CAM Magazine Special Issue 2009: The Best of Michigan Construction

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CONTENTS
ONE HAWORTH CENTER
FALL 2009 SPECIAL ISSUE FROM THE EDITOR
to the 14th edition of CAM

12 The Book Cadillac
Restored at Last Welcome Magazine’s Special Issue.
This yearly issue is our way
of honoring excellence and achievement in Michigan’s commercial
22 Henry Ford Hospital construction industry, and the many gifted and talented individuals
who comprise it.
West Bloomfield
A Visit a Day Could Keep the Doctor Away This year’s winning projects showcase the best of Michigan - from
Metro Detroit to Holland, Bay City, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and many
28 University of Michigan places in between. We are proud that our state continues to
persevere, despite the challenging economic times. We are also proud
Museum of Art
to honor Michigan’s outstanding
Original Grace construction projects in CAM
Magazine, the official publication of
38 Pere Marquette Depot the Construction Association of
Final Departure Michigan.
We hope you enjoy Special Issue

44 One Haworth Center 2009.
Rearranging the Furniture
54 Sparrow Health System

West Wing Addition Amanda Tackett
Lansing’s Lighthouse Editor
6 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

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CONTENTS
LURIE NANOFABRICATION FACILITY
FALL 2009 SPECIAL ISSUE

60 Wing Lake Developmental Center
Helping Hands
68 LaFontaine Buick-Pontiac-
GMC-Cadillac
Family Values
74 DTE Energy’s Downtown Campus

Making the Desert Bloom
DTE ENERGY DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

82 Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby
Devising a New Plan for an Old Building
88 Providence Park Hospital

Placing Your Trust in Divine Providence
96 University of Michigan
Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF)
Economics of Scale
102 Project Subcontractor Lists

DOUBLETREE GUEST SUITES FORT SHELBY

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PUBLISHER Kevin N. Koehler
Distributors of: EDITOR Amanda M. Tackett
COPPER ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mary E. Kremposky

David R. Miller
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KYNAR 500 PRE-PAINTED Vice Chairman Glenn E. Parvin,

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F.H. Martin Constructors
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In many Profiles and Different Manufacturers
• Custom Fabricated Break Metal, Trim and DIRECTORS Stephen J. Auger,
Stephen Auger + Associates Architects
Flashing Available
M. James Brennan
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COPPER GUTTER SYSTEMS Edgewood Electric, Inc.
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Davis Iron Works
ADDITIONAL STOCK ITEMS John O'Neil, Sr.,
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SI 1-11 Intro:Nov 10/16/09 9:59 AM Page 11
SI 12-21 Book Cadi_Nov 10/5/09 2:26 PM Page 12
SI 12-21 Book Cadi:Nov 10/12/09 3:28 PM Page 13
ThE BooK CAdillAC

REsToREd AT lAsT
By Mar y E. Kremposk y, Associate Editor • Photos Cour tesy of Marous Brothers Constr uction
he lights have come on and the stars have returned to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and Errol Flynn.
T historic Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit. The name-

dropping begins anew in this landmark hotel that has
hosted five U.S. presidents, sports legends, and film stars.
Martha Stewart, contestants from American Idol, and
Hollywood stars Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken and other actors in
Michigan’s budding film industry have already been guests at the re-
born Westin Book Cadillac, the ultimate room with a view and
The site, itself, has a long history, having hosted a series of hotels
dating back to 1830, according to The Legend Returns, a Westin Book
Cadillac publication.
RESURRECTING A LEGEND
The history, the building and the city all inspired The Ferchill Group
to tackle the revitalization of this vacant hotel. “The Book Cadillac is
high-end address with its 453 guest rooms and 64 luxury residences just an incredible historic icon in the City of Detroit, as well as a
rising 31 stories above Michigan Avenue and Washington Boulevard. beautiful building designed by a great architect, Louis Kamper,” said
The bubbly is flowing once again at the Book, home to Michigan’s Chris Ferchill, vice president of development, The Ferchill Group.
first Champagne Bar in the hotel’s new 24 grille. The clink of glasses The Ferchill Group had its first redevelopment discussions with the
fills three historic ballrooms, music wafts through its once empty City of Detroit in late 2002. “The City was willing to work very closely
spaces, and light blazes from opulent chandeliers formed of 400 with a developer to bring the building back as a four-star hotel,” said
petals of Italian Murano crystal. The building was brought back from Ferchill. “We also had a very good experience with the City in
the dead by The Ferchill Group, a real estate development and developing the Detroit Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Detroit.”
management firm; Kaczmar architects incorporated, as lead architect; After two years of negotiations, 22 different sources of financing
Sandvick Architects, Inc., as historical preservation consultants; and a were assembled to resurrect this grand old building, at a total cost of
joint venture of Marous Brothers Construction, Willoughby, OH, and approximately $180 million dollars. “It was an incredible collaboration
Jenkins Construction, Inc., Detroit. The development and architectural of private and public partners that came together to make the project
team are all based in Cleveland. work,” said Ferchill. “I believe the complexity of the deal financially is
Ferchill and the project team made the impossible tangible. They unparalleled.”
pulled off a miracle with a detailed plan. Thorough assessment of The sheer scale of the building’s deterioration was unparalleled as
existing conditions, detailed drawings, and a preconstruction investi- well. Vacant for over 20 years, the building had been under siege by
gation curbed cost overruns and reined in the schedule to help deliver weather, water damage and scavengers. “I would be surprised if there
this restored jewel to the City of Detroit. Detroit area contractors with was a more difficult redevelopment project in the country,” said
a long history of craftsmanship used their talents to bring this gem Ferchill.
back to life. Just to name a few… Detroit Cornice & Slate Co., Inc., The revitalization of the historic Book Cadillac is one for the history
Ferndale, painstakingly replicated the copper crown; RAM books, itself. “Twenty years from now, they will be talking about the
Construction Services, formerly Western Waterproofing, Livonia, deal on this place in universities,” said Bill Maines, Ferchill construction
carefully restored the building’s exterior integrity and ornamentation; project manager and now the Book’s director of facilities. “It was that
and Eugenio Painting Co., Grosse Pointe Woods, brought its own involved and that complicated, but John Ferchill is an absolute master
touch to the finished paint patterns of this historic icon. at what he does.”
Like many Detroiters, James B. Jenkins, president/CEO of Jenkins John Ferchill, chairman and CEO of The Ferchill Group, is the man
Construction, has his own personal memories of the Book.“As a young behind the miracle. After three failed attempts by other developers,
man back in the day, I used to be amazed at seeing all the movers and the resurrection of this storied hotel took hold and never stopped.
shakers who would gather at the Book, such as Mayor Coleman “When we held our grand opening for the hotel, I told the thousand
Young,” recalls Jenkins. “All the wheelers and dealers used to come to people who had gathered that there was one thing missing in all
the Book Cadillac. It was the place to be.” those development attempts, and that was the vision and sheer
The hotel’s guest list is a history book filled with such names as U.S. tenacity of my father,” said Ferchill. “My dad is the type of person who,
presidents Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, as well as Dr. when he gets his hands around something, just won’t let it go until it’s
Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 13

completed the way he wants it enveloped in darkness as he entered the

completed.” uncharted territory of this urban
The rebirth of the Book Cadillac has wilderness. Temporary lighting revealed
already received national accolades, a panorama of sheer devastation. Closed
including a prestigious National since 1984, the building had been
Preservation Honor Award from the infiltrated by water and pillaged of its
National Trust for Historic Preservation copper and other materials until it was
and a 2009 Aon Build America Award as reduced to a sea of fallen plaster and
the best renovation project in the United corroded wrought iron. The interior of
States from the Associated General the building was almost decomposing in
Contractors of America. The project also place; its once grand spaces ground into
received the State of Michigan’s detritus.
Governor’s Award for Historic The magnitude of the project ahead was
Preservation and took second place in evident. The team was tasked with
the International Builders Exchange’s Best transforming decay on a scale as grand
Project Challenge Estimate Awards. as the hotel’s original opulence. “We
Beyond awards, the project “benefits all knew we had our hands full,” said Ferchill.
who believe in the great cities of “We knew it would be a complete
America,” said a Marous /Jenkins teardown back to its structure, followed
statement. by a complete renovation.”
A robot, with a jackhammer for an arm and a movable The Ferchill Group called upon the
THE HISTORY DETECTIVES track for locomotion, was used to demolish the Book’s expertise of firms with extensive
Approaching this legendary icon for structurally unsound but subsequently rebuilt North experience in investigating and meticu-
the first time, Chris Ferchill was deeply Tower. lously documenting existing conditions.
impressed with its ornate exterior and “We needed an architect whose
architecture. “I think the Wow Factor hits you before you even enter attention to detail was impeccable,” said Ferchill. “Kaczmar had
the building,” said Ferchill. designed hotels in the past, and they were very diligent and quick in
Stepping into the abandoned landmark, Ferchill was immediately generating thorough drawings.” Said Christopher J. Kaczmar, vice
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president and project manager, Kaczmar architects incorporated, “Our was suddenly abandoned and left in place.”
firm field-measured the entire building and generated, essentially The project team learned the cause of flooding, both from its own
from scratch, background drawings of the existing structure, the investigation and from an 80-year-old man who had once worked at
building envelope, and other aspects.” the Book Cadillac. “One of our project managers had a casual conver-
Sandvick Architects restored the historic fabric of the building’s sation with this former hotel worker, who said in a very matter of fact
ornate exterior and ensured the design and scope of work items way, ‘Oh, the basement will back up if the sump in Basement Three
would qualify the project for state and federal historic tax credits. isn’t connected around the clock,’ ” said Ferchill. “There are many
“Ultimately, historic tax credits accounted for approximately 25 people and contractors in Detroit who have an incredible working
percent of the project financing, with a split between 20 percent knowledge of the Book Cadillac.”
federal tax credits and five percent state tax credits,” said Karen In essence, Detroit contractors and workers served as living
Borland, Sandvick project architect. blueprints helping to guide the building’s repair. Desai/Nasr
Having worked with Consulting Engineers,
Marous Brothers Inc., West Bloomfield, was
Construction on a third source used to put
historical redevel- this Humpty-Dumpty of a
opment projects in the building back together
past, Ferchill called upon again. “Desai/Nasr had
the construction possession of historic
company’s precon- drawings, which they
struction investigative made available to the
services. “It was very team,” said Borland. “The
important that we knew drawings were not a
what we were getting complete set, but even
ourselves into in order the pieces they had were
to minimize our cost extremely valuable.
overruns,” said Ferchill. Desai/Nasr did a
Marous, in turn, selected tremendous job as
Jenkins Construction as structural consultants for
its local joint venture the project.”
partner. “I helped them Sandvick’s investi-
identify the subcon- gation was pivotal in
tractors with the formulating an accurate
expertise to work on the scope of work and cost
Book Cadillac,” said for the exterior
Jenkins. “Not just restoration. “We were
anybody can work on a involved in early investi-
project like the Book gations on assessing the
Cadillac.” deterioration of the
exterior terra cotta, brick
BOOK LEARNING Photographs of the Book, then and now, show the shocking decay and amazing and copper,” said
Despite its dark resurrection of this beloved landmark. In the Venetian Ballroom shown above, dozens Borland.
introduction to the of companies worked together to convert a morass of debris into a glory of crystal
building, the Ferchill chandeliers, newly restored wrought iron balconies, and quality finishes. THE REPORT CARD
Group didn’t remain in The result of
the dark for long. The project team investigated every square inch of combing over every section of steel column, floor slab and expanse of
the 736,000-square-foot structure over the course of a year-and-a- brick was an accurate portrait of the building’s condition. Essentially,
half. “We spent every single week in Detroit during preconstruction the upper reaches of the Book Cadillac and the north building face
working with demolition contractors, the mechanical team, and other bore the brunt of damages, including almost complete structural
trades in investigating the building and determining what needed to corrosion of the North Tower, a four-story edifice rising from the
be done,” said Jason Dalessandro, general manager, Marous Brothers rooftop.
Construction – General Contracting Division, who worked directly Deterioration of the façade’s support steel plagued the uppermost
with Brett Olson, project estimator, Lee Tucker, project manager, and reaches of the penthouses and the light court, said Borland. The hotel
John Herold, lead superintendent. “All of this upfront investigation tower rises from a six-story base and takes on a C shape, resulting in a
was vital to maintaining the budget and schedule.” type of light court. “Any dampness would linger, because the light
As step one, dewatering the basement permitted the team to court faces due north and is in the shadow of the rest of the Book,”
assess damage to the foundation, said Jenkins. “We pumped 2 million said Borland. “The steel support backup and the masonry became
gallons out of the basement the first two weeks we were on site,” stressed over time. The penthouse structures’ deterioration was due to
added Dalessandro. pure water penetration caused by penetrating rains, high winds,
Over 40 feet of water filled Basement Three, the lowest of three severe cold and freeze-thaw action, plus years of general neglect and
basements located almost 50 feet below grade. “The basements are the resulting forces of corrosion.” Exposure also extensively damaged
stacked on top of each other,” said Jenkins. “Before dewatering, it was the floor framing of the 29th level.
like going down to view the Titanic, because it looked like everything Both the steel rebar of the concrete floor slabs and the ornamental

plaster received a failing grade. “I would to 10 percent of the floor area,” said out all the concrete, we would have disturbed
venture to say that there wasn’t a stable Dalessandro. the concrete fireproofing system. We would
plaster surface in the building,” said Borland. About 300 to 400 floor openings pocked a then have had to re-fireproof the steel, which
“With few exceptions, all the plaster was on building interior famous for its ballroom would have been very time-consuming given
the ground, which was an unfortunate loss of dance floors and its lavish weddings and the sheer number of deteriorated floor
the historic fabric.” The “lesson plan” for the proms. Conventional slab replacement was sections.”
Book’s rehabilitation was divided into the not a viable option for the timely restoration As an alternative, Marous /Jenkins
building stabilization package, exterior of these grand spaces. “We were working anchored 3/8-inch steel plate to the floor
restoration, construction of a 33,000-square- with steel that was all encapsulated in the openings, efficiently spanning the gaps from
foot addition, and application of historic and concrete floor,” said Dalessandro. In chipping beam to beam without removing the
contemporary finishes.
300 WORKERS AND A ROBOT

Restoring the magic of the Book Cadillac
required over 300 construction workers and a
robot. Marous /Jenkins safely demolished the
structurally unsound North Tower - perched
on a portion of the rooftop - by using a robot
with a jackhammer for an arm and a movable
track for locomotion. “Controlled by a remote,
the robot chipped away at the building in
pieces,” said Dalessandro. “The debris would
fall down around it rather than a construction
worker.” For added safety, the demolition was
performed after hours by this R2-D2 of the
Book Cadillac. The tower was then rebuilt at a
height one story shorter than the original,
turning the Book Cadillac into a 31-story
building.
Marous /Jenkins stabilized this 1924
building from the rooftop to the foundation
walls. Water damage had harmed about
three-quarters of the 220-foot-long Michigan
Avenue foundation wall underneath the
sidewalk vault. The vault – an extension of
the basement under the sidewalk or even to
the street curb – is a common feature of older
buildings. Unfortunately, water may
penetrate the sidewalk, infiltrate and corrode
the steel of the vault’s structural lid, and
ultimately harm the foundation wall. “We
shored the wall underneath the vault and
redid the foundation wall in sections,” said
Dalessandro.
REACHING HOME PLATE

Entering the interior, the morass of disinte-
grated finishes was demolished down to the
building’s structure. A previous development
attempt had already selectively demolished
about 70 percent of the interior. Marous
/Jenkins finished the job, removing debris on
all floors and demolishing the remainder of
the interior.
The joint venture then stitched together
the concrete floor structure as part of the
building stabilization package. The floor’s
reinforcement grid was deteriorated, leaving
corroded rebar and a marred expanse of
holes throughout the interior. “From the top
of the building down, every single floor
needed slab replacement on approximately 5

new staircases. This entailed a great deal of building

stabilization, as well.”
Marous/Jenkins also created vertical access to this “cloud-
scraper” of a hotel during construction. Barring a climb of 30
flights of stairs, a buck hoist - an elevator cage attached to
and scaling the building exterior - was the only access for 18
months of the 24-month job.
“Most of the material and equipment hoisting, as well as
the more hazardous demolition work, was done on the
second shift (4 to 11 pm),” said Dalessandro. “Because most of
the materials were brought in at night, the first-shift crews
arrived the next morning and had materials ready for instal-
lation.”
Every phase on the massive hotel took on a life and grand
scale of its own. Removal of the buck hoist and repair of the
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCI CHRISTIAN
exterior attachment points consumed three to four months,

alone. “Once the service elevators were operational, we could
remove the buck hoist,” said Dalessandro. “We then had to
rebuild the openings after the buck hoist was demobilized.”
Once the daunting building stabilization package was
complete, dozens of craftsman could then repair the
Relaxing poolside in the new Westin Book Cadillac is a pleasure available to hotel
guests and condominium residences. A new addition houses the pool and shattered fabric of the building’s interior and restore the
fitness center, the new Woodward Ballroom, expanded kitchen facilities, and a integrity of the Book’s regal exterior.
mechanical room.
THE ULTIMATE FACELIFT
fireproofing from the steel. “The reason we were able to use this The grand lady of Washington Boulevard can now put her best face
approach is because we were ultimately going to place a new topping forward after the restoration of her elegant façade. With her ornate
on all the floors to level them,” said Dalessandro. “The steel plates balconies and her cloak of brick, limestone and terra cotta restored,
would be buried underneath the topping. The time it saved was the Book Cadillac towers in all its glory over the streets of downtown
invaluable.” Detroit. Stone capitals of Acanthus leaves unfurl above a procession
The project team repaired both the gaps in the floor and the of fluted columns; stone lions prowl beneath Detroit’s version of
damage to the building’s historic fabric. Removal of a massive floor Mount Rushmore, namely the four statues representing General
slab restored the Italian Garden room to its original loveliness. “Back Anthony Wayne, Antoine De La Mothe Cadillac, Chief Pontiac, an
in the day, the room was a two-story space with a skylight and classical Ottawa warrior, and Robert Navarre, a French noble and Detroit civic
vaults,” said David Kaplan, Kaczmar project architect, construction leader who served under French, British and American rule.
administration. “It was an amazing space, but at some point in the A procession of two-story arched windows rings the six-story
building’s history, someone decided to convert the two-story space limestone base. The hotel tower is an expanse of yellow brick soaring
into two one-story spaces. The slab totally erased the memory of that skyward and crowned in three copper ziggurats, their restored copper
room from the building.”
In the hotel’s heyday, a glass ceiling, paired with electronic
lighting controls, displayed a panorama of a starry evening, a
sunny day or a thunderstorm. Although the skylight has not
been restored, the room’s classical vaults and ceiling configu-
ration are again fully revealed as a “faithful memory” of the
original space, said Borland.
A CUSTOM RIDE TO A HEAVENLY BED®

Bringing the Book back to life included plotting vertical
pathways through a building, billed as the tallest hotel in the
world in 1924. All the shafts – with the exception of a new shaft
to service residents– were reused, saving the time and cost of
carving new shafts through the building. “The existing openings
were reused but were reframed by removing floor slabs and
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCI CHRISTIAN
adding steel beams the whole way through the building” said
Dalessandro. ThyssenKrupp provided custom elevators cabs
now used to transport hotel guests to their rooms and a blissful
rest on one of Westin’s popular Heavenly Beds.
The vertical circulation plan included the reuse of three
existing and several new staircases. “In order to meet today’s
egress codes we had to add a considerable amount of staircases The fabulous Michigan Stair is once again enveloped in a fine cloak of marble.
on the public floors, meaning floors one through four,” said The stair’s re-creation marks the return of a Detroit tradition, namely the use
Kaplan. “This meant we had to punch all kinds of openings for of this elegant space as the setting for the ultimate Wedding Day photo.

flames broadcasting the rebirth of this substructure,” said Dalessandro. “We had to Beyond ornamentation, the main expanse
legendary structure, once slated for devise a new anchoring system, because of the building’s brick and stone was repaired
demolition in 1993. there was no structural integrity left in the and restored “There was a tremendous
RAM poured its expertise in masonry clay tile.” The Carpentry Division installed amount of repointing work and the
restoration into the repair and cleaning about 8,000 anchor bolts, drilling and uncovering of steel for repair,” said Borland.
needed to restore the loveliness of this grouting three 12-inch bolts on each side of RAM replaced extensive sections of brick and
landmark building. The most devastated every window. Replacing a large number of select areas of limestone as part of the
section was the terra cotta water table lintels with galvanized steel and installing exterior restoration.
ringing the 23rd floor. “The steel support thermal pane glass completed this mammoth “The project team spent many hours
structure for the terra cotta water table had repair and glazing project. determining the best way to preserve and
corroded, requiring complete replacement of restore the building exterior,” said Maines.
the water table,” said Borland. Two modern PROFILES IN COPPER “They also used a custom chemical mix to
materials – galvanized steel and glass fiber Detroit Cornice & Slate, a firm established clean the façade. Sandblasting would pit the
reinforced polymer in lieu of terra cotta – in 1888, poured its passion for craftsmanship stone, and it would then collect dirt like a
restored the appearance of this severely into executing a true replication of the Book’s sponge.” Thanks to this meticulous
damaged area. copper crown, as well as a half-mile of copper restoration, the Book Cadillac now dazzles
Replacement of over 2,000 windows and cornice and other copper elements. The 45- pedestrians and visitors along Washington
corroded steel frames was another incredible foot-tall copper ziggurats adorn three corners Boulevard, once dubbed the Fifth Avenue of
undertaking. “Because the steel frames had of this lofty rooftop, giving the building its the Midwest.
actually rotted in the window openings, the signature profile on Detroit’s skyline. Detroit Ferchill also built a three-story addition
Carpentry Division of Marous Brothers Cornice & Slate individually fabricated and with a façade sympathetic to the historic
Construction removed every single solitary installed about 150 pieces of copper per hotel. The addition houses the new
window frame of the entire hotel,” said ziggurat to restore these highly visible Woodward Ballroom, an 11,000-square-foot
Borland. pinnacles. ballroom able to accommodate over 700
The Carpentry Division even installed a Craftsman also replicated the ornate people, said Ferchill. Resting on caissons, the
custom anchoring system for the window limestone balconies along the fourth-floor. new addition also contains a pool and fitness
assembly. “The old frames were actually “The balustrades were also faithful replication center, expanded kitchen facilities, and a
grouted into the masonry and a clay tile with authentic material,” said Borland. third-level mechanical room.

AOUN & CO., P.C.

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS GLAMOUR RETURNS TO THE D weddings, proms, and prominent functions.
The repaired interior created a clean canvas Both the Venetian and the Crystal Ballroom, a
"Serving the Construction for the application of new finishes, some 200-person space, have been brought to life
purely contemporary and others recalling the with raised wood paneling, custom carpeting,
Industry for Over 20 Years" original historic sensibility. The Michigan Stair and a GFRP replication of ornamental plaster.
recreates the opulent character of the original “The ballrooms are not a pure restoration;
Financial Statements Book Cadillac, one of 12 buildings in the rather we used clues in the drawings and
Washington Boulevard Historic District listed historic photos to bring back those spaces
Management, Banking, Bonding
as a National Register Historic District. Brides close to their historic appearance,” said
& Equipment once glided down this staircase linking the Borland. “I would call it a faithful memory of
Michigan Avenue entrance to the second- those spaces. Paint patterns, for example, in
Tax Planning & Preparation
floor lobby. The staircase’s decorative filigree the Italian Garden hark back to the historic
Offers in Compromise, Payment Plans of wrought iron had paint patterns that once
& Audit Representation completely corroded, and existed in this room.”
the space had disinte- Added Kaplan, “Both the
Bookkeeping grated in place. “It looked Crystal Ballroom and the
QuickBooks Training like a bombed-out Beirut,” Italian Garden were
said Maines. slightly shortened for the
www.AounCPA.com Today, the “bridal” stair
of restored wrought iron
insertion of an egress stair
and for service space. But
(734) 261-9800 is once again the perfect
frame for the ultimate
the design carefully
retained the original room
29701 Six Mile Rd. • Suite 120 Wedding Day photo op. proportions.”
Livonia, MI 48152-8602 The entry is clad in a This ensemble of
cpa@aouncpa.com polished skin of marble ballrooms, including the
floor tile set in a basket new Woodward Ballroom,
weave pattern; the lobby is now operating in full
and staircase walls almost swing. The Venetian and
glisten with a Woodward ballrooms, plus
combination of delicately the fourth-floor pre-
veined white and taupe- function space, hosted the
colored marble. 2009 Mercedes-Benz New
The Book Cadillac’s exterior was
Once a chaos of fallen Year’s Reception in
meticulously restored and
plaster and debris, the thoroughly cleaned with a custom January 2009.
Venetian Ballroom on the mix to reveal the ornate details of The entire interior
fourth floor beacons its façade, such as these stone “marries the modern
visitors with its wood capitals of Acanthus leaves Westin design philosophy
paneling, wrought iron unfurling above fluted columns. with the historic hotel,”
balconies, and two said Kaplan. “The historic
chandeliers, each a 1,000 pounds of glowing ornament of the old building is focused in the
light shining through crystal petals. “I have to ballrooms on the fourth floor.” However, Italian
give a great deal of credit to the craftsmen marble floor tile and extensive use of ornate
who worked on this project, especially in the moldings of wood, plaster, composite material,
Venetian Ballroom,” said Borland. “The and even rubber infuse the contemporary
balconies are a faithful restoration. They spaces with the sensibility of the original hotel.
actually salvaged an existing balcony and For example, the residential lobby is virtually
recreated it mold for mold.” enveloped in a polished glow of Italian marble
One balcony contains the Book Cadillac tile walls and floors. As the ultimate hybrid
emblem, similar to the original Cadillac family space, the hotel lobby’s Motor Bar is a soaring
crest. Although the original emblem was lost 20-foot ceiling with contemporary chandeliers
years ago to vandals, a clay artist handcrafted and ornate capitals festooned with the lavish
a plaster cast purely from digital images. The detail of an earlier era. Much of the interior is
cast was then used to fabricate a wood contemporary, including the hotel registration
emblem, according to information provided area with its dark-stained millwork and
by Marous /Jenkins. The carpenter’s craft was hundreds of pendant light fixtures delicately
vital to the restoration. The wooden pumpkin dangling from the ceiling.
finials underneath each balcony were hand
carved by master carpenters who also NEW SYSTEMS IN OLD SPACES
installed over 1.2 miles of door casings on the Kaczmar also inserted new mechanical and
first four floors alone. plumbing systems into the interstitial spaces
The Venetian Ballroom is a 300-person of the Book Cadillac’s sixth floor. “On the sixth
space that originally and currently hosts level, a series of structural transfer girders

transition the loads of the hotel tower through

the building to the ground,” said Kaczmar.
“The transfer girders are 10-feet-high and
several feet deep, in some instances. We
determined that it would be useful to double
the use of that interstitial space as a
mechanical service area housing mechanical
ductwork, fire protection services, and exhaust
shafts.”
The sixth floor was also used to exhaust the
hotel restrooms. “Because the roof is a copper
mansard, it doesn’t have a lot of flat areas for
placement of shafts and exhaust fans,”
explained Dalessandro. “Instead of exhausting
the restrooms and similar spaces through the
roof, we placed fans in the interstitial space
and vented them using heat recovery wheels,
which is an environmentally sound practice
that retrieves waste heat and makes the
building more energy efficient. In essence, we
actually pulled the exhaust down, rather than
pushed it up through the building, and then
vented the exhaust out of louvers installed on
the sixth floor.”
Some large mechanical equipment is on the
Book’s roof. In fact, as one of the last jobs on
this long journey, Marous/Jenkins used a
helicopter to hoist nine huge pieces of
mechanical equipment and elevator
components to the rooftop.
BELIEVE
Marous/Jenkins burned the midnight oil to
The National Advantage
get the job done in time to book rooms for the
North American International Auto Show in
January 2009. “The construction crew worked
two shifts for 75 to 80 percent of the 24-month
job,” said Dalessandro.
Such diligence enabled the Ferchill Group
to stage the Grand Opening of the Book
Cadillac in early October 2008. “We didn’t
want to open in the winter months in the
Midwest,” said Ferchill. “It was also imperative
to give ourselves a month of operational
practice to be prepared to book rooms for the
Auto Show. After years of failed redevel-
opment attempts, no one was going to book
space in the hotel until it was actually up and
It’s the great price,
operating.” service and dependability!
Basically, the public needed to see it to
believe it. But unbelievably, the Book Cadillac Chain Link • Fence Panels • Windscreen
has been returned to the city, the glass Gates • Barbed Wire • Pedestrian Barricades
skylights and cast iron ornamentation of its
entrance canopies welcome guests to 39,000 Serving all of Michigan
square feet of event and conference space, the 2178 McKinley Ave • Columbus, OH 43204
award-winning Roast restaurant, and a sophis-
ticated Motor Bar. Residents on the top seven
floors of the hotel have one of the best views in
the city; one even has a private bar in the base Recipient of the
of the copper ziggurat, said Maines. Once 614-308-1100
again, thanks to this phenomenally dedicated rentnational.com Hammer of Hope Award
project team, life is good at the Book Cadillac.

