THE MAGAZINE FOR CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY
CONSTRUCTION LEADERS TODAY
www.constructionleaderstoday.com
FALL PREVIEW
Gideon Toal
46
SUSTAINABLE AND CREATIVE INGENUITY This Fort Worth-based company tackles a variety of specialty architecture projects and have a flair for bringing out the best in each and every project.
Brower Mechanical JOIN THE HEAT WAVE
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From alternative energy sources to geothermal heat pumps and radient heating, Brower Mechanical, Inc has been providing customers with efficient energy since 1979.
Habitat for Humanity
TOUCHING PEOPLE’S LIVES
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One of the oldest and most productive Habitat for Humanity branches, the Collier County Branch, has produced 1,300 homes since its founding in 1978.
DART Designs
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AESTHETIC, FUNCTIONAL, AFFORDABLE Owner and President Stephen May brings a personal touch to every DART Design project, providing creative and economical architectural solutions to clients across the state of Illinois. Fall 2010 $24.94 USD $26.30 CAN
in this issue THE MAGAZINE FOR CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY
CONSTRUCTION LEADERS TODAY
Editor-in-Chief Todd Weaver Editor Diana Doyle Executive Editor Jonathan Mack Assistant Editor Joseph Orange Creative Director Emily Detoro Art Director Stephanie Hess Director of Advertising Julian Vu Production Coordinator Jason Rone Assistant Production Coordinator Elizabeth Macks Photography Editor Ian Palmer Video Director Susan Maybach Editorial Director Kate Darling Editorial Production Rachel Goldberg Copy Editor William Finch Assistant Copy Editor Amy Roberts Correspondents Brandon McBride (W), Aaron McGaskey (SW), Juan Orellana (NE), Mike Rodgers (Nation), Juan Stewart (SE) Vendor Relations Director Diana Stephens Vendor Relations Eric Miller, Steve Peters Advertising Sales Director Peter Jostens Advertising Sales Coordinator Patricia O’Brien Advertising Sales Moe Kazemi, David Levi, Tom Nichols Publisher Steve Reed oZ WORLD MEDIA, LLC 1330 New Hampshire Avenue Suite B1 Washington D.C. 20036 Construction Leaders Today is a quarterly B2B trade journal that services the construction industry in architecture, custom build, geothermal, green building, specialty architecture, posttentioning, and new technology sectors. CLT has a readership of 100,000 C-Level executives within the energy industry. We do not accept subscription requests from the general public, however an abbreviated version is available on our website.
www.constructionleaderstoday.com
WEST ARCHITECTURE
06 BCA Paul Bunton and his California-based firm of BCA Architects are top of the class when it comes to educational architecture, completing projects throughout California.
GEOTHERMAL
14 Brower Mechanical From alternative energy sources to geothermal heat pumps and radient heating, Brower Mechanical, Inc has been providing customers with efficient energy since 1979.
MIDWEST ARCHITECTURE
20 DART Designs Owner and President Stephen May brings a personal touch to every DART Design project, providing creative and economical architectural solutions to clients across the state of Illinois.
SOUTH NONPROFIT
28 Habitat For Humanity of Collier County One of the oldest and most productive Habitat for Humanity branches, the Collier County Branch, has produced 1,300 homes since its founding in 1978.
MIXED USE
36 Hathaway Construction Committed to success and passionate about their service, the familyrun business of Hathaway Construction has been taking the South by storm for over two decades.
INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
46 Gideon Toal This Fort Worth-based company tackles a variety of specialty architecture projects and have a flair for bringing out the best in each and every project.
THE MAGAZINE FOR CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY
CONSTRUCTION LEADERS www.constructionleaderstoday.com
Habitat for Humanity of Collier County 28
TOUCHING HEARTS ONE HOUSE AT A TIME
TODAY
editor’s note
rebecca rodriguez
CONTRIBUTORS
From the moment your jobs start coming together.
Jane Caffrey earned a B.A. from Carleton College in Minnesota. Based in Madrid, Spain, she writes for a variety of print and online publications both in Europe and the U.S.
joan tupponce
From the moment your jobs start coming together.
jane caffrey
Rebecca enjoys a career of writing about critical issues and prominent business leaders of our time. Her work has been recognized both locally and nationally.
Make Lowe’s your one-stop for affordable tools and materials to support your construction projects. From building materials such as roofing and lumber to stylish finishes such as bath vanities and kitchen countertops, Lowe’s has what you need to bring it all together. For more © 2009 by Lowe’s. All rights reserved. Lowe’s and the gable design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC.
Rachel specializes in coroprate profiles on up-and-coming companies as well as industry news alerts. Rachel majored in media studies at the University of Virginia.
william coleson
Make Lowe’s your one-stop for affordable tools and materials to support your construction projects. From building materials such as roofing and lumber to stylish finishes such as bath vanities and kitchen countertops, Lowe’s has what you need to bring it all together. For more information, e-mail NationalProgram@Lowes.com.
rachel goldberg
Joan’s experiences as a writer have taken her places that wouldn’t have been possible in other careers. Her success is evident in the awards and recognitions her writing has received.
William graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science. He writes for a variety of trade publications in the U.S. and abroad.
west INSIDE: BCA ARCHITECTS, BROWER MECHANICAL
Fall 2010 5
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BCA: TOP OF THE CLASS by Joan Tupponce
BCA Architects took top honors in April when the architectural firm’s design was selected for the new campus gateway project at Southwestern College in California. The firm’s design for the seven-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the campus will link Southwestern College to the local Chula Vista community. BCA was chosen from a starting field of 41 architectural firms. “It’s an honor to compete with some of the top design firms in the State of California for this project, and an even bigger honor to have won it,” said Paul Bunton, AIA, founding principal of BCA. Bunton founded BCA in 1989 with structural engineer Geoffrey Clifford. The two split the firm in 2004 to follow their separate interests. The firm originally focused on custom residential designs but later moved into retail and educational projects. “We did everything from small to major projects,” Bunton said. “I had done a series of custom homes for a doctor and that led to multiple contracts for us.” A practicing architect since 1982, Bunton credits the start of his career to his mother who suggested he get into architecture. 6 Construction Leaders Today
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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Southwestern College of California As the first phase of a 20 year master plan, the new 141,000 square foot corner lot project will house a community conference center, a campus bookstore, an internet café / restaurant, a culinary arts program, an art gallery, a cultural and continuing education center, a business / instructional partnership center, a public safety center and SWCCD administration. The Latin heritage and culture of the surrounding communities is celebrated in the architectural style of the campus. The design draws inspiration from the traditional architecture of the Yucatan peninsula and the Mayan Indians. As an extension of the campus, the corner lot project creates a direct physical connection to the community and the city at large. The six new buildings are organized around a simple axial promenade that connects the upper campus core to the public corner. The corner complex will serve as the public face of the college and engages the community at both the pedestrian level and visually from people driving by in their cars. Established in 1961, Southwestern College is only institute of higher education located in the southern portion of San Diego County. Its location—nestled between the City of San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico international border on a 156-acre plot—positions it to play an important role in the intellectual growth of the more than 400,000 residents that call South County home. Serving approximately 22,000 students annually, Southwestern College offers more than 285 associate degree and certificate options. A host of noncredit courses designed to enhance personal and professional development are also offered through the College’s Continuing Education department. Whether pursuing an A.A. degree, preparing to transfer to a four-year college or university, or acquiring new occupational skills, students attending Southwestern College are given every opportunity to meet their educational goals. Photos 1-3 courtesy of BCA.
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“I took a drafting class in high school and it has been my life’s passion ever since,” he said. His firm got its footing in the educational sector through a local school district portable classroom project. “We showed them what we could do. We leveraged that project and were given more and more opportunities,” Bunton said. “We went from small projects to $150 million school projects.” Today, the company specializes in designing kindergarten-through-higher-education school projects. It also focuses on commercial, office and retail projects. “We do very little residential now,” Bunton said. One of BCA’s early signature projects was the renovation of Washington High School in Fremont, California. BCA became the master architects of the local bond for the $15 million project. The historic 1926-era school building had been closed for 20 years. BCA was hired to determine what could be done with the building. “We demolished part, restored part and built a brand new high school behind the restored section,” Bunton said. “That was our first signifi-
cant historical project. Since then we have been involved in several others.” The Washington High project had its challenges, especially when it came to reconstructing the much-loved 1924 Italian Romanesque-style building. There were many different opinions within the 64-person building committee. “It was all about consensus building,” Bunton said. “It had to be a collaborative and transparent process. It allowed us to develop the skills needed to successfully lead communities through a major design process.” The five-year project represented a significant milestone for BCA. It was the first high school the company had completed. That expertise led BCA to a similar $50 million project in San Mateo County. The 1927 Tudor-style school building had been condemned in 2001 because it was at-risk seismically. After meeting with the community and the building committee, BCA decided to tear down the structure, recreate the 1927 façade and build a new structural steel school behind it. Over the last decade, BCA has developed significant skills that allow the firm to work with all
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levels of education, including community college districts such as Southwestern. Southwestern Community College is one of the largest community college projects in San Diego. The $55 million project is scheduled for completion in 2010. “This project will put us at the next level,” Bunton said. “It will give us great credibility in the college market.” The Southwestern Promenade project is a contemporary, sustainable solution designed around a continuous central axis, referred to as an academic main street. BCA will use plazas and water features to connect the existing campus and the Chula Vista community to the new “main street. “The Promenade will contain various plazas, the campus bookstore, café and cultural center, all with outdoor gathering areas and roof terraces that can accommodate community functions. Bunton hopes that designing the bookstore, conference center and cultural arts center in the school “will lead to more civic projects.” The company, headquartered in San Jose, currently has five offices in California and a staff of 45. “We have evolved into a firm with a lot of skill sets that add value to our clients,” Bunton said. “What defines our firm is the quality of design. Our designs are functional, practical and logical but with a creative flair that wins awards.” Since its inception, BCA has built trusted relationships with its clients and vendors that have helped the firm achieve excellence in design. For example, BCA has worked with structural engineers at Walter P. Moore Associates on several projects, including Southwestern Community College. BCA is also working with Sundt Construction on a new $30 million high school project in San Diego. In the last five years, BCA has embraced green building principles on all of its projects. The
Southwestern High project will be LEED Platinum, the highest of the Green Building Council’s LEED levels. Bunton’s interest in green building concepts dates back to his college thesis on alternative energy sources. “I’m going back to where I started in college,” he said. “We are building more holistic living environments that are environmental friendly.” In addition to providing interior and exterior designs, BCA also helps projects find energyefficient funds; analyzes direct and indirect costs related to maintenance, health, waste and energy use; and integrates sustainability into its designs. Looking toward the future, Bunton predicts the company will win more educational commissions. “We hope to advance into more civic and university-level work in the next five years. We are also looking at market sectors such as health care. We continue to grow and add staff. That tells me we are doing a few things correctly.” CLT Thanks to the following partners of Bunton Clifford and Associates for helping underwrite this feature. www.walterpmoore.com • 800.364.7300 Walter P Moore is an international engineering and consulting firm that specializes in structural engineering, including secure design, structural diagnostics, seismic evaluations and retrofits. The firm also provides parking design, and civil, traffic and transportation engineering. Walter P Moore has worked with Bunton Clifford on many projects including Southwestern Community College, Lincoln Elementary School (Anaheim), and two Burlingame elementary schools, all located throughout California. www.sundt.com San Diego: (619) 321-4800 Sundt Construction provides general contracting, construction management and design/build services for private and public sector clients and is currently working with Bunton Clifford on Sweetwater High School Building 100 for Sweetwater Union High School District.
