structural engineer to order some of the mill steel even before we got shop drawings,” Emerick said.

The site itself was largely clear, except for some typical city detritus from old developments. “We ran into some old concrete and brick footings while doing some of the shallow foundations,” Emerick said. Luckily, there was nothing too surprising. “We call that Detroit topsoil.”

Pouring concrete during the rough winter of 2016-17 meant more preplanning. “It was not a typical winter,” Emerick said. “None of our winters are typical anymore, but we went from freezing cold to a rainy February. Frozen ground, then mud, so that was a bit of a challenge, but our team stuck with it. We did pre-plan a vapor lock additive into the concrete slabs because we knew we wouldn’t have a lot of time,” she said.

“That allowed us to install flooring as soon as we were ready.”

Another challenge was dealing with the additional traffic related to events in the area. “There were people parked everywhere, and we had a lot of pedestrians and bumper-to-bumper traffic,” she said. “We knew the local event schedules, so we would make sure CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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that deliveries came early that day and that there were no deliveries during the busy times.”

The combination of planning ahead and strong teamwork won out. “The people we had on site did a really good job,” Emerick said. “Between the construction crew and our trade contractors, they were great. I am proud of the team,” she said. “As construction managers, The Christman Company and Brinker, we came together as a joint venture, and our team on site was amazing with our SmithGroup partners and Wayne State’s facilities planning and management. SmithGroup was right down the road, so if we had an issue on site, we could just pick up a phone,” she said. “For communication, that was a good thing.”

The two-story atrium provides a flexible setting for both school and community events.

Classrooms beside the atrium have garage-like door walls that lift to expand the available space.

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Intricate Design Given its prominent site on Woodward Avenue, SmithGroup designed the college as a showplace, a dramatic locus for drawing prospective students as well as engaging the community. “It was an exciting opportunity to create a design that is hopefully long-lasting on such an important face of Detroit,” said Luigi Coletta, project architect from SmithGroup. “It was a little unnerving because, with the legacy of the school, it’s going to be talked about and looked at for a long time. There were a lot of conversations about various aesthetic solutions,” he said, “and what else we could do that would fit being on such a strong and important face.”

The use of stone on the exterior and especially as part of the cantilevered rooftop canopy brings contrast to the glass curtain walls. “The materials are really simple, fitting with the fabric of the city,” Coletta said. “We happened to use limestone, which is present in the city.

There’s also granite in the base. The stone brings elegance and a timeless aspect to the building. We couldn’t forget that this needed to be an example of the future, so there’s a contemporary aspect with glass and metal.”

With the 3-inch limestone façade, the structural steel had to be substantial enough to support it, with some members up to 50 feet long and tied together at multiple irregular angles. The concealed support allows the limestone panels to “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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rise up, extend over the terrace and toward the street, appearing to float. The intricate design required precise construction to accomplish. “Up on the terrace there are a lot of different angles that come together,” Emerick said. “It was a bit more challenging just because it isn’t like a simple put-together type of building.

The façade is very intricate, so it took a bit more coordination.”

At the front of the building is a unitized curtain wall system fabricated by Erie and installed by Universal Glass. “It takes a little bit more time up front just going through the shop drawing,” Emerick said.

“They basically make the glass panels glazed into the frames, premade in their shop. They literally just hang it onto the building and clip it. It was not long after they started along Woodward that they had that whole side in.” “This application was 4-sided glazing,” Coletta said. “We immediately looked at unitized because it’s very important to get the sealant perfect. Having all the panels made in the shop provides superior quality since everything is done in a controlled environment and just needs to be locked in place on site.”

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canopy is lit in a way to suggest the classroom block itself is the light source. The limestone overhang is illuminated by high-performance optic LEDs concealed within the terrace curtain wall mullions. Day or night, the building has been designed to be photographable from every angle. Even the roof has clean lines, photo-ready for occasional aerial pictures during a game or concert at the nearby arena.

“We’ve tried to not have any equipment on the roof itself,” Coletta said. “It’s quite clean. We knew because of the arena there could be helicopter shots or the blimp.” LEED Silver certification was awarded based on more than 40 percent of the building’s materials cost made up of sustainable sourced materials, as well for materials chosen

An Urban Beacon The building’s U-shape optimizes the distribution of light and heat during the day, avoiding the harshest effects of solar penetration, and creating its own shade to minimize glare. The amount of glass was reduced on the west side, where the heat would be strongest, and replaced with smaller windows. By concentrating classrooms on the eastern and northern sides, the large glass panels allow soft light during the late morning and early evening. At sundown, a sophisticated control system automatically raises motorized shades to reveal uniformly illuminated classrooms along Woodward Avenue. Finely tuned interior and exterior building lighting work in tandem to craft the nighttime building presence.

“Light transforms the glass classroom block into a glowing beacon of student activity within the urban environment,” said Patrick MacBride, lighting designer with SmithGroup. “If you come by at night, the building lights up like a candle through the week when we have our evening classes,” Townsend said. The stone Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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for low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a substantial storm water retention system, low-flow fixtures, efficient HVAC, and a green roof.

Maxing Out for the Future From the beginning, SmithGroup involved faculty and staff of the college, along with students and the community, to help steer the vision of the building. By asking questions about how students learn and how teachers teach, the architects designed the interiors to be functional, flexible and collaborative, while creating a simple, modern aesthetic. “We had a lot input from faculty as well as students.

They were in the room with us, throughout the planning process,” Coletta said. “They were very open to flexible setting. There was a lot of discussion: Do I stay up front and present? Do I stay in the middle? Do I stand or sit? “There was a lot of openness and dialogue about providing a good environment, not only for the classrooms but also for breakout sessions

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outside of the classroom. There are a lot of spaces where students can go and have small group meetings, and places to wait between classes,” he said.

The interior spaces reflect the different ways that people learn and interact.

“There are two types of classrooms,” Zaddach said. “There are flex rooms where tables and chairs can be moved so students can work in teams. There are also tiered classrooms. “The classrooms are totally different from the traditional classrooms you see on the main campus.

The tiered classrooms make it easier for the students to see everything. Also, the technology that we have throughout the building is phenomenal,” she said.

“For instance, if a faculty member is lecturing, they can see their slides right in front of them as you would in a large auditorium,” Zaddach said. Faculty can stay engaged with the class instead of constantly turning around and checking the screen. Multiple screens can be lowered for presentations, and tech

support is available with a touch of a button.

“The students love the work spaces within the classrooms, said Mary Zinser, assistant director of the Hessler Student Success Center. “Unlike the flip desks that are really small, they actually have enough space to get their laptop and their notes out.”

With a variety of hang-out places for quieter study, cubbies and breakout rooms, students can plug in a laptop or phone to stay connected, or meet with a partner to work on team projects. Instead of whiteboards, classrooms have writable glass boards. “You can write on them with anything, and they’re stationed throughout the classrooms,” Coletta said.

“They didn’t do anything small. They really built for the future, saying let’s max out, 24 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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Inviting cubbies for studying, meeting or charging a laptop give students plenty of downtime options. Flexibility has been designed into classrooms and common areas to anticipate every need from privacy to collaboration.

let’s do the top tier now,” Zinser said.

Besides general classrooms, there is an elegant board room with a view of downtown, a technology room and a financial trading and data analytics room, complete with stock ticker. Some rooms have striking wood panel accents that have an acoustic function as well, but most of the interior décor is neutral, with accents in Wayne State’s colors, gold and green. “By having somewhat of a monochromatic aspect of the material, we could emphasize the activity happening inside, both day and night,” Coletta said.

Bright Inspirations Notable exceptions to the minimal color palette are the four vibrant murals in the otherwise white stairwells. “When the drywall started going up, the dean said, ‘Wow, we really need to take better advantage of these big beautiful white stairwells,’” Townsend said.

“We worked with a local art vendor 1xRUN (pronounced One Time Run) and local artists to do individual murals in some of our stairwells.”

Dean Forsythe partially funded the murals, which feature Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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The dramatic cantilevered roof canopy offers stunning views of the Detroit skyline. Precision planning ensured the flawless installation of hidden supports for the 3-inch limestone facing.

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inspirational subjects in the style of street art. “We gave them the themes – Detroit, education,” Townsend said. “They came up with some pretty awesome work.” With the help of 1xRUN chief operating officer Roula Davis, Wayne State selected artists Ndubisi Okoye, Zak Meers, Tylonn J. Sawyer and Freddy Diaz, along with sign painter Kelly Golden, who added “Warriors Mean Business” and the key words from the university’s seal, “Industry,” “Intelligence” and “Integrity.”

The results are dazzling bursts of color, whimsy and motivation in what could have been forgotten corners. The murals are one example of community involvement that distinguishes the school’s new location.

Part of the challenge of moving students away from the central university campus – away from their other classes and conveniences of everything in one place – has more than been offset by the injection of enthusiasm from Detroit business and the community at large. “On the positive side, the space is phenomenal,” said Zaddach. “The students love the fact that they’re in a state-of-the-art facility and that they have more opportunities as far as internships and full-time jobs.” Students now must arrange their schedules to include transportation time between the school and the main campus. A shuttle and convenient access to parking have eased some of the adjustment. Another issue – not enough access to hot coffee – will be mitigated when a vendor moves into the school’s first-floor retail space this fall.

But where the old placement offices were in the Rands House, now career placement services are conveniently located on the school’s second floor. “We have interview rooms and a corporate mentor program,” Zinser said. “Recruiters can come to our campus and interview our students. It works very well with our career fair.” Overall, the new building is drawing the attention of recruiters, not only from nearby businesses but also by the sports teams who may be looking for management talent. The influx of highschool and college athletes who want a business degree to supplement their athletic prospects has made Wayne State and the Ilitch School a magnet for talent.

“The athletics department always wants “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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to bring new recruits here because this building inspires them,” Zaddach said.

“As far as athletes or new students, if we can get them in here, this place really seals the deal.” “Our student athletes know their chances of going pro,” Zinser said. “They’re here for the education, but they perform well on and off the field.”

“The number of academic allconference performers for the business school has just been amazing,” Townsend said. “In conjunction with the move, we launched new academic programs. One is entrepreneurship and innovation, and the other one is sport and entertainment management.

“We’re the only business school in the country that is within walking distance to four major professional sport teams, not to mention thousands of live theatre seats for the entertainment side,” he said. “We had the existing partnership with the Tigers and Red Wings through the Ilitch/Olympic organization, and we now have the Pistons and the Lions as neighbors. Our faculty and students are able to go out and get internships, partnerships, and guest speakers from those organizations.”

Showplace Spaces The public and shareable spaces – the two-story atrium and auditorium – were designed with the same stylish flexibility as the classrooms and offices. Used for career fairs, commencement celebrations, and get-to-know-you events, the atrium can be enlarged by opening up the glass walls to adjacent first-floor classrooms.

“We can actually lift these walls up,” Zinser said. “We call them sky walls.

These rooms have a divider that comes out too. We can move all the furniture where we need it.”

Before a recent commencement at the Fox Theatre, the school hosted a celebration with the dean and students, with plenty of room for selfie stations and refreshments. “We’ve never been able to do that before,” Zinser said. The 250-seat Lear Auditorium has a tiered well that is dark enough for presentations even without lowering the programmable blinds. The use of glass, dynamic lighting and pleasing acoustics makes the room a popular candidate, like the atrium, for leasing out to the community.

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The sunken Lear Auditorium has proven an attractive venue for university-wide events as well as the local business community. The room features a vehicle lift that can accommodate a full-sized SUV.

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A surprising feature to the auditorium is the ability to open it up and bring in, for example, an automobile. “There’s a space outside and a ramp that comes down and rolls onto the stage,” Coletta said. “We designed it for the size of very large vehicle.”

“Our building is being considered as one of the sites for the new auto show format. To be able to do that provides great flexibility for future opportunities,” Zaddach said.

Making Connections The back-and-forth interaction with the community raises the profile of the school and the university and in turn the students. “We’ve become such a huge attraction when we

Specializing in the consulting, design and installation of architectural sheet metal work

do our student days or open houses,” Zinser said. “Alumni want to come here and host their events in our board room.

Business leaders come here to have their meetings. That has helped us get additional internships and jobs for our students,” she said. “That’s why we’re here, to educate our students and make certain they get good jobs afterwards. I’m proud to be part of that.”

Building relationships with the community continues to enrich students.

A recent partnership with the City of Detroit supports Detroit Police Department officers earning their MBAs. “We are definitely eager to partner with somebody if they make some sort of student experience available,” Zinser said, “like inviting a table of students to an event for free. Or we’ll have our student ambassadors volunteer as docents and welcoming committee for some of these events.”

“The fact that students are going through their learning experience in downtown gives great visibility to the development that’s happening here, and creates a great connection between future entrepreneurs and those who are currently remaking Detroit,” Coletta said. “I can’t wait for 10 or 15 years down the road when those who received their education here are involved in making Detroit even better and stronger,” he said. Dean Forsythe agrees. “Our prominent location allows us to be much more connected to Detroit’s burgeoning central business district, and reinforces strong partnerships with nearby corporations.”

As part of an area that developers are calling “The District Detroit,” the Mike Ilitch School of Business is strategically situated in the heart of new investments in the city linking neighborhoods such as Midtown, Corktown and Brush Park. The future looks bright.

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The

Legacy

Makes Its Mark in the Heart of Bay City By

Lisa Briggs

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“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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Photos courtesy of Jenifer AcostA DeveloPment

hree months before the reconstruction of Bay City’s The Legacy was completed, developer Jen Acosta in partnership with Rod Hildebrant already had 13 of the 26 high-end, luxury apartments leased to enthusiastic tenants. Acosta is CEO of Jenifer Acosta Development and a native of the charming town situated at the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. Today, there’s a waiting list to live in the former department store, originally built in 1891. Long past the days of horses and carriages in the hub and heart of Bay City’s business district, the 128-year-old building still stands, but is now a coveted $12 million luxury mixed-use complex.

The building’s first-floor transformation includes office space and features a farm-to-table restaurant called MiTable. Floors two through five are now home to businessmen, students, artists, parents, lawyers and entrepreneurs. Meki Bracken, a resident on the fifth floor, is glad that Acosta transformed the historic building into living space. “When my husband and I viewed The Legacy in December 2018, I was six months pregnant,” said Bracken, who grew up in a 100year-old home and appreciates historic buildings. “We love historic buildings,” she said, adding their first home as newlyweds was built in 1850 in the United Kingdom. “We were happy to find downtown Bay City with its charming older buildings, and The Legacy was exactly what we wanted – with its craftsmanship, high ceilings, larger windows and detailed trim work.”

The couple, now parents of twins, also enjoys living at The Legacy because of its accessibility to the downtown lifestyle. “Living at The Legacy gives us the aesthetic we like with the walk-ability we’re both accustomed to,” said Bracken. “We love walking to dinner or coffee or taking the babies for walks along the river.”

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The Historic Building on the “Four Corners” In January 2016, Acosta was evaluating whether or not the building had redevelopment potential. There was talk of turning it into a drive-through bank branch or tearing it down. The historic five-story structure sits on prime real estate – it is smack dab in the center of town on “the four corners” as the locals refer to it. The century-old, prominent structure went through architectural transformations through the decades, and its last makeover in the 1960s left it covered in a rugged, white-panel, metal façade. This style of architecture is defined as brutalism – from the French words Betŕon Brut and originated in Western Europe.

For almost 60 years, an elegant building was hidden from view.

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The Legacy went through architectural transformations through the decades, and its last makeover in the 1960s left it covered in a rugged, white-panel, metal façade. For almost 60 years, an elegant building was hidden from view.

“He’s always my favorite sounding board and business partner,” she said.

“When things arise he reminds me to trust my gut and stand my ground.”

Acosta handles herself much like the man she admires.

“I love watching how he handles situations in meetings,” she said.

“The way he sits back and listens, watches the vibe and flow around the table. He makes building a collaborative team a priority.” His daughter Originally, the historic building was Romanesque-revival style. It first served as a department store and office space for architects, businessmen and attorneys of the day. In fact, a list of names written in black paint from more than 100 years ago is still on the basement brick wall, giving evidence to its authentic, historic inheritance. The people on that wall – Joseph Evans, Sam Goodman, Joe Seneca and Tom Moore – are long gone from this earth, but a century later, the building, about to be bulldozed, caught the attention of Acosta, whose development company was barely a year old.

“It blew me away,” said Acosta, who left her Bay City roots at age 18 to live life, get an education, and marry. She later returned to her hometown to build her brand. While away, she earned a graduate degree in Development from New York University, and before that she studied and earned a master’s degree at the University of Miami, where she also got her feet wet in the real estate industry. In fact, Acosta was working with her father on the $8 million Times Loft renovation, also in Bay City, when the old, empty building came across her radar. “Happenstance is usually how I say it,” said Acosta.

But having Rod Hildebrant as her father, mentor and business partner isn’t happenstance.

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does the same.

The structure she rode her bike by dozens of times as a kid would take on new meaning for Acosta. Growing up in Bay City as the daughter of parents who owned buildings and were business owners in the downtown district, it seems meant to be that Acosta would follow in their footsteps. However, she elevates her role by owning and transforming – and falling in love with them.

A Sucker for that Historic Value “It has this amazing architecture. I’m a sucker for that historic value and the character of a building,” she said. “I loved the character of this one. I saw the potential in the upper floors right away. The uppers had wood work that really drew me in. It reminded me of my mother’s parents – my grandfather was a Mason and my grandmother was an Eastern Star – so I grew up seeing the value in all of that Masonic craftsmanship such as the hand-carved staircase. Those details that we made certain remain – the rosettes and trim work, they’re just so beautiful.”

She said the whole project came about by chance. “At the time, Chemical Bank had just moved their headquarters to their new location,”

said Acosta, “which left this building vacant. I was in meetings about acquired historic tax credits when we quickly wound up talking about this vacant building sitting in the famous fourcorner location in downtown Bay City. We were already making investments into this city and here was a 53,358-square-foot historic, vacant building. The question, obviously became, what are the intentions for this building?”

Less than three years later, in 2018, she would be known for her labor and diligent perseverance on Bay City’s infamous building that some thought to be a passé eyesore, while others thought it iconic with its 1960s metal “cheese grater” façade. “The cheese grater building is my claim to fame,” she laughs. “Never would I have ever thought that perception would be part of my story or my career, right? But it is what it is.”

According to Acosta, there were two major renovations in the historic building. “There was a 1920 renovation and another one in the 1960s,” she said. “It was in the 1960s when the midcentury, modern façade went up, and it literally changed the whole structure of the building.”

So, instead of demolishing the archaic building, Acosta and Hildebrant decided to invest in it, repurpose and renovate it. “I lovingly call these projects my historic headaches,” she said. “Every single one is different. It’s an adaptive re-use of an existing building – you can’t replicate it. You take the tools that you learned from working on previous buildings and you let it become impactful in a new way.”

Wayne Hofmann was glad that his company, Spence Brothers, Saginaw, served as the construction manager on the two-year renovation project. “Keeping that downtown Bay City building from getting demolished really meant a lot to this community,” said Hofmann, who serves as Project Development Lead for the company.

“There was talk of demolishing it. So, it was really beneficial for everyone to see what actually was behind that building once it was uncovered.”

A Hand-Picked Project Team Acosta, experienced in historic preservation and re-adaptive building-use projects, hand-picked her team to convert The Legacy. “I have to build my team for every single project,” she said, and “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

admits how the players interact is critical. “Things can be quite brutal if there isn’t teamwork and collaboration. Historic buildings have a mind of their own and throw challenges your way.”

Preservation projects need expertise of a particular caliber, she explains. That’s why for layout and design, she teamed with Quinn Evans Architects, Detroit, and counted on engineering consultants MacMillan Associates, Bay City, to help in the area of mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Desai Nasr Consulting Engineers, Inc., Bloomfield Township, handled the structural work, metal bracing and column reinforcement on the project.

Lis Knibbe, Principal in Charge at Quinn Evans Architects, has been restoring and transforming historic buildings her entire career – since the 1970s. The Legacy project was one that proved meaningful and herculean at the same time. “We were taking an exceptionally elaborate, turn-ofthe-century bank building, which had a lot of heavy stone work removed and then a midcentury enclosure was wrapped around the entire building for the past four decades … there was a total change from the original structure,” said Knibbe. “Jen brought us in because she was interested in taking the building back to its original state.”

A Labor of Love for Acosta “It was neat to see people looking up to notice the building – once the ‘cheese grater’ façade came off,” said Hofmann. “There was this air of anticipation because for months the whole city block was barricaded off for safety and for the layers to be removed. Everyone was wondering what was happening behind that box-like barrier.

It had been several generations since anyone knew what it looked like underneath.”

Besides removing layers of metal and concrete, there were layers of paperwork to slay.

“The building and construction was so grueling and so difficult,” said Acosta. “It truly was a labor of love. Yes, it was beyond excruciating to get everything turned into the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office on time, and then waiting for approval and instructions from Washington, D.C., but we did it.”

Some of the exhausting work Acosta did behind the scenes didn’t involve a hammer or nails. “If you do a $12 million renovation like this in Chicago, it appraises for $12 or maybe $14 million,” she said. “If you do one in Detroit, it’s probably $8 to $10 million, but we’re in Bay City, so it’s appraising for $5 million. We had to come up with the other $7 million of equity and gap financing because the bank will only loan up to the value, not the cost of the project.”

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A mid-century metal enclosure was wrapped around what was built as an elaborate, turn-ofthe-century bank building. It had been several generations since anyone in Bay City knew what the building looked like underneath.

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Acosta had 90 days to get all the financing together. There would be intricate factors to consider when transforming an office space to residential use. “It was a brutal summer,” she said. “The first day I signed the purchase option, I already had part one of the historic tax credit application ready to submit.”

Months beforehand she was working on the photographs of the century-old building that were required to be sent with the application.

She walked up and down four flights of stairs, swept away dead pigeon bones as she tried to capture images of what was underneath the 1960s façade to prove how much of the original architecture was worthy of restoration in hopes the Washington D.C. Historic Preservation approving committee would grant her permission to move forward with her renovation project – and be able to remove all the panels. She received word from the Preservation Office that she would not need to save the panels. “Let’s pull the permit,” she said. “Let’s go. Taking down the façade went viral. People were blown away at the building we uncovered under those panels. I had preservationists calling me from Kansas and all over the country because they were so taken aback and in awe. It was all anyone could talk about locally for a solid month.”

Once the façade was removed, the renovation work took off and Acosta learned more about the timeworn building. The base of the building now has a glass fiber concrete with glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels that hang on Z-clips. “During the renovation, the structure was built up,” said Acosta. “It was specifically designed for this building, and it was made to match the exterior of the uppers and to compliment what was left of the sandstone material at the base.” She praises Quinn Evans Architects for utilizing a lot of the historic photos of the building to match it in design. The specialty pieces of glass fiber concrete were shipped from Texas.

Bracing work was needed to ensure the structural part of the building was secure. The first floor façade removal was replaced with glazing and decorative tile. These features were switched with prefabricated GFRC panels, rusticated arches, pilaster bases and cornices. Much like a puzzle, the team individually installed hundreds of pieces over the generic masonry at the top of the first floor not deemed historic.

The masonry restoration was handled by Grunwell-Cashero, Detroit, a company that knows how to execute the latest practices in historic preservation. They provided precision re-pointing, removed soil marks from the remaining brick and stone and applied a protective sealant.

Getting a good brick match was definitely a challenge,” said Tony Sabo, Senior Vice President of Grunwell-Cashero. “The original red sandstone came from a quarry near Lake Superior, so it made it difficult to get a match. It’s a very specific color red – and that sandstone is very unique.

After some research, we found a supplier in Utah that was able to fabricate it for us.”

Sabo explained that the project also required extensive consolidation work with Prosoco, which is a commercial masonry cleaning solvent. “We did some test samples on the stone,” Sabo said, “Since the material was so old, there was a significant amount of weathering of the stone which causes it to soften.” To strengthen the surface, Sabo said the Prosoco was ideal to penetrate the stone and solidify the surface. “This process will extend the life of the stone and preserve the exterior aesthetics.”

The completion of the exterior work of the building gave Acosta a chance to remove her construction hat and don her creative cap for creating a make-over for the interior – the apartment spaces. “There were more than five different kinds of flooring and carpet in some of the upper areas to be gutted,” said Acosta, “It was like demo, demo, demo. We filled

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“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

up so many dumpsters as we were trying to get to the bare bones and see what we really had left to work with.” What was left enflamed Acosta’s love for historic buildings.

Acosta’s voice goes up an octave when she talks about the elevator. “The Legacy has the original 42nd elevator built in Michigan,” she said.

Schindler Elevator, a Swiss company, modernized the elevator for better weight capacity and speed. “We upgraded the elevator for residents. A whole new elevator addition was installed in the loading dock area. We also try to coordinate the move-in and move-out days separately so we don’t have multiple movers using the elevator.”

Creating a Lasting Legacy Her vision to retain the past inside the luxury apartments is part of her intuitive ability to provide a lasting legacy – to The Legacy. Unique touches are important to the interior shared space. “We catalogued all of the historic doors that were left in the building. Quinn Evans Architects measured the height and swing of the doors so we could keep the original feel of the corridor,” she said. “But to keep up with the current building code, we needed fireproof walls, so the old doors are just a façade with drywall behind them.” One of the tenants, a descendant of one of the 1890 attorneys who had an office in the original building, received the heirloom door bearing the name of Baker Law Firm. Acosta also recruited a local artist to hand paint apartment numbers on glass squares. “Small details like having a local artist paint the unit numbers seems to better align with the hallway motif, rather than metal brass plates. We wanted a more personal touch,” she said.

Keeping the original, antique copper fixtures, which were buried under a drop-ceiling, became personal for Acosta. She stored them in her own garage until it was time to install them. “They had to be boiled down to get the soot and grit off,” she recalled. “All 11 of them, with their different globes, were salvaged and now proudly hang in the building once again.” Acosta’s goal in preserving as much of the past as she could, and providing distinctive details, is what residents like Bracken notice. “We love that The Legacy maintained doors and door signs from its prior use as an early-century office building. We appreciate the historical factors, but we also like the updated interiors,” said Bracken.

Acosta’s appreciation for the trades of yesterday help her determine choices for today’s project. “I’m a really, really big fan of tiles, and I pay attention to the mortar joints,” she said. Her

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Developer Jen Acosta is a native of Bay City. As the daughter of parents who owned buildings and were business owners in the downtown district, it seems meant to be that she would follow in their footsteps. However, she elevates her role by owning and transforming – and falling in love with them.

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Acosta’s feels that unique touches are important to the interior shared space. Many of the original, antique copper fixtures were reinstalled, and the historic doors in the building were repurposed to keep the original feel of the corridor.

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attention to masonry and mortar joints – the space between bricks or concrete glass that are filled with grout or mortar – is part of Acosta’s talent in transforming the old to the new. “I was really impressed with how thin the grout lines were – they were like 1/32”. I’m the kind of developer sitting in the schematic design phase asking if I can have a 1/16”-grout line, because it’s not the way things are done anymore, right?

The tile guys today are like, ‘you can just buy it in mats.’ We end up sort of compromising on these things and I realize again the value of craftsmanship and how it means so much.”

Some suites have the original oak trim work that was never painted. In other parts of the building the trim work was painted. “Wherever it was original, we left it original,” said Acosta. “It was the way it all shook out. The apartments all have this historic element because we kept as much of the original as we could. We even kept the tin ceilings.”

Acosta knew the significance in appeal to tenants would be in the finishes. “It was really important when we did the finishes to pick things that went with both the wood’s natural grain and to choose neutral shades and colors. We came up with a palette. The apartments have painted gray trim with white walls – very pre-World War II and yet New York style.” In addition, skylights, contemporary designer lighting, stainless-steel appliances and marble countertops enhance and modernize the space for the benefit of the tenants. “It give tenants a clean canvas to make it their own space.”

Residents living on the second through fifth floors are reminded of the past in a visual way.

Acosta enlarged and framed iconic, black-andwhite pictures from the past – complete with storefronts, railroad tracks, horses and buggies.

They hang inside the hallways of the elite residential apartment complex.

The public can visit the main floor, which offers the chance to be a part of history in a new way.

The old bank building’s first-floor bank vaults were not demolished. They were converted into cozy wine and craft beer tasting rooms – all inside MITable, an eatery that offers guests a unique viewing and dining experience inside the historic building.

Amberlyn Hales, the culinary owner of MITable was seeking a site to build her vision featuring Michigan produce, fish, game, and agriculture.

She immediately fell in love with The Legacy. “I walked into The Legacy and was blown away by the character, beauty and history of it,” said Hales, who is excited to offer guests something “new” in Acosta’s renovated historic Legacy

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building. “The space is so unique with its wrapping-style mezzanine and beautiful railing,” she said. “I love the 20-foot ceilings with windows all the way to the top – there is so much light. I couldn’t have found a more fitting place to build my dream.”

Giving Back to Her Hometown Acosta made her own dreams – and those for others – possible. She did it in the most memorable way. She “uncovered the cheese grater building,” revitalized and gave back a historic building to her hometown, and took a bit of history with her in her heart. When the process began, people wondered what the intentions were for the empty, aging and vacant building.

The better question might have been, “What is the building’s intentions for Acosta?” And now she knows – legacy, satisfaction, and a sense of pride.

The development came up at the Michigan Historic Preservation Conference in Holland. After attending the conference, Wayne Hofmann of Spence Brothers commented, “It was really awesome to hear The Legacy being showcased and talked about so highly. They were so impressed with the project and were using it as their spotlight presentation.” The legacy – behind The Legacy – might now be known for its human element as much as its construction element.