SI 22-27 Henry Ford West Bloomfield_Nov 10/5/09 2:29 PM Page 22
A Visit a Day
Could Keep the Doctor Away
By DaviD R. MilleR, associate eDitoR PhotogRaPhy By Ray Manning, henRy FoRD health systeM
M
ost people are familiar with hospitals. They are where you Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital represents a fundamental shift
go when you are sick or injured, or perhaps just visiting a from crisis manager to healthy living partner. Patients receive state-of-
friend or family member who is. This perception is being the-art care, but visitors can also see to their own wellbeing with an
challenged by a bold experiment in Oakland County. impressive array of healthy retail and educational offerings. Many of
Instead of being emergency destinations, perhaps hospitals could work the people who are taking advantage of these
with people to manage their healthcare on a daily basis. Maybe some opportunities have no other reason to visit the hospital; they are simply
crises could be avoided altogether. learning to make choices that may prevent future hospital stays. A

FROM THE GROUND UP construction of full-size mock-ups by Turner’s

An early challenge associated with the Self Perform Group (SPG), including an eight-
design and construction of Henry Ford West bed patient unit, an operating room, and a
Bloomfield Hospital involved devising a way to labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum
transform a 160-acre site that already included (LDRP) unit. Extensive benchmarking of other
several medical office buildings, an facilities led to the implementation of a
ambulatory surgery unit and a seven-bed decentralized nursing model with
inpatient unit that was converted into a workstations directly outside patient rooms.
functioning hospital. The hospital that sits on Each station serves two patient rooms and
the site today represents a 560,000-square- includes a small storage space for commonly
foot addition onto an existing used items. Corridors also include numerous
250,000-square-foot campus. Existing units alcoves to meet family needs while preventing
were restacked in order to eliminate groups from impeding traffic.
redundancies and maximize efficiency for the By any reasonable standard, Henry Ford
entire site. West Bloomfield Hospital was a massive
The hospital now features 191 beds, all in undertaking. As construction manager, Turner
private rooms, with another 109 slated to open Construction took many steps to keep the
in 2011. Patient rooms feature wireless project under control, on schedule and under
Internet access, a flat-screen TV, and a patient- budget. Much of the equipment and materials
controlled thermostat. Each room is large were purchased in advance to control costs
enough to include a sleeper sofa and a through Turner’s in-house procurement group
reclining chair to accommodate overnight called Turner Logistics. This provided the
stays by family members. Family rooms on added benefit of ensuring that specialized
each floor include beds and kitchen tables, mechanical and electrical equipment and
while a female-only floor was added to let the other long lead-time items arrived on time.
hospital better serve women. Building a large “While Kahn was developing conceptual
hospital to meet the needs of a medical staff ideas, we were brought on board to look at
that did not yet exist emerged as a unique logistics and planning during pre-
obstacle, but one that Henry Ford Health construction,” said Clifford Kazmierczak, vice
System was well-suited to overcome. president and project director for Turner
Over 2,000 people – including medical staff Construction Company. “Getting on board
from other Henry Ford facilities, patients, early helped us ensure that everything was
families and community members – toured consistent throughout the project. We wanted
prototype patient rooms to increase the odds to make sure this was a very competitive
of success. Henry Ford Health System leased a project, so approximately 170 bid packages
15,000-square-foot warehouse to facilitate were developed.”
y massive project team led by hospital and

interior designer Henry Ford Health System
Facilities Design and Construction, Detroit,
hospital architect and M/E/P engineer Albert
Kahn Associates, Inc., Detroit, and hospital
construction manager Turner Construction
Company, Detroit, was needed to transform
this vision into a completed facility. Other key
project team members included A3C –
Collaborative Architecture, Ann Arbor, George
W. Auch Company, Pontiac, Hobbs + Black
Associates, Inc., Ann Arbor, Kasco, Inc., Royal
Oak, Stucky + Vitale Architects, Royal Oak, and
Wade Trim, Taylor. The Live Well Shoppe features a variety of Earth-friendly products in a department store setting.

William Mazzara, AIA, director of facility department store setting for a healthy result to the contractor. Detroit Spectrum
design and construction for Henry Ford Health environment; Henry’s, which offers health- Painting worked carefully to develop a
System, explained that having many conscious dining selections from local technique that would deliver the desired
subcontractors on site keeps costs down by restaurateur Matt Prentice; and New Blooms, a results.
providing competition. As new work is bid gift boutique for moms and babies. Visitors “We brought in some samples to pinpoint
out, contractors see that their competitors are who were familiar with the campus before the exactly what they were trying to achieve,” said
already on site ready to do the work, and this recent construction project may forget that Joe Palazzolo, president of Detroit Spectrum.
encourages them to keep their pencils sharp. they are actually walking in-between two “After we understood what we were supposed
Even with four architects, three construction existing medical office buildings as they stroll to reproduce, we were able to bid on the
managers and a small army of subcontractors along Main Street, but contractors were always project.”
The final result of this laborious painting
process looks more like it belongs on a canvas
than a wall. Trades contractors can often
exceed expectations if they are simply given
the freedom to do what they are best at.
“If you allow the contractors to perform
their trade, I’ve found that they really know
how to do it,” said Mazzara. “I’m an architect,
and I think that we sometimes spend too
much time trying to tell people how to do
their trades. I like to have them tell me what
they can do, and then I let them do it.”
Other features specific to Michigan are
scattered throughout Main Street and beyond,
from natural Michigan stone and wood
products, to the incorporation of all four
seasons into the design. Soaring atriums and
ample windows combine to transmit
abundant Michigan sunshine while outside
views also let visitors use outside landmarks to
orient themselves. All of these elements
combine to create a comfortable environment
that promotes healing and wellness.
Historical façades were constructed on both sides of Main Street, in the main connecting “If you take the qualities of the materials
corridor between two existing medical facilities that had to remain open. used, the textures, the lighting and the colors,
they are all used as different means for
relaxing a person,” said John Barker, executive
on the job, the end result of their work is keenly aware of this fact. vice president of Hobbs + Black. “Everyone has
remarkably consistent. The entire campus is “We were essentially constructing a a little nostalgic bend in them, and they may
rich with little nuances that should feel very historical façade on both sides, but these recall something that they have experienced
familiar to anyone from Michigan. façades were actually in the main connecting somewhere else – a small town, an atrium or a
corridor between two existing medical lodge.”
UP NORTH ATMOSPHERE facilities that had to remain open for the entire A great deal of strenuous activity was
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital was project,” said Jim Chernosky, project manager needed before these design elements could
designed to reduce stress for patients and for George W. Auch Company. combine to relax patients and guests.
families, but Michigan residents will most The attention to detail on these façades is
keenly feel this effect, as the entire facility astounding. Every design element, from door PULLING TOGETHER
resonates with Northern Michigan hardware to artwork, was the result of an The three construction managers involved
atmosphere. After going through the main exhaustive search performed by many in the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
door, visitors and patients coming in for members of the project team. Some items project have a lot in common. Prior work for
diagnostic or outpatient procedures will find were salvaged from existing buildings, Henry Ford Health System and sterling
themselves at a crossroads, so to speak, of including Detroit’s own Book Cadillac Hotel. reputations for quality work combined to
streetscapes patterned after a Michigan town. Other objects were artfully fabricated to look make each a logical choice for the project.
Not only did this design element complement historic. “Could the competitors work together?” was
the building’s theme, but it also provided a Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren, the million-dollar question, although this is
logical and identifiable wayfinding system. played a key role in creating the ambiance. something of an understatement as the work
Ornate storefronts trumpet an array of Workers hand applied drywall mud to surfaces managed by each far exceeded one million
healthy choices that are available, including a before adding primer and two coats of paint dollars.
Demonstration Kitchen for healthy cooking to create new walls that look like they have “It would have been so easy for me to have
classes taught in partnership with Schoolcraft been painted many times before. Project hired one construction manager for the whole
College; the Live Well Shoppe, featuring a specifications described the desire for an aged project,” admitted Mazzara. “We have had a lot
variety of Earth-friendly products in a look, but left the specifics of achieving this of contractors who have done great work for

us over the years and I wanted to spread the work around. I also
wanted to be extremely efficient from a cost management standpoint.”
Having competitors work side-by-side can keep prices in check
through healthy competition, but the contractors were not merely
working next to each other on this job. In many cases, they practically
worked on top of each other. The interconnected nature of the hospital
campus forced contractors into each other’s work zones, often working
on the exact same wall. Instead of stepping on toes, they combined
their expertise to create a team that was even better than the sum of its
parts.
“We have all worked for Bill Mazzara and his group in some capacity
before, and his philosophy has always been one that everyone works as
a team representing Henry Ford Health System, so check your egos at
the door,” said Thomas Buchanan, project administrator for Kasco
Construction. “If I couldn’t agree to work with Dave [Williams, vice
president and project director for George W. Auch Company], who is my
competitor in other arenas, or coordinate with Charlie [Hornacek, Hospital buildings wrap around this detention pond, offering a clear
project manager for Turner Construction Company], before we view from many patient rooms. No rooms at the hospital look into
scheduled an important task to make sure we weren’t affecting his parking areas.
plans or schedule, this project never would have come together.
Fortunately everyone respected each other’s roles and worked some time off around the holidays, except for Hornacek. Turner’s
together.” massive scope of work mandated a daily presence during this time. All
Not only did the contractors respect each other, they all strived to of the contractors were quick to point out that many needless trips to
make everyone’s work easier. The project required night and day shifts the jobsite were averted, by simply calling a trusted supervisor from
working over the two-week holiday period in December of 2008 to stay another company to make sure a door was locked or a minor mess was
on schedule, but George W. Auch Company and Kasco Construction cleaned up properly. The design professionals on the job displayed a
formed an agreement to each work one of these weeks. Everyone got similar level of cooperation.
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SI 22-27 Henry Ford West Bloomfield:Nov 10/12/09 3:30 PM Page 26
“I really appreciated getting the information

that I needed to do my job from Hobbs + Black
and Albert Kahn Associates,” said Loretta
Stubleski, AIA, senior project architect and
associate for A3C. “We worked as a team to
get design and documentation issues
resolved.”
GETTING BACK TO NATURE

One of the earliest steps with any project is
site selection. Expanding an existing campus
obviously limits the possibilities. At Henry
Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, the site
presented the project team with a unique
combination of assets and liabilities.
“Overall, we were presented with a beautiful
natural site of about 160 acres, that included
about nine acres of wetlands,” said Robert
Sharrow, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, vice president
and director of healthcare planning for Kahn.
“The intent was to enhance the beauty of the
site.”
Before this could be done, the issue of
stormwater management needed to be
Patient rooms feature wireless Internet access, a flat-screen TV, and a patient-controlled addressed. Although the site is only about 160
thermostat. They can accommodate overnight stays by family members. acres, approximately 600 acres drain through
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SI 22-27 Henry Ford West Bloomfield:Nov 10/12/09 3:30 PM Page 27
the site. The existing detention pond a sanctuary and pastoral care offices. The Bloomfield Hospital to three floors, plus a
discharged roughly 70 cfs (cubic feet per corridor separating these two spaces also subterranean level. Elevators greatly reduce
second), but an extensive redesign reduced facilitates the transfer of food and supply carts the amount of walking that is needed to
this to approximately six cfs. into a dedicated elevator that keeps these traverse the space.
“The pond’s storage capacity was probably unsightly items out of the public eye. Even though visitors can easily find their
about one-third the amount it is now,” In all, a total of 33 elevators were needed to destination with a minimal amount of walking,
explained Nick Lomako, senior vice president accommodate efficient traffic through the they might be inclined to wander around the
for Wade Trim. “We had to tie in all of the hospital. Hospitals are typically vertically facility, anyway. There is plenty to see and do,
existing connections and allow for the oriented with a small footprint, but zoning and a little exercise does a body good.
proposed runoff that would come from the regulations limited Henry Ford West
new construction, both from the expansion of
the parking lot and the roof area. The wetland
area on the south side of the site existed prior
to this development, but a solid flow-through
of roughly 70 cfs of discharge had a major
impact. As part of the wetland mitigation, we
had to expand that area and we were able to
create a much more defined wetland by
reducing the flow with a weir and standpipe
mechanism.”
Water going into the pond is pretreated by
an Aqua-Swirl™ stormwater hydrodynamic
grit separator, which removes oil and debris
the water collects while flowing over paved
areas. Placing plants that thrive in moist
conditions near the pond and installing riprap
to filter the water as it crests into this area
created a natural overflow. The entire system
is designed to withstand a 100-year rain event
by holding massive amounts of water and
releasing it slowly into the ecosystem. Careful
planning turned the detention pond, which is
often a liability, into a showpiece. Hospital
buildings wrap around the pond, offering a
clear view from many patient rooms. In fact,
no rooms at Henry Ford West Bloomfield
Hospital look into parking areas.
The pond is the facility’s most obvious
green feature, but there are many more. A
comprehensive sustainability plan is expected
to result in certification, possibly at the Silver
Level, under the USGBC’s LEED® program. The
project team also created a serene
environment in which the natural beauty of
the site could be enjoyed.
Noise was also a key concern. Unlike most
hospitals, Henry Ford West Bloomfield has an
open area cafeteria, but this is actually placed
at the very end of the Main Street retail space
in a portion of the structure that is classified as
business occupancy under building codes.
The hospital’s soaring atrium is easily
accessible through a fire-rated door, but
placing the cafeteria in a business space
allowed greater latitude in design and
eliminated the need for an engineered smoke
evacuation system.
The atrium entry was carefully engineered
to prevent noise from the lively cafeteria from
entering the space. Even so, the first atrium is
separated from a second space that is
designated as the quiet atrium, which houses

SI 28-37 U of M Art_SI 2009-UofMArt-28-37 10/5/09 1:53 PM Page 28
he Muses were working overtime in certain grace and delicacy of form. The companion structures embody the spirit of
T inspiring the creation of the University

of Michigan’s newly expanded and
renovated Museum of Art (UMMA) in Ann
minimalist elegance of this contemporary
building resonates with the existing
Museum of Art, a Beaux-Arts building
the word “museum,” a term derived from the
Greek word, mouseion, translated as a place
where the Muses are worshipped.
Arbor. Built by Skanska USA Building’s constructed in 1910 and now restored to its Eight years in the making, the project was
Southfield office, the new wing possesses a original splendor. Together, the two driven by a need to display more of the

Steward at the media preview. “We were underutilizing our

resources, and to me, this was the most critical element in
undertaking this expansion.”
The full range of the Asian collection - the largest collection of
Asian Art in a university museum in the country –seldom saw the
light of day. At times, not even one piece from the museum’s modern
and contemporary collection was even on display, said Ruth Slavin,
UMMA’s director of education. “This incredibly beautiful collection
was almost in secret,” said Brad Cloepfil, AIA, founder and principal of
Allied Works Architecture. Allied Works was commissioned to design
the building and its exhibition furniture. “I was inspired by the
collection and the opportunity to offer it back to the university, back
to the Ann Arbor community, and really back to the world,” said
Cloepfil.
VEILS OF GLASS, CURTAINS OF STONE

The “offering” took the shape of a sideways T composed of three
wings: one wing is the stem connecting with the existing museum;
the east and west wings form the bar of the T with the west wing
facing a bustling State Street and the east wing reaching towards the
Diag, a U of M landmark, pathway and gathering space. “The three
wings pinwheel or pivot around a central core in the building interior
called the vertical gallery,” said Paul A. Stachowiak, AIA, president of
Integrated Design Solutions (IDS). (Allied Works selected Integrated
Design Solutions, a Troy-based architectural and engineering firm.)
Two of the three wings are half cantilevered concrete sheer wall
and half structural glass and steel shell. Clad in warm-hued
Wisconsin limestone, the cantilevered walls appear to float over
expanses of ground-level glass. The other side of each wonderfully
conceived cube is a veil of glass set in “delicate fingers of steel rising
up and over the top,” said Todd D. Nemecek, RA, IDS’s full-time
architectural field representative. The steel members actually
support the curtain wall and roof.
Altogether, this inspired structure has two cantilevers and three glass
shells, creating a rhythm of stone and glass; the stone to define the
boundary of the building and the glass to draw in natural light and
offer the community glimpses of the museum within. “Art museums
always have a certain tension,” said Cloepfil. “They want to be closed
and protect the art, yet they want to be open and connect with the
community. This building is a dialogue between the limestone,
which tends to hold the art and create the boundary of the building,
and the openness of the glass and steel frame.”
This building of stone and glass unfolds within, revealing an
elegant layering of levels bathed in diffuse natural light. The central
vertical gallery travels the full height of the building, making the
three above-ground levels visible and dramatic sightlines possible.
The wood floor levels seem to float within the interior; few of the
drywall art walls, all varied in height, actually reach the ceiling. “Jacob
(Jacob Proctor, UMMA’s associate curator of modern and contem-
porary art), was saying that from the outside of the building, one has
no idea this inner world exists,” said Cloepfil at the media preview.
“The outside is responding to its context, creating something
completely different from the inside.”
A CHALLENGING MUSE
The exterior and interior have one thing in common: both were
Museum’s world-class collection, a treasure trove of fine art extremely challenging to build. The cantilevers required a custom
assembled over the course of 150 years. Unfortunately, much of the concrete formula, a special steel reinforcement grid, and an extensive
18,000-piece collection could be classified as buried treasure, the shoring system. The concrete sheer walls may appear to float, but
handiwork of the Muses confined to storage in the museum they had to be anchored in the earth and expertly engineered to
basement. “Only 3 percent of the museum’s world-class collection tight tolerances. Likewise, those delicate fingers of tube steel had to
could be displayed,” said then-UMMA Director James Christen be installed to tolerances approaching perfection.

SI 28-37 U of M Art:SI 2009-UofMArt-28-37 10/12/09 3:32 PM Page 30
state-of-the-art mechanical systems into the

lower levels of both buildings and snake
them inconspicuously through the interior.
Creating a work of art takes talent, passion
and concentration; constructing a building
to house it requires no less. “From beginning
to end, there wasn’t a piece of this building
that didn’t present a unique challenge,” said
Todd Elkin, Skanska project manager.
All this beauty had its price in both sweat
equity and cold hard cash, in this case about
$30 million dollars in construction costs and
$41.9 million in total costs. Under Steward’s
directorship, the museum launched the Re-
Imagine Campaign, almost doubling its
fundraising goal of $35 million to $61
million. “It substantially funded over 90
percent of the cost of construction of the
new wing and the restoration of the existing
museum,” said Steward. Under a Campaign
for Art, benefactors also pledged hundred’s
of works of art in honor of the project,
bringing total contributions to $98 million.
As step two, the University selected Allied
Works after an extensive international
search. Allied Works teamed with IDS early
in the project. “I think our work with Renzo
Piano on the design phase of the law school
expansion made Allied Works feel
comfortable with us, along with the fact that
we have in-house mechanical and electrical
engineering services,” said Stachowiak.
Skanska came on board during design
development at the end of 2004.
RE-IMAGINING CAMPUS ARCHITECTURE

Several forces shaped the design,
including the decision to create a contem-
porary building and the desire to draw
students into the often-neglected world of
art. Placing this minimalist jewel of contem-
porary architecture in the heart of The
University of Michigan’s historic Central
Campus was a provocative decision. The
new wing rests on one of the last available
The project team uncovered the loveliness of the original museum, peeling away sites on the University’s original 40-acre
a ceiling to repair and reveal the skylight in the Apse. Natural light now filters campus, called the “historic forty.” Steward’s
into this central gathering space after an absence of 30 to 40 years. and Cloepfil’s vision of a contemporary
structure clearly went against the grain of
not only the existing buildings in this
historic quadrant of campus, but against
design trends on university campuses across
the country.
Some attending community meetings
Neither the interior of the contemporary uncovered a host of unexpected conditions “questioned the role of contemporary
wing nor the halls of the original museum unique to this early 20th century structure architecture on a historic campus,” said
offered any respite. With sight lines clear named Alumni Memorial Hall, a stately Cloepfil. “James was adamant about
through the interior, the wood floors could building originally constructed to honor including contemporary architecture in the
not betray the slightest deflection and the University of Michigan veterans of the Civil dialogue of architecture on the University of
drywall art walls had to be dead level to War and the Mexican American and Spanish Michigan campus.” The dean of the
realize the design intent. Selective American Wars. Add a final element to this University of Michigan’s School of
demolition in the existing museum exhausting list: Skanska had to squeeze Architecture also joined the debate. “He

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three wings extend into the historical fabric,

creating a series of courtyards. Facing the
Diag, the expansion joins with the original
museum and nearby Tappan Hall to form a
cloistered sculpture court enveloped by
three different but complementary building
facades.
“Contemporary architecture can be
something that emerges specific to a place,”
said Cloepfil. “I think that is very much what
this project is about. The building isn’t
spectacle architecture. There are times for
spectacle architecture, and there are times
when architecture can speak to even more
profound things than a new shape or new
material. Architecture doesn’t have to be a
sign of itself that keeps being sold globally
to new cities and new places.”
The new wing even defers to the existing
museum by stepping the connector wing
back 44 feet from the original museum and
by lacking a conventional main entry. “The
expansion has no proper front, because it
defers to the original building as the iconic
identity of the institution,” said Cloepfil.
“And even for the massing itself, we chose to
present a small façade to State Street. The
prow projects out to State Street but defers
to the historic building. The experience of
the contemporary piece really comes from
the day-to-day engagement with the
building and the campus. It is not a building
about its image, so much as about its
experience.”
True to its goal of student engagement,
the new building extends a standing
invitation to the over 40,000-strong student
population to experience the visual arts. The
new structure literally brings art down from
its pedestal and into daily campus life. While
Alumni Memorial Hall rests on a raised
platform six feet above street level, the
The new wing is an elegant layering entries to the new building are directly at
of different levels, suffused with grade. Students are welcome to “cut
natural light. through” the new wing on their way to class
and to relax in a commons space soon to
become a café.
The Museum has opened it doors - and
even its walls - to spark curiosity in the visual
arts. The cantilevers “lift” and reveal the
ground-level spaces within. Under the State
said, ‘If we are pursuing new ideas in tones of the new expansion’s limestone. Street cantilever is the glass-ensconced
literature, science and all the other “The new stone’s shape and joinery are Project Gallery, a changing gallery for
disciplines, how can we not pursue new similar to the existing building, but the stone contemporary art passed daily by throngs of
ideas in architecture?’” recalled Cloepfil. is not intended to match,” said Nemecek. students walking through the heart of
The new wing is contemporary in form “They are two completely different Central Campus. “One of the things that we
but rooted in place. On the exterior, the buildings, one is contemporary and the sought from the very beginning was to
stone-clad structure completes the mosaic other is classic.” make a place that asserted the presence of
of stone buildings gracing this quadrant of This contemporary building brings a art on campus,” said Cloepfil.
Central Campus. Bridging the limestone of refreshing energy to the historic Central Skanska brought its own talents to bear in
the adjacent Angell Hall and the sandstone Campus, while standing in harmony with the construction of this 55,000-square-foot
of the original museum are the beautiful this neighborhood of notable buildings. All expansion and the renovation of the 40,000-

square-foot Alumni Memorial Hall. Skanska

launched construction on Nov. 17, 2006.
Excavating through sandy soil to a depth of
18 feet and placing 6-foot-diameter caissons
to a depth of 65 feet - both in the middle of
winter and in the heart of the bustling
Central Campus - was only the beginning of
this rigorous undertaking. Extensive site
work included shoring the north face of
Alumni Memorial Hall. “With the new wing’s We offer the following
basement 12 feet below the basement of
the old hall, shoring was necessary to avoid Crane Rentals
undermining the existing building’s

Rough Terrains to 90 ton
foundations,” said Elkin. In linking the
buildings below grade, epoxy grout had to

Boom Trucks to 30 ton
be injected for soil stabilization near the

Crawlers to 250 ton
hall’s excavation zone.