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4. San Mateo High School front entry, San Mateo, Calif. 5. San Mateo High School clock tower, San Mateo, Calif. 6. San Mateo High School historic reconstruction of the 1926 building, completed in 2005, San Mateo, Calif. 7. San Mateo High School Ampitheater, San Mateo, Calif. 8. BCA Architects new headquarters located in the historic Arts & Entertainment District in Downtown San Jose, Calif.
RIOT CREATIVE IMAGING Job-Site Signs, Banners, and Vehicle Graphics are now available from San Jose Blue, the company you count on to manage and distribute your construction information. Riot Creative Imaging is the newly branded Color Services division of San Jose Blue, celebrating 80-years in business. They are not your father’s blueprint company; they’re much more!
AUERBACH Auerbach Pollock Friedlander’s understanding of live performance, theatrical systems and infrastructure informs the work of A&E teams designing the full range of performing arts facilities for opera houses, repertory theatres, concert halls, training facilities, museums, planetariums and popular entertainment venues. They have offices located in San Francisco, New York and Minneapolis.
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All photos courtesy of BCA. Fall 2010 13
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JOIN THE GEOTHERMAL
heat wave by Johanna Gretschel
Founded in 1979 as an HVAC specialist company, Brower Mechanical Inc. has since expanded its repertoire to delve into alternative energy sources. In addition to steadfastly abdicating the use of solar power as a main energy source, the Northern California company offers their services in the installation and maintenance of untraditional products like Geo-Thermal heat pumps and radiant heating. Brower Mechanical has created a brand for itself as a company that provides durable, high-quality goods and excellent service. The company emphasizes that investments into their products often pay for themselves
14 Construction Leaders Today
over time. Customers who purchase a Geo-Thermal heating and cooling system, for example, will save between 40 and 60 percent on their electric heating and cooling bills, according to an estimate by the Black Hills Power company. Geo-Thermal heat pumps create heat by transferring heat to and from the soil under customers’ houses. The pump unit itself is a compact object that fits into a cabinet inside the house. While in heat mode, the unit can produce heat at 110 degrees, and the cool setting makes the air a brisk 55 degrees. Besides the obvious advantage of a decrease in heating bills, the installation
of a Geo-Thermal pump eliminates the need for outdoor equipment. The device also operates completely silently. Radiant heating is another atypical method of heating. Brower Mechanical specializes in hydronic heating, a type of radiant heating, in which warm water circulates through tubes installed underneath the floor. Of all their services, Brower Mechanical is the most enthusiastic about the use of solar power as an energy source. Their enthusiasm comes with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approval this past May of a $350 million rebate system for residents who install solar heating. Califor-
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nia is incentivizing the use of solar energy because it is the most economically and environmentally savvy energy source to use. The state’s goal is to install 300,000 solar heating systems over the next 8 years, which would save Californians six million cubic feet of natural gas and three million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, according to Brower Mechanical Inc. Brower Mechanical uses a photovoltaic (PV) system to process solar energy. The PV process converts light to electricity through solar panels, usually located on the roof of a house. The home uses what it needs and excess electricity is sent back to a power grid. The extra electricity results in credits with the utility company that are given back to consumers during winter months when the system creates less electricity than what is needed. Brower Mechanical has even organized a “Summer Symposium” of two weekends in August to address how homeowners and small businesses can capitalize on the solar energy rebates. According to the company, commercial PV systems can convert 7 to 17 percent of sunlight into electricity. Using solar energy eliminates waste, emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. The amount of solar energy used to run one million homes reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 4.3 million tons per year. The economic pros to utilizing solar energy are obvious as well. The installation of solar heating units increases a house’s value by 20 times the annual savings, according to Brower Mechanical. Houses with solar heating units are also exempt from property tax increases and qualify for federal tax credit. Of course, Brower Mechanical still provides the standard services that it began with as an HVAC provider. The company installs and maintains the basic HVAC utilities as well as fireplaces and insulation. More information about Brower Mechanical Inc. can be found online at http://www.browermechanical.com. CLT 1. Brower mechanical crew at well installation site. 2. Drilling a well. 3-4. Goldman Guest, Palo Alto, Calif. Radiant Floor tubing and the flowcenters, 2007. 5. Drilling in Dansville, 2009. 6-7. Spanish Springs Middle School site. Geo wells waiting horizontal manifolding, Nev., 2003. All photos by Jeff Brower. Fall 2010 17
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midwest INSIDE: DART DESIGNS
Fall 2010 19
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DART DESIGNS Providing a personal touch in finding aesthetic, functional, and budgetary solutions for public use in the state of Illinois. by Rachel Goldberg
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DART Design provides creative and economical architectural solutions to clients across the state of Illinois. Owner and President Stephen May brings a personal touch and his extensive experience to every step of their projects. He enjoys working closely with clients to develop new solutions for building and improving their facilities. “I like doing large projects, and at the same time I like small projects that you can get a lot more personal with clients, working with them directly,” he said. “And I work directly with clients in all the projects that come through our office, so there’s consistency for them.” Their projects are intended to support their community for years to come, and bring clients back to DART when they need further work. DART specializes in finding alternative solutions to meet the aesthetic, functional and budgetary needs specific to each project. “In meeting with clients and discussing their projects with them, you come up with ideas they haven’t thought about, and light bulbs start popping. It’s fun to see,” May said. One project that DART is especially proud of is the Lake Egypt fire station, which has received enthusiastic reviews from locals. The rapidly growing district needed a larger facility to accommodate their current and projected growth. The new facility is comprised of 7,200 sq. ft. of administration and living quarters, and 6,800 sq. ft. of garage area. It features tilt-up concrete panel construction on the exterior walls, making the structure safer and more durable. The new fire station also has backup generators in case of power outages. “Being a fire station, it has to be very stable facility, so when there’s a disaster that causes interruption in the community, the fire station will still be operational,” said May. The new facility enables faster emergency response because it has twice the amount of living space for more full-time firefighters. The expanded garage and concrete parking lot allow emergency vehicles to maneuver more easily and quickly. There is also more office, storage and recreation space, making the fire station a more comfortable place to work and live. Its benefits extend to the entire community: property insurance costs for the district have dropped because of the fire station’s improved services. DART stands for Distinctive Architecture Reflecting the Times, a fitting name for May’s philosophy of balancing budget and aesthetics to adapt to any project. 