“Jen is like a breath of fresh air for Bay City,” said Hofman, who admires her ability to take on tough and challenging historic preservation projects. “It’s not always like that when you’re working with developers. Her whole group has been great for Bay City – in the sense that she’s able to think about long-term investments, not just short-term thinking. The long-term investments are what Spence Brothers likes to be connected to because ultimately we’re investing in the community.”

Lis Knibbe at Quinn Evans Architects agrees and admires Acosta’s grit. “What needed to be done was quite dramatic,” she said. “Acosta’s fortitude and willingness to take on this challenging project was quite astounding. She had to put together the right team to do it. It definitely was not easy, but she did it.”

What matters most to Acosta, “Bay City’s Historic Preservation daughter,” is being the daughter of Rod Hildebrant. “One day I hope to be even half as incredible and accomplished as my father. He’s earned every bit of his success.

I’ll always be his biggest fan.”

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Why you should choose REASON ONE

Safety Record NADC is dedicated to providing the safest workplace environment as possible. This means providing our personnel with the right training, equipment and support to make sure that safety is paramount on all of our work sites. This is accomplished by: • • • •

Paying careful attention to every detail of our daily operations Making each day as safe as the last.

Every individual in our organization is committed to safety.

Satisfaction that comes from the con dence that our work is being done well and safely.

• Having one of the industries lowest EMRs

REASON TWO

Sustainable Demolition NADC’s approach to sustainable demolition includes a greater emphasis on how waste management and recycling can be achieved by best practice implementation of approaches for Materials Resource E ciency (MRE) associated with demolition activities and with a decision making framework which promotes: • • • •

Building reuse Deconstruction Product reclamation and reuse Recycling

Our protocol provides indices which allow targets to be set on the basis of area, tonnage, volume, value etc. Other features include:

G ICHI AN & YOND BE

SERVING

M

S

IN

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NADC CE 198

• Site waste management plans: demonstrates how our protocol supports local, state and federal compliance • Carbon bene ts: describes how, through easily avoided haulage movements, these can be estimated easily • Checklist to simplify implementation

NADC: REASON THREE

Cost E ective Serving North America since 1984, we have successfully met our client’s demand for safe, cost e ective and dependable demolition services. This is achieved by: • Commitment at all levels of a demolition project, from preparing for demolition to management to nal completion of the project.

• NADC’s ability to analyze, de ne and properly evaluate a project.

• Implementation of the most innovative techniques and methods, which equates in cost and time savings to our clients.

REASON FOUR

Reliable & E cient Our goal is to nish the job in the most e cient and economical manner, this can be done because: • We commit ourselves to complete all projects within the timeline set with our clients.

• We use the best of technology and tools to ensure that all jobs are done quickly, • Attention is given to details to ensure everything is done correctly.

• If your project has speci c requirements we will make sure we have that equipment on hand to get the job done.

• A sta of skilled mechanics expertly maintains our eet of equipment.

800-664-3697 www.nadc1.com Heavy Industrial Demolition

The

Road

Often Traveled:

Reconstructing

I-75

Over Rouge

and Goddard By

Louis Bedigian

Photos courtesy of MDot

I

f you’ve lived in Michigan long enough, you’ve probably heard someone say that the state has just two seasons: winter and road construction. While technically incorrect, the perennial cycle of roadway hassles is enough to infuriate even the most patient drivers.

When it came time to reconstruct the I-75 bridge over Rouge and Goddard, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) was well aware of the bottlenecks that would follow. Drivers would be forced to scramble for alternative routes for several years or endure lengthy traffic jams throughout construction.

After careful consideration of both the design and potential driver challenges, MDOT decided to keep traffic flowing northbound into Detroit and to the Ambassador Bridge, providing commuters with a clearer path to both Detroit and Canada. C.A. Hull Co., Inc., Walled Lake, the general contractor for the project, was tasked with making the transition as smooth as possible.

“The overall traffic maintenance scheme involved maintaining northbound I-75 for those two years of reconstruction,” said C.A. Hull Project Manager Clay Malloure. “Southbound was totally closed and detoured. Drivers were diverted over to I-275, which runs north/south. It was a lengthy detour, but it allowed for efficient and direct reconstruction of the bridges, which I think helped everyone in the long run.”

Engineering firm Alfred Benesch & Company, with numerous offices throughout the country, was brought on during the design phase in June 2015 and provided engineering services during construction.

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Going with the Flow “One of the most challenging aspects of this project was maintenance of traffic,” said Benesch Consultant Project Manager Ihab S. Darwish, PhD, PE, SE. “We had to figure out how to minimize inconvenience to the public, keep traffic flowing across the bridge during construction and make sure everyone working on the bridge was safe.”

This was especially difficult given that more than 100,000 vehicles travel across the bridge every single day. Benesch presented multiple concepts for MDOT to analyze before selecting the one that struck the right balance between all the necessary elements.

“The project was also aggressively set to be completed in no more than two construction seasons,” said Darwish. “This bridge underwent a careful study of regional mobility and investigation of several Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) concepts. MDOT opted to maintain three

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Contractor C.A. Hull uses a concrete pump truck to place concrete and two Bidwells in order to pave the new concrete bridge deck in an area with multiple grade breaks.

northbound lanes on one deck and detour southbound lanes while constructing the other deck full-width. The fourth lane in the adjacent bridge was used to provide contractor access to the bridge under construction to facilitate construction.”

Darwish added that as a result of this strategy, the selected MOT scheme maximized constructability and reduced construction duration. It also minimized travel time delays, avoided some of the pitfalls of traffic queuing and reduced the need for unnecessary ramp closures.

This was by no means a quick project, however. C.A. Hull’s contract was awarded in November 2016, giving the company just one winter to prepare. “Once we got started, we worked non-stop,” said Malloure. “Demolition crews worked both day and night, seven days a week, for a majority of the project.”

MDOT Project Manager William Erben said this project had been on the department’s radar for several years before the funds became available to initiate the reconstruction. While the bridge itself remained strong and was not at risk of collapsing, its deck surface was deteriorating.

Driving conditions had been hampered by frequent deck patching operations.

“It was time to replace the old deck concrete with new concrete, reflecting the current state of knowledge in concrete technology,” said Erben.

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steel girders that support the concrete deck were in acceptable condition. This project addressed the most significant need, that of replacing the concrete deck surface, which required a fair amount of maintenance each year.”

The project was completed by nearly twodozen people from MDOT and more than 85 engineers and technicians from Benesch, who dedicated more than 34,000 hours to deliver the design phase in approximately one year. At its peak, C.A. Hull brought on 145 individuals to complete the work in a timely manner.

Taking a Slab at It Reconstruction began in February 2017 when the southbound bridge was first shut down. Traffic continued to travel on the northbound bridge for the next year. When southbound reconstruction was completed in 2018, that bridge reopened for northbound travelers. This allowed the actual northbound bridge to be closed and repaired.

Most bridges are small enough for MDOT to close down any roads or freeways underneath, paving the way for a quick demolition late at night or over a weekend. The rubblized deck falls like gravel and is quickly scooped up and hauled away. By the time the concrete or steel reinforcement is being put into place, traffic below would have already resumed.

For this project – which involved a 1.6-mile bridge resting atop key infrastructure – that method wasn’t feasible. “It was so high up in the

air that we couldn’t just drop the rubble down below,” said Erben. “And we couldn’t drop it into the river, so it was sawed in pieces.”

Using fabricated equipment known as a slab grabber, the slab was broken away, rotated and put in the back of a truck to be hauled down the bridge. C.A. Hull had implemented this method previously, but Malloure said that this project proved to be the biggest one yet. The whole process was necessary to avoid harming or in any way disrupting the neighborhoods, railroads and gas pipelines below the bridge, as well as the nearby Marathon refinery.

“Being just a deck replacement, we were never going to replace any of the bridge beams,” said Malloure. “Normally when you get out there with an excavator and you start hammering the deck off, there’s a chance you could do some damage to the girders. We wanted to avoid that at all costs.”

Another challenge came in actually finishing the bridge deck. Massive automated rollers are used to go over the bridge once the concrete is dumped, but they typically rely on temporary rails that allow the machine to move back and forth.

Those rails have to be supported on the outside fascia girder, which is the beam furthest to the outside. The overlay usually requires a bit of handwork, which is rarely significant. “But on a 1.6-mile bridge, it would have been a significant component of work and require much more in the way of labor,” said Erben.

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Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Genesis Structures traveled to Michigan in November 2016 during the planning stages of the project.

The company met with both C.A. Hull and MDOT and visited the bridge site. Genesis Structures then performed a general inspection of the bridges to get a feel for the project, and evaluated the condition of the existing girders and deck slabs prior to performing the main engineering work.

“Genesis Structures had the location of each machine and a precise sequence of how each machine would move across the deck in conjunction with the other equipment,” said Malloure. “It was really well thought out and made for a successful demo operation.”

C.A. Hull maintained strong communications with Genesis Structures throughout the project.

The two firms held regular video conference calls to discuss results of the engineering evaluations.

This allowed engineers to develop plans for field operations. When those operations actually began, Genesis Structures relied on photos of the bridge site to develop solutions whenever necessary. The company visited the site once more in August 2017, allowing engineers – who had worked on the deck removal engineering –

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to get a firsthand look at the deck removal in progress.

“Working together with C.A. Hull managers, we developed deck removal sequences that were both safe and efficient for field operations,” said Boschert.

A Concrete Plan Few bridge projects have been as massive as this one, and even fewer have had a comparable outside fascia. This presented several challenges due to the sheer dead load of the concrete. “To support it that far out from the bridge beam takes a pretty significant structural element,” said Malloure. “A lot of the materials and tools we use for typical bridge construction wouldn’t fit.”

Typical bridge rehabs are completed with the help of fascia jacks, which are mounted to the bridge beam and resemble steel triangles.

They’re used to support the fascia hanging above, but that solution wouldn’t work here because the fascia was simply too wide. C.A. Hull chose to go a different route and developed needle beams – 20-foot long pieces of steel connected to the bottom flange of the bridge fascia beam, as well as the next interior beam – from scratch.

C.A. Hull solved this problem by building an elaborate overhang out of steel and wood that supported the finishing machine. This made it possible for the roller to extend past the easternmost girder on northbound and the western-most girder on southbound. It allowed the roller to go all the way up to the edge of the bridge deck, which eliminated the need to hand finish the outside of the fascia girder.

“It took a lot of critical thinking at the forefront to plan some designs that would work for us,” said Malloure. “And that’s where Genesis Structures, our outside engineering firm, was the most involved. It was a really heavy lift for them but they provided us with a detailed demolition plan and a safe, efficient fascia design.” That plan called for the bridge to be demolished by span, which Malloure referred to as a “really impressive piece of engineering work.” With 110 spans across the bridge, everything had to be accounted for to ensure a smooth demolition.

“Evaluation of the composite girder system for deck removal operations over the many various spans and framing conditions was a challenge, but we worked through the process together with C.A. Hull operations managers and field staff,” said Genesis Structures Senior Structural Engineer John Boschert, PE, SE. “Following completion of the original deck removal plans, we worked with C.A. Hull field staff to address several unique conditions that were encountered during field operations.”

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“We built everything up off of that,” said Malloure. “We went a completely different direction of what we typically do. We had to develop new equipment and new methods to install the beams and construct the fascia. Our shop at C.A. Hull was critical in getting this up and running. They took some of our standard pieces of equipment and custom-fabricated attachments for them, specifically for setting needle beams.”

Further challenges came when it was discovered that the existing structural steel – the very part of the bridge field staff worked tirelessly to protect – had some issues that needed to be addressed. Some of the beams had started to rust after enduring years of exposure to rain and salt, causing varying levels of deterioration. Other flaws were due to the original design of the bridge when it was initially constructed.

“There was also damage from past emergency bridge repairs that had been required over the years,” said Malloure. He wasn’t blaming those who performed previous repairs but wanted to point out the issues that can arise from a rushed job. For most patchwork, time is of the essence.

“When a concrete patch opens up and there’s a hole in a bridge deck, your first concern is getting

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the road fixed,” Malloure added. “You’re not necessarily concerned with avoiding damage to the beam that sits beneath it.”

Every beam had to be examined as the bridge deck was being removed, 100 feet at a time.

MDOT would then mark any issues with paint, allowing C.A. Hull to identify the problems and fix them as necessary. “A lot of times that required a welded or bolted repair,” said Malloure. “We had a great relationship with both MDOT and the designer. As a project team, we were able to quickly identify and evaluate these issues, then determine the appropriate solution and get the repair completed, often in a matter of days.”

This led to a streamlined process that minimized the risk of potential delays. There were still scheduling impacts, but Malloure said that everyone involved managed to work as a team to get through it and complete the work on time.

“The schedule was always high stakes,” said Malloure. “Our contract included incentives for finishing work early, as well as heavy liquidated damages for going beyond our allowable days. I think our team did a great job of moving forward with an aggressive schedule while maintaining high quality in the work they were completing in the field.”

Logistical Challenges and Putting Safety First Logistical concerns were a primary focus for everyone involved. With only one lane open to the bridge site, field staff had to carefully coordinate when and how they entered and exited. “There wasn’t a whole lot of room for one lane to deliver materials and to actually travel from one side to another, and sometimes you’d have a showdown in the middle of the bridge between one of our trucks traveling north, and another traveling south,” said Erben. “But we worked that out by radioing ahead and making sure that one lane was open.”

Workers arrived early in the morning and were often bused to their precise location each day to reduce the likelihood that they would have to walk along the busy bridge. Concrete and other materials were delivered at night to prepare for the following day.

“Delivering concrete to the bridge was always going to be a big challenge for us,” said Malloure.

“A conventional bridge deck pour would involve renting a concrete pump truck and emptying the whole load in a hopper. The truck has a 150-footlong boom that you can swing around and drop concrete wherever you want. That works really

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well for bridge decks if you can get everything close together.”

Since that solution was not possible here, C.A. Hull elected to use a bridge plow instead.

Described as somewhat of a conveyer belt system, the bridge plow allowed C.A. Hull to bring concrete trucks right up to the bridge deck and then dump concrete directly onto the plow.

It would then deposit the concrete east and west, and the whole system would move north and south.

“It almost formed a grid,” Malloure added. “It would move up three feet at a time, dump concrete the whole width of the bridge, and then move up another three feet and do the same thing. That was something we had used in the past but certainly never to this extent. We had to make a lot of adaptations to it. That was another key to the job for us. It was effective and efficient, and allowed MDOT to avoid closing any additional lanes of traffic on I-75 that would have been required when using a pump truck.”

Safety was another paramount issue being considered from the onset of the project.

Concrete barriers were installed to protect workers from live traffic while harnesses and safety cables were used to prevent them from

Contractor C.A. Hull works to remove the bridge barrier, install catwalk, and install formwork to pour the new concrete bridge deck cantilevered over the exterior fascia beam.

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Contractor C.A. Hull is working to finish, texture, and tine the newly placed concrete bridge deck.

falling to the ground below. This strategy proved to be very successful, allowing C.A. Hull staff and other workers to complete the reconstruction with zero lost-time injuries. “We’re out there working, there’s traffic still on the northbound I-75 bridge, and there was a heavy rainstorm in the spring,” said Malloure. “A semi in the right lane lost control, swerved all the way to the left lane and hit our temporary concrete barrier.”

The barrier did exactly what it was designed to do, staying in place while protecting workers on the other side. That caused the truck to bounce back to the right, however. It inadvertently kept going, hit the outside barrier wall and fell off the bridge. “I think that was about 30 feet off the ground,” Malloure continued. “That driver lived. He walked away, had some minor injuries. If nothing else, it really showcased the current condition of the bridge, and how important this project was.”

Another vehicle had to be removed after driving onto the reconstructed bridge before new concrete had been poured. This made for a complicated situation that couldn’t be easily resolved. Two tow trucks – one on Fort Street and another on I-75 – were ultimately used to put a sling under that vehicle to walk it off the bridge.

“It was definitely perilous in terms of the amount of commercial high-speed traffic, even though we often had a trooper out there to try and slow people down and write tickets,” said Erben. “It was not the safest environment in which to work.”

Positive End Results from a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience The bridge reconstruction, totaling approximately $154 million, came after MDOT spent more than $63 million in repairs. The renovations are estimated to save MDOT $300 million and could extend the life of the bridge by more than 50 years.

According to Erben, the breakdown is as follows: • 63% I-75/Rouge and I-75/Fort Street • 36% I-75/ Goddard and the Sexton Kilfoil Drain (south end of the project) 1% Concrete pavement repairs on I-75 from Goddard Road to the • Rouge River 46 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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I - 7 5

“Whenever there were holes in the deck before, lanes had to be closed to make repairs,” said Erben. “We had to go out and patch, resulting in backups. Whenever you’re stuck in traffic, you’re burning gas and polluting the environment.”

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It wasn’t uncommon for two of the four lanes to be closed on either the north or south side of the bridge, slowing traffic for hours at a time.

“With a new bridge deck, you have none of those issues that are associated with one that’s deteriorating and is in need of repair,” Erben added. “It should be intact and without the need for any kind of maintenance that requires lane closures for a long time. We have full capacity and are enjoying the benefits of full capacity across the Rouge River.”

After completing such a lengthy and incredibly involved project, Erben spoke fondly of what he referred to as a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

He was pleased to have had the opportunity to work on it and was in high praise of his staff and everyone else involved.

“I think C.A. Hull did a fine job too, and it was great working with Ihab,” said Erben. “It was literally seamless. There were no barriers between design and C.A. Hull and my staff. There was no elitism at all that prevented lines of communication. Everyone was there for the same purpose, and that was to get a high-quality product out of this marquee bridge.” Darwish concurred, noting the “great experience” working with MDOT construction engineers and

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technicians, as well as with C.A. Hull.

“Bill Erben is a top-notch engineer,” said Darwish. “He had a very good handling of the project and effectively coordinated between Benesch and C.A. Hull to resolve any constructability issues that occurred during construction. C.A. Hull also is a very good contractor with significant experience. They had their best, most experienced people on this project.”

Malloure expressed great pride in the relationships formed over this long but rewarding journey. “We were really proud of the relationship we had with MDOT and the designer and the contracting team,” said Malloure. “I think we all worked together well, and kept the best interests of the project at the forefront of every decision we made.”

Subcontractors, including Dan’s Excavating and Ajax Paving, also played a critical role. “They were all incredibly important in their own regards,” said Malloure. “Some of them had a major scope of work, others had a narrower scope, but everybody came together to deliver a great project. When they were called to do something, they made it happen.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER LARK, LARK PHOTOGRAPHY

A Company on the Move:

United Shore’s

People-First Corporate Home in Pontiac

By Mary

Kremposky McArdle Associate Editor

I

magine Dilbert, the corporate malcontent of cartoon fame, walking into a meeting at United Shore’s new headquarters in Pontiac. Clever, quirky, eclectic and fun, the meeting spaces spark what United Shore’s Vice President of United Services Kevin Kmet calls “unsolicited happiness.” A sampling of inspired meeting spaces includes: • A graphic in the Frankenmuth Room, based on the famous chicken dinners of the room’s namesake city, says, “I dream of a world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.”

• The base of a conference table in the Birmingham Room is actually a truck bed in honor of the Woodward Dream Cruise. Working with Integrated Design Solutions (IDS) as architect and The Dailey Company as construction manager, Advantage Electric & Controls even wired the table to turn the tail lights on in the truck bed.

The Silverdome Conference Room has actual seats from this former arena, a table with yard lines marked like a football field, and an • autograph from Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders who once visited the company.

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LEFT: United Shore’s team rapidly grew from 2,300 at move-in to over 4,000 team members. The transformation involved inserting several new entrances into the massive 610,000-square-foot building.

BELOW: United Shore made this spacious, high-ceilinged lobby its own. The multipurpose millwork island can be an interview island for waiting recruits or a DJ booth for a Thursday afternoon dance party. In the background, strands of white rope envelope the lobby stair and express United Shore’s embrace of originality.

•

For “serenity creation” in the Lake Orion Room, a photographic wallcovering of an inland lake and a boat dock segues into a conference table resembling an actual wooden dock.

It’s a way to break down barriers between and inside people for more effective team building and to create a happier team in this people-first company. These creative Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

concepts are the brainchild of United Shore’s Chief People Officer and company dreamer, Laura Lawson. “We make our rooms fun,” said Lawson. “If we meet a lot, we may as well have meeting spaces with some character.”

Lawson views these meeting spaces as “a gift to our people.” One of the best “gifts” in this 610,000-square-foot headquarters is a type of boardroom called the Boat Room. An actual 1940s vintage boat hangs upside down from the ceiling and “floats” in a faux lake. The shimmering pool is an aqua blue, backlit soffit outfitted with concealed sprinkler heads. Both boat and lake are surrounded by Chinese lanterns and suspended above a quartz-flecked meeting table of simulated stars. Whimsical, inspired and playful, the room literally upends the staid dullness of some corporate meeting spaces.

These types of spaces “help the way our clients see us as a company,” said Kmet.

“They can see the team cohesiveness. They can see the creativity. We are not your average sleepy mortgage company, because I think everyone perceives mortgages as boring. How can we make them cool?”

The building spaces themselves are not only “cool” but cost-effective as well. Kmet found the boat in the Boat Room on Facebook Marketplace. The vintage 1947 craft was retrieved from a lake near Columbus, Ohio. “We completely sodablasted and refinished it, and then polished all of the original hardware,” said Kmet.

Lawson adds, “We would rather give the money to our team members and be creative with the boat and other things. A great deal of creativity goes into all of these amazing spaces. It’s not always about spending.”

People-First Amenities IDS and The Dailey Company used its own creative talents to gift the United Shore team with a well-designed and constructed integration of open work environments and specialty spaces. “Part of the design was integrating all of these elements so there is never a boring corner of the building,” said IDS Project Designer and Senior Associate

Katy Litwin, AIA. “There is always something throughout each floor that adds a level of unexpectedness.”

The project team’s creative repurposing of existing spaces converted a locker room into a drop-off, pick-up dry cleaning service, transformed a large training room into a fully staffed medical suite, a salon and massage therapy room, and converted the cafeteria’s dishwashing room into an attractive private dining space for team and client lunches and even a child’s Make-A-Wish birthday party.

Other people-centric services include a meditation room, a mother’s room and a gym.

“I love injecting services that make sense in terms of making people’s lives easier,” said Lawson. “People come here and hustle eight hours a day. We try to eliminate some of that stress outside of work of say going to the doctor, getting your haircut, or going to the ATM. We have all of those services in the building for workplace convenience. They can then go home to what they work for.”

These services are not the hook that baits a person into working longer hours. “Many companies offer these types of services, but we offer more of them,” continued Lawson.

“I think sometimes they do it to get people to work more and stay longer. That is not our intent. We have a different philosophy: We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

One of the best amenities may be United Shore’s policy called Firm 40. Basically, no one is allowed to work more than 40 hours a week. Another amenity is No Meeting Thursdays on the last week of every month.

The day is reserved for leadership connecting with the team, and every Thursday afternoon the entire company enjoys a dance party in the newly designed lobby. Dilbert would be amazed.

Amenities, ranging from Starbucks to a convenience store, help the United Shore team “Do what they do best” and are a magnet helping to attract the best recruits, said Lawson. “Your environment helps you to thrive,” Lawson continued. “We cater to our people first, and if we do it right, it helps the people we hire. We hired over 2,000 people this year alone.”

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Creating a basketball court out of conventional office space called for significant structural revisions, including the insertion of six massive steel beams. The court is an employee amenity and a United Shore tradition, United Shore’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mat Ishbia having played collegiate basketball for Michigan State University.

The approach is a proven success. In 2019, United Shore’s “United Wholesale Mortgage was the No. 1 wholesale mortgage lender for the fourth consecutive year,” according to the Feb. 25, 2019, edition of The Detroit News.

A Forever Home Founded in 1986, United Shore’s first office was a converted grocery store in Birmingham.

Rapid growth ultimately led to larger quarters in a five-story building in Troy. A thousand people initially occupied two and a half floors, but as growth accelerated, “every six months we were adding another half floor to our space until we occupied the entire building and outgrew it in head count and in parking,” said Kmet.

IDS had been designing United Shore’s incremental renovations for the past five years. Based on past success, IDS was a natural choice as the architect for the next move forward. Beginning in early spring of 2016, IDS began assisting United Shore in the quest for a “forever home” able to permanently accommodate the entire company under one roof.

As construction manager, The Dailey Company had been renovating the Troy facility as well. While IDS searched and conducted test fit-outs of potential buildings for 18 months, The Dailey Company 50 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

formulated a budget for each promising structure. United Shore and the project team strongly considered three other buildings before selecting the 610,000-square-foot facility along South Boulevard East in Pontiac.

Originally built by General Motors for EDS in 2001 and most recently occupied by Hewlett Packard, the massive building is one of the few facilities capable of supporting United Shore’s sizeable team. “The building also had elements from its GM days that supported on-site kitchen and dining facilities,” said IDS Principal-in-Charge and Chairman Paul A. Stachowiak, AIA. The 5,000-person building and its 75-acre campus can support United Shore’s future growth as well. The future is now: United Shore moved into the building in June 2018 with 2,300 people, and only one year later, the team numbered 4,000. “We are exploring avenues to grow this building,” said Kmet. An enthusiastic Lawson added, “The vision doesn’t stop. We are in the world domination phase for both wholesale and overall mortgage lending. Hold on to your hats as we keep on building.”

Six Fast-Paced Months: Hold on to Your Hard Hats Practicing people-first construction, The

Dailey Company officially launched the project on January 2, 2018, “with a safety orientation for 160 to 190 tradesmen in the auditorium,” said Dailey Superintendent Chuck Walsh. What followed is six fastpaced months of construction.

The reason for the rush: United Shore purchased the building in June 2017, but construction had to wait until Hewlett Packard’s lease expired in December 2017.

“We started our design in July 2017, construction in January 2018, and United Shore began their move-in in June 2018,” said IDS Project Manager and Senior Associate Jeffrey J. Zona, Associate AIA. “What was accomplished in square footage and in creating the project’s major components was simply amazing.”

According to Walsh, about 232,460 labor hours were poured into gutting and renovating three floors of a massive facility housing 16 acres under one roof. More than interior fit-out, significant structural revisions involved carving a new grand staircase through the heart of the building and structurally reinforcing a floor section for a new data center. Converting office space into a basketball court was the most challenging structural insertion. “It was like constructing a building within a building,” said Dailey Project Manager Paul A. Danko.

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The first challenge: Prior to Hewlett Packard’s exit, the project team could not access the interior for any type of exploratory demolition. “IDS did preliminary design, but couldn’t do the design’s nuts and bolts until we got into the building,” said Kmet.

IDS created eight bid packages to set the construction juggernaut in motion, the first being the site work package and the second being demolition and structural. “A demolition plan got us through the first few weeks,” said Kmet. “The demolition allowed IDS to actually see what was happening in the building in order to create the construction drawings.”

The Dailey Company ordered steel during the demolition phase to speed construction.

The basketball court’s steel was “one of the early bid packages because we needed to get the mill order in for the large steel beams holding up the floor over the basketball court,” said Danko.

“When the Walls Come Tumbling Down” The Dailey Company gutted the interior and “turned it back into a gray box,” said Kmet.

The sea of 5-foot, 10-inch-high cubicles came tumbling down in favor of open work tables; actual walls between departments vanished into three dumpsters strategically placed behind the building. “The interior was originally a dungeon-like labyrinth,” said Danko. “It was dark, and not many people could see over the top of those cubicles. Now everyone seems to have a window seat.”

For United Shore, removing physical barriers creates a connected team. “Because we don’t have cubicles and walls, people can learn from each other and build friendships,” said Lawson. “The open sight lines allow us to celebrate victories, accomplishments, and birthdays as a team.”

Each floor has a communal kitchen for potluck gatherings and pizza parties, and collaboration spaces create central points of gathering. Virtually all of the executive leadership is dispersed throughout the open work environment, the only difference being a pop of green color to mark the workspace and a height-adjustable desk. “We don’t hide leadership,” said Lawson. “Our leaders are open and accessible.”

Beyond banishing the cubicle, entire building systems were demolished and replaced, along with flooring, furniture and finishes. Both data cabling and MEP systems took a Herculean effort to replace given the building’s massive scale. “For the structured Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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cabling bid package, we pulled miles of existing cable out of the ceiling and installed truckloads of new cabling to support the data operation,” said Walsh. In total, the project team handled over 550 miles of data cable, Kmet added.

“We kept the building’s 102 different light fixtures, which are spectacular,” Kmet continued, “but it took taking apart the entire ceiling, storing the fixtures in the auditorium, and re-installing them. The actual lights were switched to LED. We also added hundreds of VAV boxes for the HVAC system to increase ventilation for our population.”

Installing the plumbing system’s new sanitary lines, along with concurrent floor-box installation to service new furnishings, turned the first-level, at-grade floor into “a piece of Swiss cheese,”

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said Walsh. “There were literally trenches in every spot on the first floor.” This first level houses a spacious, high-ceilinged lobby, a 1,000-person auditorium, a large-scale cafeteria, the medical suite, and other spaces.

The Construction Escape Room For the project team, the entire building could be viewed as an increasingly popular space called an Escape Room. “It’s a fun social space where people are locked in a room, and they must solve a puzzle, find the escape code, and punch it on a keypad to beat the clock, escape the room and win the game,” said Lawson. “At United Shore, we chose the concept as a training environment to build teamwork. A team has 45 minutes to break out based on solving mortgage-based puzzles.