Forklifts to 10,000#
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At UMMA, art is not confined to the

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compression to bear the load and the other
in tension to keep the cantilevered wall from
tipping forward and lifting out of the
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ground,” said Stachowiak.
The building’s massive concrete sheer
walls cantilever about 65 feet in one
location, and only touch the ground in three
places. The backspan (the portion of the
cantilevered wall touching the ground) had
to be reinforced with an innovative steel
grid before pouring the cast-in-place
concrete walls. “We essentially built 18-inch-
wide steel columns by tying together steel
rods,” said Elkin. “Overall, 64 No. 11 bars form
the reinforcement grid.”
A custom concrete mix with atypically
sized aggregate was used to ensure the mix
flowed and fully filled concrete forms.
“There is so much steel in certain locations
that the concrete had to be a special formula
to really fill the forms,” said Elkin. The final
result is a cantilevered concrete sheer wall
with a 22-inch-thick backspan at the base.
Each wall thins as it rises until it measures
about 14- to 16-inches in thickness at the
top of the three-story building.
The building sequence for the
cantilevered walls and the steel and glass
shells also took an unconventional route.
The initial plan was to build the concrete
sheer walls to their full height and install
temporary bracing, then install the steel and
glass enclosures. When temporary bracing
proved too expensive, a new tack was taken:
build clockwise installing the concrete walls
in floor-by-floor increments along with the
structural steel fingers. Essentially, the steel
fingers became the temporary bracing. “The

structural steel was used to actually support an inch,” said Elkin. “KPFF (the project’s paired with circulation stairs,” said
the concrete walls laterally,” said Elkin. structural engineering firm based in Stachowiak. “As students walk past the
This strategy reduced costs and managed Portland, Oregon) got it exactly where it building, they view activity and people
work on a tight site. “We didn’t have needed to be.” moving through the museum, and catch
sufficient ground space for bracing,” said This masterpiece in concrete also had to glimpses of art, as well.”
Nemecek. “As you build taller the bracing be plumb along its full height or the stone
needs to be wider. If we had gotten to the cladding would not fit properly. “The A COURSE IN EARLY 20TH CENTURY
top of the wall, the bracing would have run concrete sheer walls span from basement to CONSTRUCTION
into other buildings.” roof, meaning they are actually 17 feet The project team laid a light hand on the
Because concrete takes about 28 days to higher than the visible height,” added Elkin. existing Beaux-Arts structure, essentially
cure and reach sufficient strength, Skanska The steel fingers also met tolerances removing only the north stair and a few
also had to install an extensive shoring approaching perfection. The vertical steel is walls to link the two buildings. This basic list
system beneath the cantilevers during the installed to ¼-inch tolerances over its 60- to hides the true complexity of the job. The
curing period. “We teased the structural 70-foot height, said Elkin. Using lasers and simple removal of the north circular stair
designer that he was going to have to stand transits, a skilled team of iron workers and and adjacent walls exposed the unusual
at the end of the cantilever when the glaziers measured, monitored and moved structure of the old hall. “Many of the
shoring was removed,” said Stachowiak. “If each vertical piece into place to meet the elements in the stair were actually structural
we saw him run, we would know it was time exacting requirements of this showpiece components that held up part of the roof,”
to stop removing the shoring.” building. said Elkin. “It was a major operation to
The expertise poured into the Glass installation completed the stabilize the roof before removal of the stair
engineering and construction of these enclosure of this intricate shell. Translucent and walls.”
specialty concrete walls was apparent on glass casts a diffuse light into the gallery Selective demolition offered another
the day of truth, meaning the day the spaces. Squares of clear glass, called the lesson in early 20th Century construction.
shoring was removed. “The walls were lens, are embedded within these veils of “The floor actually acted as a type of
designed to settle three-quarters of an inch, translucent glass, offering a glimpse of the diaphragm holding up the walls,” said Elkin.
and they only moved less than a quarter of museum within. “The building faces are also Cutting openings for a new exit stair, freight
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elevator and to connect the two buildings

required caution and care.
Composition of the 18-inch-thick
composite floors also differed from standard
DETROIT CARPENTRY
modern buildings. Elkin provides a sneak
peek into each floor’s unusual structure: JOINT APPRENTICESHIP
“Beginning from the bottom, the floor is
made of several inches of plaster, 7-inch clay
brick tiles, a sand and a cement mixture, and
TRAINING COMMITTEE
a final layer of concrete on top. The floor is
installed in what could be described as ribs.
It was like the keystone of an arch with the
clay tiles bowed and the concrete leveled on
top and tying it all together. In creating
DETROIT & SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN
openings, we even bolted a piece of steel at
the edge of our cut to make sure that the
whole floor didn’t cascade down around us.”
Beyond selective demolition, renovation
of the original museum uncovered the
loveliness of this stately old hall. Peeling
away existing materials and the work of past
renovations uncovered two impressive
ceilings, one in the Apse – the central
gathering space in the original museum -
and the other in the West Gallery, formally
called the Alfred Taubman and Alumni Hall
Gallery. After removal of an old roof over the
once leaking skylight, natural light now
filters into the Apse after an absence of 30 to
40 years. Skanska also removed a lay-in
ceiling to restore a faux skylight in the
expansive West Gallery. Removal of the
ceiling – placed about 10 or 12 feet below
the faux skylight – revealed the gallery’s full
height and historical details. “We restored
the wood cornice work, as well as the sheet
STRENGTH THROUGH
metal grid or lattices holding the translucent
panels in place,” said Elkin.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL
Added Cloepfil, “I think we stripped away
that history of incremental decisions and
returned the building to its original grace. 1401 Farrow • Ferndale, MI 48220
We updated all the systems and allowed the
building to be itself again.” Phone: (248) 541-2740
Boosting the historical building’s
performance included installation of new air Web site: www.detcarpapp.org
handlers with high-level filtering systems,
revamping the electrical system, and the
crucial insertion of contemporary
temperature and humidity controls, as well
as fire alarm and sprinkler systems to meet Union Trustees Management Trustees
current museum codes. “It is now a very
modern building in an old shell,” said
Charlie Jackson, Chairman Brian Sedik, Secretary
Nemecek.
These vital changes allow the museum to Scott Lowes Gene Auger
meet code requirements of traveling Dick Reynolds Art Hug, Jr.
exhibits, allowing the museum to host
Toney Stewart Patrick Landry
collections from around the world. “Also,
because the existing museum and new wing Bart Nickerson Jack Russell
are tied together, the whole complex had to Rich Williamson Chuck Raeder
be compliant with current code,” added
Stachowiak.
The mechanical rooms and systems for

both the original museum and new building are squeezed into the something larger, but also very centered and focused on specific
lower level of each structure. “The intent of this horizontal dispersion galleries, because of the intimacy of the spaces, the calmness of the
is to strategically place the systems to where they need to be and galleries themselves, as well as the proportions of the rooms, the
then shoot the ductwork and piping straight up,” said Stachowiak. In sequence of spaces, and the art itself.”
the new building, “the upper-level gallery walls that don’t go all the The vertical gallery creates a beautifully transparent interior with
way up to the ceiling contain the duct chases. Using this approach, sight lines arcing across the entire building and along the height of
branching ductwork and piping is not visible in the galleries.” This all four levels (the interior has a Mezzanine level inserted). Standing
mechanical strategy allows the interior of the new building to on the Mezzanine level, the contemporary wing unfolds below,
maintain its elegant clarity and grace. offering a clear view into multiple galleries. White Oak flooring and
a series of wood staircases add warmth to this serene interior awash
IN CLOSE CONVERSATION in diffuse natural light.
The classic meets the contemporary at the threshold of the new Wood, drywall, and polished concrete floors form the basic palette
expansion. Within the connector wing, the stone cloak of each of interior materials. The simplicity of its materials belies the
structure faces one another through the connector’s glass elements, complexity of its installation. Comparable to the tight tolerances of
beginning a close “conversation” between early 20th and early 21st the cantilevered walls and structural tube steel, this interior of clean
century architecture. “I think one of the most exciting components and elegant lines was hard won and shaped by an exacting artistry
of the building is this dialogue between old and new,” said Cloepfil. of its own. “It seems to be simple in its elegance, but it was actually
Wonderful, framed views of the historic buildings of Central very challenging to accomplish,” said Elkin.
Campus pour into the interior. Viewing the ornate cornices and With all levels visible, the wood floors had to be perfectly straight
fluted columns of classic structures, while strolling through the new to maintain the interior’s clean lines. “A 17,000-square-foot wood
wing’s light-filled interior with its openness, Zen-like simplicity, and floor is going to have variations due to deflection of the structural
clarity of line, offers patrons the best of both eras. steel and other factors,” said Elkin. “These fluctuations aren’t
Individual galleries provide intimate spaces with glimpses of the noticeable in a typical building, because the space is broken up into
campus and of the spacious vertical gallery. “This building is about rooms. The span and size of this open floor, which is visible from one
transparency, but it also holds you,” said Cloepfil. The interior gives end to another, is a different story. The sub-floor had to be shimmed
the visitor the sense of “always feeling connected and a part of and set in place, and an epoxy mud was used to fill in any low spots.”
The minimalist elegance of the contemporary building

resonates with the Beaux-Arts architecture of the existing
museum, originally constructed in 1910.

SI 28-37 U of M Art:SI 2009-UofMArt-28-37 10/12/09 3:33 PM Page 37
This perfection of line continued in the and took 45 minutes to clear. foreign countries packed the galleries until
dry wall art walls defining the galleries. “A “It was so gratifying to see a kind of midnight.” With such a fitting “temple” for
great deal of effort went into making sure hunger – in more ways than one because we the arts, the Muses can now happily rest on
the bottom and top of each art wall was did offer food – but it was gratifying to see their laurels, and the entire project team can
level to a point picked on each floor,” said that kind of appetite for the visual arts,” said enjoy the accolades being lavished on this
Elkin. a visibly moved Steward. “Students from 47 extraordinary museum in the heart of a
Equal care was taken with the polished states, the District of Columbia, and 51 historic campus.
concrete floors on the first level. Albanelli
Cement Contractors, Inc., of Livonia, poured
three or four different mockup floor panels
and Hoover & Wells, Inc., of Toledo, polished
them in the field to determine the perfect
color and aggregate size, under the
AVOID JOB SITE

direction of Allied Works. Albanelli used
concrete with a lower slump and doubled
their manpower “to make sure that as the
concrete was placed, the aggregate didn’t
DISASTERS -
settle,” said Stachowiak. “If it settled, the
aggregate would not be properly revealed
in the polishing phase.”
STORE YOUR STUFF!

UNCOVERING BURIED TREASURE
This talented team has created a place for
contemporary architecture at the U-M and a
fitting home for the arts that bridges
campus and community. The project more
than doubles the museum’s exhibit space,
allowing for the viewing of more than three
times as much art from UMMA’s global
collections. Among the treasures on display
is the Museum’s reunited Tiffany collection,
exquisite pieces from the Henry O.
Havemeyer house that had been exhibited
intact only once in the last 30 years, said
Slavin. A 225-seat auditorium in the new
building’s lower level is being used for
performances, lectures, and a literary arts
series. “Probably our most essential goal in
this project has been to re-create the art
museum as a true meeting place for the
arts,” said Steward.
This revitalized institution now has four
exhibition spaces for modern and contem-
porary art; two open storage galleries; a new
curatorial research center open to the
public; and a new space for its Asian conser-
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exposing a new generation of students to
the sometimes forgotten power of the arts.
True to its mission, the museum’s inaugural
event during its Grand Opening in late
March 2009 was an evening exclusively for
students. “Over 5,500 students attended the 315 W. Silverbell, Ste. 190
8 pm to midnight gala,” said Steward. Lake Orion, MI 48359 (248) 276-2358
“Before the doors opened, the line snaked pwardle@1800packrat.com www.1800packrat.com
for several blocks through Central Campus

SI 38-43 Pere Marquette_Nov 10/5/09 2:34 PM Page 38
FinaL DePaRtuRe
By DaviD R. MiLLeR, associate eDitoR • PhotogRaPhy By anDRew RogeRs
L
ong trips usually signal the beginning of something new – a still housed in the structure until it was vacated in 1982.
college education, a new job or military service, perhaps. For many, the Pere Marquette Depot was the first step to Boston,
Until interstate highways ushered in the era of the road trip, Chicago or San Francisco, but the structure itself took a more symbolic
train depots served as the bookends between these journey without ever leaving its picturesque site near the banks of the
chapters of our lives. There is often a heightened sense of Saginaw River. If this destination needs a name, perhaps Phoenix - the
awareness as the excitement of new possibilities and the natural symbol of rebirth - would suffice. A skilled project team, guided by
tendency to cling to familiarity simmer together in the pits of our general contractor Gregory Construction, Bay City, and architect QUINN
stomachs. The sights and sounds of a bustling train station are among EVANS | ARCHITECTS (QE|A), Ann Arbor, eased the transition as the
the last things experienced by generations before their lives changed magnificently restored Pere Marquette Depot rose from the ashes of
forever, indelibly marking them with an inherent nostalgia few facilities decay and neglect.
can match.
Passenger railway service was near its peak when Bay City’s Pere A PROUD HISTORY
Marquette Depot was built in 1904. The venerable structure served in For a time, Bay City was Michigan’s third largest city, exceeded only by
this capacity until demand tapered off shortly after World War II, and Detroit and Grand Rapids. A burgeoning lumber market and the city’s
then catered to a newer generation of travelers as a Greyhound bus ideal location for lumber processing near Saginaw Bay fueled rapid
station. Bus service was discontinued in 1969, but various offices were growth in the years following the American Civil War. As demand for

Vacated in 1982, the Pere Marquette Depot was recently restored by a skilled project team.
e lumber abated in the 1890s, the city shifted to a more industrialized

economy, with sugar beet processing, shipping, ship building, and crane
manufacturing emerging as key industries. All of this activity was
Proposed uses included a courthouse and a library, but it was
probably the interest shown by Clara’s Restaurants of Michigan, which
operates restaurants inside carefully restored train depots in Battle
supported by access to railroad lines. Seeing the gradual decline of a Creek and Lansing, that showed the most promise. QE|A performed a
building as closely linked to the city’s past as the Pere Marquette Deport feasibility study for the courthouse project in 1994 and created
tore at the heartstrings of many Bay City residents. conceptual documents used by the County to attract potential
“I was always sentimental about the building when I was growing up developers throughout the 1990s. Eventually various complications
here,” admitted Ilene R. Tyler, FAIA, FAPT, LEED AP, principal and project arose and effectively ended all of these plans, but the work performed
manager for QE|A. “We would drive by the depot and park in its shadow by QE|A and others provided a convenient starting point for the future.
to shop at the A&P, and I boarded the Greyhound bus for college from the While the Pere Marquette Depot slowly faded, the Bay Area
depot in the 1960s. I never saw it as a train station, but people like me, Community Foundation (BACF) and its affiliate of the Great Lakes Center
who are sentimental about old buildings, their history, and their places in Foundation, occupied nearby office space that was woefully inadequate.
the community, always had an affinity for it.” There was no exterior signage and the location was so obscure that
Feelings for the building endured long after the last tenant moved Curtiss was on the BACF’s Board of Directors for six years before his wife
out in 1982, the same year the structure was listed on the National even knew where the office was. Curtiss served on a committee to help
Register of Historic Places. The users may have been gone, but the find a new home for the BACF. About half a dozen locations were
building was never completely forgotten. considered, but the depot eventually rose to the top of the list. After
“People came up with all sorts of ideas for the building over the seeing QE|A identified on some paperwork generated from the earlier
years,” explained Charles Curtiss, president of the Great Lakes Center restoration attempts, Curtiss made a call to bring the firm onboard.
Foundation at the time of the project. “A lot of people wanted to do “We were already familiar with the building and we were able to
something with it. They didn’t want to just let it go.” adapt the concept documents from the early project during the

fundraising period,” said Tyler. well over the years.

Those documents served as an early springboard to raise awareness “Overall, the brick was in pretty good shape,” said Dan Seguin, project
and simply convince many people that an adaptive reuse project was manager for Gregory Construction.
possible. After a lengthy process, the Bay City Convention and Visitors Unfortunately, the brick that made up the depot’s distinctive
Bureau moved into offices on the first floor, while also managing the watchtower couldn’t be evaluated, as the entire structure was removed
multi-purpose facility on the same floor. The second floor was when the train depot was reconfigured to serve as a bus station. Many
converted into a new home for the BACF. This arrangement is infinitely of the biggest obstacles associated with the project involved rebuilding
preferable to the other potential fate for the depot. this structure.
“Pieces of history can be lost pretty quickly, but this is one thing that “Matching the work that was already there and the logistics of getting
we didn’t lose,” said Curtiss. material up there were two major challenges,” said Seguin. “The work
The depot was not lost, but it couldn’t have come much closer. was elevated, so we were shoring right off the roof. We had to cut a hole
in the roof and then shore it so it would support loaded
scaffolding.”
Rebuilding the tower also involved taking a few
educated guesses as to how the original was
constructed. Research showed that the structure was
far more complex than one might think.
“We found a few drawings from when the building
was built,” said Tyler. “Those drawings gave us some
schematic ideas; they even showed the taper of the
tower. The tower didn’t just go from four wythes to
three, it tapered in so it wouldn’t feel like it was
looming over you as you looked up at it.”
The masonry was also unusual because it was not
set in a traditional Flemish bond pattern, with headers
and stretchers alternating in the same course. Headers
set perpendicular to the rest of the brick typically
provide a way to tie multiple wythes together, but
there were no header courses at Pere Marquette Depot.
This type of construction can be very sturdy if
everything is grouted solid, as the good condition of
the existing brick clearly demonstrates, but it isn’t
commonly done today.
“I got plenty of phone calls from people who
wanted to make sure they were doing it right,” said
Windows were good candidates for modernization. Replacing large panes with more Seguin.
energy-efficient glass resulted in energy savings while preserving the historic feel. Before they could even reach that point, the design
team had to define the right way of doing it.
“We spent a lot of time trying to understand what
the original design accomplished,” said Tyler. “There are little recesses
WHAT WAS LEFT on all four sides of the tower. We think those are where the expansion
After the Pere Marquette Depot was vacated in 1982, it became “Bay and contraction took place, as well as keying the face brick to the
City’s biggest bird house” according to Curtiss. Of course, it was not backup normally accomplished with headers.”
intended to function as an aviary, birds just happened to find their way Figuring out how the building was built the first time was a vital step
in. They left quite a mess to clean up, but any hole big enough to let a in determining how to restore it. The smallest details of the plan would
bird in will also certainly let water in. This water went unabated for be carefully scrutinized before work could commence.
years, collecting two to three feet deep in the basement and damaging
the structural integrity of the building as it went. MAKING IT HAPPEN
The net effect of the water damage was graphically demonstrated Long before work could commence, someone had to come up with a
when an appraiser toured the building. As he went down to the way to finance the project. A public fundraising drive focused on
basement, the carriage supporting the stairs gave way. Fortunately, the foundations and individuals raised $2.1 million, but this, along with
appraiser landed on his feet and was able to climb out with a folding funds available from an existing HUD grant, was far short of what was
ladder provided by Curtiss. needed. Grant funding and tax credits were needed to augment the
“He wasn’t hurt, however it may have affected his appraisal of the private donations, but stringent requirements needed to be met to
building,” said Curtiss. acquire these finds.
Tyler’s involvement with the building also made her a frequent visitor “Financing was a huge challenge,” said Curtiss. “We looked at MDOT
during the years before the restoration project. grants for restoration of historic facilities, historic tax credits and
“It seems like every time I came to do survey work it was the dead of brownfield tax credits, but we still didn’t have enough money, so we
winter,” she said. “I actually prefer surveying old buildings then because started looking at new market tax credits. Some people told us not to
it doesn’t smell as bad and there are fewer critters jumping out.” bother with those because they were too complicated.”
A fair amount of damage was unearthed during these early visits, but Many people believe that the best way to respond to a complex
there were pleasant surprises as well. Portions of the structure held up requirement is to counter with something even more complicated, so

the project team called on the financial wizards at Plante & Moran, PLLC,
Southfield. The firm conjured up a comprehensive financial plan that
served the project very well.
“Plante & Moran did a great job of establishing a financial model for
the entire project, including the capital impact on whoever bought the
credits and the operating projections for us,” said Curtiss. “It is very
detailed and it provided the roadmap for just about everything that we
did.”
Following the roadmap was another matter entirely, as various
funding sources often had different requirements. Expenses paid with
MDOT funds and those paid with new market tax credits needed to be
carefully separated in every report. An early determination about the
purpose of the space was also needed, as MDOT grants would pay for a
rehabilitation of the facility or the creation of a museum, but not for a
combination of the two. The intent of the project was also a major
consideration from a code standpoint.
“Codes were a big issue because we needed to get forgiveness on
some requirements that we only get under the rehabilitation code for
historic buildings,” said Tyler. “We had a magnificent stairway, but we
really didn’t want to waste space by adding a second stair for egress if it
wasn’t a requirement. As soon as we knew we could use the existing
stair for our primary entrance and for primary circulation, everything fell
into place. Everything else in the building meets code.”
Working close to home provided an added incentive for many key
team members to succeed. Unlike Tyler, who hails from Bay City, Seguin
About 80 percent of the wood trim in the building was
calls Ludington his hometown, but he has spent more years as a Bay City salvaged. Color matching a hodgepodge of material types
resident. His employer, Gregory Construction, has been a fixture in Bay with new material was a significant challenge.
City since 1953. Still, no one was closer to the project than Curtiss. His
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calm leadership drove the project from start to finish. mechanical equipment and is used for ventilation. Most of the heat
“I was skeptical about the project at first, but it seemed like it was very goes up there anyway. If we had put insulation in the walls, we would
well organized from the beginning” said Tyler. “Charley [Curtiss] is very have needed to remove and replace a lot of the window casings, which
smart and he grasps all of the financial concepts. He was also very are all original and beautiful. We would have also lost a lot of square
cautious and he never spent money that he didn’t have. People had a footage if we had made the walls thicker for insulation.”
lot of comfort with him.” Windows, on the other hand, were good candidates for modern-
Even more comforting was the renewal of a cherished community ization. The building features large windows with thick panes of glass.
icon at the heart of Bay City’s downtown. Removing these panes and replacing them with more energy-efficient
insulated glass resulted in energy savings while retaining historic fabric.
Leaving the window casings intact was a key project goal, but this does
not mean that they never left the building. Stripping, staining and
varnishing were needed to give each piece a uniform appearance, and it
was not feasible to do this work onsite.
“Our superintendent labeled each piece, put them all in a semi trailer,
and shipped them out,” said Seguin. “Labeling the trim and putting it
back up was more of a challenge than constructing the tower.”
The work that took place offsite was challenging as well. About 80
percent of the wood trim in the renovated building was salvaged, but
this represents a hodgepodge of material types. In all, about 30
doorframes and doors, along with wood wainscoting, trim and the
stairway, were expertly color matched.
“The new wood came in pre-finished, so we had to match everything
to look like the new wood,” said Bill Hunt, vice president of Boice Bird &
Son, Saginaw. “We had three or four different stain colors because there
were three or four different types of wood. We had to mix and match our
stains and blend everything so it looked the same.”
Like Gregory Construction, Boice Bird & Son has a long history in the
Tri-Cities area. The firm has been in business for 55 years and a
reputation for quality often led to work with Gregory Construction. Both
firms have combined their talents on landmarks in Bay City, which Hunt
also calls home, including the conversion of two historic structures,
Jennison Hardware and Jennison Steel Warehouse [now known as the
Boathouse], into condominiums in recent years.
In spite of the excellent working relationship with Boice Bird & Son,
Gregory Construction has developed a reputation for excellence by self-
performing work whenever possible. Rehabilitation projects, in
particular, can be well suited for this type of arrangement because
reducing the number of people involved also reduces the likelihood of
costly misunderstandings. Concrete, masonry, stone masonry, cleaning,
carpentry and trim work were all self-performed by Gregory
Construction at Pere Marquette Depot.
No detail at Pere Marquette Depot was too small to escape close
The depot’s watchtower was removed when the building was scrutiny. The porte cochere in the front of the structure was
reconfigured as a bus station. The team made a few educated reconstructed using stone obtained from the Bayport Stone Quarry in
guesses as to how the original was constructed. Grindstone City. The project team unearthed a report that confirmed
this quarry as the source of the original stone in the building. A little
research was also needed to recreate the feel of the two-story waiting
REBIRTH space that now serves as the multi-purpose facility.
Walking through any historic building is like leafing through an old “The two-story waiting space had been covered over for as long as
photo album. Both can only present reality as it existed at the time of anyone could remember,” said Tyler. “We tried to envision the original
their creation. Old buildings will not reflect modern sensibilities any design without any historic photos. We found one photo of the ticket
more than old photographs display recent fashion trends. The true office, so we knew how to restore that section, but that still didn’t give
challenge is in finding a palatable balance between preserving the past us a sense of what the waiting room was like. We also wanted to restore
and living in the present. it for multi-purpose function and make it comfortable, not necessarily
The depot simply could not function in today’s world without making looking like the old train station waiting room.”
some effort to improve energy efficiency. Does this effort come at the The plethora of awards bestowed upon the project, including the
cost of removing a historic element? Knowing where improvements prestigious 2009 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation, confirms
can be made and where they should not be is the hallmark of successful that the project team met all of its objectives well. Trains may never pull
preservation. away from the Pere Marquette Depot again, but flights of fancy, fueled
“We made this project sustainable by going for the low hanging fruit,” by the building’s rich heritage, will depart on schedule. Visitors no
said Tyler. “We compensated for not insulating the walls by putting a lot longer need to board a westbound train to experience Phoenix; it rises
of insulation in the ceiling. There is an open attic that houses some daily over Bay City thanks to the efforts of a dedicated project team.