1-4. Marion, Ill. The Black Diamond Warehouse from construction to completion Fall 2010 21
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“One of the hardest things to do in architecture is providing a functional, aesthetically pleasing facility at a low cost,” May said. “It’s a matter of utilizing the right construction for the time period and for the location.” DART has also built a reputation in the area for the high quality of their services for schools. Using his previous experience with constructing and renovating schools, May can come up with designs to help accommodate schools’ growth. DART also provides safety inspection services. Most of DART’s current school projects involve renovations and repairs to existing facilities because the economy makes new construction more difficult. But May says that school construction is a growing market. “I see a good future in that direction. Whether it’s new facilities construction, renovation and repairs, or inspection, there are lots of things that have to be done for schools,” he said. They also complete renovation projects for healthcare facilities in the area. DART provided interior renovations for the Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Illinois. Their services included renovations to doctors’ offices, laboratory renovations, and expansion and relocation of existing facilities for physical therapy and cardiology. They modified existing spaces to work with new medical equipment and expanded healthcare services. May’s experience working on public sector projects and healthcare gives him insight in to the complex process of financing and approval for those projects, and he stays personally involved throughout each phase. 5. Peoples National Bank. Marion, Ill. Photo courtesy of DART Design, Inc. 6. Foley Sweitzer Motors, Marion, Ill. Photo courtesy of DART Design, Inc. 7. Lake Egypt Fire Station, Marion Ill. Photo courtesy of DART Design, Inc.
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“We do everything from helping a client pick out a piece of property all the way to turning the key on the door, and everything in between,” he said. Several recent projects have been design build construction, and they look forward to doing more. The architecture industry has come full circle in recent years to return to the older design build method, says May. “It’s a great avenue because you’ve got a team between the contractor, the architect and the owner,” he said. “Everybody has an idea of what the end product needs to be and how everybody needs to put it together.” May has been able to establish connections with clients and developers in the area, and plans to continue to enlarge the firm in the coming years. Clients return because they appreciate the hands-on and complete service from the small company. “We strive to keep our clients and move forward with them,” said May. “You develop a good relationship with them and things flow well.” CLT 8-9. DuQuoin, Ill Best WesternInn. Photo courtesy of DART Design, Inc.
WIN PROPERTIES Win Properties, Inc. has enjoyed a terrific relationship with DART Design. Win Properties are currently wrapping up a complete redevelopment of their building in Marion with the assistance of DART. Win Properties has been very pleased with the results and look forward to leasing the 8,400 SF building this fall.
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THE GARLAND COMPANY, INC. The Garland Company, Inc. is an employee-owned organization that has been manufacturing and distributing high-performance materials and providing expert services to extend the working life of commercial buildings since 1895. The technologies developed and manufactured, the materials procured, the processes used, the delivery methods offered, and the services provided - are driven by a simple philosophy: listen to what today’s customers need, anticipate what tomorrow’s customers will want. Garland has been among the first roofing companies in North America to embrace green technologies, and remain at the forefront of sustainable solutions through a combination of product research and development, and strategic alliances. Garland is able to meet the performance and budgetary requirements of a complete range of commercial, industrial, and public building applications by offering a wide breadth of product and service solutions for new construction, retrofit, renovation and maintenance projects.
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south INSIDE: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, HATHAWAY CONSTRUCTION
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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF COLLIER COUNTY:
Touching hearts one house at a time by Johanna Gretschel
When Nick Kouloheras began working with Habitat for Humanity (HFH) of Collier County eight years ago, he said he did not fully understand the impact that the project had until he made a personal connection with a beneficiary. Arriving to a build site bright and early at 7:30 every morning one summer, Kouloheras was shocked when a teenage girl beat him there with not even a yawn every single day. The girl would go on to live in the house that they were currently building and she explained that sacrificing her summer was worth helping her family meet the required 500 hours of labor needed to build the house. She was the oldest of three sisters, with a mother struggling to make ends meet with two jobs. But the impact a Habitat house would make on this family’s life did not strike Kouloheras until he gave her a ride home one day and witnessed her current living conditions. The only running water in the $600 per month rented house was a cold stream that flowed out of the shower head. A fire ant infestation sent one of the teenager’s younger sisters to the hospital because the ant bites gave her an unbearable rash. But the efforts of the teenager, as well as Kouloheras and the rest of the Habitat volunteers, granted the family a brand-new, affordable house of their own. “It was an eye opener for me,” Kouloheras recounted before adding, “That’s one story of 900 similar stories.” Now the executive vice president of Land Development for Habitat for Humanity of Collier County in South Florida, Kouloheras joined the HFH team as a construction superintendant.