“We have even used the Escape Room as a recruiting event,” Lawson continued. “I can observe recruits and see who takes initiative or who is a proven leader. Some people shine in this type of environment, and it gives them a greater voice. It also simulates the work

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environment because you are trying to beat the deadline.”

For the project team, the deadline was the end of June 2018. Well-planned sequencing and synchronized design and construction were the exit strategies. The Dailey Company divided the second and third floors into 16 zones, or eight zones per floor, containing both open office areas and specialty spaces.

“We had an outside superintendent and three interior superintendents, one for each floor,” said Danko.

Each trade moved through the eight zones sequentially, completing their respective work whether it was installing ceiling tile, painting walls, expanding bathrooms or inserting kitchens. “One group would be painting in one zone and across the floor another would be doing rough carpentry,” said Kmet.

“Everyone was moving around the floor in an order of sequences. We would get the certificate of occupancy in one area, and we were allowed to move directly into that finished space while work proceeded in other areas as long as we kept people out of the construction zone.”

Major specialty spaces followed a separate schedule. “The basketball court ran on its own separate schedule,” said Danko, “and work continued in different phases from January all the way through May.” Design was structured to keep construction on target. “A large part of the challenge was sequencing the design in order to get construction moving as quickly as possible,” said Litwin. “We would literally be designing the basketball court one week and finalizing it the next, but concurrently starting on the auditorium that very week.”

Kmet added, “This was the most complicated sequenced project I’ve ever done in 30 years. One trip-up would have exerted a domino effect down the entire sequence of operations, so we were constantly trying to stay ahead of the game.”

Scope Creep in the Escape Room Enter scope creep into the Escape Room. The United Shore team seemed to grow exponentially until the second-floor training center had to be moved to the third floor to make room for additional staff. “We are a very nimble, dynamic company,” said Kmet. “Our population and needs were changing on a weekly basis. Laura (Lawson) would tell me, ‘By the way, this group is no longer 300 people; it is now 600 people.’ Ultimately, we had to move the training center, which added 100,000 square feet to the project in a time frame that didn’t move. Everyone embraced the change, got together as a team, and figured out a way to make it happen.”

As the last bid package, the data center and three adjacent spaces for uninterrupted power supply systems were inserted into the project scope during construction. IDS issued the bid package in early March and the data center was completed in late May. “The 2,000-square-foot data center had to be up and running before anyone could plug in their computers,” said Zona. “It was a great feat to get it done in that time frame.”

To support the data center’s weight, The Dailey Company reinforced the second floor directly above the main cafeteria. “We had to tear the ceiling out in the west half of the main cafeteria,” said Walsh. “We had to pull out all the fire suppression, the HVAC, and the electrical to install the 28-foot steel beams and weld them into place to support the data center. We fireproofed the new steel and then re-installed everything that had been removed.”

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A new grand staircase puts the United in United Shore by creating a connective link between all levels of this large-scale building. The Dailey Company built the last stair level while the building was fully occupied, using its own bright ideas to create a grand staircase ultimately leading to the collaborative Idea Lab marked by a graphic of an incandescent light bulb.

Design meetings continued through February, March and April. “We were meeting with Laura (Lawson), and sometimes she would have changes based on changes in team members or new ideas,” said Litwin.

“We had a cohesive team that was able to incorporate these items.”

For scope creep, the “code” to successfully opening the Escape Room door was building a relationship-driven project – one of the six pillars of United Shore’s corporate values. From the moment the project began to the second it ended, the team maintained a high level of cooperation and friendliness. “We all went into the project ‘gulping’ in December,” recalled Kmet. “We were at the top of a very high roller coaster, and I said, ‘We are going to get off of this roller coaster at the end of the project either as mortal enemies or best friends – a band of brothers. We ended up being friends, and we still want to work together.”

Rapid delivery began with United Shore President and Chief Executive Officer Mat Ishbia. “Without his leadership and trust in Laura (Lawson) and my team, we wouldn’t have made the deadlines,” Kmet said, “because we wouldn’t have been empowered Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

to handle the changes and make decisions promptly.”

Close teamwork resolved building details swiftly. If asked about a detail, Kmet “would draw the solution on the wall, sign it, and then I would take a picture of it,” said Walsh. Kmet adds, “We started numbering them as Wall Detail No. 1 and Wall Detail No. 2. Chuck (Walsh) would present the photo to the architect, and IDS would document it on the plans. This approach kept the contractors working, because they could move forward with the detail more quickly.”

IDS was onsite weekly and as much as several times a week during construction.

“We had our regular weekly meetings and reviewed hot topics and a list of priority items,” said IDS Associate Traci Withrow, Associate AIA who was a liaison along with Zona. “Part of my task as liaison between the site and the office was to push items through the architect’s and engineer’s office to keep the contractors moving ahead in the field.”

Trade contractors and suppliers were a strong part of the team. “We relied on our trade contractors and suppliers to help identify lead-time issues with products,” said Danko. “Typically, within two days we had an

alternate product selected that was very close to what was originally designed. We would take it to the owner and get the architect involved that day, and boom, the product was on the site by the end of the week, and we were installing it.”

The Dailey Company compliments the trade team for excellent work and timely completion. “Advantage Electric, Goyette Mechanical, Pontiac Ceiling & Partition, and we could go down the entire list, but everybody came together, manned the job, and got it done for us,” said Walsh.

Trade contractors jumped into the game and continually offered solutions. “IDS also was very open to the ideas of the trade contractors that I call the subject matter experts,” said Kmet. “We would never have finished 430,000 square feet of construction in six months, including massive structural steel work, without this cohesive team.”

Action at Center Court The basketball court was the most significant structural steel insertion. The court is a United Shore tradition, Ishbia having played collegiate basketball for Michigan State University’s coaching great Tom Izzo and the CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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NCAA 2000 championship Spartan team.

Lessons learned on the court remain part of United Shore’s relationship-driven success.

The “game” began immediately after shoring the entire area. Saw-cutting and removal of a section of the second floor created an opening all the way from the firstfloor playing surface to the underside of the third floor. The Dailey Company removed six steel columns from the middle of the space to make way for the field of play.

Six massive steel beams, each weighing 302 lbs. per foot, were erected, creating a clear span over the court and supporting the third floor. “We had additional shoring columns so we could pre-stress the new steel beams,” said Danko.

New mass foundations and steel columns bear the weight of these hefty beams. “The mass foundations are probably 8- to 10-foot wide and four-foot deep,” said Danko. “The 80-foot-long foundations run the entire length of the basketball court, being fairly long to support the weight of the restructured third floor. We had to shore up the corner of the building, cut out some existing foundations,

pour a larger concrete foundation, and tie it all together.”

Kmet added, “They also had to depress the slab so that our basketball court’s wood floor would remain flush with the rest of the firstfloor slab.” According to Danko, the work involved removal of the existing concrete floor, excavating down four inches, and installing a new 2.5-inch floating floor.

The Big Pipe Freeze The conversion from office to basketball court presented another challenge: The boiler feed heating pipes – originally hung from the soonto-be-removed second floor – ran straight through the basketball court on their way to the mechanical penthouse. The 10-inch pipes had to be rerouted, along with the heating pipes standing in the way of the new grand staircase. “We had to freeze, cut and relocate the pipes to go around the new court and new stairwell,” said Walsh.

Kmet explains further: “The pipes supplied heat for the east end of the building. Because we are doing the work in January, February and March, we couldn’t shut down the

heating to the entire building. We had to isolate the area designated for the pipe relocation so that the rest of the building could still be heated.

“We probably had 40 giant tanks of liquid nitrogen in these areas. The contractor put nitrogen cuffs on the pipes. The liquid nitrogen froze the pipes by creating an ice plug inside of them. After freezing, the contractor cut the pipe, installed a valve, turned the valve off, and let the ice melt. They did this to the next pipe and the next pipe until we relocated or rerouted them all. We now have valves in those locations, which is great from a facilities management perspective.”

A glass-faced conference space, called the Breslin Center, overlooks the court. The name not only honors MSU’s arena, but the wood ceiling soffit and conference table is made of the actual wood flooring MSU played on during its NCAA championship game in 2000.

“MSU was selling pieces of the floor as part of a replacement project in 2017,” said Kmet.

“We were allowed to buy 10 pieces of 3-by3-foot sections. We disassembled those sections piece-by-piece and made these two features.”

In the building’s many mixed-use spaces, the floor of the basketball court can be covered and used for Zumba and yoga classes, as well as for banquets and other events. Overlook and event spaces on the third level offer a great sight line into the court.

Building the Missing Link The Dailey Company carved a new grand staircase through the heart of the building.

“For a company of more than 4,000 people, this central staircase pulls us together tighter as a company,” said Lawson. “Otherwise, we would be disjointed; we would have silos based on the separate floors. The word ‘United’ is part of the company title, and this staircase makes us feel united as one, which I love.”

The steel-framed grand staircase was built in two different phases. “The second-floor penetration was done right at the very beginning of the project when we could take the front façade off of the building and bring heavy equipment into the building,” said Kmet.

In April 2019, another wave of staff expansion called for extending the grand staircase up to the third floor during full building occupancy. The Dailey Company

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A VIP Room on each floor offers a private oasis for high-performing team members. The individual has an entire month to enjoy the room’s amenities, including higher-end furnishings and finishes, along with a big screen television and well-stocked edibles.

built a temporary wall, hand saw-cut the ceiling, and created the next stair level. “It was very surgical, and no one had to move,” said Kmet.

Appropriate for a high-energy company bursting with ideas, the first room at the top of the stair is The Idea Lab, a glass-wrapped collaborative hub illuminated by dozens of pendant incandescent bulbs. A group of sales people are clustered around a whiteboard, others are conferencing on their phones, while standing groups exchange strategies.

The third-level houses open work stations and a training center, outfitted with two rooms honoring the “shore” in United Shore. The Petoskey Room celebrates Lake Michigan with a room-size wall graphic of a pebble beach and a water wave graphic on its glass walls, and the Saugatuck Room evokes the relaxing ambiance of this resort town on the sandy edge of the Big Water.

A 25-person training room showcases The Dailey Company’s high level of client service.

“The Dailey Company was able to make this room operational before the certificate of occupancy by going through preinspections,” said Kmet. “Everybody signed off on it, and that is all due to Dailey’s diligence in getting it done.”

Building Community For United Shore, the project is all about building a campus community. The cafeteria Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

is a case in point. “We love our extraordinary cafeteria and our other big unique spaces that help bring people together and create social interactions,” said Lawson. “The cafeteria is designed without any twoseaters. We are always making groups of friends at United Shore.”

The project team refreshed the existing cafeteria, a large, high-ceilinged space with floor-to-ceiling windows now serving as an eatery as well as meeting and training space.

“The millwork is original, but we essentially removed some dated planters, replaced the tables, and reupholstered the seats to make it feel much fresher,” said Litwin.

Lawson snapped a photo of chevronpatterned wallpaper in a restaurant and Kmet’s team turned it into a finish blanketing an entire wall. “The height of the wall and the number of rolls it took to make it work presented quite the challenge,” said Kmet.

“The custom-made and printed rolls were numbered and then produced on a printer to scale to recreate it on the wall.”

Taking the community spirit outside, the cafeteria’s floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the putting green, outdoor seating and permanent food truck of the new north patio.

Bright orange, festive, sail-like canopies are sunshades supported on caissons placed 22 feet below grade. The Dailey Company encountered and had to reroute a sanitary lead to make way for the canopy’s subCAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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An in-house Starbucks is only one of a host of amenities designed to help the United Shore team excel in an enjoyable work environment.

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surface infrastructure. “Because they only sell these canopies in Florida, they are actually hurricane-proof even though we don’t have that in Michigan,” said Kmet.

What Michigan does have is snow and bitter cold. “In the future, we would like to place an atrium over the top of the patio but leave the sails up, creating a type of glassedin winter garden,” added Kmet.

The building’s new east entry leads to a sand volleyball court and a new amphitheater with the same festive canopies. The area can be used for taking a break, meetings or even as part of United Shore’s annual fair for team members and their families. “The vision that everyone was able to execute on is taking this large corporate building and its outside areas and making it more of a campus and a community,” said Lawson. “Everyone took on that challenge, and now you can see people walking on their lunch hours, and we have team meetings on the east side of the building. It is not only a campus community, but Pontiac nonprofit groups use the building for event space. We just held Pontiac’s stateof-the-city address in our auditorium.”

This Is US In June 2018, the project team completed the metamorphosis of a corporate bastion into a

creative hub for a different kind of wholesale mortgage lender, making every space its own, including the open, light-filled lobby. “We flipped the grand lobby into US – United Shore,” said Lawson. Stachowiak adds, “The lobby is the exact same footprint that it was but the before and after picture is almost unrecognizable.”

Enter through a turnstile and past a security desk designed to “have almost a spa-like feel,” said Litwin. “We added stone around the base and a green backdrop to make it resemble a concierge desk at a hotel.”

A white millwork island – forming a U when viewed from the side – shifts in use: It can be an interview island for waiting recruits, a DJ booth for a Thursday afternoon dance party, or a bar to entertain clients. A video screen above beams this relationship-driven firm’s different kind of messaging: Be You Here, Be Friends Here, Be Inspired Here.

Former occupants had the security desk in the same location as the island, leaving an open space for a security queue between the front entry and desk, but IDS reclaimed this wide open area as multi-use function space for hosting Thursday afternoon dance parties and other events, according to Stachowiak.

The lobby staircase expresses United Shore’s embrace of originality. Strands of white rope cascade from ceiling to floor, creating the staircase’s transparent enclosure. “The rope was the idea of our intern,” said Zona. “We decided to incorporate it into the project, and it turned out very well.” Danko added, “We cut open the drywall ceiling and installed miscellaneous steel to support these unique ropes.”

Printed words on six lighted pillars in a lobby enclave express the company’s values, including Our People: Greatest Asset, Our Path: Fun + Friendship, and Continuous Improvement. The coordinated efforts of a team of carpenters, millwork fabricators and electricians constructed the pillars. Because the light fixtures have very tight tolerances, “it was a backwards installation,” said Kmet.

“The light fixtures were installed first, and the millwork frames were built around the light fixtures.”

The project team repurposed an existing 1,000-person auditorium for United Shore’s team meetings, job fairs and events.

Converting the space from automotive to mortgage giant, the project team repurposed a vehicle-entry dock area as a storage room “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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and removed steel outrigger-like structures on the side walls, formerly used for vehicle reveals. Finishes, flooring and acoustical panels are newly installed, along with a new sound system based in the balcony’s control room.

The workspaces are a sea of open stations, along with a communal kitchen, open collaboration areas, and privacy coves.

“Adding different amenity spaces throughout the floors, along with the choice of materials, accent colors and soffit breaks in the ceiling, broke up these expanses,” said Litwin.

Amenities include the meeting rooms celebrating Michigan communities and sports teams. Colorful street art marks the Detroit Room, the room for Imlay City – the home of Vlasic Pickle – has the original stork cartoons of Vlasic fame, and hockey pucks, seats and player jerseys fill the Joe Louis Arena Room.

Other specialty spaces include: • A VIP Room on each floor offers a private oasis with higher-end furnishings and finishes comparable to an airport’s Sky Club. Exemplary team members enjoy exclusive access to this relaxing haven for an entire month. “The team member can come in all day long and enjoy whatever goodies are offered,” said Lawson. “The glass is frosted to inspire others to earn access to this bragging point.”

• The fitness center has a full complement of free weights and exercise machines, as well as towel service, locker rooms and showers. A façade section of glass curtain wall lets in natural light and showcases this well-used space.

• A game room is available to unwind or as part of team-building tournaments.

The free games can be switched to coinoperated machines as part of a charity drive.

• A green screen studio is available for filming videos and United Shore’s Morning Broker Update for clients.

• Over 300 security cameras are part of the building’s 24/7 security operation.

• The building hosts a NOC, SOC & ROC control center – the Network Operations Center monitors the health of United Shore’s nation-wide network; the Security Operations Center monitors potential hacking and phishing threats; and the Recovery Operations Center analyzes and fixes network problems.

• Two 3.2 MG generators, along with the necessary switchgear for a new generator yard, offer full building support with zero downtime in a power outage.

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S H O R E

From the purely functional to the absolutely fabulous, including a unique swing table and seats moving on cables and free-style machines for mixing one’s beverage of choice, the United Shore team has it all and gives its all to its own clients. In building this massive facility at a rapid pace, IDS and The Dailey Company have shown the same team spirit and dedication to this rapidly growing company’s building needs and unique spaces.

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Bringing Detroit Jobs,

Flex-N-Gate Hits the Ground

By

Running

Marilyn S. Jones-Wilson

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The bold exterior of Flex-N-Gate’s factory and glass-front administrative building signals new opportunities for a quiet community. The company’s commitment represents the largest investment in Detroit by an automotive supplier in over 20 years.

Photos Courtesy of Kyle lawrenCe

in the auto manufacturing industry for six decades. Headquartered in Urbana, Illinois, the company is owned by Shahid Khan and has a strong Michigan presence. In 2016, the new Ford Ranger gave Ford Motor Company the chance to participate in Detroit’s revitalization.

The $98-million, 462,000-square-foot plant and 41,000-square-foot administration building represent the largest investment in Detroit by an auto supplier in over 20 years.

“We were one of the chosen suppliers willing to make the investment in the area,” said Carlo Petrilli, director of manufacturing, facilities and capital acquisitions at Flex-NGate. “That’s basically what got the ball rolling.”

ransforming 32 vacant acres in Detroit’s I-94 corridor, the construction crews at Flex-N-Gate Manufacturing Facility fought weather, soil conditions and a daunting timeline to bring good jobs to the city. The plant and its accompanying administrative building, constructed to meet the auto industry’s unforgiving supply schedule, rises like an orange beacon in a quiet, otherwise neglected community.

Located north of I-94 near Hamtramck, the plant produces metal and plastic auto parts for the Ford Ranger, such as inner door panels, floor assembly, wheel housings, and cargo beds – ultimately almost 50% of the Ranger body. Between 350 and 400 employees, largely from neighboring zip codes, now have opportunities for a good wage, benefits and job security unavailable just two years ago.

The global Flex-N-Gate Corporation, founded in 1956, has been a growing player

T

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Ticking Clock Bringing manufacturing back to the city of Detroit involved getting the mayor’s office on board as industrial planning began. That kicked off a grueling timeline dictated by the unforgiving realities of the American auto industry, a vast network of suppliers and manufacturers that work in concert to put finished cars on dealers’ lots. “One of the challenges in the automotive industry, when you’re a supplier, is that a lot of things have to be on a parallel path,” Petrilli said. “There’s an overlap pretty much all the way through.

Basically you’re trying to build a building around the equipment.

“We knew we were getting a book of business, a bunch of parts to produce, and that’s all we knew,” he said. “By October 2016, we were starting to conceptualize what we needed.” In late 2016, architect IBI Group had a three-month window to get drawings to support the start of construction. But Petrilli had deadlines of his own to ensure production could begin by mid-2018 and deliver as promised to Ford Michigan Assembly. For example, the colossal metal stamping presses had to be ordered 16 months in advance – or else they would not be delivered, assembled and installed in time.

“You have a few weeks to figure out what you’ve got to do – order these massive pieces of equipment, get the technical specifications out there and competitively bid it,” Petrilli said. “Once the customer tells us okay, here’s your green light, it’s a short window. We had

a home line date from the customer that’s a certain number of months ahead of the start of production, meaning all your equipment and tooling have to be ready to make parts by this date. You’ve got to be substantially complete at that point,” he said. This means that the architect is designing for equipment that is, initially, hypothetical, by estimating dimensions, electrical needs and weight loads, while the owner is still deciding what those needs will be.

Design on the Fly “We do a lot of work in the automotive industry,” said Todd Hoisington, director at IBI Group, the project’s architect. “The start of production dates imposed by the supplier process creates exceptional challenges, especially in one of the biggest industries in America. The trickle-down effect is huge.

“The reality is, you’re trying to design a building that has the right structural support, air, water, electric, all that stuff, when the owner is still trying to decide exactly what they need to build their product,” Hoisington said. “It’s challenging to get the equipment right, and it evolves through the process.”

Figuring out how many injection mold machines are needed and where they will go, or how many welds there’ll be, or how many robots, are calculations based equally on past experience and some educated guesses.

“We’re like fortune tellers, but applying our pragmatic experience,” Petrilli said. “Even when we kick this off, we’re kind of thumb in the air.” The trick comes in finding the sweet spot between under- and over-designing.

“We’re taking a risk. We don’t want to underdesign because then I can’t support production. We have to anticipate and build in a safety factor. But we can’t go crazy because then the costs start to spiral out of control,” he said.

Mistakes such as under-estimating the electrical requirement would be expensive if you end up adding it late in construction.

“That one, you just can’t screw up,” Petrilli said.

While the plans were still coming together, the first bid packages went out in March 2017, and by June, Walsh Construction began looking at a formidable challenge for the early foundation work, under an already CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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aggressive schedule – bad soil conditions that demanded additional designs and extensive structural work to improve the site’s bearing capacity. “The soil improvement methods we used were unique,” Hoisington said. “Because of the schedule and what we were trying to accomplish with the project, time was the driver for most of the unique things we did.”

Rather than digging under and removing the existing fill material, Walsh installed about 6,000 aggregate piers into the soil to support the floor slab, and an additional 740 steel Hpiles, 140 feet long, to support base column loads and cranes. “It wasn’t a building that we could start pouring the foundation out of the gate,” said Bill Gilliam, senior project manager with Walsh Construction. “Due to the soil conditions, we had to first drive steel piles to support the column loads. At the same time, we also installed aggregate piers for the slab on grade load. The piers were mostly 6 to 10 feet of stone. It’s a repetitive process of drilling a hole in the ground and filling it with stone.”

Frozen Is Frozen The soil improvement measures continued through mid-September, overlapping shallow concrete foundations. With no time to waste, foundation work including footings and walls went on into December 2017, when Walsh came up against one of the coldest winters this area has ever had. “Cold temperatures are the worst,” Gilliam said. “You can clear snow, but when the ground is frozen, it’s frozen.” Pouring the concrete slab while the ground is frozen necessitated eight groundthaw heaters to remove the frost. Propylene glycol was circulated through thousands of feet of hose, combined with blankets, to warm the area for days prior to every pour.

Once set, each slab was covered again with blankets and hose for about seven days to complete the curing.

Maintaining the aggressive schedule, Walsh kept the project on track. And as soon as there was firm slab, heavy manufacturing equipment was moving in. “As we’re pulling hoses off, Flex-N-Gate was nice enough to put equipment on the slabs,” Gilliam said jokingly. Unexpected spring temperatures caused frost laws – i.e., weight limits and speeds to protect thawing roadways – to kick in early, delaying the huge stamping presses from coming in on time. “As soon as they poured, we were ready to try and get everything in right away,” Petrilli said, “then 60 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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Artistic touches in the second-floor atrium of the administration building show an attention to detail rare for factory construction. The company is as fast-growing and strong as the wall accents of mixed bamboo shown in the right corner of the above photo.

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The plant’s 350 to 400 employees produce metal and plastic components that make up almost 50 percent of the Ford Ranger. High windows draw natural light into the 462,000-square-foot plant floor.

we had two major pieces that we couldn’t get in because of frost laws.

“The weather just killed us. It was probably the biggest stress maker because it’s out of your control, no matter how much money you try to throw at it,” he said. Up against the stringent timetable, Walsh worked on the roof section by section through the winter, while swathing the building’s perimeter with 150,000 square feet of reinforced Visqueen plastic to keep it warm enough for the interior work. Meanwhile, Petrilli had his own subcontractors and vendors installing the manufacturing equipment. “I’m bringing in our own crews – millwrights, technicians, weld programmers, vendors that build the automation,” Petrilli said. “Walsh is working above us, installing utilities. The biggest challenge is trying to balance all that activity day to day.”

The overlap of the construction schedule with the manufacturing deadlines caused double the headaches. “It was a push every day,” Petrilli said. “We had normal meetings every week, but it was a daily effort to set priorities and communicate them to Walsh, to

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say, this is the area we need, this is the day we need it by – what do we need to do to get there? “That’s the only way to run it. Prioritize areas that you really need and go from there,” he said. Meeting the tight schedule meant the factory going to a 7-day, 10-12-hour shift to make up time. “We met the customer timing for the most part,” Petrilli said. “Ford worked with us to meet some of those early challenges.”

“It took an extreme level of coordination to make up those timeframes,” Hoisington said.

“There seemed not to be room in the schedule to do it, and then you find yourself doing it.” Gilliam sees the auto supply chain and their role in it like a pyramid. “At the top, you have the finished vehicle, and everything below that is what it takes to get that vehicle made. Our role here is to build the plant on time so that Flex-N-Gate can produce parts on schedule. We understand how critical it is for us to do our part in the larger picture.”

Design Matters Considering how much designing was accomplished on the fly, the look of the factory and its administration building mattered just as much as its functionality. The striking exterior, with its bold use of color, complements a restrained interior aesthetic.

The overall look of the building was very important to the owners, as well as to the City of Detroit and the surrounding community.

“We wanted it to be important landmark for the city and its comeback,” Hoisington said.

“We wanted it to be a beautiful building, but it’s a manufacturing building so there has to be efficiency to it. When you drive up to the administration part of the building, facing the city streets, it’s a beautiful approach.

“Mr. Khan was committed to have a really well-done design on the exterior. Then, on the interior, the lobby stands out as unique and very beautiful, particularly for an industrial facility,” he said. “Everyone’s really happy with the design,” Petrilli said. “The architect knocked it out of the park. It’s got a modern feel but also a retro feel. The contrasting panels in the front and on the side really show off well.”

Windows high on the factory walls provide daylight views for the workers. In the administrative building, a minimalist, industrial look is both sleek and practical.

Polished concrete instead of carpet in the conference rooms makes sense. “It’s an industrial environment, and people work in

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areas where hydraulic oil can be on the floor. Whatever there is on the floor, people track it in.

Carpet just doesn’t wear well,” Petrilli said. The simple look also keeps maintenance costs low.

Along the corridor in the administrative building, an artistic bamboo installation draws the eye, while resonating with the corporate culture. “There’s a reason bamboo was chosen,” Hoisington said. “It related to the culture of the company.” “It’s in the company name, Flex-NGate, a fast-growing company that’s very strong,” Petrilli said.

The team worked closely with the mayor’s office and city planning throughout, and Flex-NGate’s owners were committed to bringing prosperity and growth to the area, by providing good work and a good wage to local people. “It was neat that they focused on people in certain zip

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codes when they started hiring workers,” Gilliam said. “They put a priority on people in the area around the plant.”

During construction, the team reached out to the factory’s immediate neighbor, Elyton Baptist Church, and even did some fence repair for them. Church members were among those attending the factory’s grand opening in October 2018, along with the mayor and Michigan’s governor.

While developers bring high-profile projects to downtown and midtown Detroit, Flex-N-Gate’s return of manufacturing to the city focuses on bringing new life to residential and forgotten communities. “It’s not always about how much money can be made,” Gilliam said. “In this case, it was more about what the project did for the community.” The real success of the project – completed in the face of churning deadlines and persistent obstacles – lies in the promise of Detroit’s rebirth.

A polished concrete floor is both attractive and practical in the administrative building, where workers may track in hydraulic oil from the factory floor. A mural of the Ford Ranger highlights one wall of the conference room with vibrant color.

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University of Michigan’s L A C I G O L BIO

S E C N E I C S G N I D L I U B Brings Life to the “Science on Display” Concept

By Lisa Briggs Prehistoric fossils hang in the Evolution: Life over Time exhibit at the University of Michigan's Museum of National History at the Biological Sciences Building.

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U

W

Photo courtesy of Michelle AndoniAn

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B I O L O G I C A L

hether you're sitting inside the Biological Sciences Building and looking up, down, around, or out, or, if you're blocks away on foot or in a vehicle, you can't help but notice, in awe, the five-story beauty of the University of Michigan's latest academic asset.

The glass, steel, and terra cotta-wrapped structure is in a way its own sultry masterpiece of 312,000 square feet of elegance, innovation and advanced technology on both the exterior and interior. The visually stunning 100-foot glass walls create the atrium’s enclosed space where light penetrates 76 wet and dry research labs and shared spaces. The outer façade is 77,000 square feet of terra cotta rain screen, and behind that there are 4,000 tons of structural steel to support the building. Its three towers, connected by two floor-to-ceiling glass atriums, are known as the west, center, and east towers.

Truly, though, it's the floors within each tower that have given new life to graduate students, researchers, professors and scientists in the areas of biochemistry, biology, ecology, biodiversity, and paleontology.

The building’s modern amenities include a large, team-based classroom and two specimen-based classrooms, eight conference rooms, grow rooms, linear equipment and temperature-controlled rooms, credentialed and secure research areas, and interaction pods. It is also the distinctive home of the Museum of Natural History, which welcomes the public and also contains a planetarium or “digital dome theater,” and investigative laboratories where museum visitors can participate in laboratory science.

“Working on this project was one of my favorites because of the result of the quality of the space,” said Mark Potter, principal and senior project manager at SmithGroup, Detroit, who coordinated the team of experts and the client representative, Susan Monroe, the capital project manager for the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA) Facilities and Operations at the University of Michigan.

Monroe’s role was to ensure that the needs of the users – principal investigators, graduate and undergraduate students, staff and administrators – were represented in the programming and design. “Universally, everyone who walks into the building comments on its breath-taking design,” said Monroe. “It is the only building in the world with a public-facing natural history museum and active research laboratories. We are all proud of this building.”