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SI 44-53 Haworth:Nov 10/12/09 3:34 PM Page 44
By Mary E. Kremposky, Photography by Clayton Studio and

Associate Editor Hedrich Blessing Photography
The building exterior almost becomes a blurring the line between site and structure.
E
ven Dilbert would be happy working at
One Haworth Center, the recently landform, creating its own topography with Conversion of this linear building required
renovated global headquarters of the aid of a green roof configured in a strong design muscles. “Reusing the existing
Haworth, Inc. in Holland. Haworth converted remarkable way. The roughly Z-shaped building as opposed to building all new
a standard corporate office building into an LiveRoof® is a rare sight to behold with its construction was probably one of the
inventive and visionary structure filled with long axis stretching the length of the new biggest design challenges,” said Bridget
daylight and blanketed in a glory of glass atrium; one end turns and rises toward an Lesniak, principal, Perkins+Will. “Specifically,
and sedum. As construction manager, Turner existing manufacturing complex, and the how to reuse a 100-foot-deep by 1,000-foot-
Construction Company’s West Michigan other covers a new addition that slopes to long office floor plate with perimeter wall
Office in Grand Rapids plucked concrete grade like an immense toboggan run. The access on only one long façade in a cost-
panels from an existing steel frame, sedum turns the addition into a blooming effective manner. What was a daunting
replacing a dull brown sparrow of a façade hillside that blends with a broad apron of architectural challenge at the outset was
with a three-story, canted envelope of pure sustainable landscaping skirting the overcome creatively by a daylight-filled
vision glass. This 600-foot-long “picture headquarters of one of the largest designers atrium and an emphasis on views to the
window” erases the division between the and manufacturers of systems office exterior landscape from all three floors.”
Great Outdoors and Corporate America as furniture in the world. Designed by Ralph Turner ably executed this dramatic
green vistas visually pour across a thin Johnson of Perkins+Will, this inspired metamorphosis, stripping the existing
threshold of glass and deep into the building seems to partially disappear 250,000-square-foot office building to its
310,000-square-foot interior. beneath its own green meadow, effectively concrete and structural steel frame and

SI 44-53 Haworth_Nov 10/5/09 2:18 PM Page 45
out of structural glass, and timber retrieved

from the cold depths of the Great Lakes and
converted into walls, are only two innovative
materials in this treasure trove of intriguing
applications.
Daniel J. Sinnott, general manager, Turner,
West Michigan, seems to share the Haworth
fascination with materials and systems. “I
have literally worked on an emir’s palace in
Kuwait,” said Sinnott, a 29-year veteran of
both the construction industry and Turner
Construction Company. “I’ve worked on
luxury resorts and in the shadow of the
pyramids, and without question, this is the
most fun and exciting job I have ever built,
primarily because of all the incredibly
creative components in this building, such
as the Z roof and the sloping steel in the
Bookend. This project was a labor of love,
because the owner is visionary in what they
do. They are always pushing the envelope.”
The entire building embodies the spirit and
drive of the company’s founder G.W.
Haworth who taught industrial arts in
Holland schools and tinkered in his garage
in his spare time. His drive and his
fascination with the way things work
inspired him to enter manufacturing,
despite the bank’s refusal to loan this local
teacher, inexperienced in production, a
single dollar. “I must have that experience,
and I must pursue it,” said a determined
Haworth in a video shown in an enclave of
Over 250,000 labor hours were completed by Michigan trade the new building called the GW Haworth
firms without one lost time or serious injury during construction Center. Money borrowed from mom and
of Haworth’s remarkable new corporate headquarters, dedicated
dad turned into a global empire that
to sustainability and employee well-being.
remains committed to the City of Holland,
the State of Michigan, and to its own
PHOTO BY CLAYTON STUDIO
workforce. In a sense, Haworth never left his
garage; he merely went on to build 24 “giant
garages,” or manufacturing plants, across
the globe.
adding an atrium and a Bookend addition to BusinessWeek and Architectural Record. As A SHOWCASE OF A BUILDING
create a 310,000-square-foot building. The part of the award, One Haworth Center was Founded in 1948, Haworth has been
newly transformed headquarters featured in Time Magazine’s Green Design transforming the interior spaces of
camouflages its companion structures, 100 profiles. Other honors include the 2007 corporate clients with systems furniture for
namely an existing 1.5-million-square-foot and 2008 Life Cycle Building Challenge over six decades. Having acquired SMED
manufacturing complex directly linked to Award from the US EPA, AIA, and the International, a manufacturer of modular
and sprawling behind One Haworth Center. Building Materials Reuse Association, and a walls, and Interface raised floor systems in
Holland-based GMB Architects and 2008 Spotlight Award from Pro AV Magazine, the late ‘90s and in early 2000, Haworth
Engineers served as the civil and structural a publication on audiovisual systems. On a wanted to create a facility to showcase the
engineers of record, as well as the engineers statewide basis, the building has won an ESD new Haworth and its full product range. “The
responsible for the design of the original award for design and construction, an AGC building no longer represented all of our
MEP design/performance intent that was Build Michigan award, and an ABC award for offerings,” said Kendall Brandsen, manager,
finalized and constructed by design/build its innovative use of tilt-up concrete. Facilities Design & Management, Haworth,
subcontractors. Inc. “The conversation was then to say how
This tour de force of a project has been CELEBRATING THE MATERIAL WORLD could we take this facility and update it to
showered by a long list of accolades, From the obviously amazing to the subtly represent who Haworth is in the
including the 2008 Good Design is Good intriguing, the new facility exhibits marketplace.”
Business Award, an international Haworth’s fascination with materials and its Haworth wanted to transform the entire
competition sponsored jointly by commitment to sustainability. Floors made building into a client showcase. “Our client

A three-story curtain wall of canted glass

replaces the former assembly of concrete panels
and conventional windows.
PHOTO BY CLAYTON STUDIO
experience was maybe 30 percent of the what can be built, and if we can do it within information and capture data,” said
original building,” said Brandsen. “We had a budget.” Brandsen. “Chairman Dick Haworth
specific showroom in the center, as well as Haworth not only selected Turner to build attended many of those meetings. I would
one fresh area for showcasing newer One Haworth Center but to renovate say he had more passion and vision for what
product. We said, ‘This entire building has to Haworth showrooms across the United this could potentially be than anyone else.”
be a client experience.’” States. “We launched the first showroom in The Discovery Process pinpointed the
Outdated mechanical and electrical Chicago while this project was sort of “uber-drivers” of the building: a sustainable
systems also drove the transformation of a simmering,” said Sinnott. Overall, Turner has building of high-quality design with
facility originally constructed in 1980 with renovated and Perkins+Will has designed daylight and views for the entire Haworth
two expansions built in 1983 and 1985. LEED-registered Haworth showrooms in membership. “Access to daylight and views
“Practically speaking, we had reached the Dallas, New York, San Francisco and drove the architecture and the interiors,”
end of the useful life of our mechanical and Washington, D.C., renovating virtually all said Brandsen.
electrical systems,” said Brandsen. Haworth showrooms minus facilities in
Haworth began the selection process for a Santa Monica and Toronto. LET THERE BE LIGHT
design and construction team, seeking firms Replacement of concrete with vision glass
with a presence on the global stage. “I think THE DISCOVERY MISSION was the equivalent of pulling up the shades
one of the biggest drivers for us was that we Design of One Haworth Center began and drawing back the curtains. The design
needed nationally known, if not interna- with a phase called Discovery. of Perkins+Will delivered daylight deep into
tionally known, entities,” said Brandsen. “Perkins+Will’s Discovery Process is our the interior core by leaving each tier of the
“Perkins+Will and Turner could help us preferred way to begin a project with a three-story building cut open and vertically
influence our business and be partners with client,” said Lesniak. “It allows the design exposed to the atrium interior, drawing
us.” team to take a deep dive into our client’s natural light into almost every cubicle and
A mutual commitment to sustainability project goals, drivers and culture, and allows conference room. “I can work in the very
forged a strong bond between Haworth and for significant user group participation. We deepest part of the building and enjoy both
Turner, one of the founding members of the believe the end result is a richer, more daylight and views even from a seated
U.S Green Building Council. Going for the meaningful building and experience.” position,” said Brandsen.
gold, One Haworth Center is Haworth devoted five months to Natural light showers the entire interior,
LEED®-registered under the 2.1 Version for Discovery, beginning in January 2004 and despite the north orientation of the glass
new construction. “Sustainability is part of culminating five months later in May 2004. atrium wall. A clerestory travels the length
Turner’s approach to the marketplace at the Interviews and meetings beginning at the of the building’s south face, bringing in
highest levels of their organization,” said leadership level and rippling through all strong southern light and a constantly
Brandsen. “Turner also brought strong levels of the organization crystallized the changing tableau of clouds. Together, the
preconstruction services to the table. It is vision for the new facility. “Various groups sheer size of the north atrium and the
important to understand if we are designing were invited to meetings to gather presence of the south clerestory make land,

The Trend Millwork Group of Companies

LEED-Certified Manufacturers Since 1964
Lincoln Park, Michigan / Ann Arbor, Michigan
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
light, and sky a part of daily office life. “By all Place elements. The Dynamic zone houses
Hilti. Outperform. Outlast. rights this should be a dark and uninviting an open office environment with lower-
northern exposure, and yet the design is so height panels; the Temporal zone contains
creative that it is anything but that,” said modular walls for meeting and conference
Sinnott. rooms of various sizes. The Temporal zone
Hilti systems and solutions Transparency suffuses the interior. offers workspace for team meetings and
are designed for professionals Structural glass floors in the main lobby product showrooms, as well as small rooms
draw light into the café and coffee bar offering places to work without distraction.
like you - to help you finish below. Thousands of lineal feet of glass “The Place elements - the electrical and data
jobs on time and on budget. handrails join in the creation of a closets, toilet rooms, and other components
transparent interior painted a pure white - are at the back of the building against the
except for a series of red accent portals manufacturing plant wall, and are built
At your local Hilti Center, you along the atrium promenades. “The use of using conventional construction,” added
can check out the latest in the color white, glass railings and flooring Brandsen.
were all part of the strategy to emphasize The Chassis floor plate is both working
Hilti innovation, participate light and transparency,” said Lesniak. office and living showcase for Haworth’s
in hands-on product adaptable product line. “The chassis
EXPLORING DARK MATTER concept is analogous to an automotive
demonstrations, get tools As part of the planning phase, Haworth chassis,” said Lesniak. “It’s a frame designed
serviced, and, of course, buy decided to renovate both the building and to support various components, some of
its own corporate culture, that matrix of which are planned to change often
Hilti products. unidentified attitudes and perceptions (Dynamic zone), some occasionally
unknowingly shaping an organization just (Temporal zone), and some core or Place
as dark matter in space invisibly influences elements are planned to not change at all.
There are two full service the seen universe. Haworth used a The concept demonstrates Haworth’s
Hilti Center locations in framework developed by two business adaptable workplace products for clients.”
professors at The University of Michigan
Michigan to serve you:
Ross School of Business, said Brandsen. AN OVERFLOWING SUGGESTION BOX
Essentially, the two professors developed Turner joined the team in fall 2004,
a competing values framework, identifying turning these concepts of light and space
28190 Schoolcraft Rd
6 Mile Rd four types of organizational culture with into dollars in an evolving series of eight
Livonia, MI 48150
attributes labeled “collaborate” and “create” different cost models developed in response
5 Mile Rd
on one end of the spectrum, and “control” to an overflowing “suggestion box” packed
Schoolcraft Rd One Way
I-96 Exit 176

Exit 176 Exit 177
Exit 177 and “compete” on the other. Said Brandsen, with ideas, concepts, caveats and consider-
Schoolcraft Rd One Way Overpass
“We used this survey tool not directly trying ations. Haworth, Turner, and Perkins+Will
Inkster
Middlebelt
Merriman
Farmington
Newburgh
I-275 Plymouth to inform our interior design at first, but to worked together for 18 months producing
Joy Rd
basically ask, ‘What is Haworth? What are we four
like?’ We said, ‘We are hierarchical or top cost models and four special studies before
down command and control - not that that selecting Cost Model No. 8R as the baseline
Detroit is bad. It is good in financing and tax, but for completing the design.
28190 Schoolcraft Road
not as much in more creative departments. Budget-wise, value engineering was
Livonia, MI 48150
We said in the future we believe we need to ongoing with Turner shaving $1 million from
be much more on the collaborate and create the budget by altering the glass atrium wall
side.” while preserving the design intent.
Ultimately, this exploration of corporate Switching from four-sided to two-sided
Clyde Park Ave. S W
culture influenced the interior mix of spaces. glazing on the glass atrium saved a
131
St. SW 36th St. SW
The former facility contained 90 percent substantial sum without detracting from the
S . Divis ion Ave.
Buchanan Ave. S W
S tafford Ave. S W
Clay Ave. S W
offices and 10 percent conference and transparency of this spectacular window on

640 44th St. SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
40th St. SW
meeting rooms. According to Brandsen, the the world.
new Haworth headquarters houses 60 “These are 600 pound, 5-by-10-foot sheets
percent offices and 40 percent collaboration of glass, which were installed in the middle
space to foster open exchange and of winter,” said Sinnott. “If we could capture
Grand Rapids interaction. and hold the glass sheets vertically on two
640 44th Street SW sides with aluminum caps, we could save the
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
CHANGING THE SYSTEM cost of siliconing it into place. We could also
The Discovery Process and cultural eliminate the special jigs needed to rig and
1-800-879-8000 findings were translated into the design of a hold the glass while the silicone cured. That
en Español 1-800-879-5000 forward-thinking workplace, inspiring whole process takes considerable money.
www.us.hilti.com collaboration but respecting privacy. …we brought this idea into the meeting,
Designed by Rod Vickroy of Perkins+Will, the and Dick Haworth just kept repeating the
Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.
Chassis floor plan divides the workplace into amount, saying, ‘I could really save that
three zones: the Dynamic, the Temporal and much?’”

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Specifically, the strategy converted “9.23

tons of old window glass and 3.25 tons of
concrete waste dust from Haworth
manufacturing operations into over 8,000
concrete blocks,” according to Perkins+Will.
THE STEEL SHUFFLE

Exposing the structure revealed the
unexpected: misaligned steel columns in
one section of the building. The misaligned
columns marked the division between the
original building constructed in 1980 and
one of two later expansions. Leaving the
misaligned columns in place would mar the
clear sightline of the promenades traveling
the length of the atrium on all three floors
and ruin the Chassis floor plate in that
particular area.
PHOTO BY HEDRICH BLESSING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Based on a creative structural engineering
solution by GMB Architects and Engineers,
Turner actually shifted the columns about
four feet, first shoring and then pouring new
foundations before the big steel shift. The
move involved three intermediate columns
on three floors in this 100-foot-deep
building with columns placed on 25-foot
An interior filled with daylight and a reception desk of wood salvaged from the Great Lakes centers. Part two of this steel shuffle was
greets visitors to Haworth’s paradise of sustainability. actual removal of a small slice of structure
and floor slab on all three floors in the center
of the linear building to create a clear span
Schedule-wise, Turner also structured the GREEN ACCOUNTING
for the main conference room on the third
work on this over $40 million project into The building’s physical transformation
floor and a training facility on the lower
two phases. Phase I centered on from commonplace to extraordinary began
level. “The slice is actually the dividing line
construction of the 600-foot-long glass in October 2006. Turner arrived on site with
between Phase I and Phase II,” said Sinnott.
atrium wall and sloped Bookend; Phase II an arsenal of hydraulic excavators and hi-
The last structural challenge in the
focused on the remaining 400 lineal feet reaches. The excavators removed about
building’s transformation was marrying the
that retained the existing building’s original 30,000 cubic yards of soil to sculpt the moat-
columns to the leaning pillars of tube steel
frontal plane. Haworth members moved to like area along the building’s north face into
in the canted glass atrium. “If you have a
lease space across the street during a gradually tapering slope. The hi-reaches
small error or deviation in the existing steel
construction of their respective phases, plucked the concrete panels from the façade
by the time you reach the atrium’s exterior
meaning Turner was continually working and stripped the entire office structure
wall, you can be off by a fair amount,” said
next door to an occupied portion of the down to its steel beams and concrete floors.
Sinnott. “We had to deal with those sorts of
building throughout the project. True to its sustainability mission, Turner
tolerance issues, because obviously the
LEED-wise, sustainability requirements recycled 144 tons of wood, 567 tons of
drawings were made without the luxury of
were embedded in all project documents metal, 7, 170 tons of concrete, 3,966 tons of
looking at the actual existing steel.”
from the specifications to Turner’s work drywall, and 37 tons of packing material and
letters to subcontractors. “We embedded cardboard. With material separation part of
SLAYING DRAGONS AT COLUMN LINE 18
sustainability into the documents that drove the project specifications, about 97.4
Two incompatible construction tasks
the project in order to create accounta- percent of the materials were successfully
converged at a single point: Column Line 18.
bility,” said Brandsen. “We communicated to diverted from a landfill, said Brandsen.
The column line marked the location of both
subcontractors that we are working for LEED With such a streamlined operation, the
the section slated for structural demolition
Gold. Because of that, they had to make sure materials of the old Haworth building are
and Haworth’s Network Operations Center, a
various criteria were part of their scope of not languishing in a landfill. The metal re-
room containing sensitive equipment
work.” entered the general product stream, much
needed to monitor and control Haworth’s
This approach also eases the submission of the material was recycled or donated to
operations across the globe. “This is a room
of materials for LEED documentation at the schools, and a few materials were directly re-
that has a very low tolerance for vibration,
end of the project. “We are tracking each used in the new building. Once a window
noise, heat and humidity,” said Sinnott.
step,” said Sinnott. “When it came time to and now part of a wall, the tempered glass
“With the exception of heat, that is the very
pull it all together for submittal, there is not windows of the old building were crushed,
definition of demolition.”
a scramble to try to organize documen- remanufactured and reused as filler in the
Turner’s solution was installation of
tation, because everyone has it in order all concrete block firewall separating Phase I
seismographs to monitor vibration near this
along.” and Phase II construction, said Sinnott.
global data center. “If the needle on a

seismograph would scribe over to the red sedum were locally grown in a greenhouse building. Turner had to install the 45,000-
line – the danger zone – we would tell the near Spring Lake, a community less than 50 square-foot LiveRoof before installing the
demolition crew to ease off,” said Sinnott. miles from the Haworth complex. The fully glass atrium to effectively manage the load
“The true challenge was that the data center mature sedum arrived in 1-by-2-foot trays of on the glass.
never sleeps. It has no after hours, because it 100 percent recycled plastic. “We like to say Once complete, the sedum, glass atrium
is servicing the entire world.” the plastic is mostly from our competitor’s wall and interior HVAC systems work in
Constant monitoring and communication chairs,” quips Brandsen. “But in reality, we perfect harmony to reduce the building’s
protected this vital operations center. “We send the offal from our manufacturing energy use by 10 percent despite a 20
also painted an outline in orange of that process to a group called Regrind that percent increase in the building’s space.
space on the floor above and stationed staff grinds, melts and pours the materials back Haworth reduced the size of its chillers,
in the room to prevent anyone from crossing into extrusions and molds for reuse.” because of the shell of triple-glazed, high-
over into the painted zone and drilling even After installation on the EPDM roof, the performance glass with a U factor of 0.21
a single hole,” said Sinnott. “Ultimately, we interlocking modules fuse to form a working in unison with the LiveRoof and
managed to slay that dragon, but it took seamless blanket of sedum, aiding 5,000 square feet of reflective white pavers
constant monitoring.” Temporary roofing stormwater absorption and insulating the to prevent the Heat Island Effect. “LEED takes
and water protection, held in place for 4 to 5
months, shielded the area, as well as a space
containing the telephone switchgear for the
half-occupied building.
A NEW SLANT ON TILT-UP CONCRETE

Turner’s knack for creative problem
solving was pivotal in the construction of
the Bookend’s west wall. This award-
winning wall turns tilt-up concrete into a
work of art. The sloped wall has a series of
slotted openings randomly slanted and
placed at varied angles. At night, light pours
out of these slats, creating beautiful and
luminous
patterns across the building face.
Turner’s approach eased construction of
this wonderful wall. Turner switched from a
poured concrete wall to tilt-up precast
concrete panels, first constructing a series of
mock-up panels to demonstrate to owner
and architect the advantages of the tilt-up
application. The wall maintains the design
intent and aided constructability, schedule,
budget, and safety.
“With the largest panel rising 65 feet and
weighing 90,000 lbs., it shows the inherent
difficulty and cost of building this tremen-
dously high concrete wall, pouring it
quasi-monolithically, and having it stand by
itself for a while,” said Sinnott. Each wall
section is also custom with each panel
successively shrinking in size as the wall
flows down the Bookend’s steep slope.
Placing resteel and pouring concrete on
the ground is also inherently safer. “Each
section was placed in casting beds in the
middle of winter,” recalled Sinnott. “A bond
release agent was used to break them out of
the beds. There was this deafening crack,
and then upward it would rise. We then
anchored them in place.”
A HARMONY OF SEDUM AND GLASS

Few construction projects have to factor
in how fast a plant grows into its production
schedule. Over 11 different varieties of

an integrated design approach,” said

Brandsen. “A combination of strategies is
used, in a recipe almost, to get the result we
are looking for, such as energy use
reduction.”
Mother Nature’s foot soldiers – plants –
were dispensed throughout the site to aid
the cause: spruce and other evergreen trees
were planted as a windbreak; no mow,
drought-tolerant fescue and other grasses
were used to reduce water consumption;
and the delicate river birch was planted
along the rain garden’s meandering course
to add stormwater absorption. The result is
the appealing grace of this natural,
sustainable landscape envisioned by Peter
Lindsey Schaudt, landscape architect.
A drainage trough at the terminus of the
Bookend’s sloping roof channels stormwater
PHOTO BY HEDRICH BLESSING PHOTOGRAPHERS

into the rain garden. The LiveRoof,
bioswales, and rain gardens together
mitigated any problems from the site’s clay
soils. Because of this enlightened
stormwater management plan, Haworth
didn’t have to expand its existing retention
ponds located behind the manufacturing
plant at the terminus of a sewer main Haworth’s Welcome Center serves its international clientele with the word, “welcome”
running below the building complex. printed in different languages, a seating area, and even a friendly kitchen space.
ONE HAWORTH CENTER:

THE WORLD TOUR building always loses its heat at the sustainable environment within One
The project was completely finished and perimeter. We installed them below grade Haworth Center. Acoustic roof decking and
occupied by December 2008. Approaching and in wet conditions.” a sound masking system dampen the noise
the main entry, the sustainable mission is Radiant heat tubing within a slab on level within this large, open interior. “Water-
communicated through materials and grade floor heats the space without marring efficient plumbing fixtures reduce water
design. The visitor is greeted by an angular the gorgeous terrazzo in the grand atrium consumption by close to 50 percent,”
entrance canopy of open slats offering a with a procession of diffusers. In another according to Perkins+Will. “The LED Brazo
view of the open sky, plus a metal railing unique application, terrazzo was actually task light uses up to 65 percent less energy
with nature-inspired cutouts. The reception installed over raised access flooring in non- than compact fluorescents.”
desk is virgin timber salvaged from the atrium areas, such as the coffee bar, added The building offers Haworth clients and
bottom of the Great Lakes. This quintes- Sinnott. the entire design and construction industry
sential example of responsible harvesting Carpeting on Haworth’s own Tec-Crete food for thought. The Welcome Center for
also forms the wall rising as a vertical plane raised access floor system is the selected clients and visitors can actually cater lunch.
through all three levels of the building. approach throughout the rest of the interior. The space has all the amenities of a friendly
Trend Millwork, Lincoln Park, executed the The raised flooring houses all cable, data, kitchen as well as a well-appointed seating
millwork contract. and electrical systems, as well as an area for orientation. A place to meet and
Beyond the reception desk is the light- underfloor air distribution system with greet, the Welcome Center also
filled expanse of atrium, white, radiant and diffusers allowing personal control over communicates the Haworth vision through
bright against the tableau of green beyond one’s own air flow. “Conditioned air distri- its very materials. Haworth’s three guiding
the atrium glass wall. The atrium flooring is a bution through Haworth’s Tec-Crete access principles – sustainable, flexible, and
beautiful terrazzo that flows up a floor is up to 30 percent more energy adaptable - are engraved in a glass wall in
monumental stair. The steps of the efficient than overhead air systems,” several different languages to service its
monumental stair and outdoor patio rise in according to information supplied by global clientele.
perfect alignment, adding to erasure of Perkins+Will. The raised access floor also A Wood Salon, containing different veneer
division between the world without and the aided the construction schedule. samples, is a comfortable place to converse
office within. Unseen beneath the terrazzo “Scheduling is much faster with this type of with clients about wood as a material
are enormous access,” said Sinnott. “I think we received all option. Showroom pavilions displays actual
air-handling tunnels near the edge of the the sheet metal for the entire job on site 90 case goods in a variety of different
glass. “The 8-by-6-foot concrete tunnels are days after we started demolition, which applications, highlighting Haworth’s
large enough to walk in,” said Sinnott. “They would be unheard of with overhead adaptable and flexible product line.
wash the glass with warm air in the winter systems.” Staff or member amenities include a
and cool air in the summer, because a Other building systems create a pleasant, refreshment center on every floor; an IT