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1. Naples, Fla. The Matos family gathers for a photo outside of their home in naples after their selection visit. All photos courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Collier County. Fall 2010 29
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The Collier County branch of HFH is one of HFH’s oldest and most productive affiliates. The branch’s first ground-breaking was in 1978, only two years after HFH’s birth. The branch has produced 1,300 homes since its inception and Kouloheras said they have been the top producing affiliate in the country for the past six years. Kouloheras said the Collier County affiliate produces homes at a consistent rate of about 100 homes per year, though they managed to churn out 150 during the 08 and 09 fiscal years. Kouloheras attributed his HFH branch’s success to the working environment they have encountered in Naples. A common misconception of Naples and south Florida as a whole is that of a well-to-do beach town populated by wealthy tourists and retirees. Kouloheras said that retirees skew the city’s income numbers and there are actually a significant number of low-income families. “There’s not really any industry down here with the exception of tourism and formerly construction,” Kouloheras said. “You don’t really have a huge professional middle class here. You have the high of the high and the low of the low.” Collier County’s economic diversity synchs perfectly with a HFH affiliate’s needs. “This chapter works so well because you have the perfect melting pot of what Habitat for Humanity needs to run properly,” said Kouloheras. “You have a huge base of applicants that need homes and then you have a ton of volunteers to help build homes. And then you have the wealth, which helps the fundraising aspect.” Kouloheras also cites Naples’ temperate climate as ideal for building homes. Unlike HFH affiliates in the North, HFH of Collier County never has to delay building due to winter weather conditions. But the most significant contributor to HFH of Collier County’s success is the affiliate’s dedication to maintaining relationships with homeowners, according to Kouloheras. HFH of Collier County operates on a much more personal level with homeowners than a standard home builder would. 2. Naples, Fla. Homeowners work to lay sod in the subdivision of Regal Acres.
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“Homeowners’ children do better in school, parents become more active in the community. Having a safe, solid environment to live in everyday, it’s amazing what that does to a family’s life.” Fall 2010 31
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“A lot of affiliates lose the contact with the family because they allow homeowners to mail payments in or sell the mortgage to a bank.” “We consider our partner families as family members,” said Kouloheras. HFH of Collier County requires homeowners to deliver their mortgage payment in person each month, creating a permanent connection between the organization and the beneficiaries. “A lot of affiliates lose the contact with the family because they allow homeowners to mail payments in or sell the mortgage to a bank,” said Kouloheras. Keeping mortgage payments an entirely in-house process allows HFH of Collier County to make selective arrangements with homeowners if special circumstances arise. In one instance, the affiliate excused a homeowner’s mortgage payments for three months because their child had cancer and they were struggling to pay for the hospital bills. The payments were simply tacked on to the end of the mortgage and the homeowner was able to focus on the sick child.
As a result of the branch’s close-knit relationship with homeowners, delinquency rates are low and foreclosure rare. Kouloheras said that their delinquency rate was below three percent. The affiliate also offers English as a Second Language courses and home maintenance courses for any interested homeowner. During the home maintenance classes, Kouloheras has taught homeowners simple lessons like how to clean the filter of an air conditioner. “I have to remember that the majority of our residents haven’t had an air conditioner their entire life,” Kouloheras said. “They’ve never even seen one.” Out of 1,200 to 1,500 applicants every year, only about 100 lucky families will work with HFH of Collier County to own a new home. The organization has strict criteria for who can qualify for a HFH house. Prospective homeowners must be current residents of Collier County. Applicants must demonstrate financial need to qualify them for a HFH house, but they also must make enough money to be able to pay the mortgage off in 25 years. Annual income cannot be lower than $15,000 or higher than $48,000, according to Kouloheras, and is based on a sliding scale determined by the number of family members living together. Preliminary screening by HFH employees weeds out those who do not fit the aforementioned criteria. A volunteer panel called the “selection committee” takes over the next round of screening, which includes a personal interview with the entire prospective family and verification of information provided on their application. At the end of the month, the selection committee convenes and votes on each family. The board of directors then has the final word and the power to veto, though Kouloheras said that only rarely does the board reject a family that the selection committee has passed through. 3. Immokalee, Fla. Hermelinda Ruiz is paying her monthly mortgage payment in the Immokalee Office to Anna Vidaurri Family Service Coordinator.