One rare and unique feature of the Biological Sciences Building (BSB) is its intentional design

S C I E N C E S

to be open and collaborative to its university users and to allow visitors, guests, and the general public to witness real scientific research conducted in highly visible laboratories. This design is thanks to architects from SmithGroup, Ennead Architects, New York City, and contractor Barton Malow Construction, Detroit.

Jarrett Pelletier, project designer at Ennead Architects, explained how his firm got involved.

“We teamed up with SmithGroup, who was on the project as the architect of record and our firm was design architect. We collaborated because both firms have experience in this type of design – building a research facility.” A decade ago, Pelletier’s firm worked on the Biomedical Science Research Building a few blocks away.

Collaboration was crucial. “All the coordination between the architects and contractor came together to create this project,” said Monroe. “There was a series of large programming meetings and many of them were days long. There were multiple meetings geared around specific topics to meet the needs of the various departments.” The departments involved include molecular, cellular and developmental biology; ecology and evolutionary biology; and the museum of natural history and museum of paleontology.

It’s a project that was built faster than it was designed.

The concept of this modern science-empire started more than a decade ago. “This project got its genesis in 1999, when we moved the herbarium,” said Jeff Hausman, principal-incharge, historian, and senior vice president at SmithGroup.

“SmithGroup has a long history of serving U of M – it built the first chemistry building in 1908.

The University of Michigan has the second largest and most important zoological museum collection next to the Smithsonian. So, when we started the neighboring Life Sciences Building, which this new BSB building is attached to next door, we moved the herbarium collection and that started a process where the College of LSA started looking at its other museums such as the natural history museum, the museums of anthropology, zoology, and paleontology, and the exhibit museum and considered how they could bring them all back together. There were multiple studies performed and another building was designed for this space in 2004, but it was canceled. Finally, in 2013, the design phase for the current BSB actually began to take root.”

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Malow was on board for pre-construction in March 2014 to do the schematic design, planning efforts and construction documents.

“What I really liked and enjoyed about this project was being invited to the construction planning meetings,” said Rob Rankin, project director for Barton Malow.

Hausman credits former University President Mary Sue Coleman, who understood the importance of life sciences in the 21st century; her initiative is how the College of LSA was able to move this project forward. “Her insight and belief in putting this building here is really what completes the science district,” said Hausman.

The $261 million building sits in one of the most historic block of the campus.

Its aesthetic attractiveness is pleasing as it acknowledges the past and advances science into the future. The dignified Ruthven building is next door. It can be seen from the lobby entrance of the BSB, and it is scheduled to begin its own renovations in 2020 to become offices for administrators. The Ruthven’s architectural presence was not overlooked

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during the design phase.

Two older structures on site were demolished to prepare for the new building, and a pathway for the 10,000 students and faculty who walk by daily was reestablished to accommodate construction. Again, the team’s effort to synchronize a logistics plan helped to get construction materials in and out without impeding the flow of foot traffic or traffic to the adjacent dental school and circular bus loop.

Deliveries were oriented to keep off North University and directed to come in and out of Washtenaw to limit exposure to students. The University’s life safety plan, fire access, and other safety functions were coordinated with precision. “Every time there was a delivery of materials, we’d have four flag men and all the safety precautions in place to handle it and keep student safety a priority,” said Rankin.

The former dean back then, Terry (Terrence) McDonald, described the vision for the thendistant project that became a reality in spring 2018: “The BSB will change the way science is conducted and communicated in the 21st century.” When the idea first surfaced to do away with a university researcher’s traditional “four walls” and introduce open, team-based learning environments, it was not embraced or looked upon with enthusiasm; there was definitely discomfort about how this would work.

Letting go of the traditional “four-walls” design plan was not easy.

Hausman pointed out the perspective from a researcher and applauds Myron Campbell, associate dean for natural sciences at the time, and faculty project shepherd, for doing a lot of back channel discussions to get the faculty on board. “If you’re a researcher here, you might’ve been thinking, ‘I’m losing my four walls, what do I get out of this?’” Well, you get a new lab, you get state-of-the-art research, you save your research dollars by sharing common areas and equipment, etc. Hausman added, “Scientists, however, are notoriously not into sharing.”

Myron would tell them, “If you can’t see yourself sharing, then you can stay in your old space – or wherever they decide to put you.”

The beauty and evolution of that became colleagues convincing colleagues about the advantages of sharing and gaining a really exciting new space. “In fact,” said Monroe, “the scientists and researchers wondered how they could ever give up their space. Their ‘four-wall’style labs were a discrete unit. Every time we hired a new scientist, we’d spend millions of dollars to renovate within the four walls. We saw

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that was not sustainable. The concept of ‘science on display’ and open-lab planning where multiple researchers share one open lab might have seemed intimidating and hard to give up, but now, everything about the design and layout exceeds their expectations and gives everyone unique opportunities to interact in ways they could not have before. Bench, office and lab space is assigned to new hires – and this is a more cost-saving method for the University. We have found there is nothing but praise for the design of this building. Everyone sees the benefits now.”

The design was a challenge but also an opportunity.

Pelletier, of Ennead Architects, explained older, out-of-date design concepts of research buildings typically offered floor plans with closed-off, separate environments. “However, the BSB design is modern in the sense that it is more open and there is sharing of resources, such as microscopes, countertops and refrigerators. That, too, presented its own challenges in the design. In the shared, open lab style, you have so many different types of

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The University of Michigan's Biological Sciences Building is also the distinctive home of the Museum of Natural History, where museum visitors can participate in laboratory science.

Photo courtesy of Michelle AndoniAn

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research going on. The needs for the various kinds of research – field, computational research, and paleontology or biodiversity – all had to be customized to meet the needs of the specific research groups housed together. We took the older, inefficient design of research space and broke it apart into the model of the three towers connected by glass atriums. Every space has an abundance of light. The design offers an exterior window to every research lab or window facing the atrium which is flooded with natural light,” said Pelletier.

“One big challenge was how to blend the research and education pieces together,” said Pelletier. “You’re inviting the public into the space, giving school children an educational experience and yet need to allow the main occupants of the building – the researchers and grad students – the security and protection they need to do their day-to-day, real work.”

The building features a five-story atria lined with laboratories, where cutting-edge research is happening. The design offers an exterior window to every research lab or window facing the atrium, which is flooded with natural light.

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The well-thought-out design is allowing groundbreaking research to happen.

Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) neuroscientist researcher Rich Hume went from the former “four walls” design to the

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new, open-lab style. “We are overwhelmingly pleased with the size of the labs. We spent a lot of time and effort trying to determine how big the lab neighborhood should be. We didn't want them factory-like. The way we do our research, it's the perfect layout to have two or three of us grouped together.”

As a former chair of the MCCD department, Hume was involved a decade ago as part of the planning of the building, which didn't actually happen. “But I was heavily involved from what I learned then to make this building an even better building.”

A better building translates into exceptional benefits based on the open-style design.

For example, on the first floor, there is a large, team-based learning classroom, which many colleges on campus utilize. It holds 138 students in a team-based learning format. “It’s very successful and in demand,” said Monroe.

In addition, each floor has an “interaction or collaboration pod” or “pop-outs” built at the end point of the atrium. It’s a researcher lounge, an airy, three-sided, all-glass room with inviting furniture for researchers or scientists to relax, sit casually, hold mini-meetings, or speak together in an intimate setting. “Each floor has its own color scheme theme,” said Monroe. “One graduate student coined them the ‘mustard, ketchup, and relish spaces’ because of their similarities in color to the condiments.

Regardless, they are appreciated, enjoyed, and utilized many times throughout the day.”

“The interaction pods on the north side of the building face the courtyard and are attractive and pleasant to be in,” said Hume. “We're still learning to take pathways to lead us to take advantage of great features like this more often.” Hume said the south side of the building has really blossomed in terms of interaction.

“The conference room space in towers A and C have turned out to be real focus pieces. There are lunch tables and relaxation space; it seems those are heavily used.”

Monroe explained that the deliberate layout of the building on each floor incorporates certain amenities in one tower and not in another. “If you need to use a copier or printer, you go to tower B, and all of the elevators are in B. If you want to have lunch, there are eating spaces in towers A and C. This is structured so that you don’t have a choice but to travel through other parts of the building. This idea that certain features are in certain locations drives the circulation and interaction between users.”

Hausman added, “There’s research that says circulation, restrooms, and food get people to Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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congregate and interact—those three things were put in strategic areas.”

“The idea of integration of ‘science on display’ at the museum makes it unique. The level of quality, design, and detailing was met through tight schedules, internal goals, keeping milestone dates, budget goals, and a clientteam collaboration synergy that you don't always get on jobs; but this was definitely part of the success story of this project,” said Potter.

Through a glass window, the public can watch real scientists and researchers handle Petri dishes, pour liquid into beakers, look through microscopes, collect data, take notes, and perform other scientific tasks. There’s even an intercom button to push to speak directly to the scientists while they work.

There's one thing Hume absolutely loves about the BSB. “As a working scientist, I love that there is a museum in our building,” he said.

“In our natural way of doing things, we really appreciate outreach to the public right in our own building. When the museum was separate and off on its own it was more 20th century style; now, though, this building gives a closer

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affinity to us as researchers and where the museum is going in the future.”

Intimately connecting researchers was an intentional design element.

“One aspect about the project was the scale of square footage and what the University asked for,” said Todd Schlieman, design partner at Ennead Architects. “The amount of square footage creates a large footprint, so we considered it from the campus aspect and figured out how we would distribute the space.

We opted to ‘pavilionize’ it, which means creating smaller buildings connected by lightfilled atriums. The smaller spaces allow for more intimate areas. Having access to natural daylight was critical because the researchers themselves are doing very focused, detailed work, so to have natural light available aids their research efforts.”

Another area of consideration centered on the fact that the campus is at a crossroads. “We really were cognizant of the pedestrian experience,” said Schlieman. “In our designing of this structure, we were aware of the nearby

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courtyard by the Life Sciences building, the route to the Diag (central campus green space), the bridge that faces Washtenaw, and how the site slopes – we tried to make such a large building seem smaller and more intimate. The pavilion concept is what supports this design.”

Becoming a building for the 21st century didn't happen smoothly.

“The collaboration and synergy that the design, engineering, and building team speaks about really boils down to how we came together to solve things, how we executed it, how we agreed to disagree, but moved on to solve the problem,” said Potter. One such problemturned-solution the group faced was the installation of the acoustical plaster ceiling.

Robert Rankin, project director for Barton Malow, the general contractor, and Jim Paulson, senior construction administrator for SmithGroup, were on the job site every day solving challenges as needed.

The acoustic ceiling in the atrium space was a significant challenge. “Our approach to this job was a little more unconventional than a traditional build,” explained Paulson. “We built the structure up and installed the exterior façade, but we did our finishes from the top down. The BASWAphon ceiling coordination was definitely a challenge.” He explained that the ceiling’s compound radius allows it to curve in three-dimensions. The BASWAphon ceiling is of superb quality to absorb sound and produce crisper conversation. Its elegant aesthetics and reputation for giving open spaces the ultimate sound quality meant a tougher installation process.

The job – and the ceiling – was unique.

Rankin praises the relationship with SmithGroup, “Working together was vital on this project. The build team and Jim were close every step of the way. Thinking strategically early on and how to procure it was vital. The build team has to understand the approach and how to sequence it. This was a very unique job – high-end research, high-end architecture, and high-end museum all in one. We had to think outside the box, and that was collectively Barton Malow, SmithGroup and Ennead all working together to come up with how to approach it,” he said.

Six months of intense labor occupied the team’s attention.

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Visitors to the University of Michigan's Museum of National History are greeted by life-sized models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric fossils.

that ceiling space,” said Rankin. “We built something almost like a skateboarding ramp that went around the area so the finishers could walk evenly to finish that surface. It was very complicated just to get the infrastructure in place to build it. We then used that same scaffolding system to finish the perimeter. We set the glass from the inside, from floor level. We had to finish the light pockets and drywall. We boarded it and finished as we went down that same scaffold used to finish the ceiling system.

We had that scaffolding system in place for the better part of six months to finish those atrium spaces.”

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“Typically, you build from bottom up, but the problem we faced here was the high-end spaces on the ground floor and traffic that would constantly be coming through that floor or with the workforce we had going up to the top floors. We decided to build from the top down – it’s good for waste management, working our way down and out of the building.

So, we literally started at the top lab floors and worked our way across towers A, B, and C, and then we worked on the ground floor from west to east. That was mainly to control the traffic we had coming in those high-end spaces.”

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project, they did a punch list — where the team looks at the quality of installation. The method of leaving a top floor and punching it out allows for very little traffic, which in turn, allows the owner to move in furnishings and equipment.

Crews are not crossing a finished floor to build above it.

The skin of the BSB brought complexities that blossomed into beauty and deserves a little international credit. The curved glass – and there are only three manufacturers in the world to produce curved glass – came from Barcelona, Spain, and the flat glass is from Madrid. The terra cotta is from Germany.

“We knew we had a unique façade,” said Rankin. “The terra cotta rain screen system, the large format curved glass in the atriums, flat glass at the ground level and the curtain wall system all needed to integrate together.”

Quality control was the most important part of this phase of the construction.

Brainstorming and dialogue began when the group realized their selections were beginning to exceed the budget. “In the middle of the design of the façade, we realized budget

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changes were needed. We worked with Barton Malow and the subcontractors to come up with the plan to stick to one color of terra cotta but use different finishing techniques – such as smooth, honed, and raked – which gave it the textured look we were after without driving up the budget,” said Potter.

University personnel studied the central campus architecture and recognized the building materiality and appearance of the building could not be taken lightly. “The ‘collegiate gothic’ style buildings in this part of the campus have multi-colored brick and limestone. We’ve taken that vocabulary and those elements and translated them into a 21st century expression,” said Monroe. In addition, she explained that a rain screen for a science building is a wiser approach than masonry where there can be more gaps and holes in the fabric of the wall. It’s critical to have control over the exterior enclosure to help the HVAC system work at its highest capacity.

Without a lot of window penetration on the north façade, there was an opportunity to use traditional studs, sheathing, and vapor barriers.

Where there were a lot of window penetrations

(70 percent of the building) to help alleviate holes and gaps, Rankin said a pre-fabrication approach was used for the terra cotta and glass.

Every individual piece of terra cotta, all 38,000 pieces, were shipped in sequences to a prefabrication facility in Indianapolis. The mobile quality control group then traveled back and forth to Indianapolis to inspect the assembled units. “Those components were put together like puzzle pieces, framed and sealed in shrink wrap, and then shipped to the job site where they were literally set like Lego blocks around the building,” said Rankin. When anything got to the job site, there were eyes on it; it had been verified so we weren’t wasting any time in the field. Our whole goal was to streamline the schedule to make sure we had a continual flow of materials.”

The continual flow plan worked. The transformation into a completed building project – which recently earned Gold LEED status – is making a difference in the lives of students, faculty, and guests, and will continue to for generations to come. Take, for example, English major Kellyn McKnight, a junior at the University of Michigan, who decided to earn a minor degree in paleontology so she could eventually become a science writer. Her part-time job at the crescent-shaped front desk at the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History, which features sophisticated and state-of-the-art exhibitions such as: “Dynamic Planet,” “Evolution: Life through Time,” and “Measuring Time and Space,” inspired her to cinch her career path as a professional in science communications and writing. “Often scientists and researchers find it difficult to express concepts related to their work,” said McKnight, who works four-hour shifts as a host and demonstration instructor. “I want to maybe write for a science journal or enter into a communications position to help scientists convey and balance their work,” said McKnight.

Since its opening day on April 16, 2019, thousands of Michigan school children, college students, families, church groups, and individuals have visited, toured, and viewed science on display at the museum. McKnight, who enjoys giving museum tours, also gets to use the “science forum” or active learning, team-based classroom as it is known. The room sports a sleek, 10-foot-wide video panel to present mini-educational series on topics such as fluid dynamics or cow-eye dissections to visitors and walk-by guests interested in listening. This area is another example of what Monroe described earlier: popular shared space within the building. Professors can reserve and “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

U-M’s new glass, steel, and terra cotta-wrapped Biological Sciences Building features three towers connected by glass atriums. The outer façade is 77,000 square feet of terra-cotta rain screen, and behind that are 4,000 tons of structural steel to support the building.

Photo courtesy of Bruce dAMonte

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use the space to present specialized topics to students or other professionals in need of hightech sound, acoustics, and video equipment.

McKnight is fortunate enough to sit in front of the eye-catching and iconic skeletal display of male and female mastodons, extinct proboscideans that are distantly related to elephants. Monroe is proud of the display of the Quetzaleoatlus, a prehistoric flying reptile that hangs high above the west atrium. She explained that the reptile is one of only three in the world. The exhibit momentarily stops the breath of seven year-old Dimitri, a visitor from Spencer Elementary in Brighton. “There's so much to see,” said Dimitri, “I especially like the fossils, minerals, and rocks. There are so many different patterns. I really like the quartz display, too.” His class has been studying the sun, moon, and stars, so his visit to the planetarium will bring to life what he's been learning. Connie Clark, his teacher, said, “So many of the displays here align with our curriculum, so we thought it would be a great way to connect everything.”

Many academic and social connections are happening inside the BSB. Every day by around 10:00 a.m., it is bustling and full of students. It has organically become a place to hang out and to study. Lunch time seating is hard to come by.

Neuroscience student Amanda Pierce, 20, knows how true that is. “It’s always crowded here,” she says. “I come here because I like the open floor plan. It’s a happier place to study, and I like the seating. She sits with her laptop and headphones in the booth-style seating near the Darwin Café. She jokes about how different studying in the BSB is than the library. “It’s dark and there are lots of walls in the library,” she said. “Here, the uglier is constrained. There is light and openness.” Pierce speaks of the deliberate intention to keep public spaces light and airy while keeping messy research equipment hidden from the general visitor’s view.

“It’s become a destination,” said Monroe. “It was all very deliberate – and part of the design.

One of the very deliberate design tenets was that we would create opportunities for collaboration, and serendipitous encounters.”

“Which is exactly what we wanted it to be,” said Hausman. “It’s literally science on display, which is what we envisioned, and it’s working the way we wanted it to work. It’s nice to say as you’re planning and designing it, but when it actually happens, it’s quite satisfying.”

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AUCH Construction’s New Headquarters:

The Miracle at 65 University Drive

By Mary Kremposky Associate Editor

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brownfield becomes green space, weed-choked asphalt gives way to an outdoor garden, and a wind-scoured vacant lot is transformed into a glasswrapped gem of a building housing AUCH Construction’s new headquarters.

AUCH Construction, HED, and over 40 different trade contractors were the “change agents” responsible for resuscitating this 3.66-acre site and turning it into the company’s dream headquarters and downtown Pontiac’s eastern gateway.

Take a drive north along Woodward Avenue and the building rises proudly near the corner of University Drive, thanks to its elevation above the roadway and its placement on a podium formed of a retaining wall and 1,100 yards of added soil. A lattice of truss-like steel bracing attracts the eye as it stretches across the building’s glass curtain wall in support of a louvered canopy. “The intent of the angled steel bracing is to evoke what a 80 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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photos courtesy of James haefner photography, Inc.

Resembling a truss, the angled steel bracing across the front of the glass brands the building as the headquarters of a hard-working construction company.

construction company is about,” said HED Design Principal Arthur F. Smith, FAIA. “The steel not only tells the story of the construction company inside, but the trusses, resembling a repeating series of capital A’s, brand the building as AUCH Construction’s own.”

The building’s 17-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling height creates high-volume spaces filled with natural light and with views of its own leafy landscaping and the surrounding Pontiac skyline. Amazingly, the cramped interior of AUCH Construction’s former office on Paddock Street in Pontiac was the same square footage, but HED’s design turned a new building of the same size into an impressive series of wide-open spaces.

Like a vine growing on a trellis, the building’s architecture is entwined with its landscape of 5,500 plantings.

Along Woodward, the trees are aligned with the building’s column grid, and at the main entrance, Hornbeam trees form a dense geometric cluster called a bosque.

“Hornbeam is a very architectural, columnar tree,” said HED Principal, Landscape Architect Mark E. Hieber, ASLA, LEED AP®. “We wanted to take the bump in the architecture near the entrance and make a landscape that felt like an extension of the building.”

The site’s lush greenery fits into the urban context as well. HED established a streetscape – the sidewalk, rectangles of green space, and blocks of hedges – “that convey a linearity that we thought was a good urban gesture,” said Hieber.

Not all the greenery is geometric. The plants on and near the podium are part geometric, manicured shrubbery, and part fountain grass. Soft ornamentals, bending gently in the wind, create an expanse of nomow grass on the northeastern part of the site. “AUCH Construction wanted to set new standards for our own industry,” said recently retired AUCH Vice President Jim Munchiando. “A typical urban site is concrete and asphalt. We wanted to do more and create some greenery.”

A Lesson Plan for Success The founder of this 111-year-old company, Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

the late George W. Auch, would be proud of his company for its commitment to community and the sheer quality of the building. Auch was a schoolteacher turned contractor and his legacy firm could be viewed as a contractor turned teacher.

AUCH Construction’s new headquarters is not only a new corporate hub but a lesson plan in effective construction management.

As the construction manager, AUCH Construction is well-schooled in balancing the economics of a project with the design intent. As the owner, AUCH Construction understands the importance of working closely with the architect early in the project to define, clarify and distill its own vision, along with identifying user needs. If done early, changes can be minimized or even eliminated.

“As construction managers, we have always worked as part of an integrated team with our design partners in making the owner’s goals our goals,” said AUCH President and CEO Vince DeLeonardis, LEED AP®. “We knew the value of gathering all the necessary information, including staff input, early in the process.

HED interviewed our employees and showed us potential designs. We knew the importance of communicating issues, concerns and questions immediately, because once we began building, we didn’t want any changes. We wanted to move forward and never backtrack.”

Keeping on track was imperative, because AUCH Construction was on a mission to complete and occupy its new home in time for the intense summer construction season. HED extensively interviewed AUCH staff to crystallize the wish list for the new headquarters, doing its part to speed construction of the building into 10

compressed months of construction.

Following its own lesson plans, AUCH Construction completed this highquality, sustainable, LEED® building on time, on budget, and with minimal post-design changes. “One of the trade contractors indicated that it was one of the only

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major jobs that they had ever done with such minimal said changes,” DeLeonardis.

The Decision to Move AUCH Construction’s new headquarters is a lesson in both corporate and urban revitalization.

“We wanted to create a better workspace for our employees that would allow them to function more efficiently,” said DeLeonardis.

At its former AUCH Construction’s new headquarters in Pontiac rises proudly near the corner of Woodward Avenue and University Drive. The building is placed on a podium formed of a retaining wall and 1,100 yards of added soil. office, the list of inconveniences was long and long-lived: With only one official conference room, held an outreach meeting to discuss exemplifies what RACER Trust was trying meetings were often held in the bid room, various properties that they were marketing to accomplish,” said DeLeonardis. “The the training room or even in the kitchen. in Pontiac,” recalled DeLeonardis. “We team hit a home run.”

Sandwiched between a railroad track, a went to the meeting, took a description The Michigan Economic Development roadway and an industrial facility, the sheet on the University Drive property, and Corporation (MEDC) praised the project as irregularly shaped property was not easily put it in a file.” well. “A brownfield plan requires buy-in accessible to clients and visitors. Both site AUCH Construction spent the next 18 from the city, county and the State of and building were aesthetically challenged, months reviewing over 100 properties and Michigan,” said DeLeonardis. “When we and few AUCH employees had access to visiting 35 sites. The company, in an effort went to receive our project approval, the natural light. to move forward, short-listed five or six head of the MEDC stated that he had Additionally, the building could not hold properties that best met the criteria of its visited our site, and he said that a project AUCH Construction’s growing staff. “We priority list, including parking, accessibility, like this is exactly why the program exists.” outgrew the space,” said DeLeonardis. “We and potential for producing a quality even converted portions of the shop into workspace, along with a Pontiac location Site Design: Inspiration Point in Pontiac office space, and that meant no windows based on employee affinity for its corporate After site procurement, AUCH Construction for those individuals as well.” hometown. “After ranking each short-listed vetted six different architects and shortAUCH Construction initially evaluated property in each category, the University listed three firms. AUCH Construction whether to renovate the Paddock Street Drive property came out as the clear selected HED because of the design firm’s building. “We examined the cost of winner,” said DeLeonardis. strong alignment with AUCH’s own vision renovating versus building new,” said AUCH Construction submitted an of the building as a catalyst to further the DeLeonardis. “When we took a look at the extensive written document to RACER resurgence of Pontiac. “We knew HED necessary level of investment in the Trust proving the company could would give us a great building, but what led Paddock building, and then what we would successfully restore the site’s economic us to choose HED is that during the have achieved, it just did not make sense.” vitality. According to the RACER website, presentation, they talked about the impact some of the criteria includes job creation, we could have on this urban area,” said The Clear Winner tax revenue generation, and blight DeLeonardis. “They believed that this The quest for a new home began in 2015. reduction. project would help to inspire other The University Drive site is the first property Not only did AUCH prove it on paper, but businesses to locate in Pontiac.”

AUCH Construction visited in its search, they proved it in steel, glass, and masonry The building’s grand volume was and one of a host of former GM properties block. “What was really edifying is RACER designed to draw attention to this new in the Revitalizing Auto Communities Trust Trustee Elliott P. Laws, who attended development and to inspire companion Environmental Response (RACER) Trust. both the groundbreaking and the ribbondevelopments. “We looked at one- and “The City of Pontiac and RACER Trust cutting, said that this development two-story configurations for the building 82 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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seeking a means of giving the building some sense of prominence,” said HED Associate Principal James Meredith, Workplace Strategy and National Corporate + Commercial Studio Leader.

“We wanted a building concept that had a real urban and corporate presence. For that reason, we began to explore the idea of a higher-volume building that moved it up towards 20 feet rather than 10 feet. The building has the sense of a proud organization in an appropriate urban context.”

Both subsurface conditions and amplifying the building’s presence on the site drove the building’s site placement. “A pair of underground stormwater lines running through the middle of the site split it into an east and a west half,” said Hieber.

“We didn’t care to bridge over or build on this infrastructure. Plus, the west half was the more potentially environmentally degraded side of the site. These factors contributed to placing the building on the east side of the site.”

According to Meredith, selecting the prominent east corner and placing the 20,000-square-foot building on a plinth “raises the building above the sidewalk and street and onto its own base,” helping to highlight and attract attention to the building.

The building pad had to be raised over five feet to help make the building the “star” of the site. Moving north to south, “the entire site is higher in the back and lower in the front,” said Hieber. “We used the back elevation as the fixed point and brought the building out almost like a prow at the corner.”

Imported fill made the building pad even with the north end and level coming across from the west half of the site. “The fill brings the building pad up about five feet above the sidewalk at the corner of University Drive and Woodward Avenue,” said AUCH Project Manager Jacob Munchiando.

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reception desk. Made of Alder and Birch, ApplePly® is a type of premium plywood with a naturally attractive edge – and no edge banding.

Ceiling soffits in the lobby, made of wire mesh, Unistrut, and pop rivets, are another inspired expression. “They are all common materials that are then expressed to be special,” said Smith.

Several interior walls are simply exposed burnished block. This dark burnished block, flecked with subtle color, is aesthetically pleasing and low-maintenance. The building’s three masonry block shear walls offer structural support and manage lateral loads, allowing AUCH staff to enjoy greater expanses of unobstructed glass and outdoor views. Without the shear walls, “there would be several sets of large steel cross bracing, either exposed

Building Design: Unvarnished Materials The building celebrates construction and the ability of architecture to make basic materials beautiful. The raw materials of construction are on unvarnished display throughout the building, including the aggregate concrete floor in the corridors to the Forest Stewardship Council-certified ApplePly® feature wall behind the Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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or enclosed in thick drywall,” added Jim Munchiando.

The building materials are subtly turned into an expression of the AUCH name. On the interior, the outline of the steel column’s diamond footings is partially visible in the aggregate concrete floors as an exposed series of triangles suggesting the letter A. On the exterior, the letter A pattern of the steel trusses across the main glass curtain wall is repeated in the gate of the outdoor garden.

Employee-Centric Design The design of this contemporary building is employee-centric. “Our design is based on things AUCH said that really inspired us,” said Meredith, “such as the company’s focus on their employees, and the fact that this was an over 100-year-old organization that was finding its way into a new generation.”

HED’s design team met with AUCH staff to program the building to satisfy current staff and attract the next generation.

Thanks to this meeting of the minds, the

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light-filled building features a high-ceilinged indoor cafeteria called the Paddock Street Café, a WiFi-enabled outdoor garden for dining, working, or relaxing, and energy-efficient systems in a sustainable building aiming for LEED® Silver certification. “HED definitely caught the essence of what we wanted to accomplish,” said Jim Munchiando.

AUCH Construction continued to welcome the input of its own 65 opinionated and passionate construction professionals throughout the project. “We decided to treat ourselves as two separate entities – the owner and the contractor,” said Jim Munchiando. “If we didn’t, everyone that works for the company would want to continually change this or The site’s 5,500 plantings frame the building in greenery. that.”

Above, both plants and building structure, including a To focus the passion, louvered canopy and angled steel bracing, share the AUCH Construction formed building’s elevated podium facing Woodward Avenue an executive building committee and a series of piece as an extrusion beyond the brick, steering committees populated with AUCH elected to use “a typical curtain wall employees and a senior management system, but we then had the extrusions representative. “In our process, if someone bent like you would a flshing almost, and had a suggestion they would bring it up to then the installer snaps them right on,” said a steering committee that would then bring Jim Munchiando. “It was a lot less it to the executive committee for expensive and it achieved the same look. consideration,” said DeLeonardis.