member stationed near the coffee bar to

troubleshoot technology concerns over a
cup of coffee, and a resource library offering
HELP GREEN YOUR BUILDING
thousands of fabric swatches and samples
for designers. The Bookend houses the so-
called Mindfield, a space devoted to
brainstorming, seminars and training. For
clients, the Bookend has a demonstration
area with mini-mockups showcasing
modular wall construction and raised access
flooring. Another area is a demonstration
zone showcasing custom assembled
products of specific interest to a particular
client.
AN INDUSTRY SHOWCASE
THICK
The entire interior is a demonstration area
showcasing the Haworth philosophy and
product line. Because workspace needs are
not always predictable, One Haworth
Center’s adaptable and flexible products can
be reassembled, reconfigured and reused
OR THIN DETROIT TERRAZZO TERRAZZO can be thick or thin,
heavy or light, textured or smooth,
CONTRACTORS
swiftly, allowing an organization to alter
interior space on a continual basis over time exotic or conservative, plain or col-
ASSOCIATION
and without generating demolition debris orful, interior or exterior. No matter
and landfill waste “I have seen them change what your flooring requirement is
an entire conference room in half-a-day,” ARTISAN TILE (810) 220-2370 TERRAZZO has the answer.
said Sinnott. “It is striking the way it works.” BOSTON TILE (313) 535-7700
Haworth has made an art and science out
of corporate interiors. The firm’s Ideation
Group conducted surveys and applied its
findings to its own interior furniture and Since 1968
office design. They distributed work style
surveys that became the basis for
“SPECIALTY CLEANING”
workshops tasked with configuring the www.acmemaint.com
most productive workspace possible at a
departmental level. “We put a framework in
place with a bit of fine tuning at the
individual level, but we took more of a
universal approach based on the culture and 24236 Mound Road, Warren, Michigan 48091
work style of a whole department,” said
Brandsen.
A cognitive psychologist in the Ideation
Commercial • Industrial • Institutional
Group is currently gathering data on One Cleaning Services
Haworth Center’s impact on organizational
effectiveness and other parameters. “For us, PROFESSIONAL DUCT CLEANING
the project was a start,” said Brandsen. “Now Cleaning & Sanitizing • Complete HVAC Systems
as we continue to inhabit the building, we Restroom/Laboratory/Paint • Exhaust Systems
understand more of what it means about EXTERIOR BUILDING CLEANING
the influence of interior space on energy Architectural Metal • Precast • Brick • Stone
use, productivity, absenteeism, healthcare
costs and other factors.” INTERIOR BUILDING CLEANING
One Haworth Center is both a client and Degreasing • Prep for Paint • Exhaust Fans • Floor Cleaning
an industry showcase exhibiting the DEEP CLEANING
wonderful spaces possible through inspired
Machinery De-greasing • Kitchen Facilities
design and well-executed construction.
Parking Deck Cleaning • Warehouses
Thanks to Haworth, Turner Construction
Company, Perkins+Will, and GMB Architects Loading Docks • Compactors
and Engineers, this award-winning building 40 Years In Business
offers a spectacular structure and a living
experiment in sustainable buildings – the
ultimate adaptable design for the future.
(586) 759-3000 Fax (586) 759-3277
SI 54-59 Sparrow_Nov 10/5/09 2:37 PM Page 54
LANSING’S LIGH T
B y D a v i d R . M i l l e r, A s s o c i a t e E d i t o r • P h o t o g r a p h y b y R a y H o l t
ighthouses are common in waterside communities, but car parking deck and the creation of a new main entrance/lobby
L landlocked Lansing has no need for such a structure. Even

so, the city’s skyline has been recently transformed by the
addition of Sparrow Health System’s 450,000-square-foot
West Wing Addition, a structure that shares striking
similarities with these familiar maritime fixtures. Lighthouses need
to be seen to be effective, so they tend to rise far above any nearby
structures. Severe space constraints, coupled with respect for
concourse connecting this deck to the existing hospital. Other key
elements of the project include extensive renovations of the
existing emergency department and the construction of a new
central utility plant. The team that brought the largest project ever
attempted at the hospital to successful completion included
construction and program manager Granger Construction
Company, Lansing, and a design collaboration formed between
neighboring communities, left only one direction to build on architects HDR Architecture, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska, and
Sparrow’s main campus – up. The top of the tower, which rises 10- Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield.
stories above the skyline and also includes a lower level, is
illuminated by an LED lighting system, while the well-lit deck above SERVING THE COMMUNITY
serves as a beacon - not for passing ships - but as a landing pad for Like any major city, Lansing offers a number of medical care
medical helicopters. options for the community, but Sparrow Hospital is the only choice
The West Wing Addition was completed as part of a seven-year for many. Patients in need of a Level One Trauma Center, for
phased construction project that began with the erection of a 1,200- example, would need to travel to Flint or Grand Rapids if it were not

for Sparrow Hospital’s familiar presence in Lansing. Sparrow lowest elevation. The utility tunnel also provides a convenient link
Hospital’s affiliation with Michigan State University also facilitates between the central utility plant and the new hospital addition
contact with some of the brightest medical minds in the state. Even because the project team wisely chose to add life safety systems to
though the facility is more than two times bigger than any other have this passage designated as a corridor as opposed to a confined
hospital within a 60-mile radius, Sparrow Hospital was woefully space. Easy access would not have been possible through a
undersized prior to the expansion project.
The Emergency Department was originally built for an annual
patient volume of 30,000 visits per year, and the department has
seen 90,000 visits in recent years. Every department at the hospital
lacked the space needed for modern care delivery and efficient
operations. Patients and staff coped with overcrowding in the
emergency department, some of which could have been alleviated
by transferring patients into other units that were often already
filled to capacity. Operating rooms in the existing hospital
measured 300 to 400 square feet, much smaller than the new 500 to
675-square-foot operating rooms that were built to accommodate
modern medical equipment.
“There were three things that we needed – more O.R. space, more
E.R. space, and we needed to eliminate four-bed wards from the
existing hospital,” said Ira Ginsburg, senior vice president of
operations for Sparrow Health System. “We couldn’t do any of those
things without adding more space because our volume was too
high. We couldn’t take beds out of service.”
Utility upgrades were also necessary. The 54-year-old boilers that The lobby (above) essentially functions as a long corridor. Admitting
powered the hospital were still running well, but they were also and laboratory functions were pulled out into this expanded lobby to
clearly living on borrowed time. Instead of merely replacing them, provide easy access. The design includes many windows (below) to
the project team embarked on a much more ambitious plan to brighten the space. Visitors can also see outdoor landmarks to orient
themselves within the space.
better serve community healthcare needs. Prior to the construction
of the new Central Utility Plant, critical life support and life safety
items were tied into an uninterruptible power back-up system, as
required by code. The new system, which has a capacity of eight
megawatts, is capable of powering the entire electrical load for
existing hospital and the new wing for about 72 hours. The system
could run for four or five days if non-essential systems were shut off
H THOUSE
at some point during the outage, or indefinitely if a supply of diesel
fuel were available.
“The new central energy plant replaced the existing systems
entirely – primary power, emergency power, steam, oxygen, plant air,
medical air and chilled water,” said Jon Upton, senior project
manager for Granger Construction. “Everything had to be tied in,
and all of those tie-ins were huge coordination and communication
deals. They had to be done on a system-by-system basis and
everything had to be recertified before it could be used again. These
things had to be planned months in advance.”
Utilities were connected to the hospital through a 700-foot-long
utility tunnel that splits underneath Jerome Street to connect with
the new addition and the existing hospital. This busy thoroughfare
was used for construction deliveries and it served an adjacent
middle school and high school at the time of the project. Therefore,
the entire utility tunnel construction operation needed to take place
within a two-month window over the summer. Since existing
utilities ran below the street, the utility tunnel had to run
underneath them, down to a depth of 32 feet below the street at its

confined space, as anyone who entered would need to have donned would house the expanded emergency department. Mechanical
protective gear. and electrical units would be placed on the second floor, while the
Ideally, a roadway would not have separated the hospital and the third and fourth floors would be shelled in for later completion.
central utility plant, but space is at a premium on the Sparrow Allocating more space to the emergency department would
Hospital campus. accommodate a higher emergency patient volume, resulting in
“We had to maximize the site usage with this project,” said more admissions and a greater need for patient rooms. It quickly
Stephen Gedert, RA, LEED AP, principal for Neumann/Smith. “This is became apparent that six occupied floors filled immediate needs,
an urban campus and it is landlocked by school facilities, Michigan but building additional floors on the cramped site at a later date
Avenue, and residential neighborhoods, so we had to maximize their would have been problematic, at best.
Identical headwalls are placed on either side of the bed in most rooms to allow easy care delivery (left). In ICU/CCU, surgery, and trauma room
areas, the headwalls are replaced by booms that are suspended from the ceiling (right).
property. That required a couple of variances, but the City of Lansing “Once we decided we needed to go up six floors, we knew we
was very accommodating. They allowed us to go higher and cover didn’t want to bring the cranes back,” said Ginsburg. “We already
more of the lot than the ordinance would normally allow. They had the foundation for an 10-story building, and after we consulted
understood that a hospital of this size wasn’t really meant to be on with Granger [Construction] and the architects, we realized that it
a site of this size. If this were a suburban area, the site would be would be more cost effective to build the whole frame now. There
much larger.” was also a possibility that we wouldn’t even be able to reach certain
A neighborhood organization played an instrumental role in areas because we used a tower crane in the center of the building.
supporting these variances. The hospital has a solid reputation as a We would have needed to build the remaining four floors from the
good neighbor, so the group lobbied for special consideration in street, and that wouldn’t have been practical.”
exchange for the hospital continuing to live up to a promise not to Phase Three of the project involved extending the lobby to link
expand into residential neighborhoods. After permission to build the existing hospital to the new addition. Construction in this
up was secured, the project team began erecting the 10-story tower section included the addition of a basement in a space where a
that dominates the site today. Throughout the entire process, the driveway went underneath the existing hospital entrance. A
team was constantly aware of the functioning hospital they were specialized micro-pile foundation reinforcement system was used to
almost working on top of. underpin the existing columns. Extending the lobby allowed for the
easy access to all points within the hospital and facilitated the
BUILDING MORE ON LESS addition of a clearly defined main entrance, which the existing
The addition that was ultimately built includes a lower level that hospital lacked.
houses six operating rooms with preoperative and recovery areas. A “We wanted to create an efficient traffic flow with easy
new emergency department with four trauma rooms, 46 adult wayfinding,” said Emil Sado, RA, LEED AP, design director at
treatment rooms, a dedicated 14-bed pediatric unit and a CT scan Neumann/Smith. “It’s more like hospitality design than hospital
area is located on the first floor. The second and third floors house design. We created an elegant environment in the lobby and
mechanical and electrical equipment and a 34-bed ICU/CICU unit, adjoining areas to eliminate the sterile atmosphere of the typical
respectively. A cardiology unit with six procedure rooms is found on hospital and make the experience more comfortable for patients
the fourth floor. Floors five and six contain patient rooms, while the and visitors alike.”
floors above were simply shelled out for future use. The lobby essentially functions as a long corridor. Admitting and
The initial plan for Sparrow Hospital’s campus called for a four-story laboratory functions were pulled out into this expanded lobby to
building with a lower level and a foundation designed to provide easy access. The corridor is straight enough to let visitors
accommodate additional floors to be built at a later date. The lower see all the way to the end, but subtle curves provide visual interest
level would house the expanded surgery area and the first floor while abundant natural light floods in to brighten the space. The

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multi-layered design lets natural light spill into basement spaces, were also instructed where to park, which was a more complex
while visitors can use outdoor landmarks visible through abundant arrangement than many were accustomed to given the small site.
windows to orient themselves throughout the hospital. Deliveries were also very critical because of limited space.
A lack of parking for patients, visitors and staff necessitated the Everything had to be coordinated with the superintendent on the
construction of the new parking deck. Which posed an interesting job because the tower crane was reserved on an hourly basis.
challenge, how would people traverse the site of the new addition Surprise deliveries could not be accommodated, and they were
to get to the existing hospital while construction was underway? refused if not scheduled for offloading.
“We constructed the addition in a north half and a south half,” “It didn’t take people too long to understand after their first
explained Upton. “We built the south half of the building up five shipment got turned away,” admitted Upton.
Movement around the jobsite was complex, but
it needed to be very simple inside the completed
facility. The addition needed to be connected to
the existing facility to allow for efficient movement,
but much lower floor to ceiling heights
complicated this. The addition features a higher
ceiling on the first floor, but existing heights were
matched on the second floor, which houses
mechanical and electrical equipment. A series of
gentle ramps were used to compensate for the
addition’s higher third and fourth floor, ceilings.
The new and existing buildings are separate above
the fourth floor.
Planning out the complex interactions between
existing and new construction was made much
easier with the use of Building Information
Modeling (BIM). The size and complexity of the
project also resulted in multiple bid packages for
many trades. Every contractor had to work closely
together, and BIM helped to make sure that
everyone was on the same page.
This impacted few contractors as significantly as
Calming touches are found throughout the hospital, including the pediatric areas. the John E. Green Co., Highland Park. In addition to
handling significant portions of the mechanical
work, the company’s Fire Protection Division
installed 3,800 sprinkler heads. BIM won many
stories while people were walking from the parking deck to the converts among the trade contractors who had to plan out the
existing building every day. Then, we had to open the lobby so congested ceiling space in which they would work.
people could walk through the south half while we created the “We can all sit in an office and try to nail down who will be at what
north half of the building.” elevation, but you can only go so far,” said Michael Eischer, project
This was one of many unusual obstacles that confronted the manager for John E. Green. “There is always something that wasn’t
team.
GETTING IT DONE
Many of the greatest project challenges at Sparrow Hospital
involved keeping the facility open. New operating rooms, for
example, were built right next to existing operating rooms.
“We drove pilings down to the bedrock, which was 80 feet down,
and that was right next to the operating rooms,” said Upton. “People
in the O.R.s could call us at any time and tell us that we needed to
stop.”
Vibration, sound and even odors were carefully monitored and
controlled. Safety was also a prevailing concern, not just for the
contractors, patients, visitors and medical staff, but also for the
countless children who walked by the site on a daily basis en route
to two nearby schools. The project team even had an orientation
DVD presentation professionally produced to bring contractors up
to speed on the unique challenges posed by the jobsite. The
comprehensive program was recognized with a safety award by the
Michigan Hospital Association and was required viewing for every
worker on the site. After passing the mandatory test that followed, Viewing windows let medical professionals observe patients from
every viewer had a solid understanding of infection control nurses’ stations that are located outside each room, but operable
procedures and hospital codes passed over the PA system. They blinds can be closed for privacy.

taken into consideration. If everything is put

into a model with reasonable accuracy, you
Many patients treated in the emergency
department will be transferred into patient
SPARTAN
won’t run into those problems in the field.”
Any problems that occur in the field can
lead to delays as resolutions are hammered
rooms, where they will find that all of their
needs have been given careful consid-
eration. Viewing windows let medical
SPECIALTIES
out. Even though many of these issues were
eliminated through BIM, it was still a
laborious project. Eischer placed much of
professionals observe patients from nurses’
stations that are located outside each room,
but operable blinds can be closed for
LTD
the credit of John E. Green’s scope of work privacy. Nurses can also enter a darkened
squarely on the shoulders of his general room and turn on a light to work by without
foreman, Chad Fuller, who “basically spent
two-and-a-half years of his life at the
disturbing the patient by flipping
illuminated touch switches that activate
Soil
hospital.”
Despite the long hours Fuller spent at
Sparrow Hospital during the project, he
low-voltage lighting. This design
enhancement, and countless others, was
made possible by extensive pre-planning.
Stabilization
might not recognize it now. The chaotic
jobsite that Fuller knew has been replaced
“Granger constructed two levels of mock-
ups during construction,” said Gedert. “With
Solutions
with an attractive environment where top the first mock-up, everything was built out
quality care is delivered. of plywood and cardboard. The staff came in
to see how everything worked and provided
PROVIDING QUALITY CARE helpful input to the design. Then, a 100 GROUND
Every inch of Sparrow Hospital’s new
addition was designed to support quality
percent mock-up of each room type was
built. Again, the staff came in to see how
TECHNOLOGIES
care. Many patients will enter the facility everything looked and functioned. They
through the new ambulance bay. Fitting this changed some colors, some of the cabinetry,
Jet Grouting
vital space onto the crowded campus was a
challenge, but the project team still found a
and other details to make it work better for
them.”
Compaction Grouting
way to provide a covered area where
ambulances could quickly drop patents off
Identical headwalls, for example, are
placed on either side of the patient bed in
Chemical Grouting
and then drive away instead of having to
back out into traffic. Other key features of
most rooms to allow easy care delivery. In
ICU/CCU, surgery, and trauma room areas
Micro Fine Cement
this area include a traffic flow that is the headwalls are replaced by booms that
separate from non-emergency entrances are suspended from the ceiling. Although all
and a convenient work area for paramedics.
Adjoining decontamination showers also
new patient rooms are private, the fifth and
sixth floors each include four rooms that can
CONCRETE REPAIR
allow for the treatment of incoming patients easily be converted to semi-private Preplaced Aggregate
who may have come into contact with occupancy during emergencies.
hazardous materials. Patients access these The importance of a healing environment Epoxy Injection
showers directly from the ambulance bay is not forgotten in the efficient design of
and exit through another door directly into Sparrow Hospital’s new addition. The Fabric Form Grout Bags
isolation rooms set to negative pressure to building narrows above the fourth floor
prevent anything inside the rooms from because patient rooms on the fifth and sixth Gunite
spreading throughout the hospital, while floors require less space than the treatment
the wastewater from the showers is drained areas below. This allowed for the addition of
into storage tanks for proper disposal. two outdoor patios above the fourth floor,
In addition to the ambulance bay, a each offering spectacular views and a PILES
helipad atop the tower also offers direct healing atmosphere. Soothing materials,
interior access to the emergency water features and other calming touches Mini Piles
department. The helipad provides clearance are also found throughout the hospital.
for a 60-foot rotor and will support 22,000 The reassuring presence of Sparrow Soil Nailing
pounds, which would accommodate the Hospital will be reinforced far beyond its
Black Hawk helicopter that would be used to walls by an LED lighting system that bathes Earth and Rock Anchors
transport the President of the United States the underside of the crown feature on the
during a medical emergency. The helipad new tower. This unique feature lets users
also features a foam firefighting system, a
horizontal guardrail and even a snowmelt
pick the color of light, or even create
moving color displays, that will serve as a
(586) 826-8811
system to enhance safety. No matter how beacon for those in need – although the
patients arrive in the emergency familiar green and white of the MSU
6250 Sims
department, they will be treated in spaces Spartans will be the default. For the people
that are individually walled off, which of Lansing, this warm glow will undoubtedly
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
provides greater privacy and drastically be as comforting as a glimpse of a familiar
reduces ambient noise. lighthouse is for a sailor.

SI 60-67 Wing Lake_Nov 10/5/09 1:58 PM Page 60
t Wing Lake Developmental Center, protective cocoon for this sensitive personnel from Chicago recently toured the
A TMP Architecture, Inc., Bloomfield

Hills, and the George W. Auch
Company, Pontiac, went the extra mile for
population of children and young adults.
With its colorful tiles and lobby skylight
drawing in the sunshine, the 40,000-square-
school, taking photos, jotting down notes,
and examining the strategies adopted in
this thoughtfully designed educational
those who cannot walk at all. Extra steps foot building is a place of bright cheer, easily facility. “I’m just amazed at the number of
taken in design and construction delivered a matching the warmth of its professional people calling and asking to tour the
facility capable of fully accommodating over staff of teachers, therapists and nurses. facility,” said Gersh. “Our building is very
107 medically challenged students and “It feels like a school any child would love specialized, and our students represent a
others with severe cognitive, physical and to come to,” said Thomai Gersh, supervisor of low incident population, meaning there are
sensory impairments. With its high special education, Wing Lake very few students with these types of
ventilation capacity and ability to maintain a Developmental Center in Bloomfield Hills. disabilities in any one area. Students at
stable temperature, the building’s Other school districts have taken note of other schools tend to be higher functioning
mechanical systems “breathe” and create a Wing Lake’s accomplishments. Education and not as medically fragile.”

The developmental center had been housed in a former Wing Lake Elementary School was constructed in the 1940s and
elementary school since the 1970s. In demolishing the original 1950s as a series of additions directly linked to the old stone school.
building and creating a new facility on the same site, TMP and the After Wing Lake Developmental Center moved into the elementary
Auch Company have created a template for treating this often- school in 1974, the special education center had to continually
underserved population with respect and dignity. The project team compensate for spaces not originally designed for wheelchair-
not only protected this special student population ranging in age bound students. Unable to use the elementary school’s small
from 3 to 26, but also the site’s historic and natural resources. The restrooms, changing stations with hospital curtains were inserted in
waters of Wing Lake lap at the northwest edge of the site, and the the classrooms. Hydrotherapy, needed to ease the muscle spasms of
grounds are home to a ring of specimen trees towering over an old those with severe cerebral palsy, was confined to a tub located in a
stone schoolhouse dating from 1859. space the size of a closet.
As an inspired and cost-effective design solution, TMP and the Encouraged by the district superintendent and the assessment,
Auch Company wrapped a pre-engineered building in a brick and Gersh worked with the district’s finance and facilities directors on
fieldstone cladding – the fieldstone being virtually an exact replica funding applications. Gersh applied for three funding scenarios:
of the stone of the 19th century one-room schoolhouse. This obtain monies to either renovate the existing building, build
pioneering facility is now linked to the old schoolhouse both in additions to general education facilities in current operation, or to
stone and in spirit. An old-fashioned spirit of service - common construct an entirely new, freestanding developmental center. The
among early 19th-century settlers who relied on each other for barn request for a new building was placed with the distant hope of a
raisings, harvests, and possibly even construction of the old stone person buying a lottery ticket but never truly expecting to hit the
school itself – pervaded the entire project. jackpot. “The third option was just kind of a dream,” said Gersh. That
TMP and the Auch Company coordinated a series of meetings for dream came true in the form of $10.6 million dollars for a new
every vested participant, including therapists, nurses, teachers, school.
parents and the office and maintenance staff. “TMP and the Auch
Company coordinated a whole calendar of meetings in which we TURNING DOLLARS INTO DREAMS
talked about our vision and the needs of our kids,” said Gersh. “That The Auch Company joined the team in September 2006, helping to
process was wonderful. When it came time to pack and move, the shave a million off the budget as generated in the very early stages
Auch Company held our hand through that entire process, even of schematic design. “As a group, we figured out how to peel a million
helping us with the move to a temporary building located only 3 dollars out of the budget without impacting their program,” said
miles away in Farmington Hills and performing some basic retrofits.” Jeffrey D. Hamilton, PE, Auch Company vice president and project
The Auch Company also eased the school’s mind by shaving a director of the general contracting and construction management
month off the schedule. “The best thing about it was the time line,”
said Gersh. “It started right when they said it was going to start. It
was done right when they said it would be done. It was just one of
those dream projects.”
As part of the dream team, the Auch Company came in under
budget. They actually saved a half-million dollars in total, funneling
most of the savings into a much-needed snow melt system for
school sidewalks, as well as furnishings and other items. “TMP’s
excellent design and the Auch Company’s great estimating and
budgeting allowed us to come in under budget and right on time,”
said Brian Goby, director of physical plant services for Bloomfield
Hills School District. “There weren’t any issues on the project. Issues
were avoided because of TMP and the Auch Company working
together and working with the district very closely.”
The dedication of the entire project team gives new meaning to
the phrase “lending a helping hand.” TMP and the Auch Company did
more than lend a helping hand; both firms shepherded the new
building through every phase, beginning with programming and
continuing into owner occupancy. The Auch Company was
immersed in the project beginning in the earliest design stages. Even
after project completion, a representative from the company
remained on site for several weeks to teach the staff how to operate
the building systems.
A DREAM COME TRUE

This dream project began as a surprising gift from the Oakland
Intermediate School District, namely building fund approval. TMP’s
assessment of all district buildings in 2005 aided the cause. “We
determined that Wing Lake Developmental Center was the one most Bright colors turn the
out of sync with its program,” said Stephen E. Smith, AIA, senior vice Commons into a kid-friendly
president for the Bloomfield Hills architectural firm. Essentially, the space for special events and
team teaching.
building and its use as a special needs school were clearly less than
an ideal fit.