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Naples, Fla. Recently as zoning lines were re-drawn, the student body of two Collier County schools became populated with a majority of Habitat Children.Pictured here is Emily Castellanos. Fall 2010 33
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Kouloheras said that prospective families must meet three main criteria. Families must demonstrate need, the ability to repay and the ability to become a partner with HFH. HFH homeowners must be able to pay off the mortgage because 96 cents of every dollar repaid goes back into building homes. “We rely heavily on our homeowners to be up to date on their payments,” Kouloheras said. “If you’re not making a mortgage payment, you’re not just hurting yourself; you’re hurting a family who was in your shoes.” Being a good partner means investing the required 500 “sweat equity” hours in helping to build one’s new home. The teenage girl that was so dead set on arriving at the work site bright and early every summer morning was contributing to her family’s 500 hours. Kouloheras said that a good partnership is also defined by membership and participation in their neighborhood homeowner’s association. HFH of Collier County is currently tackling three major projects. An Immokalee subdivision of 150 houses is 70 percent complete and is scheduled for completion within the next year-and-a-half. A 184-unit subdivision called Regal Acres began construction this past January and should take four more years to finish. The Collier County HFH affiliate is also buying and rehabbing foreclosed homes on the open market before reselling them to HFH owners. They expect to turnover 100 previously foreclosed homes in the next two-and-a-half years. Kouloheras’ favorite part of the HFH process is seeing the transformation HFH families go through. “It’s neat at the end of the project to see a whole socially and economically diverse population all in the same boat and here they’re living out their dream and owning their own homes,” Kouloheras said. Kouloheras has found that the children of HFH homeowners often perform better in school after living in their new house. HFH neighborhoods have transformed previously underperforming schools. Kouloheras said two schools, Manatee Elementary School and Lake Trafford Elementary School, were C-rated schools for 10 years. But once HFH neighborhoods were built up around the school districts, the schools became A-rated schools based on their students’ performances. “Homeowners’ children do better in school, parents become more active in the community,” said Kouloheras. “Having a safe, solid environment to live in everyday, it’s amazing what that does to a family’s life.” CLT 5. Naples, Fla. Families gather for Orientation, where they learn about working their sweat equitity hours and what is means to be a Habitat partner.
Thanks to the following partners of Bunton Clifford and Associates for helping underwrite this feature.
This article was underwritten by Precision Builders, installing drywall and plastering homes for Habitat for Humanity in Collier County over the past 10 years. Daniel B. Gonzalez, and the staff at Precision Builders are proud to be partnered with Habitat for Humanity, and congratulate them for their continued success. For more information, call Precision Builders at 239-290-0399.
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A Fa m i l y A ffair
Committed to success and passionate about their service, the familyrun business of Hathaway Construction has been taking the South by storm for over two decades and currently ranks as one of the top twenty multi-family builders in the nation. by Johanna Gretschel
For the Hathaways, the construction business is a family affair. In 1990, David Hathaway founded Hathaway Development Company (HDC) Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm specialized in building single-family homes and constructed over 500 such homes. The firm also developed lot infrastructures for sale to other single-family home builders. In 1997, the company evolved to include Hathaway Properties, Inc. to facilitate the tasks of HDC as well as those of related companies. 1997 also marked
HDC’s expansion into multi-housing projects as the firm developed Northridge subdivision in Macon, Georgia. Hathaway’s son, Daniel, and Mike Muggridge joined the HDC team in 1998 to later become the President of Construction and President of operations. With the addition of the younger Hathaway and Muggridge, HDC began pursuing general contracting work. The company’s specialty remains multi-family home construction but apartments and senior living facilities are their next areas of expertise.
HDC changed its name to Hathaway Construction Company (HCC) in 2009 to reflect its burgeoning status as a top construction company in the southeast region. Its area of operation expanded from Georgia to include Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, truly marking HCC as a company on the rise. The younger Hathaway attributed the continued success of HCC through its lengthy evolution to the dedication and passion of its employees. Fall 2010 37
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“We’ve had very little turnover; it’s been HCC places high importance on really stable,” said Hathaway. “We have meeting project deadlines, regardless people who want to make each project of extenuating circumstances. successful for the owner. We really put “If we give an owner a date, there’s no the emphasis on them and their project excuse not to make it,” Hathaway said. as opposed to worrying about our bot- “If it’s something we can’t control like a tom line or our issues.” power issue, we make it our problem. We The result of these industrious employ- want to make it on time no matter what.” ees was a mention in Builder Magazine, The company makes sure to take an ranking HCC as one of the top twenty active, hands-on approach to such multi-family builders in the nation. problem-shooting. Besides employing a loyal, hard- “We never stand back and say, ‘you working staff, HCC delivers to clients need to fix this problem,’” Hathaway through its emphasis of four major said. “We say, ‘what can we do to help.’” factors: budget, quality, schedule and The company also strives to comsafety. Hathaway demonstrated how plete the most challenging portions of HCC’s business practices in relation a project first in order to make sure the to each of these factors are entirely toughest demands are met right away. customer-focused. “A lot of people say the last five perHathaway said that HCC not just cent of a project is the hardest part focuses on staying within the bound- and we focus on that last five percent aries of clients’ budget expectations, but first,” Hathaway said in regard to HCC’s strives to actually return some money to work ethic. clients’ pockets by completing projects Of HCC’s four primary objectives, below the projected budget. safety is perhaps the most highly lauded. HCC also prides itself in its high-quality Hathaway said that the first topic up production values. for discussion every Monday at HCC’s “My dad came from the home building weekly meetings is safety. world where every little thing is scruti- “We feel like we’ve been ahead of the nized,” said Hathaway. “We won’t turn safety curve for a long time in the indusa building over to an owner until it’s try,” Hathaway said. ready and has the quality to be sold or Their stringent safety system insures be rented that day.” that owners are protected from negligent
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law suits as a result of workers getting hurt. The program also lowers projects’ insurance costs. “Each year we try to implement one thing that will help everybody be safe on the project,” said Hathaway. “At the end of the day, no one wants to get hurt on the job site.” Hathaway’s goal is to have every HCC employee complete ten hours of Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) by the end of the year. HCC offers classes at their Knoxville, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina locations and in both English and Spanish to accommodate all workers. Whether they are electricians or janitors, “if someone’s been trained in safety, they’re going to be better at what they do,” Hathaway said.