It’s all about working closely as a team to come up with better solutions without Construction: Finessing the Budget losing the design intent.”

As construction manager and owner, AUCH The outdoor garden’s pavement presents Construction had free rein in implementing another example of this delicate balancing inspired budget solutions to a host of act. Instead of installing more expensive design ideas. “AUCH found clever ways to unit paving, “we used a simple implement design ideas, making for a differentiation between a rough broom marvelous conversation that took place finish and a smoother broom finish, along among us,” said Meredith. “It was a really with some line work,” said Hieber. “It ties dynamic relationship in that regard.” into the same notion that also happens A case in point is the curtain wall inside the building: Economical materials extrusion on the building’s east elevation. used well to express the design.”

“HED wanted to extrude the curtain wall past the brick, but that would require large, Construction: Finessing the Schedule expensive extrusions purchased through AUCH Construction’s goal was to keep the glass company,” said Jim Munchiando. moving forward in order to occupy the “We came up with the idea of having building before the summer construction somebody else break the extrusions into push. In operation for over a century, this interior and exterior pieces.”

Rather than using a large, solid 14-inch “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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veteran construction company’s scheduling strategies accelerated this forward motion.

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Pre-order Materials Directly from the Manufacturer: “We pre-ordered the brick without having a masonry contractor selected or having the masonry design finished,” said Jacob Munchiando. “We worked with the architect to identify the brick areas and layout, we did our own internal takeoff and included a waste factor, and by the time we had selected a contractor, the brick was already available.”

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Build Mock-Ups: AUCH Construction built actual mock-ups of office spaces and brought in furnishings to its Paddock Street shop. “We had an idea of the office spaces and its furniture in 3D, but we saw the value of mockups,” said Jim Munchiando. “We did mock-ups of each of our project managers’ offices, as well as the engineering spaces and accounting spaces. The staff, having sat and worked in these mock-ups for several hours, could make a list of what worked and what didn’t. When we got the furniture, the space worked, we were done, and we could move on.”

Mock-ups have been used on other AUCH projects, saving time and money. “If you build one office wrong, all 20 are wrong,” said Jacob Munchiando. “If you build a mock-up, you may catch a problem with one item costing $100 for instance. It would cost you $2,000 if all 20 were built before the problem was detected.”

According to Smith, AUCH built mock-ups of the wire mesh ceiling soffits, and after much tweaking, the project team arrived at a more visually appealing and more easily constructed assembly that was less taxing to coordinate and align, and easier on the schedule.

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Team-Approached Sequencing Schedules: Certain days were targeted for longer hours, and some activities were shifted out of sequence to avoid manpower issues with other ongoing projects.

Early morning concrete pours took place as early as 5 a.m., enabling the contractor to

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move on to the next job. “Sometimes the next job was one of our own projects,” said Jacob Munchiando.

“Our schedule benefited our clients and communicated to them that our own headquarters didn’t take priority over their needs.”

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Building Information Modeling: “BIM enabled the mass of the building to be seen at different stages for scheduling purposes,” according to AUCHsupplied information. “Parts of the schedule were then modified to allow the project to flow more fluidly, while in some cases, eliminating the need for temporary construction.”

BIM was invaluable in coordinating MEP systems with steel in exposed ceiling areas. BIM was particularly helpful in managing the tight tolerances of only a halfto a quarter-inch between the ductwork and bar joists in the open office zone. “The BIM model allowed

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us to make sure our bar joists – a longlead item ordered far in advance – were spaced far enough to allow ductwork to fit right down in the middle of the joist,” said Jacob Munchiando.

• Breaking Bid Packages into Separate AUCH Construction Contracts: breaks bid packages into as many separate contracts as possible on most projects. “The project is broken down into more manageable pieces that are smaller and more detailed,” said Jim Munchiando. “This approach gives a contractor more control.”

With no one having more than one scope of work/contract, more trade contractors were able to participate on this signature project. Additionally, “AUCH prides themselves on breaking down bid packages rather than issuing general trade packages to avoid markups on top of markups,” added Jim Munchiando.

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Innovative and Sustainable Systems This efficiency-minded company is well served by the design’s energy efficiency.

The building features a sustainable HVAC design called a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. “Basically, VRF can heat and cool different parts of the building at the same time without a traditional rooftop unit,” said Jacob Munchiando. “VRF allows for a building with different zones that cater to individual needs. It is all about employee comfort. In the former facility we lacked adequate temperature control, but the staff has been much more comfortable in the new building.”

According to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s website, VRF systems can contribute a great number of points toward LEED® certification, and it is 20 to 30 percent more efficient than conventional HVAC systems.

The website states, “Modern VRF systems provide some major advantages, such as zoning, individual temperature control, minimized ductwork, excluding the need for secondary fluids (chilled-water or hot-water distribution), and associated costs. This all-electric The lobby and the entire LEED building use basic materials in beautiful and sustainable ways, ranging from the aggregate concrete floors and the Forest Stewardship Council-certified ApplePly® wall behind the reception desk to the unique ceiling treatment made of wire mesh, Unistrut, and pop rivets.

technology consists of a single outdoor condensing unit, multiple indoor units serving various zones, refrigerant piping with branch selectors, and associated controls.”

According to Jacob Munchiando, AUCH’s building management system (BMS) tracks the energy usage of its VRF system, along with the entire facility’s energy usage patterns. The building’s BMS data has proven the VRF system’s energyefficiency.

AUCH Construction can display BMS data on a lobby video screen. “For educational purposes, we can show the BMS information on the building’s electrical usage, including what panels are drawing on power,” added Jacob Munchiando.

The building has an intelligent irrigation system as well. “The irrigation system keeps track of the amount of water being used,” said Jacob Munchiando. “It makes sure that our plants aren’t being over- or under-watered. If we have a break in our irrigation system, the system shuts the irrigation system down. If the irrigation 86 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

system has a leak or break at 1:00 a.m. and no one arrives until 6:30 a.m., we would stand to lose thousands of gallons of water without this system. It is beneficial to us and to the environment, and it is also something we can show clients. It is inexpensive. Avoiding the impact of even one break can save what we have invested in the system.”

The building’s sustainability initiatives include a daylight harvesting system. In the large open space of the collaborative office area, the amount of artificial light “steps down based on the amount of natural light coming into the different areas of this large room,” said Smith.

The artificial lights are dimmer near the windows and become progressively brighter as one moves deeper into the interior. “All of the blinds are semi-opaque to retain the ability to see out,” Smith adds.

“They are all controlled electronically and move as a single unit to maintain visual consistency.”

Both building systems and materials rank high in sustainability. A louvered sunshade “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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protects the south-facing glass curtain wall along the building’s front façade, and lowemissivity coatings produce high-performance glass capable of reducing solar heat gain. The aluminum curtain wall itself is a recycled material, along with the ceiling tiles, carpets, and gypsum materials.

In the parking lot, HED’s landscape design created two innovative bioswales designed for stormwater management on a brownfield site. Unlike its conventional counterparts, these bioswales are not allowed to infiltrate stormwater into the soil because the west side of the site is capped with clay to encapsulate contaminants.

The solution: A liner is underneath each bioswale, along with an underdrain. The stormwater sheet flows (an even controlled movement of water to avoid erosion) down the parking lot’s subtle gradient, through openings in the curbs, and into the lined bioswales. “The liner holds and delays the stormwater before it moves into an underdrain and eventually makes it way to the storm drain,” said Hieber.

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“This approach has never been done before to my knowledge,” added Hieber, who is a voracious reader of site- and The stormwater-related information. bioswale plants offer another form of stormwater management: the plants evapotranspire some of the stormwater, essentially “exhaling” water vapor through the pores of their leaves. This “green breathing” does its part to lessen the burden on the region’s combined sanitary and storm sewer system. All of these stormwater control measures help to prevent torrential downpours from generating the combined sewer overflows responsible for beach closures and flooded basements.

From Brownfield to Green Space Turning a brownfield into a green space involved different strategies during design and construction.

According to DeLeonardis, RACER Trust was responsible for the initial remediation, and if required, the presence of any contaminates on site.

AUCH’s

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responsibility was to avoid any disturbance or inadvertent mixing of the soils or any dust generation during construction.

As consultants and testing agents, SME conducted several soil analysis studies, resulting in the removal and proper disposal of some of the west side soils, along with documentation of the procedure.

HED designed a tapered landform or mound on the northwest part of the site to contain the balance of the brownfield soils. “The mound was capped with clay, and orange plastic snow fencing was placed a minimum of 18 inches below grade to designate that area as a no excavate zone,” said Hieber. “If anyone should dig in that area, the sight of the fencing would be a warning marker to avoid excavation in that location.”

The light-filled building features a high-ceilinged indoor cafeteria called the Paddock Street Café that overlooks a WiFi-enabled outdoor garden for dining, working, or relaxing. On the interior, the café can open into the adjacent Mt. Elliott training and meeting space.

In shaping the mound, “we settled on the idea of a soft slope,” continued Hieber.

Viewed from University Drive, the landform rises gradually from south to north. The tapered mound creates a green vista, “because it is tipped up toward the view of the AUCH site,” said Hieber. “It slopes back down sharply on the far end” to act as a visual buffer between the AUCH development and properties north of the site. Recently, the mound surface has been planted with milkweed and other prairie plants, creating a monarch- and pollinatorfriendly landform in the middle of downtown Pontiac.

“We Are Proud to Show It” With its high volume, light-filled spaces wrapped in a green landscaped fringe, AUCH Construction’s new headquarters offers wonderful workspaces and meeting areas for its 65-person staff. “We have always worked hard, but now people enjoy it more,” said Jim Munchiando. “People feel better when they come to work, and they feel better when they go home, just because of the natural light coming into the building all day long.”

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managers said that when she wakes up in the morning and is getting ready for work, she thinks about the building she is coming to and it just makes her smile.”

It’s easy to see why. The staff entrance leads directly through the outdoor garden, a plant-filled oasis for AUCH staff. A dense and growing hedge hides this squareshaped outdoor enclave from the street.

“The space flowers from spring till fall, and when the hedge matures and reaches a certain height, cars will not even be visible, only the Pontiac skyline,” said Jim Munchiando. Once mature, “the hedges will appear as a green wall, creating a crisp piece of outdoor architecture,” added Hieber.

The loveliness of this outdoor haven honors the late Martha Auch Wissman, daughter of founder George Auch. At 103 years of age, she attended the building’s groundbreaking but passed away before project completion. A rose garden within the overall space and a commemorative plaque is dedicated to the memory of “Martha’s strong spirit and ongoing dedication to her father’s company.”

Open the door and step into the building’s Paddock Street Café and grab a “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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Belle Isle’s MacArthur Bridge. One meeting room, called the Pontiac Room, honors AUCH Construction’s host city, a place AUCH has called home for over 30 years.

Every work and meeting space is sunlit and streamlined.

The accounting department is directly behind the lobby, allowing trade contractors ease of access for business transactions. After going paperless, the accounting space could be downsized for efficiency because of AUCH’s effort to digitalize information. “In the old building, accounting used to be in a 40-by-40-foot room just to hold all the billings,” said Jim Munchiando.

Contemporary meeting spaces fill AUCH Construction’s new headquarters. The corridor above is painted with AUCH Construction’s corporate blue, and even the exposed diamond footings (left side of photo at column base) subtly express the capital A of the AUCH name.

cup of coffee from a custom digital coffee machine. Walk into the Mt. Elliott training room next door for a company meeting held every other Tuesday in a room named after AUCH Construction’s original location in Detroit. “Within the Mt. Elliott room, all of our managers, engineers, vice presidents and president have a video conferencing meeting with the superintendents on our jobsites to discuss issues and concerns on various projects,” said Jim Munchiando.

Both the high-ceilinged café and training room overlook the blooming outdoor garden just beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Roll back a partition and the two spaces can fuse into a single event space, and easily connect to the outdoor space as well. This easy flow of spaces is ideal for company, community, and industry events.

“The Pontiac Rotary, the Oakland County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce have all met at our facility,” said DeLeonardis.

“Industry groups such as the Building Enclosure Council have met here as well.

We are proud to show it.”

Contemporary, Collaborative Workspaces The new work environment features a highVisit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Constructing a Community A unique AUCH sign – blue in the day and luminous white at night – broadcasts the company’s presence in the heart of Pontiac. “The sign has a perforated blue film with thousands of small holes in it,” said Jacob Munchiando. “At night, the LED light behind the film shines through and shows white.”

The sign, the building, and the site are

volume, light-filled and wide open office zone, along with private offices along the perimeter of the interior. Each private office is outfitted with a glass wall and sliding glass door to “offer visual contact with everybody,” said Jim Munchiando. This arrangement draws everyone into the collaborative sphere.

The open office zone features now wellused collaboration tables. “Within the first week of having moved into the building, we saw managers and engineers standing and sharing ideas or working out solutions at the collaboration tables,” said DeLeonardis. “In the old building, we just didn’t have that type of opportunity. We had to schedule a formal meeting to make that happen. Now it is just happening organically.”

Problem-solving is accelerated in this collaborative space. “We collaborate, we look at other jobs, and ask, ‘How are you handling this situation?’” said Jim Munchiando. “It really helps.” Other helpful features: Everyone enjoys natural light and has a height-adjustable desk.

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becoming a company and an industry beacon, attracting a new wave of young interns interested in AUCH Construction and in the construction industry. “We’ve helped interns get involved with trade programs, educational programs, and with architects and engineers,” said Jacob Munchiando. “We hold training sessions and seminars and host a mock bid day.”

The building’s construction lessons begin at the pre-school level. A woman and her four-year-old grandson, who had been watching the construction of the entire building, asked to see the completed building. “We welcomed them into the building and gave them a tour, along with a children’s book on construction and a stuffed construction toy,” said DeLeonardis. “If we can help inspire future architects, engineers and contractors, we are all in.”

Clearly, AUCH Construction is touching the lives of people in the surrounding community. “Pastor Jones from Welcome Memorial Baptist Church recently brought his grandson who is in the eighth-grade to our new office because he is considering a career in architecture,” said DeLeonardis.

“One of our managers took part of his day to tour jobsites with him and to even take him to visit TMP Architecture. We recently hired a Pontiac resident, who is interested in mechanical engineering, as a project engineer, and he is doing very well.”

The building’s visibility, design quality, and landscaping are inspiring a change in neighboring buildings as well. “We have already seen the impact, because a lot of people are already fixing up their buildings around us,” DeLeonardis said. A nearby building owner painted their building with a colorful mural soon after AUCH Construction moved into the neighborhood.

Another neighbor renovated their church sanctuary with copper gutters and new exterior lighting.

AUCH Construction has the gratitude of the Pontiac community, and HED has the gratitude of AUCH. “We can’t thank HED enough,” said Jim Munchiando. “The building is unbelievable.” Anyone driving north on Woodward Avenue or walking through the building’s front doors would certainly agree.

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“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

HUB Ann Arbor Offers a Fun, Luxury Option for Student Housing

By Marilyn S. Jones-Wilson

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“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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LEFT TOP: A business and study center continues the theme of retro music tech. Art panels with neon accents add vibrant light.

LEFT BOTTOM: Eclectic found objects with a retro musical theme and lighting sculptures add interest to one of the common rooms on the first floor.

BELOW: Units include full kitchens, living areas, bedrooms with private bathrooms for up to four tenants, and other amenities.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEvin KaminSKi

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ffering fun, convenient housing for students, HUB Ann Arbor makes a spirited addition to the University of Michigan milieu. Faced with an impossibly constricted site, compressed schedule, and other challenges, construction manager Spence Brothers beat the clock to make up months of time on the way to completion. The project sets a new luxurious standard for campus living.

Offering 124 high-end student apartments, or 310 beds, on the edge of the university, HUB Ann Arbor won a 2019 Innovator Award for best new off-campus development (under 400 beds) from the annual Interface Student Housing Conference. Developed by Core Spaces and currently owned by American Campus Communities (ACC), the building uses contrasting brick veneer and metal composite panels on the exterior.

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The 12-story high rise is constructed of 8-inch post-tension concrete decks with metal stud framing. With two stories of parking below, the $35 million, 180,000square-foot building was completed in June 2018 in time for fall-term leasing. The apartments, which vary from 350-squarefeet studios, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom options up to 1,250-square-feet, are fully furnished, with full kitchens, living areas, and private bathrooms for each occupant. Amenities include a fitness center, yoga studio, steam room, business center and eclectic common areas. An extraordinary rooftop deck boasts lounge seating, fire tables, fantastic views of the city, and a phenomenal 25-foot hot tub.

The construction team and architect, Myefski Architects of Chicago, faced numerous hurdles to make the already compressed client deadline, including an unforgiving winter and an extremely constricted footprint.

Design Hurdles The building is located in an historic district, which means that its height had to be kept below 120 feet. When the owners asked for 12 floors instead of 11 to increase the number of apartments to lease, the decision was made to compress the space between floors, leaving 6 inches vertically between units, from ceiling to the floor above. This required installation of utilities and ductwork to be extremely efficient, with no unused space.

Another challenge during design concerned zoning requirements. “Local zoning specified that the building must fit into a 65-foot radius,” said John Myefski, president and principal of Myefski Architects. Traditionally, a multi-unit residential building is designed for a long rectangular slab. “We had to develop a plan that fit into a circular shape, with a much deeper footprint. Technical issues arose CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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HUB Ann Arbor offers upscale housing for University of Michigan students. Built on a constricted urban site, the building nearly touches the hotel next door, and is only inches from its other neighbor.

when the plans were tested against light and ventilation requirements,” he said. “To overcome this, we created a plan for occupiable recessed portions of the building.

We drew a circle and overlaid an ideal multi-unit floor plan on it.” The designers manipulated the floor plate to the circle until arriving at a layout that would ensure all residents had access to natural air and light, a priority for their overall vision for the project.

Starting Out Behind As concrete specialists with a solid track record, Spence Brothers won the initial bid for the large amount of concrete – 7,400 cubic yards – required for the project.

“The budget didn’t work for other contractors,” said Bruce Smith, project director for Spence Brothers. The company’s expertise brought about scope recommendations and $1 million in value engineering to

streamline the phased concrete work within budget. Their ingenuity led to being awarded the overall construction management. “We felt that Spence Brothers self-performing the concrete scope of work would be a benefit to the project.” said Mark Goehausen, project manager for Core Spaces, Inc. Given the intractable winter of 20162017, the management award may have seemed a mixed blessing. While the project started in October 2016, a wet February saw frost laws kick in early, delaying underground work at the site for two and a half months until truck activity could resume. The combination of time-saving techniques and two months of overtime saw the project regain all but five days in the original timeline by the time the roof deck was poured. “In less than 10 months, Spence Brothers managed to make up more than 40 working days on the schedule,” Goehausen said.

Among the measures to save time and money, resteel for the supporting 24 columns per floor was pre-tied off-site and delivered ready to install, day by day. This saved what would have been 3-4 days preparing the rebar for the columns on site.

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In addition, a specialty vertical wall panel system was set in place prior to pouring concrete. Studs were installed every 24 inches instead of every 16, allowable under code, as another savings.

Other value engineering included using an alternative air barrier product, gypsum sheeting made by Georgia-Pacific, on the building envelope. The Dens® barrier system integrates a fiberglass mat with a gypsum core for high-performance.

Another savings on the two levels of parking below ground was the decision to run exhaust fans continuously, saving energy and expense, by eliminating the need for CO2 monitoring. Overall, Spence Brothers made up the time while maintaining the highest standards for the concrete columns and ceilings. “Their quality control really shows in these areas,” Goehausen said. “The team also never failed a pre-pour inspection, delivering on their commitments in exceptional fashion.”

No Room for Error The building site at 603 E. Huron, in the heart of downtown adjacent to the university, posed unprecedented challenges in access and logistics. “The west edge of the project is only eight inches away from the adjacent building,” Smith said. “And the east edge nearly touches the Graduate Hotel.” The only points of access to the construction site were on East Huron itself, which is an MDOT roadway, the I-94 business loop, and through the hotel’s parking lot. Lane closures were prohibited during business hours on East Huron.

Particularly with the large volume of concrete, arriving in 75 trucks, and over 30,000 square feet of decking materials to be delivered, the challenge of coordinating deliveries for all the trades required constant communication with the City of Ann Arbor and both neighboring sites.

Only one crane was available with north side access only, and Spence Brothers had to schedule it by the hour in 4-hour shifts for the trades.“We couldn’t have done it without daily communication,” Smith said.

“It took everyone working together to get it done.”

Communication became even more vital when the original developer, Core Spaces, sold the building to American Campus Communities in the middle of construction.

Overnight, client oversight doubled, with Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Core Spaces remaining involved and the new owner adding new specifications to the plans. “The new owners added $1 million to the project’s scope,” Smith said.

ACC made changes for brand consistency with their other properties. “They changed door hardware to their preferred manufacturer, and they changed security to their own card access system. They also added cost by choosing wall vinyl in the common areas instead of paint, and upgrading garage doors to high-speed options. Ultimately, the added features contributed to the overall look and highend amenities of the project.

Then, as if the schedule wasn’t tight enough, the new owners also moved up the completion date from August 23 to August 4, when they started selling leases. “It was a challenge to keep everyone in the loop of construction progress, given the tight timeline,” Smith said. “Communication throughout the team was critical to our success.”

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Eclectic Interiors The architect’s vision was to elevate housing in the community near to the University of Michigan, expanding the choices to undergrad and post-graduates in the area. “Our goal focused on designing a purposeful student housing that would bring an unprecedented living experience to downtown Ann Arbor,” Myefski said.

After evaluating the neighborhood’s scale and collaborating with the surrounding community, the firm set out to raise the standard and redefine campus living. “The residential units are infused with as much natural light as possible,” Myefski said, “while the public spaces cater to the desires of the next generation.”

The first-floor common areas include eclectic elements with mixed materials, such as brass and glass tables, leather upholstery, and aged carpets on hardwood flooring. Colors are dark and enveloping, with accent seating in bright yellow, orange and Union Jack pattern. Shelves overflowing with books share corners with

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On the HUB rooftop, a 25-foot hot tub, along with lounge seating, fire tables, and outdoor showers, offer tenants and guests a skyscape of the city.

stacked amps, old turntables, speakers and receivers, part of a retro musical theme carried throughout. There’s an upright piano painted yellow and in a hallway near the elevator, a reception desk is covered in cassette tapes under glass.

A club room features a billiards table; lighting arrangements double as sculpture.

Found art imparts a sense of controlled clutter, drawing the eyes in dozens of directions. Art panels incorporating lightsaber neon accompany a conference table and a business center that offers iMacs and free printing. The building also offers tenants a fully appointed fitness room, a yoga studio with resistance cables, and a striped, tiled and glass-walled steam room.

In addition to car parking below ground, covered bike storage is offered.

The apartments themselves range from studios to 4-bedroom arrangements. Units have fully equipped kitchens with quartz stone counters, full-sized washers and dryers, large TVs and Kohler showerhead speakers. Some units have balconies or private terraces. Literally at the pinnacle of 96 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

the building is the racing-striped 25-foot rooftop hot tub, accompanied by a sun deck with lounges and table seating. Under a lighted canopy, luxuriously upholstered couches overlook the city.

A Fun, Upscale Option After an array of challenges, from a timetable shortened by early frost restrictions, to a cramped urban site with limited access, Spence Brothers and Myefski Architects created a stylish, pulsating place to be for students and young people in the city. The owner, American Campus Communities, describes HUB Ann Arbor as the perfect space to entertain, with plenty of privacy in an academically-oriented environment. “This was our first residential high-rise,” Smith said. “I’m happy with how it came out.”

Obviously, their problem-solving approach paid off. As proof of their success, Spence Brothers was awarded construction management for HUB on Campus in East Lansing for Michigan State students.

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The interior shared spaces at the new Dexter Early Elementary Complex feature bold colors, geometric shapes, and dynamic learning areas that encourage students to collaborate and explore.

Dexter Early

Elementary Complex: A New Building Designed to Build Better Minds

By Lisa Briggs

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hen prospective parents Michael and Courtney Fitzpatrick toured the 150,000-square-foot, $24.4million Dexter Early Elementary Complex in June, they envisioned their first-grade son climbing into one of the cozy reading nooks built into the wall in the area known as the “Marketplace,” watching a science video in the theater area, or learning how volcanoes erupt in the “Workshop” space.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Courtney. “This space in the middle is so amazing, with all the light, especially in the winter when it’s so dark in our state, I imagine this space to be well-lit for the students. We are thrilled to choose this as our son’s new school. The care put into this design reveals to us how Dexter Schools is thinking outside of the box.”

The unconventional design and “space in the middle” she refers to garners great attention. It was the Marketplace and Workshop space – the center focal points between two elementary school buildings (Anchor Elementary and Beacon Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Elementary) – that cinched it for the Fitzpatricks to transfer their son from a charter school to the new Dexter Early Elementary Complex.

The 10,000-square-foot area dubbed the Workspace is a visual stunner to all who enter it. It serves as a “connecting” space between two mirror-image elementary schools. There’s no end of beauty and elegance in this diverse space – glass, wood, metals, resin, laminate, rubber, cotton, vinyl, and aluminum all have a purpose. Much like the space itself, these materials were intentional and designed to be used, shared and experienced. All of that can’t happen – without people – the people who design and build the space and the people who occupy it.

“Architecture is different than art because it is not architecture until it is occupied by people,” said Dave Larson, Chief Design Officer, at TMP Architecture, Bloomfield Hills. “It’s wonderful to see the concepts we created become a reality, and it’s even more rewarding to see people using the facility.” TMP’s design blueprints and renderings created for the Early Elementary Complex came to life under the supervision of Greg Brand, Senior Project Engineer for Granger Construction, Lansing, the company who built the coveted learning center.

Brand, who incidentally is a Dexter High School graduate, is proud that one of his own two sons attends the school he built.

A touch of sentimentality can be heard in his voice. His own father, Jerry Brand, Vice President at Granger Construction, built Mill Creek Middle School and Cornerstone (now Anchor) Elementary when Greg Brand himself was in seventh grade in Dexter. The Brand family legacy of constructing buildings continues in Dexter.

Visualizing the Space Larson explains that the modern software his firm uses, Revit and Lumion, helps clients such as Dexter Community Schools Superintendent Chris Timmis visualize the results in a real way. The program allows a lifelike environment in early design stages.

This live, point-of-view synchronization gets enthusiasm ramped up for clients.

“What we saw in the renderings was incredible,” said Timmis, who has served the district for six years as superintendent.

Under his leadership, the district passed a $71.7 million school bond in August 2017,

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which allowed for the creation of twin K-2 school buildings linked by the Workshop and Marketplace to create the impressive Early Elementary Complex. The 17-month project was not without challenges, such as tight deadlines, the need to safely and quietly work around children and learning environments in session, developing a temporary pick-up and drop-off parking loop for parents bringing children to school, and the effects of the Prevailing Wage Act, which has to do with payment of workers.

Perhaps the toughest challenge of all, however, was renovating an existing 65,000-square-foot existing elementary school while building its new twin immediately next to it.

Constructing the Space “We created a central area where the buildings came together,” said Larson.

“Trying to figure out how to connect an existing building to a new one was the challenge of this project. We didn’t know how that would work, but after meeting and collaborating with teachers, staff and administrators, we heard what they wanted so we tried to conceptualize it – we took what was in their heads and brought it to physical life; that’s what architects do.”

The Dexter faculty focused on the need for a flexible learning space to gather with multiple classrooms and children at the same time, a durable space to make educational “messes” and perform STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) experiments, a place with appealing seating options, and a space able to be reinvented, rearranged, and recreated into something new each time.

Influencing and contributing to the learning ambiance at the new facility is chalked up to Laura Casai, Director of Interior Design at TMP. “The goal with the flexible learning space was to take a large space and make it feel smaller for the kids,” she said. “We did this by creating vignettes in the four quadrants of the Marketplace, using furniture to divide space and by selecting playful colors and patterns to make the whole space feel accessible to kids.”

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collection on his cell phone, and he proudly shows off the “before and after” pictures of the construction project, which stayed on schedule and under budget. Teachers and students moved in on January 21, 2019.

Brand’s construction skills seemed to “get an education” while on the job of building this unique education building. “We spent more time thinking about the curriculum and how these spaces would get used, which is clearly different than other traditional-style school buildings we’ve built – the kind with cookie-cutter classrooms and a lower roof line,” he said.

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Creating Dynamic Learning Areas Traditional it is not. Superintendent Chris Timmis, laughs, “We designed the Workshop to be a place to make messes – on purpose – the ‘messy space’ as we call it.” Despite this, the 80 x 125-foot angularshaped room is bright, sleek, and naturally lit – floor-to-ceiling windows make up twothirds of the wall space and a high, domed ceiling with a skylight system create the illusion of being outdoors. Colors, geometric shapes, lines and natural light dominate one’s senses in what seems to be the “centerpiece” of the room. Palettes of aqua, green, orange and purple pleasingly draw one’s vision upward toward the square-shaped wooden fixtures suspended from the open and exposed duct work ceiling. Circular LED light gear also hangs from the rafters – giving the room a threedimensional feel. There is no clutter, untidiness, or chaos – unless the teacher plans it. The potential for altering, changing, shifting and rearranging furniture to accommodate any lesson or presentation is endless.