At the end of the day, the masons would

pile a layer of smaller stones across the top
of the wall to level it for the next burst of
work after the mortar set. This stone layer
and pause in work would leave a telltale line
every few feet along the full height of the
finished wall. Brazen & Greer, the Livonia-
based masonry contractor for the new
building, simulated this same subtle
striation in the new center using modern
mortar and without the time delay.
Brazen & Greer closely studied this little
stone schoolhouse, noting the height of
each striation and the size of the stones.
They carried these markings directly across
to the new building, stringing level lines (a
simple nylon string stretched from end to
The school’s main entry and a series of protective canopies offer shelter for the school’s end as a guide). Mike Doran, Brazen &
population of medically fragile and severely impaired students, during arrival and Greer’s project manager, explains: “We
departure. A wise use of dollars led to the installation of a snowmelt system, strung level lines, selected stones of the
providing safer and more easily navigated sidewalks. same approximate size, and then tooled the
mortar joints to create the same look.”
Said Smith, “Brazen & Greer did a great job.
They discovered new things about how the
old building was constructed. The idea was
firm. Opting for a pre-engineered structural last five feet from the old schoolhouse wall to recall the method of wall placement and
frame camouflaged inside a pleasing skin of had to be done by hand to protect the re-create the actual historic feel, as well as to
fieldstone and neutral brick was one factor historic building.” achieve the same color and texture of stone
in tightening the schedule and the budget. The Auch Company then worked closely as the original building.”
The pre-engineered structure with the with the pre-engineered building contractor Brazen & Greer located a fieldstone
framing system of a conventional to beat the clock and Old Man Winter. “We supplier, a rock “connoisseur” able to provide
warehouse is the hidden structure behind put in the poured concrete foundations, did fieldstone matching the varied colors and
the building’s beautifully crafted stone all the site work, and then started the pre- size range of the original school wall. The
façade. “I think one of the most intriguing engineered building in mid-August 2007,” stone supplier even ensured that 35 percent
things of this whole project is that said Hamilton. “Because of the type of of the stone was black granite, the same
structurally it is a pre-engineered building,” design and close coordination with different percentage placed in the one-room
said Hamilton. “Its frame and poured contractors, we were able to erect the pre- schoolhouse. “Stone was selected from four
concrete foundation are the exact same engineered frame by Oct. 1, 2007. We different quarries across southeastern
construction methods as a pre-engineered actually cut about a month out of the Michigan in order to obtain the right
building. The block in between the steel schedule by using a pre-engineered frame.” amount of large-sized stones needed for the
columns is not load bearing at all, but merely Use of an ice and water shield over the building’s corners,” added Hamilton.
holds the stone veneer and the brick.” entire roof created a weather-tight building Before tackling actual installation, Brazen
The selection of the pre-engineered frame by mid-October, allowing the Auch & Greer created four or five different sample
and the project’s job sequencing together Company to move to the interior without panels for approval of the mortar match and
shortened the schedule and tightened the installing the metal roof. “These are some of stone colors. As work unfolded, one fact
budget. The Auch Company carefully the steps we took that allowed us to speed remained the same: the crew of both eras
planned the pace of the project to ensure up construction, and by speeding up still hand hewed some of the stone pieces
building enclosure before the arrival of construction we saved money, because time with stone chisels and pure muscle power.
winter. is money,” said Hamilton. “We split stone in a variety of areas with a
First, relocating the school’s year-round particular focus on the large stones forming
educational operations to a building in the THE MASON’S CRAFT the square corners at the bottom of the
Farmington School District for an entire year In comparison, work on a 19th century building,” said Doran. “These stone veneer
cleared the runway for demolition of the old construction site moved at a slower pace out pieces were about 7-inches thick at the
Wing Lake Elementary School beginning of sheer necessity. The old stone base.” Doran supplied other key statistics on
June 1, 2007. “We were able to bring the old schoolhouse was built near the shores of this unique masonry project: “Most of the
building offline a little earlier to keep Wing Lake in 1859. At the time, masons corners were hand chiseled out of 16-inch
construction in the warm weather season,” could only build the thick stonewalls to a diameter stone to get them into shape. The
said Hamilton. Relocation also created a certain height each day. “They would have to units toward the top were 4- to 5-inches
window of time for the hand demolition of a stop every few feet until the mortar set, so thick.”
section of the former elementary school. “It the weight of the stone wouldn’t cause the Both TMP and the Auch Company praised
was a hard separation,” said Hamilton. “We wall to sag or the mortar to squeeze out,” the efforts of the masons. “To tie into the old
took everything down by machine, but the said Smith. stone schoolhouse and obtain stone work

like that in this day and age was a tribute to selected to meet LEED criteria for heat beautiful building capable of bridging two
the mason who was able to make it rejection,” added Smith. “It is not the lowest- eras, plus serving the needs of youth with
happen,” said Smith. “They truly treated it as grade, off-the-shelf roof one often gets with severe impairments. TMP and the Auch
a labor of love.” Added Hamilton, “Brazen & a standard pre-engineered building.” Company filled a remarkably tall order in
Greer took a great deal of pride in their This fascinating hybrid of a building with successfully balancing human, fiscal,
work.” its iconic schoolhouse forms and its subtle historical, and natural resources. This
blend of stone and brick, all cloaking a juggling act continued both on the site and
THE NEW STONE SCHOOLHOUSE pre-engineered structure and modern cavity within the building interior.
The beauty of stone blankets the main wall construction, delivers a cost-effective,
entry, the stout columns of the entrance
canopy, and a series of gables running in an
even rhythm along the length of the long,
linear building. Sections of beige brick and
sizeable windows are subtly placed between
each gable; the brick and glass tends to
recede into the recreated historical fabric.
The eye tends to fill in the blanks and
convert the neutral brick into a continual
line of stone.
This illusion is aided by the placement of
white cupolas atop each stone-clad gable.
Cupolas of similar shape and a roof and roof
gables of matched pitch are among the
iconic schoolhouse forms linking the new
building to the old stone school. “The new HENRY
ENRY FORD
ORD ESTATE
STATE NEW CRANBROOK OBSERVATORY
building has much of the same propor-
tionality as the existing historic building,”
said Smith.
The new stonework and matched forms
preserve the historical treasure of this old
stone school located in front of the site. The
west or back face of the new center is clad in
an expanse of beige or neutral brick that
complements the stonework of both
buildings, as well as the surrounding
residential neighborhood. WAYNE
AYNE STATE
TATE BONSTELLE
ONSTELLE THEATER
HEATER
Preserving history and conserving dollars
were equal imperatives. Such savvy material
and structural choices released dollars for
essential services for the school’s population
of medically fragile and severely impaired
students. The school was able to install a
snowmelt system, providing heated
sidewalks free of ice and snow for better and
safer maneuverability. As a further
safeguard, the project team created a
“shield” of protective canopies stretching in CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD STATE CAPITOL
both directions from the main entrance
canopy. The former Wing Lake Elementary
School only offered a single drop-off canopy
as a shelter against Michigan’s fierce and SPECIALIZING IN THE CONSULTING, DESIGN AND
fickle weather. As part of this quality design, INSTALLATION OF ARCHITECTURAL SHEET METAL
the new white canopies protect the children
during arrival and departure, but also blend WORK; COPPER ROOFING; SLATE AND CLAY TILE
with the historical appearance of this new
“old” schoolhouse.
The building’s form also serves other
practical uses. “The slope and pitch of the
roof is used efficiently to house mechanical
CASS SHEET METAL
equipment and for storage,” said Hamilton.
Both the standing seam metal roof with an
(313) 571- C.A.S.S.
aluminum coating and the cavity wall “were
5641 CONNER • DETROIT, MI 48213

TMP and the Auch Company employed a The red schoolhouse leads to the resembling a warm, caring home rather than
host of protective measures to preserve the classrooms, the green marks the entrance to an institution.
site’s natural resources, including the playground, blue signals the way to the
safeguarding a number of specimen trees gym, cafeteria, and other multi-purpose THE PERFECT ARRANGEMENT
whose leafy branches have shaded the old spaces, and the yellow schoolhouse form Beyond its engaging warmth, TMP
stone school for over 150 years. The Auch points to the bus lanes. The colored tiles of perfectly tailored the building to meet the
Company fenced off the sizeable root zone each schoolhouse portal continue into the needs of youngsters with severe
to prevent heavy equipment and other corridor and classroom as accent tiles and impairments. The knowledge comes from a
construction activity from compacting the directional devices. first-hand encounter with the obstacle
delicate roots of these old trees. The flooring of the circular lobby is courses experienced by severely impaired
Because the school borders the shores of another contemporary translation of a youngsters. “I invited Steve and another
Wing Lake, stormwater measures were traditional 19th century motif. This bright architect over for a meeting,” recalled Gersh.
employed both during and after ring of color follows an old quilting pattern “I then promptly had a take-cover fire drill,
construction. “The school is on a relatively called “the mariner’s compass.” Capping off so that they could see what it’s like in real life
sensitive site ecologically,” said Smith. “Site this wonderful space, a central skylight fills to maneuver with all these wheelchairs.”
drainage had to be very carefully handled the lobby with sunlight, welcoming TMP also toured similar facilities to analyze
with bio-retention swales to filter the students, families and visitors to this the pros and cons of different approaches,
stormwater and avoid any impact to the specialty school. The lobby sets the tone for added Smith.
lake.” the rest of the facility in creating a place The result is a facility perfectly designed
The Auch Company also protected the
school’s memorial garden and treated
visitors to this flower-filled tribute to their
deceased loved ones with consideration and
respect. “A man would eat his lunch
everyday at a picnic table in the memorial
garden, because his daughter’s ashes were
in the garden,” said Hamilton. “We
accommodated him for as long as we
possibly could during construction.”
The Auch Company worked in an
extremely narrow rectangle defined by the
lake and memorial garden to the north, the
historic stone school and specimen trees to
the south, and bioswales to the east, plus a
universally accessible playground to the
west. Essentially, the Auch Company had to
work within the modest rectangle of the
building’s actual footprint with only space
the width of a vehicle available for access
and staging. “We did a great deal of just-in-
time delivery,” said Hamilton. “We also had to
bring in our power installation three
separate times due to site constraints, first
temporarily placing it out by the road to
service construction.”
A WELCOMING CIRCLE
The end result of all this concerted effort
is a welcoming building bordered by a
peaceful, bucolic expanse of trees and
rooted in the history of the site. Opening the
doors of this stone-clad schoolhouse, one
moves from the 19th to the 21st century as
fieldstone gives way to boldly colored tiles
arranged in a traditional schoolhouse motif.
The circular lobby has four portals or
doorways, each marked by the form of a
traditional schoolhouse gable and all color The contemporary interior employs traditional 19th Century motifs. The floor’s
coded as a directional or wayfinding device. bright ring of color is based on an old quilting pattern called “The Mariner’s
“We used color coding as cues to help kids Compass”; the doorways are shaped like a traditional schoolhouse gable.
identify rooms and establish directions,” said
Gersh.

to serve and to teach the medically fragile and we pulled them out like a drawer to school has two speech pathologists, two
and challenged student body, as well as to create this widening of the corridor that occupational therapists, two physical
ease the strain imposed by their doubles as a multipurpose space, and we did therapists, a social worker, a psychologist,
impairments. A before and after photo of it without affecting the modularity of the and a music therapist, all of whom can better
the restrooms would clearly show the new existing frame,” said Smith. “We basically focus the sum of their collective expertise on
facility’s amazing improvement in basic just took the traditional construction and a particular student’s health and well-being
services. “In our old school, we had tiny pulled it out, so that the columns and thanks to the design of this new facility.
elementary school bathrooms,” said Gersh. everything stayed in the same places but we The new building also houses two spaces
“The width of the doorways was inappro- yielded a larger volume and more space.” that were non-existent in the former school,
priate, along with the height of the counters; Using this strategy, TMP carved out the namely a library and media center
virtually just about everything in our former necessary funds from the budget to deliver containing sensory teaching materials and a
facility didn’t fit.” this team teaching area to the school. “We cafeteria for the 107 students drawn from 20
The new building provides not only wanted to make sure the building allowed of 28 school districts in Oakland County.
10,000 square feet of additional space, but us to teach the way we like to teach, which is
also appropriate facilities, such as larger through collaboration and team teaching,” DELIVERING THE DREAM
classrooms and restrooms shared between said Gersh. The commons allows different Both the building spaces and systems are
two different classrooms and sized to classes to work on the same thematic unit designed to aid students laboring under
accommodate the turning radius of a together and allows teachers to set up severe cognitive, sensory and physical
wheelchair or a gurney. Brightened by materials for a learning unit for an entire impairments. The emergency power
colorful accent tiles, spacious restrooms week. “The classes can then return to the generation system has a separate transfer
contain lifts, hand-held showers, privacy commons for a whole week and learn the switch to power critical outlets for students
walls, and ample storage space. “The old unit’s lessons,” said Gersh. “Also, we recently on vents and other life support equipment.
restrooms were terrible in terms of privacy hosted a performance of the Royal Oak With its high ventilation and exhaust
and in terms of moving around within the Hand Bell Choir in the commons. This space parameters, the building’s well-designed
space,” said Smith. “We asked ourselves such has been fabulous, and we use it all the mechanical system almost acts as a
questions as, ‘How do you provide the access time.” ventilator. “The air quality in this building is
you need, the privacy you need, the mobility Likewise, the building design consolidates far
space you need, and make it all work?” TMP all therapist offices in one, central area. The better than what is required by code,” said
definitely found the right answer. “We now
have a respectful place for changing tables,
commodes and showers,” said Gersh.
Additional steel beams are inserted in the
gymnasium and in the classrooms to
support the weight of specialty swings and
other equipment suspended from the
ceiling. The specialty equipment is used to
teach students with multiple impairments
how to maneuver in the world outside the
school’s protective cocoon. “We had to YOUR SINGLE SOURCE COATING CONTRACTOR
coordinate the structural design and
placement of these beams with TMP and Cipriano Coating Technology installs state of the art protective & decorative coatings for
Thomai in terms of what kind of loads each
Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional facilities. Providing concrete Polishing Systems,
beam has to support and where the beams
should actually be set,” said Hamilton.
we can create highly durable and low maintenance floors from your existing concrete.
TMP designed wheelchair parking areas We combine our years of experience with today’s technology to provide the proper
or indented nooks lining the hallway that surface preparation and coating system to match each clients need.
prevent medical equipment from
dominating the interior. Extra storage areas
in every classroom fulfill the same function
of preventing the school from taking on the
appearance of what could be an intimi-
dating medical or institutional environment.
Such a strategy leaves a good emotional
impression on parents. “I think a building
filled with all sorts of orthopedic equipment
was very off putting to parents of a 3-year- POLISHED CONCRETE BEFORE AFTER DECORATIVE
old, for example, walking into the building
for the first time,” said Gersh.
Call the coating contractor of choice today, and ask for your free consultation!
TMP also designed a space called the
commons, an open area carved out of a
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for special events. “We took two classrooms

lighting, as well as natural light, serves the

needs of the severely impaired and
medically fragile. The building’s lighting
must modulate across the full range to
accommodate the light sensitivities of some
students. The electrical system also had to
provide added plugs and switches to
accommodate medical equipment, washers
and dryers, and instructional technology,
such as interactive voice output equipment.
“Each classroom has a Promethean Board,
essentially a smart board with a large,
interactive monitor and a projector that will
show anything off of a computer screen or
display a DVD,” said Gersh. With such
elaborate and well-planned systems, the
project team delivered the dream: a facility
with the warmth of home, the equipment of
a medical facility, and the instructional
technology of a school.
A project team working in unison from
the very genesis of the project produced this
wonderful facility. Gersh was consulted
every step of the way, even meeting with the
electrical team to ensure a sufficient number
of electrical outlets were installed – and in
the proper location - to accommodate all
the medical and specialty instructional
equipment. “We wanted to make sure we
built it right the first time,” said Hamilton.
The contemporary fieldstone on the right recalls the method of wall placement and re-creates Tight teamwork and planning prevented
the same range of stone shapes, colors and sizes as the original fieldstone schoolhouse
any cost overruns, extras or unexpected
constructed in 1859.
surprises. Amazingly, the construction
budget totaled only $9.5 million. The total
budget of $10.6 million accounted for
Smith. “The space must be conditioned at a stable environment.” furnishings, design, construction, asbestos
higher level.” Likewise, the all-important hydrotherapy abatement, demolition of the former school,
The building uses high-grade, energy- room aids both the students and the and temporary relocation. “We worked
efficient recovery units to manage its building’s energy efficiency. The closely with the district to manage all of
ventilation and exhaust demands. The units hydrotherapy room must be warmed to 90 these concerns and all of the dollars,” said
contain a cross-plate system superior to the degrees. Because the room is not constantly Hamilton.
heat exchange systems typically employed used, the project team opted to install a An inventive choice of pre-engineered
in a commercial office building. “Because we supplemental heating unit that warms the framing and “regular materials thoughtfully
are changing the air at a faster rate, we room quickly on an as-needed basis and applied,” said Smith, ultimately delivered a
capture the waste heat and mix it with shuts off automatically once it reaches the welcoming schoolhouse able to meet
incoming fresh air,” said Hamilton. “These required temperature. “The hydrotherapy stringent demands of care for the develop-
energy recovery units are so efficient that tub is used for kids who have severe cerebral mentally disabled. For both firms long
we were able to significantly downsize our palsy,” said Gersh. “The warm water allows decades of experience thoughtfully applied
boilers. In fact, the whole building is only their muscles to relax so they can do have turned a building into a helping hand
heated on two small boilers.” therapeutic exercises.” extended to aid children and young adults
Operating the building’s heat pumps on As an educational facility, the school struggling with severe impairments. The
low-temperature hot water allows a incorporates specialized learning Auch Company – a firm with over 100 years
reduction in boiler size, added Goby. technology. Using a special sound field of experience in the educational arena -
Altogether, the building has about 30 heat installed in the ceiling, “the teacher wears a completed the building in June 2008, and
pumps, one for each classroom and for each small microphone around her neck that the school officially took occupancy of the
space. “The mechanical system gives each increases the volume of his or her voice just facility in August 2008. Created in a spirit of
space its own temperature controls and holds a few levels higher,” said Gersh. “It helps the service by the Auch Company and TMP – a
the temperature quite well in the overall kids focus, because some have difficulty prominent “schoolhouse architect” - the
building,” said Hamilton. “The building is able distinguishing background noise from ultimate reward arrived on Sept. 2, 2008, the
to maintain a very constant temperature, foreground noise, making it harder to stay first day of class and the beginning of a new
which is essential to accommodate these focused.” era for Wing Lake Developmental Center.
fragile students who require a sensitive and A combination of direct and indirect

SI 60-67 Wing Lake:Nov 10/12/09 3:35 PM Page 67
innovation and excellence

in everything we do
1-800-456-3824
engineers X scientists X architects X constructors

SI 68-73 LaFontaine_Nov 10/5/09 2:39 PM Page 68
Family
Values
BY DAVID R. MILLER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL COLLYER
M
ost consumers can choose from a number of automobile architectural consultant Young & Young Architects, Bloomfield Hills,
dealerships, even after they have selected a particular make combined their talents with a skilled subcontractor team to deliver the
and model. Providing exemplary service before, during and first GM dealership to achieve Gold Level Certification under the U.S.
after the sale can go a long way in helping a dealership Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and
succeed in this competitive environment. LaFontaine Automotive Environmental Design (LEEDÒ) program.
Group does this by offering The Family Deal. More than a mere slogan,
The Family Deal is an attitude, and a promise, to give every person who BUILDING A REPUTATION
walks into the showroom the same consideration one would expect Before moving into the new 68,000-square-foot facility, LaFontaine
from a family member. Many customers enjoyed the benefits of the deal Automotive Group already operated the nation’s largest Buick-Pontiac-
without really knowing anything about the family behind it. GMC dealership in terms of sales volume just a few miles away. Making
The underlying values of the LaFontaine family are now on display at this achievement even more remarkable is the fact that it happened at
the LaFontaine Buick-Pontiac-GMC-Cadillac dealership in Highland. In a 24,000-square-foot facility tucked onto a less than six-acre site.
addition to offering an unparalleled buying experience and “We decided that we needed to expand some time ago, but we
phenomenal service, the 63,000-square-foot facility demonstrates a couldn’t because we were landlocked,” said Ryan LaFontaine, general
commitment to sustainable construction and design that is unmatched. manager of the new dealership. “When we started looking for a new
Construction manager Bloom General Contracting, Inc., Redford; property, we wanted to make sure that we wouldn’t be landlocked
architect Studio Design ST, Westland; mechanical, plumbing and again, so we have 24 acres here. We also own 10 acres that are not
electrical engineer M.E. Engineering Consultants, Inc., Plymouth; LEED developed, so we actually have 34 acres.”
consultant Newman Consulting Group, LLC, Bloomfield Hills; and LEED The new site represents almost limitless possibilities. The existing

The opening of the first GM dealership to achieve LEED Gold Certification was a cause to
celebrate. Instead of simply building a green dealership, the LaFontaine family adopted a
green lifestyle (above). Customers enjoy amenities (below) that are not usually part of the
car buying experience.
store was renovated into the new LaFontaine Nissan dealership, while A bright, airy environment and ample plasma TVs found throughout
the LaFontaine family focused on extending their success with Buick- building make the entire facility the Cadillac of automobile dealerships.
Pontiac-GMC to another familiar brand. Even the service area is appointed with tile flooring and granite
“One of the biggest problems that I had with the other store was countertops. Providing top-notch service in a pleasant environment
Cadillac,” admitted LaFontaine. “Cadillac was never represented quickly emerged as another opportunity to draw customers in.
properly in that facility. Our sales volume came from Pontiac-Buick- “I never thought in a million years that we would need to add three
GMC, with Cadillac as the luxury brand, but the store didn’t portray more service stations for our service writers,” said LaFontaine. “We’re
luxury. Cadillac was sold on the same showroom floor with the same almost up to 200 repair orders a day because people get good value and
sales consultants selling the cars, and that just wasn’t what a Cadillac they are entertained while they are here.”
customer appreciated. We felt that accommodating those customers These repairs are performed with great respect to the customers and
was truly our biggest opportunity.” to the planet they inhabit. Every car sold or serviced by the dealership
Potential customers are soothed by notes from a player grand piano gets a thorough cleaning before the owner climbs into the driver’s seat,
and warmed by the gentle glow of the fireplace as they stroll into the but this is done with a car wash system that recycles 90 percent of the
exclusive Cadillac showroom. Of course, a person does not need to be water it uses. Hydraulic fluid that would usually have been used in the
in the market for a luxury vehicle to appreciate extravagant 33 in-ground vehicle hoists has been replaced with vegetable oil that is
surroundings. environmentally safe in the event of a spill. The water-soluble paint
“We not only built a separate Cadillac showroom, we applied the booth emits almost no harmful VOCs, and provides the added benefit of
same concept throughout the entire facility,” said LaFontaine. “Cadillac letting vehicles dry 20 percent faster. In addition to the safety check
amenities are found all through this facility.” offered by most service locations, customers can also opt for a “Green

more heat loss or heat gain through a window than there is

through an R-30 insulated wall,” said Jim Newman, CEM, LEED
AP, managing partner, Newman Consulting Group LLC,
Bloomfield Hills.
Construction of the new dealership has been a learning
experience, and not just for the project team and the
LaFontaine family. The group set out to create a “marquee” or
“flagship” dealership for General Motors, and GM has taken a
keen interest in the project. The project team worked with the
automaker to show how sustainable design could benefit any
dealership, even performing a study showing energy models
for eight different climate zones.
GM was not alone in watching the project closely.
Construction of the geothermal system also signaled a
willingness to consider green products. Vendors quickly
descended on the site, but the LaFontaine family soon realized
that many of them represented excellent green alternatives to
products they were using now. In addition to automobiles, the
dealership is also a showroom for these sustainable building
products.
The detrimental heat island effect that occurs over dark
Visitors can request a tour of the building’s many green features at this greeter’s
colored surfaces is mitigated by light colored asphalt
desk.
emulsion found in entry roadways and pedestrian walkways,
Check” at this groundbreaking facility. Expert technicians will check along with a white roofing membrane. All CMU was obtained locally
fluid levels, tires, and other items that will help customers maximize fuel and fabricated from recycled aggregate, with cores filled with high R-
economy and performance. Benefits like these make it much easier for value polyurethane foam insulation. Exterior dimensional wood is from
car owners to consider going green. In many ways, this was also a non-arsenic and non-chromium pressure-treated lumber, while all
simple decision for the LaFontaine family. interior sheet plywood, particleboard and fiberboard is formaldehyde
free and rich in recycled content. Yet, finding these products did not
TURNING GREEN rank among the greatest challenges associated with the project.
The decision to make the new dealership “green” began as a simple “All the manufacturers met the LEED requirements for the most part,”
desire to keep operating costs in check. Mike LaFontaine, Jr., general said Roger Young, project manager for Young & Young Architects. “The
manager for LaFontaine Automotive Group, initiated the first step of the more we sunk our teeth in it, the more we found that manufacturers had
journey by selecting a closed loop geothermal HVAC system that uses already gone green. In a lot of cases, the only things they needed were
the ground as a heat sink to maintain building temperatures, allowing the LEED submittal sheets.”
the system to operate at peak efficiency while providing an optimum Young also pointed out that raw material without any recycled
environment for employee productivity and customer comfort. The content is almost non-existent now. The concrete supplier for the
facility is divided into 29 thermal zones, each served by a dedicated heat project did not even realize that the 30 percent fly ash found in the
pump. A programmable thermostat controls each heat pump and the admixture could contribute towards LEED points. The project team
entire system is monitored by computer for maximum efficiency. found that suppliers were very willing to change their procedures to
The geothermal system represented a significant initial investment, contribute to sustainability goals. Steel decking and bar joists used on
but the potential rewards are mind-boggling. M.E. Engineering
estimated that it would take the system 10 to 12 years to pay for
itself, but real world experience has shattered this prediction.
After monitoring performance for an entire year, it now appears
that the initial cash outlay might be recovered in half that time
based upon the operating cost of other automobile dealerships.
Savings realized after that can simply be counted as profits on
an extremely wise investment. The benefits from the 46, 350-
foot-deep wells will continue well into the future, as the system
was designed to accommodate significant expansion of the
facility.
Of course, the amazing performance over the first year begs
an obvious question – “Why were the initial projections so far
off?” The simple answer is that very few green automotive
dealerships have been built to serve as benchmarks. Large
doors are needed to bring cars into a showroom, and they
remain open for long periods of time. Customers also walk right
into the showroom instead of passing through a vestibule that
can prevent conditioned air from blowing out. Extensive
exterior glass is also common to let people see the
merchandise, but this visibility comes with an energy price tag. Innovative Solatubes utilize a highly reflective inner lining to intensify sunlight
“Having all that glass is a problem, because there is much before transferring it into interior spaces.

the project contain 90 percent recycled

material, but it was also pre-finished with white
low-VOC paint that was free of lead and
chromates to reduce the need for field coating
and increase interior light reflectivity.
While finding green products was fairly easy,
there were still significant obstacles to
overcome.
GREEN ISN’T ALWAYS EASY