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HCC has garnered numerous safety awards for its efforts to employ the most effective safety practices. This year, the firm received the 2010 Platinum Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Inc. HCC also earned the Georgia 2010 Safety Award of Excellence from the Georgia chapter of ABC. C has also made a foray into architecture and construction’s future: the design of eco-friendly, “green buildings.” The company currently has several ongoing EarthCraft certified, energy efficient residential projects. “Green buildings are really unique in rural Georgia, in areas where affordable housing is
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needed,” Hathaway explained. “There aren’t a lot of energy efficient houses in that area.” But HCC has made it its business to make green housing available to those living on a low-income budget. Hathaway said the company is becoming more active in attaining LEED certifications for buildings and encouraging employees to pursue certification as well. In HCC’s 30 years, the firm has completed more than 50 projects and built over 11,000 multifamily units. Though figures fluctuate from year to year, Hathaway estimates that the firm completes around six to nine projects each year. He said six to nine is a perfect number because it allows them to hone in on individual projects.
Green buildings are really unique in rural Georgia, in areas where affordable housing is needed. There aren’t a lot of energy efficient houses in that area. The firm is currently working on five different projects. They include multifamily apartment projects in Charlotte, North Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee and Columbus, Ohio as well as two single-family projects in the Georgia cities of Dublin and Cordele. Upcoming projects include two 100-unit assisted living facilities in Atlanta and an apartment project in Asheville, North Carolina.
HCC is actively involved with the community far beyond simply creating the buildings that populate the southeastern United States. HCC has been involved with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) since taking over organizing their golf tournament fundraiser eight years ago. Founded in 1977, CASA is a national non-profit organization that assigns vol-
unteers to represent children in foster homes. Tripp’s wife works for the Georgia division of CASA and Hathaway accompanied the Tripps to the CASA chapter’s golf fundraiser near Lake Oconee. At the time, the tournament was a low-key affair with four teams present and ultimately raised around 500 to 1,000 dollars, according to Hathaway.
HB TRAINING & CONSULTING For over a decade, HB Training & Consulting has been providing companies such as Hathaway Construction comprehensive training and consulting services. From site inspections to safety meetings, professional development to workforce development, HBTC offers a full suite of services to meet the growing needs of the construction industry. At HBTC, their success is your success. Fall 2010 41
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“Mike, to his credit, said, ‘hey we can do better than this, let’s work on it,’” said Hathaway. “He took a very active role in it.” HCC took over coordinating the tournament in 2002 and the next year, hosted the first annual “Swing a Club” for CASA Charity Golf Tournament. The inaugural year boasted a solid turnout, raising 12,000 dollars. Hathaway said each consecutive year has yielded a more impressive turnout, with the past few years’ tournaments each raising about 50,000 dollars. In total, HCC has helped CASA raise over 150,000 dollars since 2003. “Our subcontractors and vendors have really gotten behind it and play every year,” said Hathaway. Hathaway and the HCC’s donation of time and sweat to the “Swing a Club” for CASA Charity Golf Tournament is indicative of the giving spirit that seems to permeate the firm. One of HCC’s more unique projects was the construction of an outdoor classroom project at Peachtree Presbyterian PreSchool. Hathaway’s son actually attends the preschool, which emphasizes a hands-on curriculum. The preschool received a $10,000 grant from the Dimensions Foundation and solicited donations to help build what would be an 8,000 square foot outdoor classroom.
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“I said I’d rather actually help do the work than give money,” said Hathaway. “What they wanted to do was build an outdoor classroom with all natural materials,” Hathaway said. “They had different stations like dirt digging and climbing.” Hathaway, along with some of his staff and a slew of eager volunteers, helped organize the creation of walls, a potting shed and a performance stage. Hathaway recalled one of the HCC project managers, Mike Tripp, hacking into 500 pound logs with a chainsaw and maneuvering them into the ground the ensure they would not roll onto a child. Even Hathaway’s four-year-old helped out. “He helped us with the benches one day; he’s got a lot of ownership in that,” Hathaway said. “Now, of course, he wants to go build buildings.” The Peachtree project concluded construction in May. The pre-school children, including Hathaway’s son, will experience the outdoor classroom for the first time this fall. The outdoor classroom project was a nice shift from HCC’s standard projects, but as for purely business projects, Hathaway said that HCC will be sticking to housing for the foreseeable future. “We’ll always be in the housing business because that’s what we’re good at.” Hathaway said. “We’re trying to keep it simple and do the best for our clients.” CLT
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sustainable and creative ingenuity by Johanna Gretschel
Renovating Fort Worth’s herpetarium, a special zoo that showcases reptiles and amphibians, presented a unique challenge to architectural firm Gideon Toal, Inc. President Michael Bennet calls his firm a generalist, as opposed to a specialist, because Gideon Toal tackles projects ranging from medical centers to university buildings to residences. This approach allows Gideon Toal to bring out the best in each individual project. “We approach each project not in a cookie cutter format, but we try to approach it as it is and see how things are,” he said. Yet the Fort Worth herpetarium offered a new challenge to the 54-year-old, Ft. Worth-based company. The architects were required to plan and build exhibits while keeping the needs of creatures as exotic as a 16-foot saltwater crocodile in mind. That crocodile, in particular, challenged the Gideon Toal architects to create a design that showcased the animal as much as possible while making sure the structure was strong and visitors safe. “The issue was having enough glass to be able to see the crocodil] that but also making sure it was safe,” said Bennet. The project was a first for Gideon Toal, as Bennet said the firm had never worked directly with animals before. The company was not alone on the project; Gideon Toal implemented ideas
from zoo board members and herpetologists to craft the building. Artists were commissioned to paint murals on the walls and sculpt rocks for the exhibit as well. “It was really interesting to work with these people who knew about the animals, about normal things [the animals] did and needed to do and being able to work that into the design was pretty satisfying,” Bennet said. Bennet said that work on the project began three or four years ago; the renamed Fort Worth Museum of Living Art unveiled itself this past March. The building is identified as a museum instead of a zoo because its elaborate architecture is more akin to the aesthetics of a museum. The building’s most widely celebrated feature is its unusual roof. “The roof is kind of a rolling, undulating sort of roof that is in different pieces and what they do at one level, they look like the rolling plains 1. Forth Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth Zoo’s Museum of Living Art steel beams and metal roof were designed to rise and fall in soft waves mimicking the rolling hills of the Texas Prairie. Photo by Jeremy Enlow. 2. Forth Worth, Texas. Interiors within the Fort Worth Zoo Museum of Living Art were designed to immerse visitors within exhibits that simulate the animals’ native environment. Photo by Jeremy Enlow. Fall 2010 47
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of the prairie,” said Bennet. “At another level, it looks like snake skin.” A member of both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Texas Society of Architects, Gideon Toal is one of most distinguished architecture firms in the country. The company has won over 45 awards in the past 40 years, including 8 in 2010. In 2007, Gideon Toal received its highest honor in being named AIA’s Architecture Firm of the Year.