Kristin Linn, a kindergarten teacher in the new school is in awe of her new teaching surroundings. “It’s been incredible to be able to use the Workshop space and buddy-up with other classrooms to take our teaching to a new level,” she said. “We had a parent who is a real scientist come in and do some hands-on experiments, we made slime on another occasion – the cleanup is so easy, the space is durable, and it’s been such a gift to have it.”

At one gathering, she said that 120 kindergarten students met in the space. “It was a great, interactive experience. We had hands-on learning activities, snack stations and messy projects available.” Linn foresees the space being used in greater, more creative ways when school resumes in the fall. “We moved into the new school in the middle of winter at semester break.

There was a planned transition time and we were learning to get settled in and acclimated to the new space. As a teacher, I can say we’re definitely making it a priority to use the space more, plan intentional STEAM-related activities and gather with other classrooms.”

This early elementary academic complex, at first seems to loom as a large, bulky space. On his tour as a prospective parent, Michael Fitzpatrick reflects and sums up the space in a meaningful manner.

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Two-tone brick was used to smoothly connect an existing elementary school with a brand new building. The two structures are connected in the center by two multi-use spaces designed to encourage innovative programming and hands-on learning.

“As a student, I studied at a large university, but that university was able to make my experience ‘small.’ That’s what I see here,” he said. “This giant building with all of these different, awesome spaces – but you can envision how a 16-pupil-sized class could get more intimate with these well thought-out designed spaces. There are nooks, sectioned-off rooms, cubbies, corners, places to climb, settle and ultimately have an amazing, dynamic learning experience. It’s a really neat aspect that I see in this forward-thinking school.”

The shared space used by students, teachers and faculty at the K-2 complex is unfolding in new and unique ways. The trio of men representing the education, design and construction industries – Timmis, Larson and Brand – all concur on one major fact about the building. “It’s evolving,” they say. “We call it Tiny Town,” said Timmis.

“Honestly, we purposefully designed a space to handle any kind of ‘project mess.’

We’ve had dirt hauled in, sand, water – you name it. There are so many learning opportunities available. The space can be reconfigured, rearranged and accommodate a variety of methods to present curriculum, projects, experiments – anything you can think of, it can be done Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

When life gets complicated, count on the experts

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in this space.”

Larson points out the unique spaces where learning can take place. “These are rooms where imaginations can work – there’s a forest play house, a fire play house – and the slider-style doors were designed to make sure nobody got pinched fingers in a doorway. There’s a garage door that goes up and down to let front-end loaders or backhoes in to dump off materials right onto the floor.”

The Result Is a One-of-a-Kind K-2 Complex All of those features are certain to drive up enrollment. “The district is planning on an increase in students across the district this fall, as we’ve seen over the past few years,” said Timmis. Prospective parents visiting, touring or inquiring about the new complex find it easy to decide to enroll. “As soon as parents walk in here, it’s over,” said Timmis good-naturedly. “They’re sold. I don’t blame them. I’ve never seen anything like it myself. When we were designing it, I

The complex includes rooms where imaginations can work. There is a forest play house, a fire play house, and even a garage door that lets front-end loaders in to dump dirt or other creative materials right onto the floor.

remember asking, ‘So, where can we look at a school similar to this?’ The TMP design team said, ‘Well, they haven’t really done anything like this in a K-2 building; this is one of a kind.’”

Light is part of the complex’s distinctiveness. Utilizing natural light, sky domes and adjustable LED lighting was advantageous to the architectural team. As an architect, Larson points out that “you don’t always get to do what you want to do architecturally.” The reasons a designer doesn’t always have free rein, of course, is connected to what the client wants, budgets, materials, and other factors. “This district really prioritized natural light,” explained Larson. “It would have been easier and cheaper for the client to cut sky lights out of the space and put a flat roof over the whole thing, but having natural light was really important to them. So, as an architect, it was a great opportunity to integrate those features into the design.”

Innovations in lighting have advanced since the existing portion of the structure was built. “In that time span, there was a revolution in lighting. This building is all LED lighting; no more fluorescents,” said Larson.

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novelty is its gender-neutral restrooms. No more “girls” or “boys” bathroom facilities.

For staff and teachers, this translates into no more misbehavior or wondering “what’s going on in there?!” The trend to offer more inclusion and avoid a male or female designation is beneficial in Dexter.

“During the design phase, the teachers challenged us by asking if there was something different we could come up with in regards to the bathroom facilities,” said Larson. “We came up with this plan to create gender-neutral stalls that give each child complete privacy. There are no ‘gangstyle’ male or female signs leading to group bathrooms.

The bathrooms are individualized for people, just pick one.

They’re designed to give more supervision, and the layout allows teachers to offer assistance if needed.”

Kindergarten teacher Kristen Linn notices how the neutral-gender bathrooms lend a more “at-home” experience for the young kindergarten through second grade student population. “They’re used to a family-style way of using the bathroom,”

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said Linn. “At home, everyone in the family uses the same bathroom – there is no male or female designation. It’s like that at school now. The bathrooms are more natural. It’s life. The bathroom design we have now is more welcoming and provides a general acceptance to everybody.”

The design of better bathrooms wasn’t the only “new” way of thinking that the construction and architectural team encountered. Maintaining unity with the appearance of the old and new building was both a goal and a challenge. It isn’t easy to identify where the old building ends and the new one begins. That is due to TMP’s innovative design and attention to the client’s desire for the modifications to blend from the old and modernization of the new. The shared space inside the academic complex isn’t the only thing the student population go Dutch on – tile schemes, paint colors and the general atmosphere of the old and new building were purposefully designed to match. “One of the things we heard during the bond surveys and pre-construction was how

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Shared spaces at the Dexter Early Elementary Complex were designed to be flexible for small or large groups. Varying seating options are offered, with elements that can be recreated and rearranged.

there was a perceived gap between the students who attended Bates-Beacon (the older building) versus the students who went to Cornerstone,” said Brand. “TMP and Dave Larson did a very good job of intentionally designing these buildings to feel the same.”

The merging of the two buildings sparked the idea to share utilities. “We did a combined plan for the two buildings,” said Brand. “During the heating season, we took down the chillers and replaced them with a large one to feed both, and temporary piping necessary to keep it up and operational for that building. Then we did the same with the boiler plant over the summer. We took out all the boilers and replaced them with larger, more efficient ones. There is also a combined kitchen space and other renovations allowed for a shared storage space. The storage space was filled in no time, “said Brand. “If there is one theme I see on every school building project, it’s that there is never enough storage space.”

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the years between the old building being built and this new one, the materials have changed completely. As designers and builders, we know it’s a totally different brick, but the trick was to make it look the same.”

Brand confirms the smooth blending of bricks. “If you’re driving by, from the road the building looks like one building – as though it’s always been here. There’s no area standing out as old or new,” he said.

Brand’s enthusiasm for the design portion of the project was high; however, an area that lowered his excitement centered on one of the unprecedented challenges the entire construction industry faced in 2018. “Because it was a statefunded project, we were suddenly thrust into the repeal of the Michigan Prevailing Wages Act,” said Brand. “Most of the contractors in this southeast Michigan area are union, so we had to deal with keeping up with the law as it changed.”

The law shielded construction workers who work on state-financed projects to ensure fair wage rates and fringe benefits.

“This project was on the edge of the law being removed,” said Brand. “It wasn’t fully flushed out, so there were a lot of questions swirling. What do we do and how do we do it were definitely some of the stressors faced on this project.” Although unforeseen issues popped up on this state-funded project, the team’s ability to anticipate, resolve and execute solutions made the results that much sweeter.

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furniture to supplies, and now to the space we teach in – everything is prioritized around the students. You don’t always see that in a lot of districts. The teachers here all feel fortunate to have the opportunity to teach in this new facility.”

The decisions made for the sake of children included lower levels and handles on drawers, toilets, sinks, doors – everything is thought out from the perspective of a child.

It’s accessible to their height and vision range. In addition, the learning style of every child is considered. For example, giant, bouncing, exercise-style rubber balls are in classrooms to give jittery or fidgety children a quiet solution to work out their nervousness while learning. Laura Casai, Director of Interior Design at TMP, is an expert in the kinesthetic

In a Special Kind of Community The Fitzpatricks witnessed how Superintendent Timmis’s vision for the district is allowing growth and a new standard of teaching and learning are revitalizing the school culture. Their son will be among the 750-student population in the fall. “It’s evident the Dexter community is supportive of education and this new building is a testament to that.”

Linn praises the Dexter School District for its commitment to students. “There is a special sense of community in this district,” she said. “It’s remarkable to me how they put kids first. That is something said in other places but not always the case. From the administrators, the community members, the staff and the families – everyone makes decisions for the benefit of the students. From curriculum decisions to the low class sizes to materials to Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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methods of improving a child’s learning capacity through the use of versatile, mobile, and alternative furniture. “My role on the Dexter K-2 Project involved conceptualizing the interior design of the marketplace and workshop space,” said Casai, who believes learning is about exploration and children are inimitable explorers. “The flexible learning space adjoining Dexter’s two elementary schools is intended to be a place to support authentic learning experiences in a way that responds to a broad range of learning styles.

The two learning spaces – the Workshop and the Marketplace – are where Casai implements her skill. “The workshop is a large, deconstructed laboratory featuring a soft area for presentation, a wet area for exploration and an idea pergola in the center,” said Casai. “As a place to explore and create, the workshop gives only a framework on which the users can build.

The intent of the idea pergola is as a structure from which learners and mentors can build and suspend projects and installations – an ever-changing canvas.

With expansive ceiling height, a garage door to the exterior, and vehicle access to the back of the building, the workshop is a place where learners can get their hands on even the largest of tools for exploration.”

The TMP team credits Casai and how she committed herself to the project from the beginning, and the district is extraordinarily delighted with the outcomes of her interior and furnishings design work.

“We know that all kids learn in different ways – learning modalities,” said Casai, “We know kids learn best when their bodies are engaged as well as their minds.

Meaningful learning occurs when kids can construct new ideas using existing knowledge structures. The flexible learning space at Dexter’s Early Elementary Complex is a learner-centered model for what experience-based learning can look like!”

As determined earlier, the space at Dexter Early Childhood Complex is meant to be used, shared and experienced – it appears that is happening. Let’s not forget to say it also shall be remembered. As Larson declared, “When you walk into something beautiful, you don’t forget it.”

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OSHA 30-Hour for Construction This course is recommended for employees with a responsibility for site safety. It covers OSHA policies, procedures and standards, as well as construction safety and health principles. Topics include the scope and application of the OSHA construction standards including inspections, citations and appeals, as well as employee & employer rights under the Act. Additional topics include Pre-Task Planning, Focus-Four Hazards, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and construction specific health issues, among others. Upon completion of the course, students receive an OSHA construction safety and health 30-Hour course completion card.

November 18-21 2019 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Course Fee: $450 per person $500 Nonmember Questions? Call 248-972-1133 Register online at WWW.BUILDWITHCAM.COM/CAMTEC-CLASSES/

Safety Leadership Conference The Construction Association of Michigan has teamed up with the Greater Detroit Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and Oakland Community College to provide a one-day conference specifically designed for leaders with a responsibility for employee safety. Company owners, top executives, safety managers, and human resource personnel will all find value in the diverse range of topics available. This world-class collection of qualified presenters offers the best talent this area has ever seen.

December 6, 2019 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Questions? Call 248-972-1133 Register online at https://buildwithcam.com/safety-leadership-conference/

The Next Level

Photos courtesy of James haefner PhotograPhy, Inc.

A Re-Invented Oakland Center Breaks into the Future

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FAR LEFT: This contemporary re-invention of the Oakland Center breaks with a building that had been beige brick and predominately a single level above grade for six decades.

LEFT:Glass curtain wall dominates the southern expansion and houses the tallest portion of the winter garden. Filled with natural light, the space offers a cozy fireplace and wood plank ceilings on the interior and a grand view of campus green space and the Elliot carillon tower.

overcrowded student union from 130,000 to 190,000 square feet. Now blessed with more space and higher-quality spaces, Oakland University’s almost 20,000 students are about to view their collective wish list transformed into new eateries, study spaces and social hotspots, thanks to the talents of The Christman Company as construction managers, and architect-ofrecord Integrated Design Solutions (IDS), Troy, and its Milwaukee-based design partner Workshop Architects, Inc. Not a single pounding hammer can be heard during this long-awaited ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In fact, Christman closely coordinated its efforts with Oakland University to deliver this 17-month project with the least amount of disturbance possible to the fully occupied building. “We only had about a month and a half of total downtime, but aside from that, the building was fully functional at all times,” said Christman Senior Project Manager Nikki Kerchner.

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eptember 14, 1959: About 570 students gather to celebrate the first convocation of the newly formed Oakland University in Rochester. The sound of pounding hammers can be heard in the background during this charter event held in the 34,776-square-foot student union called the Oakland Center.

Contractor J.A. Fredman, Inc. is just finishing construction on what is only the second building to rise out of the farm fields donated

by University founders Matilda Dodge Wilson and Alfred Wilson.* October 26, 2018: Almost 60 years later, Oakland University students and administrators cut the ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the expansion and renovation of a once Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Rapid Growth The 62,094-square-foot expansion and 50,000square-foot renovation is the latest and the boldest transformation of the ever-expanding Oakland Center. Like the growth rings on a tree, the original building and its series of additions, dating to 1961, 1969, 2003 and now 2018, record the progressive evolution of Oakland University, each expansion of the building’s footprint accommodating successive waves of students over the past 60 years. *Oakland University Libraries, University Archives and Special Collections, “Oakland University’s Early History” In recent years, Oakland University’s enrollment increased just over 25 percent from 2003 to 2017, according to OU’s Director of the Oakland Center Christopher Reed. In fact, Oakland University is one of only two regional

universities and one of only six of Michigan’s 15 universities to post growth in student enrollment over the last decade, according to a March 28, 2019, article in The Detroit Free Press.

Given such rapid growth, students endured long lines at the Oakland Center’s food court, struggled to secure a place to sit, and failed to find sufficient plug-ins for mobile devices.

Faculty, administrators and students found it difficult to schedule meetings in a building with limited meeting space. Ultimately, these “growing pains” led to the construction of a far more functional campus home and one with a definite presence as a showpiece structure in the very heart of campus.

Design Alchemy Like alchemists, IDS and Workshop Architects turned the existing beige brick building into architectural gold. In this case, the “gold” was weathering steel and zinc panels. These façade materials, along with board-formed concrete and energy-efficient glass, form the new face of the Oakland Center on the new north addition and on the east and south building elevations.

The façade’s almost living skin of weathering steel panels changes over time.

“The weathering steel has a life of its own,” said IDS Vice President and Director of Architecture Brandon Sundberg. “It oxidizes and changes at different rates in different places on the building.”

This contemporary re-invention of the Oakland Center breaks with a building that had been predominately low-rise for six decades.

(Much of the existing building has a lower and a main level, while the southwest corner is two stories above grade.) The new south-facing glass curtain wall soars to a height of slightly over 38 feet, creating a winter garden on the interior filled with natural light. This massive “picture window” frames the neighboring green space and the Elliot Tower, a carillon ringing with the sound of bells on the quarter hour.

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Semi-enclosed booths lined in wood decking are part of the Oakland Center’s varied seating.

In its material palette and height and in its sheer level of design sophistication and raw pizzazz, the new expansion is a dramatic departure from past additions to the Oakland Center. “Oakland University is pushing the boundaries of what they have done in the past to show that the campus is moving forward and looking towards the future,” said IDS Project Manager Salvatore A. Moschelli.

A Campus Home The new Oakland Center offers great spaces for students to build their own future. More than a beautiful building, the Oakland Center is a new campus home for students to study, meet, mingle, recreate and dine with fellow students.

This well-appointed home has four fireplaces, healthy food choices from Plum Market, an expanded kitchen and a variety of seating, ranging from cozy couches to semi-enclosed study booths lined in wood decking. “The destination dining room that surrounds a large multilevel stone fireplace supports social gathering, where students can relax, eat and collaborate in a warm, comfortable setting,” said Moschelli.

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As part of community creation, the reinvented building now offers more meeting and event venues, including a flexible new ballroom and a pre-function space doubling as a student lounge. This new event space now occupies a new second-level, almost 30,000-square-foot section of the expansion.

According to Reed, collectively, these spaces create “connection points” between all students, but particularly between commuter students and the growing number of on-campus students. The ultimate connection point is an innovative performance space the students named the Habitat. This type of space is part of a growing trend in universities across North America to include an entertainment venue as an on-campus alternative to town life. The Habitat hosts a popular venue called the Thursday Night Main Stage. “Every Thursday night during the academic year, we have some sort of event whether it is a movie, a comedian or a concert,” said Reed. “It has taken off beyond our expectations, and it has increased student activity on campus during the evening.”

The building itself and the Habitat in particular emphasize connectivity between floor levels and

across varied spaces. According to a Workshop design statement, “The design strategically located the Habitat to link the main-level public spaces with the existing lower-level student organization spaces, increasing awareness of available programs while subtly encouraging students to get involved. The Habitat was designed to serve as an informal space for student collaboration during the day with the infrastructure to convert into a student programming space at night.”

With tiered seating on the main floor flowing down to the lower-level performance space and with wide open sightlines into the space on both levels, the Habitat slices through two levels of the new expansion and becomes a glowing example of how a building’s design can foster connectivity. “We wanted to create a sense of connection between all levels so everyone can see the activity happening on each level and draw people into one of those spaces as they are passing through the building,” said Moschelli.

This remaking of a campus original has created a groundswell of gratitude from Oakland University students. One student said, “‘The “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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Oakland Center is so amazing, I feel like I have just transferred to a new school,’” quoted Reed.

“My favorite reaction is overhearing one student telling another, ‘With every corner I turn, it’s like Christmas all over again.’”

Interactive Design This “Christmas gift” was not a complete surprise. Students actively advocated for the Oakland Center’s revitalization. “It was very much a grassroots effort,” said OU Director of Capital Planning & Design Steve Zmich. OU Senior Project Manager John Harmala adds, “It was the students who actually pushed for this building. The first donation was from the former Student Congress president who donated her first paycheck after graduation to this building.”

The design process itself was interactive and community-based from the very beginning. IDS and Workshop Architects arrived at the initial interview with a 3D-printed model of the Oakland Center and the surrounding buildings, along with a basic campus model and a full-size aerial print-out of all the campus buildings. “The 3D-printed model showed the original massing of the existing student center,” said Moschelli.

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“Everyone gathered around the model, and using plexiglass pieces, played with the potential organization of the expansion, including all of the possible sizes and scales.

We actually did some sketching and illustration right in the meeting with the whole team, and at the end of the meeting, we gave everyone a 3Dprinted model of the Elliot Tower.”

The reason for the campus-wide model was to design a showpiece capable of resonating with its campus neighbors. “The building is a central focus of the campus, and as such, it wanted to have an importance and a prominence to it,” said Sundberg. “At the same time, it has to be balanced and fit into the context of the University as a whole. We did a great deal of extensive research on all the different types of buildings, and we drew upon these structures as part of the design. Even though the materials are different than what is seen on campus, the choice, the coloring and the arrangement are intended to complement the surrounding context of buildings.”

The design team listened closely to student voices as well. Oakland University administrators, Student Congress representatives and the

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design team toured other student unions, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State University and Bowling Green State University. The architectural team “also spent many days in the existing Oakland Center engaging students as to what they wanted and needed,” said IDS Senior Associate, Assistant Director of Mechanical Engineer Matt Perez.

Visits to popular campus hotspots yielded further insights. “We visited all of the main hangout spaces on campus and asked students what was their favorite feature about the space,” said Moschelli. “For instance, we met many Muslim students who would stay in Kresge Library all day, because of a small office-size room that they would use as a prayer room. We designed a Reflection Room with a foot wash area for use by all of the different faiths.” The design team met with the student Gender and Sexuality Center to assess their needs for the renovation of their offices as well.

Vision and Hard Dollars The architectural team had six months to design the expansion/renovation before groundbreaking. “Primarily because of their

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The Habitat connects the building’s public spaces on the main level with student organization spaces on the lower level. The flexible Habitat is an informal space to meet, greet, study and dine during the day and a venue for performances and student events in the evening.

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expertise in and exclusive focus on student unions, Workshop Architects was instrumental in meeting upfront with the user staff and driving the design,” said Sundberg, “and we were lockstep with them throughout the entire process. We executed the project technically, including MEP and throughout construction.”

Christman joined the team during design, translating vision and architectural concepts into hard dollars. “What we contributed was an understanding of what the owner needed and what the design team was trying to convey,” said Kerchner. “We gave the owner and architect confidence that these kinds of ideas were going to contribute this level of cost. Our cost assessment was based on our experience in terms of what the market was doing in this area.”

Christman’s knowledge of Oakland University’s processes and procedures delivered efficiencies to the project, added Moschelli.

Christman’s Oakland University portfolio includes the Human Health Building and renovations of Hannah Hall and Vandenberg Hall, along with construction of what is now the Mathematics and Science Center. IDS worked with Oakland University on several campus planning projects as well.

Oakland University selected the project team, partially based on past experience but more strongly on each company’s “enthusiasm and excitement about the project and their understanding of the vision that Oakland University was trying to create with this building,” said Zmich.

Building a Communication Network Communication and collaboration were important tools used throughout the design and construction process.

“We constantly coordinated construction activities with Chris (Reed) and his team,” said Kerchner. “The few times that construction didn’t meld with student center activities, we would examine our options and select another area to conduct construction activities.”

This constant “meeting of the minds” moved construction forward. “I think part of the success of the project during construction was the owner, architect and contractor met close to 100 times weekly during construction,” said Sundberg.

This robust communication network was called into play throughout the project as Christman installed, removed and re-installed a shifting series of temporary walls both to protect “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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the building from the elements and for the safety of building users. “Maintaining perimeters and a clear and safe line of delineation between the construction areas and the spaces for the students, faculty and staff to occupy added another layer to the project,” said Kercher.

Sundberg added, “Maintaining proper code and egress through the facility during construction added to the complexity of the project as well.”

Oakland University students were in good hands. “Christman has an understanding of what it takes to do a building on a university campus, especially our campus,” said Zmich, “and especially on this building where a high percentage of our students were walking through the student union at any given time during construction.”

Northern Expansion Christman launched construction in May 2017.

Ironically, the north addition was designed last and built first, because the 5,836-square-foot north addition was to be the staging area for the inauguration of Oakland University’s new president. The procession to the arena would begin from the new presidential conference room, a space also available to students, administrators and faculty that offers a great view of campus, new communication technologies and executive chairs branded with the school’s golden grizzly mascot.

The president’s inaugural procession walked across a newly installed infill floor on the interior and past a new ADA ramp on the exterior.

Originally, a half-flight of stairs led down to the north entry, and the floor and ramp eased this transition. “We in-filled and placed superficial topping to marry the whole floor surface together,” said Kerchner.

Reshuffling Spaces, Inserting Steel The office-filled north addition is part of the rearranged north section of the existing building.

The design’s reshuffling of spaces brought cohesiveness and connectivity to the building’s overall circulation. Administrative offices were placed in a single zone along the east side of the existing north corridor. According to Moschelli, several student service offices were moved from the main floor to this administrative hub, allowing student-centric spaces to occupy prime real estate in the well-windowed areas, such as the winter garden’s extensive lounge and study areas.

A credit union moved across the existing north corridor, making way for an extensive kitchen expansion. Chartwells, the University’s food service partner, contributed a portion of the Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

cost towards the kitchen renovation. According to Moschelli, the kitchen has new electrical service and several new spaces, including a new catering pickup station, a dedicated catering kitchen, and new cold and hot prep areas, courtesy of food service consultant Ricca Design Studios. The kitchen zone has a more sizeable loading dock as well. “We can bring in two or three trucks into the loading dock as opposed to one,” said Reed. “This is important because the loading dock services the entire building, including the bookstore.”

This grand reshuffling of spaces led to structural revisions in the expanded kitchen.

Micropiles were drilled into place and steel columns were “needled through” the existing kitchen to create a new elevator core. “The new elevator now serves the second-level banquet facilities so that staff does not have to travel in the same path as event patrons,” said Kerchner.

Altogether, Christman threaded 12 new structural steel columns through the existing building. The new columns were inserted to support a new second floor and roof constructed over portions of the existing

building. Steel columns were threaded through the student newspaper offices, the student radio station, and in a nearby restroom. In one instance, Christman worked on both sides of the same temporary wall, first threading steel columns into the Office of Student Affairs and then moving to the other side to insert a column in the adjacent corridor. Ideal Contracting served as the steel fabricator and erector.

Intricate Underpinning Micropiles were drilled into place as part of the intricate underpinning necessary to “graft” the contemporary addition to the existing structure.

“Building against an existing structure required a great deal of underpinning of existing foundations and footings,” said Sundberg.

Both micropiles and underpinning came into play in the construction of the Habitat. New columns meet a section of the existing building now housing the credit union and formerly containing the Fireside Lounge. “Everything along that wall is sequentially underpinned,” said Kerchner. Sundberg added, “It called for micropile systems to ensure stability, because

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The texture, coloration and unique aesthetic of the façade’s weathering steel and zinc panels, along with board-formed concrete and energy-efficient glass, create a signature building in the heart of campus.

of how far down we had to go and because of the need to stabilize some of the soils.”

Deep foundations on the east side of the expansion could have impacted the campus primary electrical service. For this reason, “moving the major primary power was a pullahead item in the early design phase,” said IDS Senior Associate, Director of Electrical Engineering Tom Carron. The new electrical service’s duct banks and cabling were moved slightly further to the east beneath a grassy area separating Oakland Center and a neighboring building called O’Dowd Hall.

Compounding the challenge, the project team had to marry the expansion’s new structural steel to the varied systems of four different additions constructed over the course of six decades: Under construction in 1958, the structure of the original building, along with its 1961 addition, are primarily concrete; the 1969 addition is a mix of structural steel and concrete; and the 2003 addition is structural steel.

A New Face on Campus The texture, coloration and unique aesthetic of the exterior façade materials make for a compelling building in the heart of campus. “We 114 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

wanted honesty in the materials that we used, and the materials needed to stand out in a way that helped to signify that this building is special,” said Moschelli.

The weathering steel panels clearly fit the bill, and this “living skin” of steel has already started to oxidize differently at various places on the façade. The panels installed under the shelter of the east overhang – a pronounced canopy created by the second-level ballroom addition – are still the original dark grey steel, while oxidation is more advanced on the very first panels installed on the north addition.

According to Kerchner, IDS designed a special gutter detail to prevent rust-infused storm water from discoloring the board-formed concrete directly below the weathering steel panels. Delivery of the weathering steel panels took eight to 12 weeks from initial order to site arrival. “Because the system is a rain screen, we were able to get enclosed and have confidence that the building was protected from the elements while we worked,” said Kerchner. “We almost worked like two crews; one crew was building out the rain screen, and the other was installing the exterior façade finish.

“Our Superintendent Jeff White basically built the exterior three times, given all the different versions of temporary walls, the rain screen and then the final exterior installation,” said Kerchner. “It was due to the fact that we weren’t just opening the building to replace it, we were opening it to expand it.”

Much of the building exterior has an alternating rhythm of walls of weathering steel and expanses of zinc panels. The smooth, silver zinc panels complement the steel’s rugged texture and reddish-brown coloration. “I think the selection of the zinc panels had to do with how the different tones were playing out and the contrast that we wanted to achieve,” said Moschelli. “It also had to do with what we were seeing in other Oakland University buildings.

We took some insights from the Engineering Center and the Human Health Building; both of those buildings utilized materials in a panelized system.”

At Oakland Center, both the zinc and the weathering steel panels had the same panelized system, having come from the same manufacturer. The zinc and weathering steel cloak much of the new expansion, as well as a “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

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long stretch of the exterior of the existing building’s north corridor. “We had to design some steel bracing that could support the weight of the rain screen and the panels and not impact the existing brick exterior,” said Moschelli.

Both metals are long-lasting materials. “Zinc is durable and holds its sheen for a long time,” said Moschelli. According to the website of Cascadia Metals, “Weathering steel is highstrength, low-alloy steel that under normal atmospheric conditions gives an enhanced resistance to rusting compared with that of other carbon steels. … Specific alloying elements in the weathering steel produce a stable rust layer that adheres to the base metal and is much less porous. …This rust ‘patina’ develops under conditions of alternate wetting and drying to produce a protective barrier that impedes further access of oxygen, moisture and pollutants.”

Other unique material applications include both board-formed cast-in-place and boardformed precast concrete. The foundation walls and planter walls under the east overhang are cast-in-place, while the precast concrete encases the overhang’s steel supporting columns. “As far as texture goes, they did a really good job, because it is hard to achieve that look with cast-in-place,” said Sundberg.

“One can see virtually the same seamless look in two completely different applications,” added Kerchner. “The trade contractors used the same form liner to create both. Amalio Corporation did the foundation walls, Fessler & Bowman did the planter walls, and Leidal & Hart subbed out the precast columns. Three different companies achieving seamless work is something very difficult to accomplish.”

Glass: South-Facing and Energy-Efficient Glass curtain wall dominates the southern expansion housing the tallest portion of the winter garden. This glass-wrapped garden luxuriates in natural light and green space views.

Having 20,000 square feet of south-facing glass called upon architectural strategies and mechanical design expertise to meet Michigan’s energy code. “The selected glazing, SunGuard SNX 51/23, was very energy-efficient as far as thermal conductance and solar heat gain,” said IDS’ Matt Perez. “This product is used on the south curtain wall at the winter garden and some of the other south-facing curtain walls.