The biggest challenges associated with
delivering a green dealership for GM and the
LaFonatine family were associated with a fairly
late start for the effort. Plans to utilize a
geothermal system were made in the earliest
stages of the project, but the decision to look
into other green advantages was not made
until much later, just as footings were being
poured. When Newman first saw the plans, he
quickly realized that many sustainability
opportunities had been missed.
“There are going to need to be some
changes – that really was my first reaction,” he
said. “Unfortunately, we get called in many
times to do LEED projects after the building is
pretty well designed, and that was the case
here, but that really isn’t the best time to bring
in a LEED consultant.”
The project team earned 45 points for the
project under the LEED rating system, well in
excess of the 39 needed for Gold Level certifi-
cation but still significantly short of the 52
points needed for Platinum Level, the highest
award available. Gary Laundroche - LEED AP,
project manager for Bloom General
Contracting - Newman and Young
unanimously agreed that the elusive Platinum
Level could have been achieved, possibly with
little additional upfront costs, if sustainability
had been on the radar from day one.
Latecomers to the project team inherited an
excellent design, but one that was not
optimized under LEED. The site, partially
covered by two wetlands and far away from
mass transit terminals, had already been
selected and the building orientation, which
was less than ideal to manage sunlight and
thermal gain, was literally cast in stone by the
foundation. The most painful missed
opportunity involved a pavement option that
would have let the dealership meet green
goals while simultaneously maximizing
available parking onsite.
“Every inch of parking lot that I can gain is
huge,” admitted LaFontaine. “Not knowing
about porous pavement cost me money
because I have two retention ponds taking up
acreage.”
Eliminating the retention ponds in favor of
porous pavement would have created room
for a minimum of 100 parking spaces. By the
time the project team was able to analyze this
option, the retention ponds were already

completed and a standard asphalt base

consisting of eight inches of crushed concrete
with limestone added where needed was
already in place. This base required a three-
inch topcoat of asphalt, while porous paving
would have required four-and-a-half inches of
asphalt over 12 inches of coarse aggregate to
let water infiltrate to the soil below. According
to Laundroche, porous paving adds about 25
percent to the total paving cost, but this is
partially offset because the need for retention
ponds and underground drainage pipes is
eliminated or reduced. Removing the asphalt
base and starting over again with porous
pavement was considered at the dealership,
but the costs of this were determined to
outweigh the benefits.
Working with GM added an extra level of
complexity in meeting some sustainability The project team was even able to bring natural light into service areas. Steel decking and bar
goals. Most large corporations possess a joists were painted with low-VOC paint to increase reflectivity.
comprehensive set of standards that governs
the construction of new facilities that will bear
the company name, and GM is no exception.
The familiar red roofs that define McDonald’sÒ instead of the current one that allows for the space while creating an enjoyable
restaurant locations are a classic example. higher lighting power density in retail environment for customers.
“As a general contractor, we specialize in car environments. Specified metal halide fixtures
dealerships, we’ve done them all over the would never meet this standard, but the team THE CUSTOMER’S PERSPECTIVE
country for 25 years,” said Laundroche. “We are was able to get much more efficient T8 Cars are not the only items being sold at the
very familiar with corporate image programs. fluorescent fixtures approved. The fixtures new LaFontaine dealership; the family also
They are the rule and the structure that must provide comparable light when needed, but hopes to sell potential customers on new ways
be followed. Function and flow of the light sensors often deactivate them as natural to live out their lives in harmony with the world
dealership is critical and each specific brand light pours into the space from skylights. they share.
has their own ideas about where things should Innovative Solatubes also utilize a highly “His [LaFontaine’s] intent was to build a
be and what materials you can use. They have reflective inner lining to intensify sunlight green store, but what he really got was a green
usually done a lot of research to show why before transferring it into interior spaces. lifestyle,” said Laundroche. “It changed
everything needs to be a certain way.” In some cases, compromised solutions were everything.”
Fortunately, GM was very committed to the out of reach. The project team sought For observant customers, the LaFontaine
project. Instead of depending on what has solutions to mitigate the tremendous thermal difference will become apparent well before
been proven to work in the past, the gain radiating in from the crystal clear they set foot on the showroom floor. The
automaker was willing to consider new showroom walls, but darkening the glass or business is accented with attractive
approaches when they were endorsed by the adding sun louvers would have limited views landscaping like most automotive dealerships,
considerable knowledge and expertise of the of the cars inside. Still, the project team was but very little grass was used. The indigenous
project team. Lighting was a particularly able to realize sustainable benefits from the plants, perennials and drought-tolerant
thorny issue, because the project team had to unbendable standard by adding interior light groundcovers that were selected will
meet the 2004 ASHRAE Energy Standard shelves to maximize daylighting throughout drastically reduce water usage. When water is
needed for irrigation, it comes from runoff that
is naturally cleaned by bioswales before being
stored in a detention/retention pond.
Outdoor lighting might seem inefficient to
the untrained eye, as more fixtures were
installed than what is typically found on a
similar site. The project team actually realized
significant energy savings over the 1000-watt
fixtures that are commonly used by mounting
a larger number of 400-watt fixtures on shorter
poles. An added benefit of this approach is the
ability to select 100 percent cut-off fixtures
that result in zero footcandles at the property
line, much to the delight of local stargazers.
After entering either of the showrooms,
The LEED Gold dealership would have been even more green if sustainability goals had been visitors will pass by a greeter’s desk where they
identified earlier. Porous paving would have contributed to green goals while maximizing can request a tour of the building’s many green
onsite parking, but this realization came too late. features from a staff member who received

specific training for this task. Those opting

against this fascinating tour will get a second
chance to learn about the green lifestyle in the
customer lounge by pursuing the information
wall or by watching some of the informative
programming that alternates with
entertainment offerings on the many plasma
TV screens. Learning about the many green
features is never forced, as visitors can
enjoyably pass the time by watching the
impressive selection of fish in the 450-gallon
North American Dismantling Corp.
saltwater aquarium or by enjoying Internet INDUSTRIAL • COMMERCIAL • MUNICIPAL
access. Surveillance cameras even let parents
keep an eye on children in the play area while We Are A Complete Demolition Contractor &
they work out a deal.
The opportunities do not end with the Can Fulfill Any of Your Project Needs
customer lounge, as customer can visit a bistro
restaurant, coffee bar, boutique and nail and Complete & Selective Demolition • Structural Tipping
hair salon. The facility even features a state-of- Strip-Outs for Structural Renovation • Equipment Removal
the-art conference room that is available for
community use. The dealership undoubtedly
Site Cleanup • Implosions & Hazardous Waste Removal
benefits from word-of-mouth advertising from Latest Equipment • Highly Skilled Personnel
these unique amenities, but it is the green
flourishes that have most people talking. LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED
“I could have put all the money that I spent w w w. n a d c 1 . c o m
on going green into advertising, but I wouldn’t
have gotten nearly as much exposure, locally 3 8 0 L A K E N E P E S S I N G R D • P. O . B O X 3 0 7 L A P E E R , M I 4 8 4 4 6 - 0 3 0 7
and nationally, as I did by going green,” said
LaFontaine.
Toll Free
800-664-3697 • Fax 810-664-6053
Those who are in the market for a new
vehicle would do well to visit the LaFontaine
Buick-Pontiac-GMC-Cadillac Dealership and
experience The Family Deal. Whether they
leave with a new set of keys, or simply with a
better understanding of the family behind The
Family Deal, they should walk away satisfied.
Expert technicians can perform a “Green

Check” at the dealership to help customers
maximize fuel economy and performance.

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 74
Making the Desert

BlooM
BlooM Enchanting Changes at DTE Energy’s Downtown Campus
B y M a r y E . K r e m p o s k y, A s s o c i a t e E d i t o r • P h o t o g r a p h y b y J u s t i n M a c o n o c h i e
D
etroit turns into Oz at the corner of Bagley Avenue and
Third Street. Seven city blocks have undergone an
almost magical metamorphosis: old concrete streets are
now lined in striped bands of brick pavers; waterfalls
tumbling into quiet pools have replaced a wasteland of
gravel parking lots; and a condemned parking structure has given way
WELCOMING THE WORLD
DTE now welcomes Detroit and the world to its downtown campus
with a dramatic new “front door,” a 60-feet-high wall of canted glass in
the shelter of a cantilevered canopy stretching 165 feet across the
face of the Walker Cisler Building (WCB). This new front door, or porch,
provides the monolithic, uniform façade of the 24-story WCB with a
to a garden of sculpted earth mounds. Each grassy hill is encircled in defined entry portal clearly differentiated from the original building.
a rainbow of colored pavement – one is even a yellow brick road. The “The tower did have a nice base, but the front door was not apparent
stylized urban gardens now surrounding DTE Energy’s headquarters from a block away,” said Joel Smith, AIA, partner, Neumann/Smith
in downtown Detroit weave this once weary nine acres into a true Architecture, architect of record. “Our firm has a philosophy that
campus for the Fortune 500 company, as well as a phenomenal plaza originated with our founder, Ken Neumann, who believed that the
open to the city. front door of a building should always be apparent. Historically, our
“The former campus looked incredibly tired and shabby,” said work features distinctive entries.”
Lynne Ellyn, DTE’s senior vice president and CIO who spearheaded the A departure from the old building, the new addition is in harmony
project through all its phases. “It certainly did not represent our status with the new “front lawn.” Still pools of water float and shimmer across
as a Fortune 500 company. It was tragic, actually.” a plaza the size of an entire city block – a block once composed of a
Together, the keen talents of Neumann/Smith Architecture, drab concretion of parking lots and a street called Plaza Drive. The
Southfield, Grissim Metz Andriese Associates (GMA), Northville, and alchemy of water has converted this sea of parking into pools of
Walbridge of Detroit turned “tragedy” into harmony in the form of loveliness and filled this quadrant of the city with a new sound: the
three virtuoso landscapes, two inspired additions, and an elevated music of falling water. A fountain spillway – a series of three, square
bridge. The project team transformed DTE’s collection of disparate arches giving rise to three waterfalls – spans a pedestrian pathway
buildings into a corporate neighborhood, complete with a Town and the executive drive. The visitor drives under these broad arches
Square at the heart of it all. An open courtyard – a broad pancake of surrounded by water on both sides. The illusion of driving through
concrete trapped between three buildings – is now a vibrant water is a perception intentionally generated by the impoundment of
commons with 16 pyramid skylights and an expansive glass wall the pool about 8 inches above the roadway.
displaying the ornate façade of its next-door neighbor, a vintage 1928 Randall K. Metz, FASLA, vice president, principal in charge of design
office building. for GMA, landscape architect, and the late Ken Neumann, FAIA in one

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 75
of his last projects, worked together closely to

design the plaza as a grand introduction to
the DTE campus. “We wanted it to have a
sense of arrival,” said Metz. “We envisioned
the concept with the idea of the spillway
creating a dramatic outdoor gateway into the
property. The reflecting pools create a strong
sense of place. They identify the whole
complex to the world and to the city.”
The great sweep of shimmering water
meets the translucency of glass in the form of
the new addition’s canted glass wall. The
building and waterscape “join hands” in
oM
geometry and materials; the sight line flows
in an arc from fountain spillway to canopy,
both formed of the same strong, square
angles and both clad in silvery metal
composite panels. The division between
building and plaza blurs: the pool extends
under the canopy and the interior marble
reaches through the glass wall. Visitors walk a
path between two pools of water to reach the
main door marked by a marble panel.
Designed in tandem, plaza and lobby
together give the corporation a sense of
arrival and the community a sense of place.
“The plaza is a welcoming space that reaches
out and opens its arms to the community,”
said Smith. “Viewing the entrance to the
building across this plaza or forecourt is a
great way to address the city.
With a trio of cascading waterfalls, virtually
a small lake, and a wide “window” to view it
all, it is little wonder that a retiring Detroit
Edison President Robert Buckler personally
requested this open, airy and polished lobby
as the setting for his retirement party. Carlo
Arnini, AIA, NCARB, DTE senior project
manager, Facility Optimization – Facility
Design & Construction, recalls a comment of
business and civic leader, Roger Penske, at the
gala event: “He said, ‘I have a feeling we are
not in Detroit anymore.’”
As Construction Manager, Walbridge made
Light, water and stone seem to reach into

the interior of this grand new lobby (top).
The plaza’s still pool extends under the great
canopy and a wall of marble flows from the
exterior into the interior of this open, airy
and polished space.
Once the site of a condemned parking

structure, this space (right) was transformed
into a series of vegetated mounds, each
PHOTO BY DAVID ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY
rising in a circle of brightly colored

pavement. This “yellow brick road” can
be used as an exercise track leading to
different loops of interwoven rings, a quiet
place for conversing, or as seating for a
small, central amphitheater.

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 76
this early December event possible by changing Detroit into Oz one Added Ellyn, “The project was one of the highlights of my career. I
month ahead of schedule. “How often do you hear of a huge, manage large, complex projects all the time, although not in
complicated construction project being completed ahead of construction. I had the idea that this was going to be an uphill battle.
schedule?” said Ellyn. It was going to be late, and we were going to fight cost over runs.
DTE’s dream team has definitely delivered DTE’s dream campus. These things never occurred, plus we had a fabulous relationship with
“Neumann/Smith and GMA came back with concepts that were far all the providers.”
more exciting, innovative and in closer alignment with what we were
trying to achieve,” said Ellyn. “Walbridge came back with value A WISE INVESTMENT
engineering ideas, so that the project was affordable. The transformation from wasteland to wonderland began with
“There isn’t anybody on the executive committee or on our board DTE’s sale of 25 acres of surface parking to MGM Grand for the
of directors that isn’t just absolutely delighted with the campus construction of the casino’s new parking structure. Negotiations
transformation,” said Ellyn. “The enthusiasm for it is amazing. I think resulted in a coveted amenity for DTE employees: covered parking in
our leadership team is very proud when we have clients, investors and the new MGM facility during business hours. With funds in hand and
the remaining grid of surface parking no longer needed,
DTE was ready to invest in its dream campus. “I think it
was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Ellyn. “The
improvements were accomplished simply by diverting
funding from the sale of the land. In exchange, we were
able to provide something of high value to the
employees, to the corporation, and to the community.”
Part of DTE’s mission for this campus facelift – the
campus had not been upgraded in 35 to 40 years – was
to create a stronger sense of community within the
corporation by knitting together its “grab bag of
buildings,” including the WCB constructed in the 1970s, a
general office building originally constructed in 1928,
and a 1920s service building directly across from the
casino. “We also wanted to create a natural and beautiful
environment that enhanced the experience of the city,
represented our company well, and enabled employees
to feel more attachment to the company,” said Ellyn.
AGILE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

The new campus was designed in close consultation
with the entire team. “The design emerged from multiple
interactions between various team members,” said Ellyn.
“We also took concepts back to the executive committee,
the CEO, the CFO and the COO, asking them, ‘Does this fit
This remarkable project converted a grid of parking lots into a paradise of quiet
your vision?” We brought these different perspectives
pools and waterfalls. The wonderfully designed waterscape and lobby are a perfect
harmony of shimmering water and translucent glass. together into a cohesive whole. It was a very dynamic
but very positive process.”
Neumann/Smith and GMA employed sophisticated
visualization tools to translate concepts into
other visitors. They are pleased with the utility of the space, for we’ve understandable graphics. “We prepared elaborate videos and
used it in multiple ways. The effect on employee morale has been renderings, because many people at the levels we were presenting to
great.” could not read plans,” said Smith. “These visual tools of the trade kept
the project moving. This place was virtually built before we even
FLAWLESS PLANNING physically built it.”
Walbridge’s project management was as precise and elegant in its Walbridge entered the project in the middle of 2006 working
own way as the campus design. DTE buildings were fully occupied closely with Neumann/Smith throughout the entire project. Given
throughout the entire course of the three-year project managed by funding constraints, “We were trying to cater our entire design
Walbridge Project Director Terry Clemens and Walbridge Project concept to a certain budget,” said Smith.
Superintendent Jason Arsenault. Walbridge navigated a subterranean In conference rooms and boardrooms, incessant tweaking of the
obstacle course of underground utilities, hoisted steel trusses over budget, design and program continued throughout a project that was
and above a sensitive systems operation center, and reshuffled the essentially four projects in one, namely Town Square, the Campus, the
structural frame of the WCB tower’s second floor. The structural WCB lobby, and an elevated bridge. “Preconstruction never ended
analysis of Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, the West Bloomfield- until the last phase,” said Walbridge Senior Vice President and General
based structural engineering consultant, was pivotal to the project’s Manager – Commercial Group, Donald Greenwell, Jr., PE. “They were
success. finish-to-start type projects, meaning we would finish one and move
Both DTE and Neumann/Smith sing Walbridge’s praises for their to the next.”
management savvy. “I’ve worked on many projects in my 30-year In the field, unexpected discoveries in building structures with
career, and this was such a beautifully planned project,” said Smith. limited documentation, plus the site’s tangle of underground utilities,

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 77
continued to require close coordination BUILDING COMMON GROUND

between all parties. “The buildings on this The Town Square had humble beginnings.
campus are 40-plus years old,” said Stephen J. Originally, the space was an interior
Gedert, RA, LEED AP, principal/project courtyard, open to the weather and trapped
manager at Neumann/Smith Architecture. within the center of the campus matrix.
“The documentation was very limited. That Dubbed “the yard,” this virtually empty
made design difficult; it made construction a expanse of concrete was actually part of the
challenge. During construction, Jason roof of DTE’s Systems Operations Center
Arsenault became an archeologist. He was (SOC). Post-transformation, this rooftop is
making new discoveries on a daily basis. We now the vibrant hub of the corporation. A
worked with Walbridge and the trades to find system of open web trusses with 16 pyramid
new ways to make our design work with what skylights spans the opening, enclosing the
was found on site.” space and capturing natural light in a glass
shell. “An expansive wall of glass captures the
PROJECT LAUNCH: A NEW MORNING beauty of the old 1928 building and almost
COMMUTE resembles a wall mural,” said Smith. “Basically,
Building an enclosed bridge linking the this space was conceived as a winter garden.
MGM parking structure to DTE’s Service We wanted to let in as much light as we could,
Building launched the project. Because the and also bring some of the campus inside.”
new parking arrangement shifted the “Bringing the campus inside” was quite an
“morning commute” for the entire employee elaborate operation. Greenwell outlines the
base from the front to the back of the DTE task: “The SOC is the umbilical cord of DTE’s
complex, “Our core design goal was to create operations, and we had to lift long-spanned
reverse access to the building,” said Smith. trusses that provide column-free space
Walbridge coordinated its work with the directly over it and within a beehive of
construction of MGM Grand and its other buildings. It was perhaps the most well-
neighbors. “Each of the two main trusses of planned operation of the job, because of the
the 400-foot-long bridge were assembled in possible impact on DTE operations.”
three pieces on the ground and then lifted in Walbridge used a gravel lot – the site of the
one piece on a Sunday to minimize the future Butterfly and Peace Garden – as a lay
impact on traffic,” said Arsenault. down area for the trusses. A crane hoisted the
The 8,800-square-foot bridge is an steel, reaching almost 100 feet over a portion
elevated L-shaped promenade enclosed in a of the two-story SOC and across the rooftop
glass shell, offering DTE employees to pluck the trusses down in the middle of
protection from the weather and a wonderful Town Square, said Arsenault.
view of the Butterfly Peace Garden in DTE’s Desai/Nasr performed the structural
new backyard. “We thought the bridge analysis for Town Square. “Desai/Nasr did a
should be a very transparent thing, allowing yeoman’s job of analyzing the existing
employees to see the activity of the street structure,” said Smith. “The good news is
and enjoy the site while walking the bridge,” when this building was originally built it was
said Smith. Composite metal panels with a built very well, so we had a lot of capacity that
high-performance organic coating in a light we were able to reinforce to carry the long-
gray metallic finish complete the material span trusses, large loads and everything else
ensemble. “The bridge’s glass and metal that had to be placed on top of the existing
panels also established the material palette building.”
for the rest of the project, including the north Once the truss system was in place, DTE
face of the Service Building that was and Neumann/Smith elected to keep the
integrated with the bridge entrance,” added construction exposed for both its visual
Smith. appeal and value. “There were many design
The bridge did far more than determine schemes, one of which was an all-glass roof at
the project’s material cloak. With almost the one time, but we returned to an earlier
entire 2,500-person DTE staff pouring scheme for an exposed construction design,”
through this portal daily, the bridge created said Smith.
the opportunity for a new pathway through
the building complex, beginning with the INVISIBLE CONSTRUCTION
bridge, followed by a new corridor of mosaic- Arsenault listed strategies used to limit
tile clad curvilinear walls, and Town Square. noise and vibration in this sensitive work
The new access route ultimately inspired the zone: linking steel with Lejeune bolts
creation of Town Square, a perfectly situated designed to reduce vibration; installing
crossroads, cafeteria and corporate commons impact pads of composite plastic to form a
designed to take full advantage of this new cushioned roadway over the old courtyard;
pathway. and dissecting 8 to 10 heavy concrete

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 78
planters into smaller pieces as opposed to demolishing the step City coffee bar. Under an umbrella of glass and open web trusses, this
planters with high-impact jackhammers. “Vibration sensors were also 42,000-square-foot commons offers full wireless service and a varied
installed in the operations center and monitored on a regular basis,” menu of spaces, including four private enclosures for small meetings
added Arsenault. The sensors were especially crucial during extensive and an alcove of secluded workstations. This versatile venue can even
demolition of the old courtyard’s concrete floor slab. host gatherings of 700 people. “At last, we have the option to hold
Being “invisible” was quite a task during the revamping of the large-scale meetings in-house,” said Arnini.
arcade, a corridor skirting the perimeter of the old courtyard. Arcade “Town Square definitely promotes greater interaction among our
disparate employee groups to create community within our midst,”
added Ellyn. Town Square also includes an 8,000-square-foot outdoor
courtyard nestled between the glass wall and the vintage general
office building. The gentle sound of a fountain, coupled with
blooming plants, and striped brick pavers in alignment with the
pedestrian pathway of Second Avenue directly below, is one of many
links between landscaping and buildings in this cohesive campus.
This wonderful commons offers state-of-the-art communication
tools for creating corporate community. Town Square has been
designed for optimal acoustics obtained through its curvilinear
sidewalls, the canted angle of the glass wall, a computer-controlled
speaker system, and even fabric duct work that dispenses air silently
through hundreds of minute perforations in the fabric. This new
corporate crossroads enjoys a state-of-the-art audiovisual system,
including a 36-screen plasma array and theatrical lighting for presen-
tations and events.
EARTH SPIRALS AND RINGED MOUNDS

Walbridge began working on DTE’s “big backyard” at the north end
of the campus as soon as the steel trusses were uprooted from the
gravel. This experiment in topography has given rise to a sheltered
nest of earth called the Butterfly Peace Garden. The former roadway
of Second Avenue becomes a spiral pathway leading into this
peaceful enclave. “One can’t see into the garden at first,” said Richard
G. Houdek, ASLA, partner, GMA. “As the visitor enters the spiral
pathway the earth starts to build up out of the flat plane and
continues to increase in height. It draws you into the space.” WH
Canon Company, Romulus, was the landscape subcontractor for this
entire project.
This earth cradle is designed “to moderate the sound of the city,”
added Metz. This oasis is planted with coneflowers, yarrow, Russian
This aerial photograph reveals DTE’s amazing new campus of linked sage, and other butterfly-attracting plants. A small forest of white
buildings and three different landscapes: the front plaza with its pine sprinkles the hillside, bringing a touch of northern Michigan to
bands of river stone; the exercise garden resembling an abstract Detroit.
painting of colored rings; and the spiral of the Butterfly and Peace As a peace garden, the spiral pathway is lined with black granite
Garden in the background, as well as a glimpse of the Town Square curbing imprinted with the words, “May Peace Prevail” in 58 different
skylights and the connector link between MGM Grand and DTE. languages, including German, Arabic, and Zulu, as well as Braille, and
even the numbers of the binary code. Inclusive of the entire
sections were eliminated for installation of a full-service kitchen; community of life, the Peace Garden even has a granite paver marked
another stretch was closed and converted into storage. Before the with the tracks of deer, birds, dogs, and raccoons.
transition to the new access route, the old pathways still had to be DTE staff seeking a quiet lunch or a small impromptu meeting can
maintained during construction. “We had to keep the buildings all enjoy this tranquil garden equipped with moveable outdoor
connected, no matter what,” said Arsenault. “Maintaining traffic flow furniture. At the other end of DTE’s backyard is a sunken
and safety was the toughest part of the job.” amphitheater extending under the elevated bridge and used for
Walbridge maintained the cloak of invisibility by performing some concerts, barbeques, and other activities.
work in the evenings. However, floors demolished in the evening had “We wanted to enhance the lives of people who work at DTE,” said
to be temporarily replaced for the morning “commute” through the Metz. “We wanted to not only create a place that is a new image for
building interior. “We would demolish the floor and ceiling, and then DTE to the city, but it is also a setting that is enjoyable for all the DTE
the next morning have a walkway surface safe for use and a ceiling staff. We wanted to create a series of different spaces, including places
with temporary lighting,” said Arsenault. to sit by oneself, gather in a large group, exercise for fitness or just take
a stroll around the campus.”
A NEW CROSSROADS The southeast garden is an urban space like no other. GMA
The end result of this elaborate design, engineering and reshaped this blank canvas of earth into a series of vegetated mounds,
construction effort is a light-filled expanse with a 450-seat cafeteria, a each varied in height and diameter and each rising in a circle of
full service 6,500-square-foot kitchen, a convenience store and a Java brightly colored pavement. “When you enter, you can’t see the entire

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 79
garden at once,” said Metz. “As you walk “It was a step-by-step process even to on each player to remove a piece from a
around the space, it begins to unfold. Every remove the floor,” said Arsenault. “To avoid stacked tower of blocks and placing it on top
time you move around a curve, you can enjoy jeopardizing the structure, a great deal of without toppling the tower. Fortunately, the
a different view of these miniature reinforcing had to be put in place, followed by project team were very good players at this
mountains, if you will.” new steel installation. Once in place, game of rearranging the steel pieces of an
Viewed from the upper reaches of the DTE Desai/Nasr would conduct an inspection, and actual 24-story tower. “We did challenge the
tower, the mounds, encircled in colored rings if satisfied, we would proceed with structural engineers to tell us what we could
of pavement, resemble an abstract painting demolition.” safety carve away, because, as Ken so wisely
in an art museum. But this garden is no Arnini compares this careful procedure to quipped, ‘If the building falls down, you’re
painting on the wall. The space is an playing Jenga, the popular ‘80s game, calling fired,’ ” recalled Smith.
ingenious solution to inserting an exercise
track in a corporate campus with limited
space and innumerable security gates that
preclude a lengthy stretch of track. In this
ultimate place to jog, the rings of pavement
touch on key edges, creating a series of varied
circular pathways.
The garden also contains a small
amphitheater for informal presentations and
concrete seat walls blended into the surface
of the walkway system. Whatever the use,
every DTE employee can enjoy this
miraculous transformation of the urban
wasteland.
Beyond their beauty, these miniature
mountains saved a pile of money for the
project. The project’s excavated soils are now
part of the mounds, saving the cost of offsite
soil transport and disposal – a very
sustainable solution.
PLAYING JENGA
The last phase and crowning glory of the
project is the new front door and front lawn.
In building the WCB lobby, Walbridge ably
Next Generation Services Group
inc.
managed complex foundation and structural
challenges. Both the new lobby and the north
end of the pool are in the former path of Plaza
Drive with all the dense tangle of utilities Next Generation environmental, inc.
commonly beneath an urban roadway. “A
number of mains run beneath the area, and asbestos and lead abatement, envorinmental remediation,
we had to coordinate their re-routing or Specialty Coatings
vacating with many different agencies,” said
Arsenault.
The addition’s columns actually rest 21st Century Salvage, inc.
directly in the path of the old roadway.
“Footings and foundations were tightly industrial and Commercial Demolition,
coordinated,” said Arsenault. “As a Dismantling, Salvage and Strip Out
compliment to the design team, when we
came across these items their flexibility and
responsiveness helped the ever-changing
project reach completion.”
high tech industrial Services
Inserting the new lobby into the existing industrial Cleaning, Water Blasting, Duct Cleaning
tower was a tightly sequenced and
and Plant Decommissioning
coordinated undertaking. Walbridge started
selective interior demolition in January 2008
to avoid exposing the building to winter Charlie MartiN cmartin@ngsg1.com
weather, said Arsenault. Walbridge began 10750 Martz road
President Ypsilanti, Mi 48197
heavy demolition in March, a task demanding
a systematic, precise sequence of Ph: 734.485.4855
reinforcement, structural analysis and Fax: 734.485.6959
demolition.