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One of Gideon Toal’s principles is the importance of sustainability and conservation. The recent construction of the Tarrant Regional Water District Annex Building in Tarrant County, Texas allowed the firm to showcase its green sensibilites. The building is the first of Gideon Toal’s projects to earn LEED Gold certification. Gold is the second-highest level attainable in the LEED system; the levels rank Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Buildings can apply for
LEED certification and are evaluated on the sustainable of their site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. When it first opened in June 2009, the 26,000 square foot Tarrant Regional Water District Annex Building boasted the largest array of solar panels in Texas. The roof of each of the complex’s three wings was outfitted in solar panels. According to Gideon Toal’s website,
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the solar panels produce 65 percent of the yearly energy required to run the building. Low-flow water fixtures reduce water usage by 44 percent or approximately 103,700 gallons per year. The complex also utilizes rainwater harvesting. “We collect the water in tanks and use it to irrigate the landscape around it,” said Bennet. These features combined to qualify the complex for LEED Gold certification. The Tarrant Regional
Water District requested the attainment of such status, as it is an environmentally conscious entity. “They manage the water resources within our area for drinking water primarily,” Bennet said, “so conservation and making sure the water quality is good … is a big part of what they do.” Prior to joining the Gideon Toal team in 2004, Bennet worked in resort development at the New York headquarters of architecture firm Hart Howerton. Bennet says that his work with
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Hart Howerton instilled in him the importance of designing a building while keeping the charac3. Fort Worth, Texas. Tarrant Regional Water District Annex Building. The TRWD Annex was designed with a clear focus towards sustainability achieving LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include three 7,000 gallon water run-off cisterns, a solar panel array that generates 238-kw of power annually and extensive daylighting. Photo by Craig Kuhner.
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3-5. Forth Worth, Texas. The FWCD Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center was designed to incorporate extensive natural lighting which is typified along the north elevation with clear glazing 25 feet high. The blending of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces within the FWCD Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center allows teachers to easily extend their classrooms on beautiful afternoons. The FWCD Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center’s use of natural light illuminates the interior space and increases students’ connection with the natural environment. Photos by Craig Kuhner.
teristics of the surrounding landscape in mind, as he calls it, “marrying the building to the land.” For example, Gideon Toal’s 30-member team must always keep Texas’ infamous heat in mind when designing buildings in the area. “People need to protect themselves from the sun,” said Bennet. Strategies to combat the unbearable heat involve placing windows in more shaded areas in order to let the least amount of hot sunlight in and orient buildings to catch breezes in the summer and protect from winds in the winter. Bennet circles back to his description of Gideon Toal as a firm of generalists, not specialists, in saying that his experience in resort development has aided his diverse portfolio of projects with Gideon Toal. The staff typically has their hands full, with about 40 to 50 projects in some stage of development at any given time. “Being a generalist lets you draw on different types of project types,” he said. “You can take Fall 2010 51
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your experience in building schools and apply it to something else.” Under Bennet’s direction, Gideon Toal is a firm ready to try its hand at anything. With success in the fields of community, corporate/commercial, economic development, education, healthcare, industry, interior design, landscape architecture, planning/urban design and residential works, the company has a strong record credibility. Gideon Toal’s only limits are its environmental integrity and dedication to promoting sustainability. “I think one of the things that we as a firm try [not to do are] projects that promote urban sprawl,” said Bennet. “We try to do things that develop the city.” “Sustainability is a basic foundation of our firm.” CLT 2. Fort Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History main courtyard was designed to incorporate an existing live oak tree with an immense 40-foot canopy with a minimalist water fountain, reflecting pool and bright jacaranda blue walls. Through the incorporation of the bright colors of Latin America, and the extensive use of glass and open space, the facility promotes the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History mission of learning through discovery by employing an exemplary blend of space, light, color, and water with the use of strong, basic geometric forms. Anchoring one corner of the internationally renown Museum District in Fort Worth and joining the works of 4 other world class designs, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History represents a co-mingling of the architectural styles of Texas and Mexico. Photo by Lourdes Legoretta.
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