SunGuard SNX 62/27 is used on the balance of the building.”

Preserving a large nearby tree and designing a broad rooftop canopy shaded this large Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

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picture window as well. The canopy’s tube steel support structure has a clean, streamlined flow from interior to exterior, thanks to the application of a thermal insulating coating called Aerolon that minimizes condensation. “The tube steel supports are the same members from the interior all the way out to the exterior edge of the overhang,” said Kerchner. “Typically, that couldn’t happen because of thermal travel and the resulting condensation.”

These strategies helped to deliver a comfortable, code-compliant and aesthetically appealing interior. “Our energy efficiency was on par with the energy code,” said Perez. “I visited the building in the dead of winter, and it was cozy. I’ve been in the building on hot days and it was comfortable as well.”

Electrical-wise, the entire building has very “high-performing LED fixtures, and the building’s distributed network controls give facility management the ability to optimize the energy performance of the lighting, as far as dimming and on and off functionality,” said IDS’ Tom Carron.

Infrastructure Improvements The Oakland Center expansion required significant infrastructure improvements, including a new electrical substation. The building had two electrical substations, one of them original to the 1959 building and the other having been recently updated. “The substations were very old and were not going to support the additional building space,” said Carron. “We decided to phase out the original substation.

Because the building was occupied, the phaseout involved a continual sequencing effort among IDS, Christman, and Motor City Electric, along with LaBelle Electrical on the exterior work.”

A new substation and the existing, updated, double-ended substation now service the student union. “We created space to eventually build out the new substation into a doubleended substation,” said Carron. “Ultimately, the new double-ended substation will be able to pick up the entire load when the aging one reaches end of life.”

Weaving new mechanical infrastructure in a building constructed over different eras was a challenge because “all of the existing systems were interlaced with each other, and the hightemperature, hot water heating comes into the building from the University’s central plant,” said Perez. “We had to make sure the system was still serving the older existing systems and serving our new systems as well.”

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gather at a main-level overlook and watch a performance in the Habitat below, creating opportunities for what Workshop Architects calls “Peripheral Participation.” On the lower level, the multi-purpose Habitat becomes a different kind of social hotspot during nonperformance hours. The space easily flows across the corridor to the newly renovated Bear Cave, a dining, game room and student hangout with its original glass wall removed as a barrier to connection. “At lunchtime, hundreds of students are now in that entire area eating, studying and meeting friends,” said Reed. “The Habitat is truly a flexible space that can easily be cleared for presentations and performances.”

In this open interior, a grand staircase leads to a mezzanine-like, second-level student lounge overlooking the winter garden below and offering a grand view of the Elliot Tower and plaza beyond the building. The lounge becomes a pre-function space during events held in the new ballroom across the corridor.

Similar to the Bear Cave-Corridor-Habitat nexus, the ballroom, the corridor and the prefunction space can merge as one zone, offering

A New Home at OU Today, the once severely overcrowded Oakland Center is on par with other university student unions across the country in having 10 square feet of space per student, according to Reed.

However, the quality of the spaces is above par.

The interior’s seamless flow of wide open spaces honor Matilda Dodge Wilson’s original vision for the Oakland Center, and the tile patterns in select locations and the furniture fabric pay tribute to the design features within the founder’s Meadow Brook Hall home.

Wood plank ceilings throughout the winter garden, cozy fireplaces, and varied seating draw students to this collective hearth in the center of campus. The entire winter garden has a mix of furnishings, ranging from couches and armchairs to tables for group gatherings.

“Students selected much of the furniture,” said Reed. “Before we actually ordered the furniture, we brought many of the pieces in to let students sit and get a feel for the furniture.”

The building’s links between levels create connectivity and a seamless flow of layered spaces throughout the interior. Students can

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even more space for any type of event. The new ballroom itself can be subdivided into six or seven different meeting rooms. “It doubles the amount of meeting space the Oakland Center provides to the campus community,” said Reed.

Formerly, one of the few meeting spaces on campus was the existing banquet hall down the corridor from the new ballroom.

Both the Habitat and the lounge/pre-function space are perfect examples of the flexible, multipurpose spaces filling the interior, a student union design strategy Workshop Architects calls creating “Thick Space.” “All the different user groups agreed that every space should have more than just a single use,” said Moschelli.

An Amazing Partnership IDS, Workshop Architects and Christman delivered the project in time for students to begin fall classes in early September 2018.

Oakland University students no longer have to jockey for a seat or hunt for a device plug-in.

“We added more data ports, more outlets and more technology within rooms to support students and to support events and meetings,” said Reed.

For students, the new expansion of their campus home was as exciting as moving from a cramped studio apartment to a four-bedroom, fully functional house with a grand living room and a kitchen filled with the latest appliances.

According to Reed, students have actually taken to naming the Oakland Center’s choice interior spaces after the rooms in a home: the winter garden is the living room, the food court is the kitchen, and the Habitat is the family room.

Founder Matilda Dodge Wilson would be proud of this transformed student center.

Framed in a grove of small trees, her bronze statue faces the interior of the Oakland Center almost as if she is greeting each successive generation of students. The entire University can be proud of both the quantity and quality of spaces.

More than additional square footage, the building is about forging connections between people. The project team itself joined the experience. “For me, it was a successful project because of the collaboration among all team members,” said Kerchner. “It was an amazing partnership.”

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Wood lath revealed beneath the hotel’s plaster walls have been refinished to add warm texture to the corridors while sleeping rooms were transformed into high-tech breakout rooms. Modern LED lighting contrasts with raw exposed ceilings.

Wagner Place: Dearborn Landmark Hotel Anchors Sleek Tech Workplaces for Ford

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Dearborn’s Wagner Place uses a variety of exterior materials, including nine different types of brick, four different window systems, metal panels and precast concrete, to suggest distinct facades for its ground-floor retail spaces. Ford Motor Company tech employees work on the two upper floors.

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erging high tech with local history, the Wagner Place development in Dearborn preserves the spirit of a 19th-century hotel by transforming the site into a haven for Ford employees enjoying a modern way of working.

The transformation of an iconic structure from 1896 into the heart of a new community center continues the long-standing commitment of Ford Motor Company to the city of Dearborn. By creating a new focal point to the suburb’s western downtown, Wagner Place combines retail spaces and public access with the state-of-the-art home for 600 tech-savvy employees from its global data insight and analytics division.

The turret-crowned bay of the old hotel anchors two new buildings that unfurl west and east along Michigan Avenue at Monroe Street.

The 150,000-square-foot project houses employees on the second and third floors of the buildings, while varied storefront facades host eateries and other businesses intended to attract local foot traffic and civic events.

“We deliberately tried to make this feel like part of the evolution of downtown rather than an all-new structure,” said J. Michael Kirk, principal with architectural firm Neumann/Smith Architecture. “Each of these 3-story buildings was about 75,000 square feet, and they wrap around the 11,475-square-foot, 120-year-old Wagner Hotel.”

Rooted in the Past Owned and developed by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation, the real estate subsidiary of Ford Motor known as “Ford Land,” the Wagner Place represents the latest fruition of Ford’s pledge to revamp all its facilities within 10 years. That vision includes a design standard that Neumann/Smith interpreted into a clean, urban look with exposed structure above and deliberate details throughout.

“They wanted to achieve a high-tech interior environment,” Kirk said. Acoustical spray insulation, exposed mechanical and electrical equipment, and irregular pendant LED lighting contrast with smooth, minimalist work areas below, featuring luxury vinyl tile, polished 118 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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concrete with some carpet, and a limited color palette.

The layout and original character of the hotel was repurposed as a contrast to the up-to-the-minute office and gathering spaces. “We were able to retain the original sleeping rooms around the perimeter as conference rooms, then opened up the interior for a more open lounge setting,” Kirk said.

The interior work spaces are airy, open and ergonomic, with details inspired by a sleek German aesthetic and by the hotel’s own found art. “We’ve taken some old architectural features like a door and made a light fixture out of it,” said Paul Day,

director of project management for the constructor, Roncelli, Inc. He described the textures and subtle tones as making up a “warm industrial” style. “It’s reusing some of the existing features in different ways,” he said. The refurbished door hangs over a counter in the café area and supports pendant lamp fixtures that call back to Thomas Edison’s bulbs. “Most people walk up and don’t even think twice, having no idea that it’s an old door,” Day said.

Early demo to ready the site exposed more treasures. “We demolished eight or nine buildings in total,” Kirk said of the project’s origins, “and in the basements of two of them, we discovered very ornate tin

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ceilings.” He referenced former Ford Land CEO Donna Inch’s design preferences.

“Donna was especially interested in salvaging whatever we could, so we were able to save and rehabilitate those ceiling tiles.

“We did a collage rather than try and put them back together,” he said. A wall of the café features the tin tiles as a decorative focal point. Similarly, when plaster was stripped from the hotel’s hallways, the original pine lath strips were revealed.

Stained but left in place, they line the narrow hotel corridors with earthy yet elegant character. Glass from transom windows over the hotel rooms was

Photo Courtesy of NeumaNN/smith arChiteCture

The completely rebuilt roof of the 1896 hotel now features outdoor seating and a fire pit for gatherings during and after work hours. The original iconic turret that crowns the corner of the old hotel has been refurbished, from its slate tiles and tin ornamentation to its 8-foot copper spire.

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Conference rooms retain transom windows that were above the doors to the hotel’s former sleeping rooms, while tiny linen closets are now corner nooks for a quick phone call.

restored, and a 4-foot-square light well that brought daylight and air into the interior rooms has been maintained as a point of interest.

“We really wanted to preserve the wood construction character of this building to serve as a counterpoint to the other buildings,” Kirk said. “Early construction techniques are actually part of American ingenuity. You didn’t over-build things. You only built stuff with as much material as you needed to satisfy the purpose. “This building was built with old-growth Michigan white pine,” he said. “It’s not only cut from the center of the tree, the heartwood, but the sap over 100 years has basically crystallized so the wood is much stronger than what modern wood members are. It has a bit of give to it.”

Similarly, the original brick of the hotel embodies the strength of the past. “People look at the soft brick of this building and think it’s weak. It’s actually very strong because in Michigan, with the freeze-thaw cycles, the soft brick and the soft mortar moves together, where harder brick and contemporary mortar doesn’t,” Kirk said.

“We had to make sure that when tuckpointing the building that they used softer mortar to prevent the soft brick from crumbling later” due to weather.

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“Everything about the job has been very detailed. Even the coating on the brick is a special material provided by Cathedral Stone has a vapor-permeable consolidant that goes into the brick,” Kirk said. “It’s silica-based so instead of being like a paint, it becomes part of the brick. It breathes like the brick does naturally.”

Structural Challenges Predictably, the effort to honor historical spaces and preserve their old materials confronted the reality of a century-old wood-framed hotel, damaged from holes in the roof. As the construction team uncovered more areas, rotten wood was pulled out of the first floor, and several joists needed sistering with new material.

The roof itself was so damaged that the team had to open up most of it and rebuild the entire support bearing on existing brick and beams before installing new roofing.

“We added a completely separate structure set above the original roof,” Kirk said. Precise analysis of the 1896 masonry showed areas, especially above window

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openings, where reinforcement was needed. “We used stub columns to come on top of masonry walls that were already here to keep any load off the older roof,” Kirk said. “The engineers came up with bearing plates on top of the brick walls, and then sandwiched plates on each side of the wall,” said Ryan White, Roncelli project manager. “That’s in about eight locations.

We also added stiffeners on some existing beams.”

The building’s original mechanical units were housed in a second-story courtyard sometime in the 1920s or 1930s. The current second-floor entrance ramp was created by reclaiming that area. Soil in the cleared two-block, 2.25-acre site had poor bearing capacity, common to Dearborn areas near the railroad tracks. Structural engineers installed a strip footing to go around the perimeter of the new buildings, and a cross grid through all the interior columns, making the footings wider than normal and creating a kind of mat to distribute the weight of the buildings as though they were floating above the poor soil.

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Another site challenge involved accommodating varying elevations for the two new buildings. Along Michigan Avenue from east to west, one building drops off almost four feet, and the other drops off five feet. Ford Land wanted all the first-floor retail space to be consistent for foot traffic.

The solution, devised with help from the city’s streetscape consultant Smith Group JJR, was to use dual sidewalks, landscaping, and ramps to unify the sites.

“In the West building, we had to build two sidewalks, one next to the building, which allowed the first floor to be completely level,” Kirk said, “and a second public sidewalk against the street that made up the difference in slope.

“Smith Group used planting beds next to the curb, installed at about a 40-degree angle, and put metal guards around them so they’re not accessible from the street.

We used some steps and ramps within each of those areas to make up the difference,” he said. Multiple grades for the East building were even more complicated.

“We developed a pocket park that makes

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up about a 4-foot grade change from the front to the back,” Kirk said. The flow of walkways and greenery contributes to the curb appeal of all the buildings.

Design Details Bridge Old and New The wedding of preserved features to a streamlined contemporary design confers character and authenticity. The effort taken to restore and remake small touches reflects the overall care given to the project inside and out.

For example, Neumann/Smith studied photographs taken right after the Wagner Hotel was built to replicate 30-inch balconies, brought up to code with unframed glass guards that protect to the full 42-inch height.

Sixty percent of a decorative garland detail – bits of tin pressed and tack-welded to the hotel’s tin cornice – was refabricated out of Fiberglas by GlassLine, a Plymouth subcontractor, specializing in architectural ornamentation. Roofers recreated two little crowns on top of the roof’s parapet wall. At the corner of the new roof, the striking

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turret bears a newly fabricated cast 8-foot copper spire. The turret itself had lost about ten percent of its slate tile covering. New slate mixed in with the old maintains the original look.

Deliberate restraint in the use of color is an integral part of both the urban aesthetic and the many nods to the past. “Early on in the project, I got up on a lift and did paint scrapings of the cornice and the turret to determine the paint colors,” Kirk said. A pallet of five exterior colors includes a dark green typical to the era, contrasting with modern black used on the rest of the building. Neutral tones used in the work spaces make the most of ample windows and LED lighting overhead. Open areas with adjacent desks – no cubicle walls – are balanced by a variety of conference rooms and casual lounge seating for informal collaboration. What used to be the hotel’s small bedrooms have become high-tech breakout rooms, and former linen closets are now telephone booths for a quick private phone call.

A New Way of Working Kirk credits Ford Land’s interior design work for selecting the ergonomic furniture systems in the building. “They’re oriented toward wellness. Everyone’s table is adjustable by height so they can either sit or stand while they work,” he said. Bench seating makes flexibility foremost by putting workers side by side. “We’re designing for those people we’re trying to entice to come here,” said Jeff Lynch, Ford Land director of sales and leasing development. “The new layout is enticing to new talent and that’s a big selling point.

It’s an important part of where Ford’s going.”

Competing with other companies for the best and brightest people is key to the New Concept Workspace design. The days of employees being chained to the same boxy cubicles is going the way of the typewriter and fax machine. “You can go work wherever you want,” said Dawn Booker, Ford Land communications manager. “If you need heads-down work, go find a conference room to sit in. If you’re collaborating with your team, use one of the white boards everywhere. It’s really changing the concept of coming in and sitting in one cube all day.”

That means giving employees the option of taking their laptops to a couch to stretch out…to a communal café table…or outside to a park or restaurant – part of Ford’s new working model. “We’re encouraging our employees to go and have lunch, or sit outside in the park,” Booker said.

The rooftop offers another place for working or after-work hangouts. Outdoor seating and a fire pit with gas igniters and glass beads offer a prime location for an evening office party.

While there’s badge access to the office area, the intent is to be more integrated into the community. That’s why the first-floor retail spaces in all the buildings make sense. Employees can easily wander to the restaurants and service businesses before, during and after hours. Creating reasons for people to stick around softens the edges between work-life and, simply, life.

“It’s about being connected,” Kirk said.

“Since the beginning of the project, the Ford Land team has been committed to keeping the first-floor corridors in both buildings open beyond normal working hours.”

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That means embracing traffic from restaurant patrons and other members of the public to flow in from the parking deck behind the buildings and out to Michigan Avenue to walk around. The landscaping and building accessibility work together to connect and energize surrounding community. “Our idea is, at five o’clock the building doesn’t just go dark,” Booker said.

“There’s still activity happening well into the evening and on the weekend. We’re partnering with the West Dearborn Business Association and the City of Dearborn to bring farmers’ markets, events and concerts to the park.”

Tenants for the 40,000 square feet of Wagner Place’s first-floor commercial space include a fitness studio, beauty salon, yogurt shop, and several restaurants, including The Jolly Pumpkin pub and The Great Commoner lunch and breakfast spot.

Wagner Place’s exterior uses a variety of materials – nine different types of brick, four different window systems, contrasting cornices, metal panels and precast

P L A C E

A café has clean, industrial features, like the ceilings with spray-on insulation and exposed mechanical vents, with large windows and polished concrete flooring. A suspended old door supports light pendants above the counter.

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CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

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WA G N E R

P L A C E

concrete – to suggest separate facades, creating interest and street appeal. Four metal and glass sculptures by the Nordin brothers of Detroit Design Center punctuate the pocket parks throughout the complex.

Juggling the contrasting finishes under a tight schedule was challenging. “I do appreciate the architecture,” White said. “It would be boring if it were just a square building.”

Wagner Place will be LEED-certified based on sustainability measures such as LED lighting, low-flow fixtures, upgraded building envelope and a water retention system, among other features. “Ford Motor Company has an international goal for very high sustainability levels,” Kirk said. The inclusion of the older hotel in the project makes the achievement even more impressive.

Teaming Up to Meet Challenges Meeting Ford’s aggressive schedule – moving in 600 employees within 20 months – would not have been possible without the

124 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

support of the City of Dearborn and the rest of the community. The City coordinated transfer of utility lines underground, and is arranging a mid-block crossing with the Michigan Department of Transportation to promote pedestrian access between the north and south sides of Michigan Avenue.

Access and staging of equipment and materials proved challenging, especially during the construction of the parking deck on West Village Drive behind the buildings.

“We had two large construction projects happening on top of each other,” Kirk said.

“You had West Village Drive closed and Monroe closed, and there were challenges trying to get laydown area and people sorted out.” But as the relationship with the City and MDOT developed, Roncelli was allowed daily lane closures and even Michigan Avenue was closed during the holiday season, something very unusual.

Eventually they were allowed to close three lanes over a weekend to hoist up all the tenant rooftop units.

Close working relations with the Downtown Development Association,

business leaders from both east and west Dearborn, and Ford itself have been crucial in realizing the vision for the city’s future.

“When you sit back afterward, it was all a team effort,” White said. “It was a great environment to work in.”

“You can tell the City of Dearborn appreciates what Ford is doing here, so they were exceptionally accommodating,” Day said. “They were all very good to work with in terms of inspectors, planners, everyone. It made life a lot easier.” “By changing the way the downtown works, this project allows people to circulate and actually use the space around the buildings,” Kirk said. “This will end up being the hottest part of downtown.”

Ford has called Dearborn home for over a hundred years. Wagner Place is a dynamic thank-you note to the city, revitalizing the downtown, its workers and residents for another 100 years into the future.

“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

Founded in 1918, RAM Construction Services is the oldest and most experienced waterproo ng and restoration contractor in the United States.

New Construction Weatherproo ng Building Facade Restoration Concrete Restoration Department of Transportation Maintenance & Repairs

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1-800-875-3800 Get a quote for your project! Visit us at: www.ramservices.com

• • • • • • • • • • •

Masonry – Dixon, Inc., Detroit Metal Panels – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc., Taylor Plaster – Russell Plastering Co., Ferndale Public Space Flooring – Master Craft Floors, Plymouth Public Space Millwork – Mod Interiors, Ira Township Public Space Painting – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren Public Space Tile – Wolverine Stone Company, Warren Roofing – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Lake Orion Spray Fireproofing – Harnish Fireproofing, Redford Charter Township Wall Protection – Stonhard, Wayne, IN Waterproofing – RAM Construction Services, Detroit

Shinola Hotel

OCTOBER 2019

SPECIAL ISSUE SUBCONTRACTORS LISTS

126 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

Owner: Shinola/Detroit (Brand Partner), Detroit; Bedrock (Developer), Detroit Architect of Record & Designer: Kraemer Design Group, Detroit Construction Manager, Concrete and Steel Installation: Barton Malow Company, Southfield Interior Design: GACHOT Studios, New York, NY Civil Engineer: Mannik & Smith Group, Inc., Detroit MEP Engineer: Integrated Design Solutions (IDS), Troy Structural Engineer: Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineer, West Bloomfield Township Surveying: Spalding DeDecker, Rochester Hills Testing and Structural Steel Inspection: TEC Group, Troy Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Awnings – Marygrove Awnings, Livonia • Conservatory – Parish Conservatories, Inc., Bridgeport, CT • Decorative Plaster – EverGreene Architectural Arts, Brooklyn, NY • Demolition – Homrich, Detroit • Drilled Caissons – Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New Hudson • Electrical & Fire Alarm – LaBelle Electrical Contractors, Macomb • Elevators – Otis Elevator Co., Detroit • Exterior & Interior Carpentry, General Trades – Brinker Group, Detroit • Exterior Restoration – Pullman SST, Inc., Trenton • Fire Suppression – Elite Fire Safety, Inc., Southfield • Glazing & Storefront – Madison Heights Glass Co., Inc., Ferndale • Guest Room Flooring – City Carpet & Flooring, Detroit • Guest Room Millwork – Denn-Co Construction, Inc., Detroit • Guest Room Millwork – Division 6 Fabrication & Installation, Warren • Guest Room Painting – Madias Brothers Painting, Detroit • Guest Room Tile – Artisan Tile, Brighton • Historic Windows – Blackberry, Kalamazoo • HVAC Dry – Bumler Mechanical, Inc., Sterling Heights • HVAC Wet, Plumbing – Western Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Clinton Township • Kitchen Equipment – Stafford-Smith, Inc., Kalamazoo

Mike Ilitch School of Business – Wayne State University

Owner: Wayne State University, Detroit Architect: SmithGroup, Detroit Construction Manager: The Christman Company/L.S. Brinker Joint Venture, Detroit Engineer: SmithGroup, Detroit Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Acoustical & Audio – Kirkegaard Associates, Chicago, IL • ADA Chair Lift – A4 Access, Rochester Hills • Audio Visual/Structured Cabling – Shaw Systems & Integration, Southfield • Carpet, VCT, Rubber Base – City Carpet & Flooring, Inc., Detroit • Ceramic Tile – Artisan Tile Inc., Brighton • Commissioning – Horizon Engineering Associates, Ann Arbor • Curtainwalls, Aluminum Entrances, Glass & Glazing – Universal Glass & Metals Inc., Detroit • Drywall, Acoustical, Exterior Wall Systems – PCP-TB, LLC (Joint Venture between Pontiac Ceiling & Partition, LLC, Pontiac, and Turner Brooks, Inc., Madison Heights) • Earthwork & Site Utilities – Site Development, Inc., Madison Heights • Electrical – Shaw Electric Co., Southfield • Elevators – Schindler Elevator Corp., Livonia • Fire Alarm – Ferndale Electric, Ferndale • Fire Protection – Shambaugh & Son, L.P., Southfield • General Carpentry, Millwork, Doors & Hardware – Christman Constructors, Inc., Lansing • Interior Signage – Visual Entities Inc., Wyoming “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

S U B C O N T R A C T O R S

• Landscaping – WH Canon Landscape Co., Romulus • Masonry – Dixon, Inc., Detroit • Metal Siding – Custom Architectural Sheetmetal Specialists Inc., Detroit • Painting – Madias Brothers, Inc., Detroit • Piping, Sheet Metal – R.W. Mead & Sons, Fraser • Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical Inc., Clinton Township • Roofing – Schreiber Corp., Wixom • Site Concrete – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Inc., Livonia • Stone Veneer – Booms Stone Co., Redford Charter Township • Security – Electronic Security Systems, Inc., Warren • Steel, Miscellaneous – Davis Iron Works, Inc., Commerce Charter Township • Structural Concrete – Christman Constructors, Inc., Livonia • Structural Steel – Ideal Contracting, Detroit • Temperature Controls – Siemens Industry, Inc., Plymouth • Testing, Adjusting & Balancing – Barmatic Inspecting Co. Inc., Lincoln Park

• Steel – Delta Steel, Saginaw • Tile – Standard Tile, Saginaw

The Reconstruction of I-75 Over Rouge and Goddard Owner: Michigan Department of Transportation, Taylor General Contractor: C.A. Hull Co., Inc., Walled Lake Engineer: Alfred Benesch & Co., East Lansing

The Legacy – Bay City

Owner: Jenifer Acosta Development, Bay City General Contractor: Spence Brothers, Saginaw Architect: Quinn Evans Architects, Detroit Engineers: MacMillan Associates, Bay City

Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Demolition – North American Dismantling, Lapeer • Drywall – Acoustical Arts, Caro • Electric – Clements Electric, Bay City • Elevator – Schindler Elevator, Livonia • Excavation – Tri-City Groundbreakers, Midland • Fire Protection – Jimco Fire Protection, Au Gres • Flooring – Supreme Floor Covering, Bay City • HVAC – Johnson and Wood, Saginaw • Insulation – Mag Insulation, Auburn • General Trades – RC Hendrick, Saginaw • Glazing – Calvin and Company, Flint • Masonry – McMath Masonry, Freeland • Masonry Restoration – Grunwell-Cashero, Detroit • Paint – Northern Bay Painting, Bay City • Paving – Pyramid Paving, Bay City • Roofing – Valley Roofing, Bay City Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Bridge/Excavating – Dan's Excavating Inc., Shelby Charter Township • Bump Grinding - Opperman Grooving Inc., Portland • Clearing – CHOP, Grand Rapids • Concrete - McCoig Materials, Detroit • Concrete/HMA Paving - Ajax Paving Industries Inc., Troy • Concrete Pumping - Cross Enterprises, Inc., Melvindale • Demolition - Homrich Wrecking, Inc., Detroit • Drainage Structure Cleaning - National Industrial Maintenance - Michigan, Inc., Dearborn • Engineering – Genesis Structures, Kansas City, MO • Guardrail/Fence – Future Fence Co., Warren • Inspection – Fishbeck Thompson Carr & Huber, Detroit • Inspection – Great Lakes Engineering Group, Lansing • Inspection – HNTB Corp., Detroit • Inspection – OHM Advisors, Detroit • Inspection – Tetra Tech, Detroit • Inspection – Wade Trim, Detroit • Inspection – WSP, Detroit • ITS – Integral Blue, LLC, Madison Heights • ITS – Orion Services, Inc., Wixom • Joint Sealing – Scodeller Construction, Inc., Wixom • Mason – Doan Construction Co., Ypsilanti • Mason – GM & Sons, Inc., Whitmore Lake • Mason – Florence Cement Co., Shelby Township • Pavement Marking – P.K. Contracting, Inc., Troy • Pavement Removal – Eaton Construction Co., Inc., Circleville, OH • Permanent Signing – Highway Service Co., Inc., Woodhaven • Pile Monitoring – G2 Consulting Group, LLC, Troy • Restoration – Natural Environmental Reclamation Concepts, Inc., Hanover • Saw Cutting – Concrete Cutting & Breaking Co., Grand Rapids • Saw Cutting – Cutting Edge Concrete Cutting Inc, Ubly

• Sewer and Pipe Videotaping – Paradigm 2000, Inc., Detroit • Soil Erosion – JB Erosion Control, Inc., Highland • Structural Steel – Black Swamp Steel, Inc., Holland, OH • Structural Steel Repair – National Bridge, LLC, Okemos • Structural Steel Repair – Vulcanmasters Welding Company, Inc., Detroit • Survey – Nylander Engineering, Lansing • Survey – Surveying Solutions, Inc., St. Johns • Testing – Somat Engineering, Detroit • Testing – TTL Associates, Inc., Plymouth • Testing – TYME Engineering, Livonia • Traffic Control – State Barricades, Inc., Warren • Vibration Monitoring – GEI Consultants of Michigan P.C., Marquette • Waterproofing – Smith's Waterproofing LLC, Almont Subconsultants to Benesch During the Design Phase: • Design – HNTB, Detroit • Design – Access Engineering, Milford • Design – AECOM Great Lakes, Grand Rapids • Design – Bergmann Associates, Lansing

United Shore Headquarters

Owner: United Shore, Pontiac Architect: Integrated Design Solutions, LLC, Troy Construction Manager: The Dailey Company, Lake Orion Civil Engineers: Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, Inc., Shelby Twp.

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S U B C O N T R A C T O R S

Landscape Architect: Grissim Metz Andriese Associates, Northville Structural Engineer: SDI Structures, Ann Arbor Surveying/Layout: Core Land Consulting, Southfield Testing Services: Testing Engineers and Consultants, Troy Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Air Blown Fiber, Electrical (Building) – Superior Electric Great Lakes Co., Troy • Asphalt Paving (Hot Mix), Curbs, Striping – Nagle Paving Co., Novi

• Athletic Flooring (Wood Athletic Flooring Assemblies) – Kuhn Specialty Flooring, Beverly Hills • Carpet/Resilient/Install (Artificial Turf Finishes, Resilient Tile Flooring, Resilient Sheet Flooring, Resilient Wall Base and Accessories) – Ideal Floor Covering, Inc., Rochester • Ceramic Tile – Empire Tile & Marble Co., Eastpointe • Demolition – Blue Star, Inc., Warren • Demountable Partitions – Office Furniture Solutions, Commerce Township • Doors, Frames & Hardware (Flush Wood Doors, Hollow Metal Doors and Frames) – Rayhaven Group, Livonia • Drywall/Carpentry (Acoustical Panel Ceilings/Bid Pack 2, Applied Fireproofing, Gypsum Board Assemblies, Sound-Control Ceiling Units) – Pontiac Ceiling & Partition Co., LLC, Pontiac • Earthwork, Utilities, Site Concrete (Cast-In-Place Concrete, Bid Packs 1,2,3) – E.L.S. Construction, Inc., Oxford • Electrical (Controls, Interior/Exterior Light Fixtures, Panel Boards, Switches); Fire Alarm System (Addressable) – Advantage Electric & Controls, Inc., Shelby Twp. • Electrical (Generator, Switchgear Install) – Ferndale Electric Co., Inc., Ferndale • Fire Protection Services – Architectural Building Components, Inc., Ferndale • Fire Protection Specialties – Healey Fire Protection, Inc., Orion Charter Township • Fire Suppression (Wet Pipe Sprinkler Systems/FM200) –

PREVENT CAVE-INS

SLOPE or bench trench walls SHORE trench walls with supports, or SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes For free assistance in providing a safe and healthful workplace, contact the MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division at 517-284-7720 128 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

Shambaugh & Son, L.P., Southfield • Food Service Equipment – Stafford-Smith, Inc., Kalamazoo • Glass/Glazing (All-Glass Entrances and Storefronts, Aluminum-Framed Entrances and Storefronts, Door Hardware, Frameless Glass Shower Doors and Sidelights) – Clinton Valley Products, LLC, Roseville • Gymnasium Equipment – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc., Bloomfield Hills • HVAC, Plumbing, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing – Goyette Mechanical Co., Flint • Insulation – Stony Creek Services, Inc., Westland • Millwork (Interior Architectural Woodwork, Bid Pack 3) – Brown Dog Manufacturing, Redford • Landscape/Irrigation – BrightView Landscape Services, Pontiac • Lockers (Metal) – Shelving Inc., Auburn Hills • Masonry (Unit Masonry, Bid Packs 1,2,3) – Connolly Masonry, Inc., Clarkston • Metal Coping (Sheet Metal Flashing and Trim) – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Orion • Metal Fabrication (Decorative Metal Railings, Metal Stairs and Railings) – Sav’s Welding Services Inc., Detroit • Metal Composite Material Wall Panels – Michigan Metal Walls, LLC, Wyandotte • Painting, High-Performance Coatings, Wallcoverings – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren • Pavers, Amphitheater Seating, Retaining Walls – SDS Stone Paving, Pontiac • Polished Concrete Floor Finishing, Traffic Coatings – Marso Chemical LLC, Flat Rock • Precast Architectural Concrete – M.E.G.A. Precast, Inc., Shelby Twp. • Roofing (Single-Ply Membrane, PVC, Bid Pack 2) – Lutz Roofing, Shelby Township • Signage – Weaver Media, LLC, Commerce Township • Structured Cabling – Black Box Network Services, Troy • Structural Steel – Ross Structural Steel, Detroit • Sun Shade – Recreation Contractor, LLC, Wheaton, IL • Temporary Fence – American Fence, Warren • Toilet Partitions/Accessories (Metal Toilet Compartments, Mirrors, Toilet and Bath Accessories) – Building Accessories Corp., West Bloomfield • Trash Chutes – Safway Services, LLC, Clinton Township • Turnstyles (Pedestrian Control Equipment) – Tyco SimplexGrinnell, Troy • VAV Supplier – Fontanesi & Kann Co., Ferndale • Wire Mesh Partitions – Acme Wire & Iron Works, Detroit

Flex-N-Gate Detroit Manufacturing Facility Owner: Flex-N-Gate Corp., Urbana, IL Architect: IBI Group, Inc., Toronto, Ontario Construction Manager: Walsh Construction Co., Detroit Engineer: IBI Group, Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Aggregate Piers – Hayward Baker, Inc., Roselle, IL • Ceramic Tile Flooring – Shock Brothers Floorcovering, Inc., Warren • Concrete – Christman Constructors, Inc., Lansing • Concrete Floor Polishing – Master Craft Floors, Plymouth • Concrete Paving – Major Cement Co., Detroit • Curtainwall, Glazing – Modern Mirror & Glass Co., Roseville

“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

S U B C O N T R A C T O R S

• Tile and Terrazzo – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton • Tower Cranes – Connelly Crane Rental Corp., Redford Charter Township • Traffic Consultant – URS Corp., St. Clair Shores • Vibration Testing, CFD Modeling, Exhaust ReEntertainment Analysis – Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc., Guelph, Ontario

AUCH Construction Headquarters

Owner: AUCH Construction, Pontiac Architect: HED, Southfield Contractor: AUCH Construction, Pontiac Civil Engineer: Spalding DeDecker, Rochester Hills Due Care/Environmental Consultant: SME, Plymouth Testing Services: Testing Engineers and Consultants, Troy

• Doors, Hardware, Bath Accessories – LaForce, Inc., Warren • Earthwork – Sole Underground, LLC, West Bloomfield • Electrical & Communications – Center Line Electric, Inc., Center Line • Elevators – Otis Elevator Co., Farmington Hills • Fencing – Future Fence Co., Warren • Fire Protection – Progressive Mechanical, Inc., Ferndale • H-Pile Installation – Crawford Pile Driving, LLC, Bloomfield Hills • Insulated Metal Wall Panels – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc., Taylor • Masonry – Dixon, Inc., Detroit • Metal Stud & Drywall – Pontiac Ceiling and Partitions, Pontiac • Millwork – Trend Millwork, Inc., Lincoln Park • Painting – Signature Contracting Group, LLC, Redford • Plumbing & Mechanical – De-Cal, Inc., Warren • Roller Shades – The Sheer Shop, Shelby Township • Roofing – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Orion • Site Irrigation – Heritage and Co., Inc., Lake Orion • Site Landscaping – Landmark Landscaping Services, Milford • Site Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Livonia • Site Security – Crime Prevention Security, Inc., Ypsilanti • Structural and Miscellaneous Steel – Midwest Steel, Inc., Detroit • Surveying – Nowak & Fraus Engineers, Pontiac • Waterproofing & Damproofing – BNE Services, LLC, Livonia

Biological Sciences Building – University of Michigan Owner: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Architect: SmithGroup, Detroit; Ennead Architects, New York, NY Construction Manager: Barton Malow, Southfield Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Acoustics & Vibration Consulting – Shen Milsom & Wilke, New York, NY • Acoustical & Audio Visual – Kirkegaard Associates, Chicago, IL • Air & Water Test & Balance – Enviro-Aire, St. Clair Shores • Air Side Mechanical – Dee Cramer Inc., Holly • Ceilings – Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn Hills • Code Consultant – Jensen Hughes, Inc., Farmington Hills Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

• Concrete Retaining Wall – Christman Constructors, Inc., Livonia • Cost Estimating – KAS Estimating Services, Inc., Southfield • Design Consultant – Ennead Architects LLP, New York, NY • Earth Retention – Hardman Construction, Ludington • Electrical Utilities – Center Line Electric Inc., Center Line • Elevators – ThyssenKrupp Elevators Co., Ltd., Livonia • Environmental Rooms – Harris Environmental Systems, Inc., Andover, MA • Excavation/Utilities – Eagle Excavation, Inc., Flint • Exterior Concrete – Krull Construction Co., Ann Arbor • Exterior Curtainwall –National Enclosure Co., Ypsilanti • Fall Protection – LJB, Inc., Okemos • Fire Protection – Shambaugh & Son, L.P., Southfield • Flooring – Continental Interiors, Inc., Troy • Foundations & H20 – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights • Geotechnical Engineering – Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc., Shelby Charter Township • Hardware Consultant – Jenosky Consulting, Inc., Novi • Interior Framing/Drywall & General Trades – Denn-Co Construction, Detroit • Interior Glazing – Universal Glass & Metal, Inc., Detroit • Irrigation Design – Geoffrey Graber, Chesterfield • IT Communications – Center Line Technologies, Center Line • Lab Equipment & Casework – Detroit Technical Equipment Co., Auburn Hills • Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia • Millwork – National Specialty Contractors, LLC, Ypsilanti • Painting – Madias Brothers Painting, Detroit • Plumbing & Mechanical Piping – John E. Green Co., Highland Park • Prime Architect, Lab Planner, Lighting Design, Site/Landscpae Design, MEP Engineering, Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer – SmithGroup, Detroit • Roofing, Metal Panel – CEI Group, LLC, Whitmore Lake • Sewer Modeling – CDM Smith Michigan, Inc., Detroit • Slab on Grade & Metal Deck – Colasanti Specialty Services, Inc., Macomb • Smoke Curtains – Shaffner-Heaney Associates, Inc., South Bend, IN • Snowmelt System – Huron Valley Electric, Ann Arbor • Spray Fireproofing – William Reichenbach Co., Lansing • Structural Steel – Midwest Steel, Inc., Detroit • Temperature Controls – Siemens Industry, Inc., Plymouth

Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Audiovisual Integrator and Installer – Audio Visual I Innovations, Holland • Card Access & Cameras – Presidio, Wixom • Concrete Flatwork – Gemelli Concrete, LLC, Romeo • Concrete Polishing – Rotunda Marble & Stone Restoration, Romulus • Electrical – Wade’s Electrical Contracting, Washington • Fencing – Industrial Fence/Landscaping, Inc., Detroit • Fire Suppression – Professional Sprinkler, Inc., Wixom • Flooring – Shock Brothers Floor Covering, Inc., Roseville • Foundations – North Channel Construction, Harsens Island • Furniture Vendor – Interior Environments, Novi

• BONDS • CONTRACTORS INSURANCE • ENVIRONMENTAL INSURANCE • LIFE & HEALTH

(248) 355-4411 www.zervosgroup.com 24724 Farmbrook Rd. Southfield 48034 Gus E. Zervos

Steve M. Zervos

CEO

President

Angelo G. Zervos, VP

Michael G. Zervos, VP

Dave Lange Dominic Nicita

Don Burden

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S U B C O N T R A C T O R S

• Roller Shades – The Rose Collection, Pleasant Ridge • Roofing – JD Candler, Livonia • Site Demolition & Earthwork – Site Development, Inc., Madison Heights • Steel – Casadei Steel, Inc., Sterling Heights • Tile – Empire Tile & Marble Company, Inc., Eastpointe

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Glass – Edwards Glass Co., Livonia • Gypsum Assemblies/Ceilings – Turner-Brooks, Inc., Madison Heights • HVAC – Conti Corp., Sterling Heights • Landscaping – JW Christmas & Associates, Milford • Low-Voltage Cabling – Wiltec Technologies, Ann Arbor • Marker Boards – Advanced Specialties, Inc., Clawson • Masonry – Rosati Masonry Co., Inc., Redford • Metal Panels – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc., Taylor • Millwork/Finish Carpentry – Denn-Co Construction, Inc., Detroit • Painting – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren • Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Novi • Plumbing – Oakland Plumbing Co., Ray Township

Ph: (248) 541-6800 Fx: (248) 544-0572 Glass Aluminum Windows Curtain Walls Storefronts/Entrances

Serving the Tri-County Area Over 75 Years

610 Livernois Ferndale, MI 48220 www.petersonglass.com 130 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

• • • •

Parking Garage Doors – Rytec Corp., Jackson, WI Photoluminescent – Mr. DG Rene, Seattle, WA Plumbing – G.F. Wilbur Plumbing, Inc., Manchester Pool & Pool Equipment – Northstar Pools, LLC, Walled Lake Postal Specialties – Advanced Specialties, Inc., Clawson Roofing – Royal-West Roofing & Crane, Deforest, WI Schlage Smart Control Deadbolts – Advant Solutions, Inc., Houston, TX Sectional Overhead Doors – The Overhead Door Co. of Whitmore Lake, Whitmore Lake Signage – Johnson Sign Co., Ypsilanti Soft Flooring – Turner Brooks, Madison Heights Steel – Division 5 Metalworks, Kalamazoo Temp Heating Equipment – Carrier Rental Systems, Warren Toilet Accessories & Framed Mirrors – D10USA, Waterford Trash Enclosure Gate – Ann Arbor Fabrication, Inc., Ann Arbor Venetian Plaster – Artisan Venetian Plaster, Elmwood Park, IL Voice, Video, Data, AV, Security & Fire Alarm – Wiltec Technologies, Ann Arbor Window Shades – Creative Windows, Ann Arbor

HUB Ann Arbor

Owner: American Campus Communities (former owner: Core Spaces, Inc.) Architect: Myefski Architects, Chicago Construction Manager: Spence Brothers, Ann Arbor Engineer: Robert Darvis Associates (Structural), RTM Engineering Consultants (Mechanical) Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Apartment Cabinets & Countertops – Blake Surface Solutions, Memphis, TN • Appliances – Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor • Asphalt Paving – AA Asphalt & Concrete Paving, Ann Arbor • Asphalt Paving & Patching – Cadillac Asphalt, LLC, Canton • Concrete – Spence Brothers, Ann Arbor • Construction Elevator, Hoist – JJ Curran Crane Co., Detroit • Crane Setting – Reynolds Rigging & Crane, Deforest, WI • Custom Millwork – Zuckero & Sons, Roseville • Door, Frame & Hardware Material – LaForce, Inc., Green Bay, WI • Drywall & Framing – Turner Brooks, Madison Heights • Earth Retention – Hardmand Construction, Ludington • Earthwork & Utilities – Eagle Excavation, Flint • Electrical – Huron Valley Electric, Ann Arbor • Elevators – Otis Elevator Co., Farmington Hills • Euro Shower Doors – Golich Glass, Brighton • Finish Carpentry – National Specialty Contractors, LLC, Ypsilanti • Fire Protection – Shambaugh & Son, L.P., Southfield • Glass & Aluminum – Edwards Glass, Livonia • Hard Tile – JHB Services, Belgian, IL • HVAC & Mechanical Piping – Limbach, Inc., Pontiac • IPE Wood – Advantage Trim & Lumber Co., Grover, NC • Landscaping – Salient Landscaping, Inc., Milan • Masonry – Baker Construction, Whitmore Lake • Metal Panels – CEI Composites, Manchester • Moisture & Thermal Protection – RAM Construction Services, Livonia • Painting – Commercial Finishes, LLC, Pleasant Lake

Dexter Early Elementary Complex Owner: Dexter Community Schools Architect: TMP Architecture General Contractor: Granger Construction

Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Aluminum, Glass & Glazing – B&B Glass, Rochester Hills • Asphalt Paving and Markings – T&M Asphalt, Inc., Milford • Building Foundations – Gardner Corporation, Toledo, OH • Casework – Stonecreek Interior Systems, LLC, Grand Rapids • Concrete Slabs – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Livonia • Data Cabling – Digital Age Technologies, Davison • Drywall and Acoustical – Ann Arbor Ceiling & Partition, Ypsilanti • Earthwork and Utilities – Blaze Contracting, Detroit • Electrical – O’Donnell Electric LLC, Whitmore Lake • Fencing – Justice Fence Co., Battle Creek • Fire Suppression – Absolute Fire Protections, Inc., Mt. Clemens • Food Service Equipment – Stafford-Smith, Inc., Kalamazoo • General Trades – Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn Hills “The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

S U B C O N T R A C T O R S

• Gym and Athletic Equipment – C&M Associations, LLC, Brighton • Hard Tile & Terrazzo Tile – Artisan Tile, Brighton • HVAC – Quality Aire Systems, Inc., Whitmore Lake • Landscaping & Irrigation – Salisbury Landscape Group, Belleville • Lockers – Brainard Enterprises, Inc., Rockford • Masonry – Schiffer Mason Contractors, Inc., Holt • Painting – Continental Contracting Co. LLC, Hazel Park • Playground – Play Environments Design, LLC, Holland • Plumbing & Piping – John Darr Mechanical, Inc., Ann Arbor • Phones – Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions, Cincinnati, OH • Resilient & Soft Flooring – Continental Interiors, Inc., Troy • Roofing & Metal Roofing – Quality Roofing, Inc., Whitmore Lake • Security Cameras & Access Controls – Parkway Electric & Communications LLC, Holland • Site Concrete – GM & Sons, Inc., Whitmore Lake • Structural & Miscellaneous Steel – Kirby Steel, Burton

• Food Service Equipment – Stafford-Smith, Inc., Madison Heights • Glass & Glazing – Calvin & Co., Flint • Hard Tile/Terrazzo – Artisan Tile, Brighton • Interior Framing & Carpentry/Doors – Acoustic Ceiling & Partition, Ann Arbor • Landscaping – KLM Landscape, Armada • Masonry & Stone – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia • Mechanical (all systems) – R.W. Mead & Sons, Fraser • Mechanical Demolition – Myers Plumbing & Heating, Inc., Lansing • Metal Siding/Roofing – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc., Taylor • Painting – Murray Painting, Freeland • Roofing & Sheetmetal – Schreiber Corp., Wixom • Security – Electronic Security Systems, Warren • Site Concrete & Flatwork – Fessler & Bowman, Inc., Flushing • Site Power & Communications Duct Bank – Labelle Electrical Contractors, Mt. Clemens • Site Utilities, Clearing, Excavation, ERS – Site Development, Inc., Madison Heights • Structural Concrete – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights • Structural Steel – Ideal Contracting, Detroit • Temporary Walls – Christman Constructors, Inc., Livonia

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Electrical – Triangle Electric Co., Madison Heights Elevators – KONE, Livonia Environmental Support – Tetra Tech, Ann Arbor Existing Floor Joist Re-Floor – Fastdecks, Inc., Walled Lake Exterior Lead Abatement – RAM Construction Services, Livonia Fire Suppression – Simplex Grinnell LP, Farmington Hills Flooring – Action Floors, LLC, Commerce Township Glazing – Edwards Glass Co., Livonia Interior Signage – Jiffy Signs, Inc., Livonia Landscaping – WH Canon, Inc., Romulus Layout/Engineering – Mannik & Smith Group, Canton Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Inc., Livonia Mechanical – Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn Metal Panels – CEI, Hamburg Millwork – Trend Millwork, LLC, Lincoln Park Painting – Eastside Coatings, Detroit Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical, Inc., Clinton Township Roller Shades – Creative Windows, Ann Arbor Roofing – Christen Detroit, Detroit Sculpture – Detroit Design Center, Detroit Signage – Phillips Sign & Lighting, Inc., Harrison Township Site Concrete – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Livonia Site Work – Eagle Excavation, Flint Structural Steel – B&A Structural Steel, LLC, Chesterfield Structural Steel – Casadei Steel, Inc., Sterling Heights Temp Heat – Corrigan Propane, Brighton Temporary Fencing – Future Fence Co., Warren Tile – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton Vapor Mitigation System – Midwest Barriers, Indianapolis, IN

Oakland Center – Oakland University

Owner: Oakland University, Rochester Architect of Record: Integrated Design Solutions, Troy Design Architect: Workshop Architects, Inc., Milwaukee, WI Construction Manager: The Christman Company, Detroit, Lansing Civil Engineering: Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc., Detroit Food Service Consultants: Ricca Design Studios, Middleville Geotechnical Engineering: Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc., Shelby Charter Township Landscape Designer: Grissim Metz Andriese Associates, Northville Structural Engineering: SDI Structures, Ann Arbor Surveying: Spalding DeDecker, Rochester Hills Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Audiovisual Technology – Compass Technology Solutions, Mt. Clemens • Carpentry/General Trades – National Specialty Contractors, LLC, Ypsilanti • Carpet & Finish Flooring – City Carpet & Flooring, Detroit • Demolition – Blue Star, Inc., Warren • Electrical – Motor City Electric, Co., Detroit • Elevators – Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corp., Livonia • Exterior Framing & Carpentry – Denn-Co Construction, Inc., Detroit • Fire Alarm – Siemens Industry Automation, Troy • Fire Protection – Alliance One Fire Protection, Fenton; Goyette Mechanical Co., Pontiac Visit us online at www.BuildwithCAM.com

Wagner Place

Owner: Ford Land – North America, Dearborn Architect: Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield Construction Manager: Roncelli, Inc., Sterling Heights Structural Engineer: Desai Nasr Consulting Engineers, West Bloomfield MEP Engineers: Peter Basso Associates, Troy Civil Engineer: Giffels Webster, Detroit Landscape Architect: Russell Design, Northville Consultants and Trade Contractors: • Air Monitoring – Clean Air Management, Ann Arbor • Architectural Metals and Gates – Future Fabricating, Warren • Asbestos Abatement – Rand Environmental, Romulus • Awning – Marygrove, Livonia • BMS Control Work and Mechanical Units – Johnson Controls, Inc., Auburn Hills • Carpentry – Denn-Co Construction, Inc., Detroit • Carpentry – Pontiac Ceiling & Partition Co., Pontiac • CE #263 – Lockout Placards – St. Claire, Inc., Farmington Hills • Concrete – Roncelli, Inc., Sterling Heights • Construction Material Testing – SME, Plymouth • Demo – Adamo Group, Inc., Detroit • Demo – Detroit Dismantling Corp., Detroit • EIFS – Russell Plastering Co., Ferndale CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

131

GCA

GLAZING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

“A Continued Search for Industry Excellence” An association of qualified, knowledgeable, dependable and responsible contractors, our members stand committed.

• • • •

Highest Standards Industry-Wide Collaboration Cutting-Edge Technology Training and Educational Seminars • Social Gatherings • Promote Association at State and Local Levels

GCA MEMBERS Curtis Glass Edwards Glass Co. Glasco Corp.

Madison Heights Glass

Modern Mirror & Glass National Enclosure Peterson Glass Co. Universal Glass & Metals

43636 Woodward Ave. • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

(248) 972-1132 www.gcami.com

Are you taking advantage of these

POWERFUL MEMBER SERVICES? CAM Online PlanroomSM Accurate up-to-date construction bidding information on state-wide projects.

Access bidding information, blueprints & specs, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, via your computer.

Call the CAM Marketing Department (248) 972-1000

Call Jason Griffin (248) 972-1000

Variety of classes & seminars offered winter, spring & fall, taught by industry professionals.

Group self-funded workers’ compensation insurance program designed for & operated by the construction industry.

CAM Benefit Program is the CAM sponsored package of group insurance coverages offering level-funded and fully insured Medical & Prescription Drugs, Dental, Vision and Life & AD&D benefits

Full Service - 5 Star Credit Union Celebrating 40 Years of Service.

Visit us at www.cfcuonline.com “Banking Made Better” Call Bill Tomanek at (248) 358-4140

Make the most of your membership and save up to 36% on UPS® shipping services. Put the power of logistics to work for you. To enroll and start saving today, visit savewithups.com/cam Call (800) Members for more information

Call Tracey Alfonsi at (248) 972-1000

Discount Car & Truck Buying Service

Professional IT Management

New car & truck purchasing & lease program helps Members get the lowest possible price.

In an agreement with VisiCom Services, Inc., save up to 17% per hour on computer consulting & support.

Call Pat Casey at (248) 299-0300

Call Michael Kahael at (586) 757-7100

Preferred Fleet Program

Wealth Management

Discount fleet purchasing or leasing on all makes & models of cars, trucks, cargo vans & construction trailers.

CAM members receive complimentary consultations and 50% off on a Comprehensive Wealth Management Plan for business and family members.

Call William Jeffrey at (248) 723-6400

LaQuinta Room Discounts

Sunoco Fuel Card

Special 10% off. Call 800-SLEEPLQ and ask for the Construction Assoc. of Michigan discount or visit LQ.com and use promotion code MCGRPI

There’s no need to overspend on fueling and managing your company vehicles – especially when there are smart ways to save with Sunoco.

Call Mark Glaubius at (214) 989-3038

CREDIT UNION

Bowling, sporting clays, golf outings, CAM Connect, and more.

Attended by over 1,000 industry professionals, the Design & Construction Expo is the area’s best opportunity to exhibit to your target market.

Email Jack Pyros at info@momentumgroups.com

Construction Federal CONSTRUCTION Credit Union FEDERAL

UPS Shipping Discount

CAM Expo 2020

Call Ron Riegel at (248) 972-1110

WWW.CAMCAREERCENTER.COM

CAM Social Events

Access to discounts on a wide range of products, including office products, safety products, facility equipment and breakroom products, furniture, technology, printing/promotional products and more!

EXPO

The best place to find great talent or enter that perfect job is just a click away! Job seekers, employers, post and search resumes, reach targeted candidates, and more.

Call Rob Walters at (248) 233-2114

Discounted Supply Program

GREAT LAKES DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

CAM Career Center

A CAM Membership benefit for union contractors employing Carpenters, Cement Masons, Laborers or Operating Engineers in Southeast Michigan.

Call Jim Oleksinski (248) 972-1000

CAM Health Insurance

Call Lynn Swain at (248) 724-6186

Call Kacey Lewis (248) 972-1000

CAM Labor Relations Services

CAM Workers’ Compensation

Call Jan Prince (586) 790-7810

GROUPS

Education (CAMTEC)

More than 6,000 copies of this comprehensive construction industry directory are distributed. Marketing opportunity through special classified section. Offered online and in print.

Call Mary Carabott at (248) 972-1000

CAM Safety Program Cost-effective assistance program for creating and maintaining a safe work environment for employees.

CAM Buyers Guide

CAMSunocoFuel.com

(248) 972-1000

Wireless Provider Contact us for all of your Internet and phone needs, tailored to the construction industry, both temporary and permanent options available. Members receive an exclusive discount.

Email Mike Chutorash at sales@metrowireless.com

NEW

Sprinter Van Discounts As the first choice for large van customers, the Sprinter Cargo Van is one of the most spacious available. CAM members can leverage the buying power of the association and qualify for incentives in excess of retail pricing – up to $5,000!

Call Sales at (248) 244-8942

www.BuildwithCAM.com

Ace Cutting Equipment & Supply...........................16

J.W. Christmas & Assoc.........................................85

AIS Construction Equipment................................105

Jackson Associates, Inc. .....................................115

Albaugh Masonry ...................................................64

James C. Scott & Associates................................55

Allingham Corporation ...........................................70

JD Candler Roofing Co ..........................................34

Aluminum Supply Company ..................................25

JJ Curran Crane Co. ..............................................75

Amalio Corporation ................................................77

Kem-Tec .................................................................54

Aoun & Company, P.C. .........................................104

Laramie Crane Rental.............................................14

Arc Dunn Blue ........................................................88

Lawrence Technological University ......................106

Artisan Tile .............................................................15

Lee Industrial Contracting........................................4

AUCH Construction ...............................................83

Lee Xtreme........................................................66-67

Barton Malow.........................................................72

MacAllister Rentals/ Michigan CAT ......................IBC

Blevins Sanborn Jezdimir Zack PLLC....................17

McDonald Modular Solutions.................................24

Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Local #2 .....................................................103

McNish Group ........................................................75

Butcher & Butcher................................................100

Michielutti Brothers ................................................35

C.A.S.S. Sheet Metal .............................................28

Michigan LECET.....................................................26

C.F.C.U. ....................................................................7

Midland Tool...........................................................29

CAM Administrative Services...................................3

MIOSHA CET Division..........................................128

CAM Affinity .........................................................133

North American Dismantling.............................38-39

CAM Comp ............................................................57

Nuggett Leasing...................................................115

CAM Labor .............................................................97

Oakland Insurance .................................................44

CAM Magazine Advertising....................................63

Oakland Metal Sales ..............................................46

CAM Membership ................................................123

Operating Engineers Local 324................................9

CAM Newsroom...................................................124

Pace, Inc. ...............................................................65

CAM Tradeshow.....................................................45

Pearl Glass & Metals ............................................116

CAMTEC ..............................................................107

Performance Line Tool Center..............................127

CEI Group.............................................................121

Peter Basso Associates, Inc. .................................70

Cipriano Coating Technology .................................19

Peterson Glass Company ....................................130

Cochrane Supply & Engineering ..........................106

R. S. Dale Co. LLC .................................................91

Commercial Contracting Corporation ....................71

RAM Construction Services .................................125

Connelly Crane Rental Corp. ...............................120

Roncelli, Inc..........................................................122

Containers4Sale, LLC ............................................56

Ruby + Associates .................................................60

D & R Earthmoving.................................................73

Safety Services, Inc................................................79

D J Conley............................................................101

SANI-VAC Services ................................................60

D. A. Alexander & Company ..................................74

Scaffolding, Inc. ...................................................113

Denn-Co. Construction Co. ...................................78

Sologic ...................................................................36

Detroit Dismantling.................................................62

Spalding DeDecker ................................................87

Detroit Spectrum Painters......................................51

Spartan Specialties ..............................................134

DiHydro Services....................................................90

Spence Brothers ....................................................96

Division 8 Solutions................................................95

Talent Investment Agency ......................................47

DKI International...................................................112

Testing Engineers & Consultants............................76

Doeren Mayhew ...................................................102

Thompson IG .......................................................111

Edwards Glass Co..................................................94

VTC Insurance Group...............................................5

Executive Vehicle Sales..........................................18

Varnam Law ...........................................................84

Ferndale Electric...................................................IFC

Ventcon ..................................................................23

Fontanesi & Kann Company .................................BC

Wades Electric .......................................................86

G2 Consulting Group .............................................43

Wally Kosorski and Co. ........................................104

Glazing Contractors Association..........................132

Walsh Construction Company ...............................61

Gordon Advisors ....................................................22

Wolverine Stone .....................................................13

Grunwell-Cashero Co.............................................37

Woods Construction ............................................131

Homrich..................................................................27

Zervos Group .......................................................129

Michael J. Dul & Associates...................................89

Hoover Wells ..........................................................33 IBEW Local 252......................................................52

134 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”