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:56 PM Page 80
ROTH Walbridge also had to maintain a safe

environment and access routes for DTE staff.
spillway do not break the surface of the
water. “They intentionally drop into three
Construction “Demolition was often shifted to the pits, so the water remains still and reflective,”
Consulting Services afternoon and evening to minimize
disruption to DTE,” said Arsenault.
said Metz. “The pits are also part of a
recycling system to continually re-circulate
xDispute Avoidance Program This final project phase also was a game of the water.”
xReal Time Dispute Resolution design Jenga, meaning the project team An 800-square-foot mechanical equipment
xDispute Review Board scaled back the lobby addition to fit the center is also hidden below the plaza, the
budget while preserving the spirit of the only telltale sign of its presence is a barely
xInitial Decision Maker
design. “The lobby went through a rigorous visible hatch opening in the brick pavers. This
xProject Neutral
value engineering process,” said Greenwell. lovely lake also has a hidden function as a
xExposure Analysis As one alteration, the glass curtain wall vehicle barrier for the building. “We didn’t
xTechnical Expert Coordination system shifted from a want the look and feel
xClaims Preparation and full to a partial of a fortress,” said
Presentation Pilkington system. Ellyn. “The pools
xClaims and Litigation Consulting “We installed the balance the need for
xContract Surety Claims Pilkington system in security with the
xTroubled Project Support the lower half where it feeling of being part
xDemonstrative Exhibits has the most impact, of the city.”
xArbitration & Mediation Services and used a standard Construction of
curtain wall in the less this aquatic nirvana in
Contact: visible upper half,” said the heart of Detroit
Jeffrey W. Roth Greenwell. Value consumed six to eight
Robert M. Roth Jr., P.E. engineering also months alone with
reduced the number underground utilities
248.583.1221 of the plaza’s square greatly complicating
www.rothassocpc.com arches, affectionately the installation.
called staples, from Walbridge discovered
five to three without surprises throughout
detracting from the the entire campus,
design intent. ranging from an
unexpected
STILL WATERS RUN basement slab
Sunlight pours into the new Town Square, a
DEEP vibrant commons with 16 pyramid
extending in front of
The design and skylights and an expansive glass wall the 1928 office
construction team displaying the ornate façade of its next- building to the
attended to every door neighbor, a vintage 1928 office discovery of the lack
detail of this elegant building. of infrastructure to
plaza. Prominent handle water after
bands of brown and gray river stone lend the demolition of the condemned parking
pool a pleasing appearance even in the structure. GMA’s site design tried to take such
Commercial / Industrial winter when the water is drained. GMA underground dragons into account by
employed a fascinating strategy to maintain building above existing utilities. For this
Painting & Wallcovering the Zen-like stillness of this 26,000-square- reason, planting areas are raised above grade
foot reflecting pool. In an aquatic version of a in two-foot high segmental precast concrete
raised access floor, the river stones rest on a planters, and new brick and concrete pavers
Outstanding Quality Service fiberglass reinforced plastic grate supported
by raised pedestals. Only two inches of water
are installed directly on top of the original
roadways. Soulliere Decorative Stone, Utica,
Family Owned For 20 Years are actually visible above the stones in this installed all the pavers and retaining walls.
1.5-foot-deep pool. This strategy makes the GMA decommissioned the streets,
striped banding of stones more visible and converting 30-foot-wide streets to more
maintains the water’s stillness. intimate 20-foot-wide pedestrian pathways.
23433 Hoover Road “We wanted the appearance of the water “By keeping the basic urban grid of streets,
to remain still, but yet we needed movement we retained the urban context, but also
Warren, MI 48089 to keep the water clean,” said Houdek. “The preserved access for utilities and emergency
pool’s circulation and piping system is vehicles,” said Metz. GMA filled the entire
Ph: (586) 755-0055 mounted to the concrete slab of the pool campus with blooming perennials and about
Fax: (586) 755-6870 floor. Invisible, but highly functional, the
piping layout directs the water movement,
700 trees, both for beauty and to camouflage
the security perimeter fencing.
www.detroitspectrum.com moving the water below, but not disturbing
the water surface above the grates.” THE 20-SECOND TEST
The three waterfalls cascading from the The project team tackled a complex roster

SI 74-81 DTE_Nov 10/5/09 2:57 PM Page 81
The dramatic, 60-foot-tall “front door” of the new lobby welcomes

visitors and clients to the headquarters of this Fortune 500 company.
Banded pavement, along with quiet pools, form DTE’s new “front
lawn.”
of challenges to deliver this magnificent campus to DTE and to

Detroit. “The front entrance is our face to the world,” said Ellyn. “All of
our aspirations as a company are contained in its appearance. We
wanted it to be beautiful and welcoming, as well as practical and MARSHALL SALES, INC.
useable. We had this vision that within 20 seconds of walking in our
front door you would have a sense of DTE as a vibrant, expansive, and Your preferred choice for fasteners since 1956
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The new DTE campus and new lobby certainly passes this test with
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flying colors. The interior is an ensemble of elegantly veined Carrara
Gold Select marble, Tahitian Brown granite, and an Anegre wood
ceiling.
The lobby can be viewed as a cantilever within a cantilever. Similar
to the exterior canopy, the second-floor conference room partially
cantilevers into the lobby, offering an extraordinary vista of both the
ringed garden and the reflecting pool. As an optical illusion, the front
of the conference room seems to project into the waterscape.
“Conceptually it seems like you are in the prow of a boat looking out
across a broad panorama,” said Smith. “This was one of Ken’s favorite
parts of the project. The front of the conference room offers a wide
vista, yet the frosted glass on the back of the conference room offers
the privacy needed for an executive meeting.”
This amazing campus revitalization also included renovation of
existing interior space, including 31,500 square feet of the WCB
interior, creating an entirely new conference center and other
revitalized spaces.
DTE, Neumann/Smith Architecture, GMA, and Walbridge have
created a truly remarkably magical place in the heart of the Motor
City. At DTE’s Auto Show gala held in the new lobby and in the Town Your Full Line Fastener Source for Brands You Know and Trust
Square, “Our guests were just enchanted,” said Ellyn. Enchanted is a DETROIT l KALAMAZOO
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campus of wonderful spaces.

SI 82-87 Doubletree_FortShelby 82-87 10/5/09 2:14 PM Page 82

is never assured in any business
Success venture, but investors can certainly tip

the scale in their favor by creating a
product that matches the needs of potential customers. Doubletree
Guest Suites Fort Shelby stands out as a stellar example of this. The
familiar landmark, built in two phases completed in 1916 and 1927, was
an obvious candidate for renovation with its eye-catching design and
location within walking distance of Detroit’s Riverfront and Central
Business District. Even so, the building will compete for attention in a
crowded hotel market, so an early project goal was to differentiate the
Fort Shelby from the competition.
Conventions are a lucrative draw for any architectural history also help to set the Fort
city, but conventioneers often need access to Shelby apart. Carving out the building’s own
sophisticated communications equipment to unique place in Detroit’s business landscape,
make their events global in our rapidly required the skills and experience of a
shrinking world. Membership in the dedicated project team led by design build
International Association of Conference contractor L.S. Brinker Co., Detroit, and
Centers (IACC) serves as an impartial yardstick designer and architect of record Hobbs +
upon which to measure the suitability of a Black Associates, Inc., Ann Arbor.
conference center. Membership in IACC
entails operating in compliance with a A SOLID START
Universal Criteria that evaluates the The first section of the building at Lafayette
conference center design, technology, and Avenue and First Street was designed by
guest rooms, among other things. The Fort Chicago-based Schmidt, Garden and Martin
Shelby is one of a very small number of and built in 1916. This 10-story building with
publicly available IACC-member conference a full basement graced the easternmost
centers. portion of the site alone until a taller addition,
An all-suite hotel design, luxurious designed by Detroit’s own Albert Kahn, was
residential apartments and a rich erected in 1927. Both structures shared a
The beautifully restored Finn &

Porter restaurant offers fresh
seafood, prime steaks and creative
regional sushi.

basic architectural harmony, but this was walk down the street now, because this is established, attention shifted onto
achieved through two very different bringing the community back.” developing a team in which a similar measure
structural systems, the first being cast-in- Moten speaks from experience. The former of faith could be placed. Moten’s familiarity
place reinforced concrete, while Kahn’s development chief for Mayor Coleman Young with Detroit contractors placed one firm at
creation was a hybrid steel-frame and has been involved in countless successful the top of the list.
concrete structure. projects, including the renovation of Detroit’s “We interviewed various construction
Purchased by the Albert Pick Hotels chain Fox Theater. Still, his expertise would only companies and we selected L.S. Brinker,” he
and renamed the Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel in carry him so far. Before he could proceed, he said. “They aren’t one of the biggest players,
1951, the stately structure accommodated needed to know if the structure itself could but we had a lot of confidence in them and
guests until 1973. The building’s last tenant, a be saved. they had plenty of experience with interior
bar, closed in 1998. Shortly thereafter, a new “The process begins with understanding design. I knew a couple of people at the firm,
type of “guest” descended on the structure, the building’s ‘bones,’” said Burroughs. “We and I knew of Larry Brinker. He has a good
albeit an unwelcome one. make a quick assessment whenever we walk name in the community as a contractor and
PHOTO BY TIM ATEN OF FUTURAMIC MEDIA.

The building’s upper floors were converted into residential apartments, each with a fabulous view of the city below.
“When you first walked in, the building was into an old building; is it stable enough to he brought in a lot of trust, integrity and
in terrible shape; there was an extensive support what is being proposed? We look at competency.”
amount of water damage and evidence of the perimeter skin, the existing structural grid Working with a building and a team that
years of vandalism,” explained Robb and the exterior and interior openings. If the were equally solid, the architect turned his
Burroughs, AIA, vice president of Hobbs + ‘bones’ don’t work, the project will fail.” attention on fitting all of the desired
Black. “I don’t think there was a shred of According to Burroughs, the years that had elements into the existing structure.
copper left. The building had been been so unkind to the finishes at the Fort
desecrated by time, a lack of love, and sheer Shelby may have actually played a role in MAKING THINGS FIT
vandalism.” preserving the structure for future The original 1916 building that now forms
To a large degree, the condition of the generations. The principles of structural a portion of the Doubletree Guest Suites Fort
surrounding area mirrored what was found engineering were not as thoroughly Shelby featured two internal light-wells
inside the Fort Shelby. Optimism might be understood at the time of the design as they subdividing every floor above the third. This,
hard to come by in this type of environment, are today, so engineers compensated for this plus the windows on the buildings perimeter,
but a positive attitude was needed to see lack of precision by factoring in a level of allowed natural light into all rooms, even the
opportunities beneath the gloom. redundancy within the design. Once the ones that faced towards the center of the
“The neighborhood was desolate, because damaged finishes had been swept aside at building. Though considered luxurious at the
of this building,” said Emmett S. Moten, Jr., a the Fort Shelby, the project team was left with time, these rooms were quite small by
principal with MCP Investment, LLC, one of a sturdy structural system that was modern standards, much smaller than the
five partners with Fort Shelby Development, functionally intact. approximate minimum of 500-square-feet
LLC, Detroit, which owns the facility. “People After confidence in the structure had been currently offered by every guest suite.

Knitting these larger rooms into the existing of the unique design opportunities needed paper without the effort of many talented
structural system emerged as a key project to accommodate this configuration in an hands.
challenge. attractive fashion. The task of weaving new
“The structural bay spacing was roughly elements into the existing structure did not MAKING THINGS WORK
20-feet on center,” said Burroughs. “We end with guest suites. As with many construction projects, a
wanted to maximize the number of units “Quite a few soffits were dropped to demanding schedule emerged as a key
from an economic standpoint, so we were accommodate mechanical systems,” said challenge at the Fort Shelby. Renovation
very strategic about crafting them into each Burroughs. “We put the conference center work adds a fair amount of uncertainty into
bay, so we could ring the entire perimeter of with the building’s most intense assembly the equation; forcing contractors to make
every floor plate with units.” functions on the second floor, where we had precise time estimates without knowing
Two units were fit into each structural bay. some of the tightest floor to floor conditions. exactly what work will be required. When
The long, yet fairly thin rooms that resulted We had to be very creative to fit everything in, unanticipated conditions spring up,
from this approach left no room for including all of the systems coming down construction managers need to find time in
additional units on the other side of the hall,
which would have faced into the light wells of
the original structure. Having no more need
for this natural light source, the light wells
were filled in with a continuous floor plate on
each floor that accommodates a relocated
central elevator core to serve hotel guests, as
well as a variety of back-of-house functions
critical to the functioning of a hotel property.
The building’s robust structure supported the
additional load, and the new elevators
facilitate an efficient flow of traffic between
the building’s conference facilities at the
basement, first and second floors, and the
guest rooms on floors three through ten. The
remaining bank of existing elevators now
serves residential apartments in the upper
levels of the Kahn portion of the building.
Each hotel suite is directly accessed from
the main corridor through a living room that
is separated from the bedroom by a core
space that houses bathrooms and sinks. This
configuration ensures an exterior view from
every bedroom and also provides some
distance between the living and sleeping
areas, thereby letting night owls peacefully
cohabitate in the same unit with those who Each suite features a living room that is separated from the bedroom by a core space that
prefer turning in early. The dedication of a houses bathrooms and sinks. This ensures an exterior view from every bedroom and also
central core configuration likewise provides some distance between the living and sleeping areas, letting night owls peacefully
cohabitate in the same unit with those who prefer turning in early.
accommodated vertical stacking of
mechanical and plumbing systems, affording
an efficient strategy for coordinating and from the roof and the plumbing stacks the schedule to accommodate it. This often
installing vertical systems throughout the coming up from below. We had building entails speeding up other portions of the
building. systems and building elements coming from work.
Even though every suite embodies the every direction that you could imagine.” “We kept pushing,” said Thomas Simko, vice
same basic floor plan elements, each unit The functional conference facility is a president of operations for L.S. Brinker Co.
features a completely unique design. Exterior testament to design ingenuity. Despite the “That was really all we could do. The design
window opening and structural elements compressed spaces indicative of the existing group worked with us to prioritize our
often dictated small changes to individual conditions, the project team managed to schedule.”
room configurations. A fair amount of bring in all of the mechanical and electrical Both the hotel and apartment sections of
creativity was needed to develop individual support typically needed for 21,000 square the project were phased to generally start at
suite plans and locate walls to work around feet of flexible meeting space, two ballrooms, the top and work down. The building was
existing conditions. In certain instances, 17 breakout rooms and a staffed business literally gutted down to the structural
interior walls had to be slightly adjusted center, along with sophisticated data cabling elements, with the exception of the protected
where they intersected the exterior walls due that provides unsurpassed access to the historic elements, which created a large
to the existing window openings. Burroughs entire world. The creative design that was amount of debris that needed to be dropped
coined the descriptive, if tongue-in-cheek, needed for the conference center extended a considerable distance.
phrase “consciously-designed window out into every inch of the building. Of course, “When you drop concrete, brick, and
treatment valence pockets” to describe some the best-laid plans would merely be ink on plaster 22 stories, the material disintegrates

as it comes down,” said Simko. “As it disinte- construction of that floor.” performance was well above average, an
grates, it creates dust.” Instructions to strip the building down to accomplishment Simko attributes to having a
Demolition contractor D-21, Detroit, its structural elements gave D-21 a pretty full-time safety representative onsite and
employed a variety of techniques to keep easy roadmap to follow in most places. extensive pre-task planning.
dust under control. The existing elevator Workers rarely needed to worry about going Elements found inside the completed
shaft, for example, housed equipment that to far and removing something that was structure were also carefully planned out to
provided steady transportation between slated for refurbishing. In spite of this appeal to a wide variety of users.
floors for years, but these items were advantage, D-21 crews coped with the
removed to accommodate a one-way trip to realization that they would drive the A DETROIT DRAW
ground level during the demolition process. schedule during the earliest phases of the Whether people are traveling or looking for
a place to call home, the Fort Shelby provides
plenty of reasons to consider Detroit as a
destination. Visitors are exposed to residual
pieces of the building’s architectural legacy
upon their first steps inside. The unique style
of the original structures is on display within
the lobby. The design team sought to retain
and restore as much of the original vitality
and character of these spaces as possible,
though the original lobby configuration and
architectural elements had been ravaged by
time. The contemporary entry canopy on
Lafayette welcomes visitors into the lobby
space, which matches the essence of the
original configuration in scale, shape and
materials. A second entry, part of the original
1916 building, provides direct access to the
restaurant and lobby bar areas. The style of
both original structures is on full display
throughout the lobby, where even some of
the irreplaceable gold fleck tile from the
original structure was cleaned and left in
place on the floor. One end of the lobby is
anchored by the original marble clad
monumental stairway that extends from the
basement to the third floor. Surrounding
areas likewise feature elements of the original
The ornate plaster designs that graced this ceiling could not be salvaged, but painstaking
marble detailing.
efforts were taken to replicate the work on a two-dimensional canvas. The lower portion of the lobby ceiling
encapsulates a two-story steel truss
contained in the 1927 addition, which makes
Using the shaft as a makeshift trash chute project. Many contractors were lined up to for a clear dividing line between the two
kept most dust contained inside the building. start working in spaces as soon as demolition structures. The ornate steel structure clearly
Sending all the material down the elevator work was complete. speaks to the brilliance of Kahn, but it
shaft was not feasible, so the DustBoss® BD- Any unforeseen structural issues could unfortunately had to be covered up to
30 was used to control dust outside the jeopardize the schedule and perhaps even comply with modern fire code requirements.
building’s confines. This oscillating ducted the viability of the project. Fortunately, there The foray into Detroit’s rich history doesn’t
fan keeps dust down with a high pressure were few of these, but one example end at the check-in desk. The Motor City
misting system. Even though it is one of the summarizes the unknown variables takes center stage in each guest room.
smaller DustBoss offerings, the machine has associated with old structures. The infiltration Photos were carefully selected to highlight
sufficient output to cover 5,500 square feet. of water over a number of years seriously local landmarks, and some rooms even
Even the extensive area covered by the degraded six-stories of full-height column on contain benches with seats cleverly
DustBoss filled up quickly, given the large the building’s west elevation. The project fashioned out of automotive seatbelts. Other
amount of material that was removed from team needed to devise a way to facilitate a room amenities include nine-foot ceilings,
the building. complete repair of this structural element 37” flat panel TVs, and in-room safes large
“Except for a few historical finishes on the without compromising the planned enough for laptop computers to
lower levels, all of the ceilings, interior walls, completion date. The team devised a plan to accommodate business travelers.
mechanical and electrical items, and plaster encapsulate the damaged portions of the As they venture out of their rooms, guests
finishes came out,” said Keith Miller, existing column inside a new structural have the opportunity to take advantage of
operations manager for D-21. “The building concrete enclosure, affording a timely and the building’s many public spaces. A fitness
was stripped out. When you walked onto a effective resolution to this critical issue. In center, well positioned to offer attractive
floor, you were standing on the original spite of this unplanned work, safety exterior views, is available for residents and

hotel guests. The hotel’s main ballroom also provide an urban living option that had been Ambassador Bridge or COBO Center serves as
offers a palatable blend of new and refinished lacking in Detroit. a sure reminder that the Fort Shelby is pure
details. The proscenium arch is original, but “The penthouses remind me of a Detroit. The spirit of countless automotive
trim in the space includes original marble Manhattan lifestyle,” said Dana Farrell, innovators also echoes in the dauntless effort
right next to modern faux-painted wood so residential manager for Fort Shelby Tower and boundless creativity of the entire team
perfectly matched that Burroughs himself Apartments. that made the project possible. Projects like
had to rap his hand on it to determine the Sophisticated surroundings and classy the Fort Shelby are fueled by the optimism
material type. The ceiling above is completely service might seem more reminiscent of that has powered Detroit in the past and will
new, but the artistry of the original ornate another location, but a quick glance of the propel the city into the future.
plaster designs that graced the three barrel
vaults can still be appreciated.
“From a cost perspective, it would have
been impossible to recreate the ceiling in its
original, ornate plaster state, but one of our
historic consultants devised a way of creating
a reconstructed image on wallpaper,” said
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Burroughs. “This method gave us a manner to
depict what the ceiling looked like without
literally recreating it.”
The few remaining sections of the original
were photographed, documented and traced,
then meticulously painted and drawn on
canvas offsite by an artist. These canvasses
were then installed directly over the
reconstructed barrel vaults. The end result of
this painstaking work comes as close to the
original as a two-dimensional representation
can. Working in three dimensions was simply
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SI 88-95 Providence Park:Nov 10/12/09 3:36 PM Page 88
Placing Your Trust in Divine
Providence
PHOTO BY MICHAEL COLLYER PHOTOGRAPHY
B Y M A R Y E . K R E M P O S K Y, A S S O C I A T E E D I T O R
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM ARBAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND MICHAEL COLLYER PHOTOGRAPHY
The Providence Park Hospital planning team toured healthcare
P
rovidence Park Hospital may have found the cure for white coat
syndrome, the infamous spike in blood pressure some facilities across the country to select the best practices in patient care
experience at the doctor’s office or at the mere sight of a and safety. As one of the pioneers in outpatient care in the early ‘90s, this
physician’s white coat. At Providence Park, quality design forward-thinking institution has now assembled one of the most
converts sterile hospital white into a calming presence. The interior advanced “care packages” available. At Providence Park, every patient
palette of white and neutral tones, its wood accents, and sweeping room is acuity adaptable, meaning a single room can accommodate the
organic curves puts patients and visitors at ease in this new house of full spectrum and the highest level of care. This approach dramatically
healing in Novi. Blessed with abundant windows, the light-filled lobby improves patient safety, because the patient can remain in the same
with a view of an outdoor pond garden sets the tone for a hospital room throughout their hospital stay regardless of alteration in health
formed by two guiding principles: serenity and patient safety. status.

SI 88-95 Providence Park_Nov 10/5/09 2:58 PM Page 89
“The average patient moves to a different room about four to six best in patient care, safety, and comfort. In 1999, Providence joined the
times per hospital stay,” said Jean Meyer, RN, MSN, president of St. John Health System, and by 2005 they were ready to create a building
Providence Park Hospital, a member of the St. John Health System able to house these healthcare innovations, applying these features
(SJHS). “Every time a patient moves, the risk of error increases through facility-wide versus the more common practice of inserting advances
patient handoffs, communication issues or medication changes.” only in select units.
While other hospitals have some acuity adaptable units, Providence In this new hospital paradigm, gone are nurse call buttons, overhead
Park is “one of the only hospitals we know of that is completely acuity pagers, and alarms. At Providence Park, the amazing Vocera technology
adaptable,” said Meyer. “I know of just a few others that are moving - a small, wireless device worn on the lapel or around the neck with a
towards this model of care.” lanyard - allows individual nurses to communicate directly with their
With such an ambitious program and a vision for a high-quality patients and with other staff. Providence has fully integrated this
facility, SJHS needed a construction management team with proven technology to promote a quiet environment for healing and recovery.
mastery at managing the budget. Barton Malow Company, Southfield Surreal as the Starship Enterprise, tapping and speaking into the
and White Construction, Detroit fit the bill and proved the perfect joint Vocera device allows hospital personnel to locate a specific person
venture team for managing construction of this 500,000-square-foot within the building. The Vocera will locate the person and will reply
hospital. verbally with the exact room number or department.
Barton Malow and White Construction interviewed separately as part If a patient “codes” or is in life-threatening distress, a nurse’s simple tap
of a master contractors solicitation program in 2004. Both firms deeply and command to Vocera will alert and immediately dispatch an entire
impressed SJHS and the Providence Park team. “Providence then asked team to the bedside. Cardiac patients are also linked electronically to a
us to consider coming together,” said W. Bernard White, PE, president of central cardiac telemetry room. “Patients in any room of the hospital - as
White Construction.“Barton Malow was extremely gracious in accepting well as corridors used for transport - can be remotely monitored in a
us on their team.” central telemetry station 24/7,” said Meyer.
Barton Malow/White Construction officially joined the project in
2005, bringing this innovative healthcare facility out of the ground and
keeping both budget and schedule on track. “Barton Malow/White has
excellent pre-construction services that allow an owner to make
informed decisions very early in the project,” said Richard Abbott,
Providence’s director of corporate real estate & construction. “They can
tweak a budget, but leave in what is meaningful.” For Providence Park
Hospital, the list of meaningful elements included preserving the full
square footage of this massive building, retaining all of the proposed
shell space, and remaining true to its mission of patient safety in the
form of providing hospital-wide acuity adaptable rooms.
Barton Malow/White delivered the hospital’s maximum program
through the use of design assist, trade management partnerships, cost
control logs, and good old-fashioned teamwork. The budget even
withstood a hurricane. “Savings gained throughout the course of the
project offset the escalation in commodity prices triggered by Hurricane
Katrina,” said David Martin, Barton Malow project director.
This orchestration of budget strategies resembled watching a team of
skilled surgeons perform a difficult procedure through the window of
an operating room observation suite. The skilled team for this seven-
story, $241 million dollar hospital included: Barton Malow/White; the
Columbus, Ohio office of NBBJ, an architectural firm with national and
international experience in healthcare; Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., a
Bloomfield Hills civil engineering firm that played a pivotal role in the
timely acquisition of the necessary permits from the City of Novi and
other entities; and Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Inc., the Columbus-
based mechanical, electrical and structural engineer.
For over three years, the team met in a “huddle,” planning, budgeting
and building this mammoth facility. Actual construction began with a
blizzard in November 2005; the project ended with the birth of the
hospital’s first new baby on Sept. 5, 2008 - the first day of full hospital
operations. “We were all sitting in our morning huddle when we heard
the news,” recalled Robert Hausler, Barton Malow project manager. “It
was a surreal feeling, having been on the project throughout its
construction, and then to hear the first baby was born shortly before 10
am on opening day.”
A PRESCRIPTION FOR PATIENT SAFETY

Providence had dreamed of building an inpatient, acute-care hospital
on its Novi campus since its first state application for beds in 1989. Years An atrium curtain wall draws natural light into waiting areas arrayed
of planning, touring and analyzing had produced a blueprint for the along the full height of this five-story expanse.

Providence has also implemented a state-of-the-art wireless rupted power supply system allowing the hospital to operate for a
pediatric security system. “Every child and baby under our care wears a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 72 hours off the grid. “We can also
HUGS badge to keep track of their location,” said Steven La Belle, start shedding some non-critical areas to sustain operations longer,” said
Providence project manager, design & construction. La Belle.
Providence’s blueprint for patient safety includes nursing alcoves
placed between every two patient rooms throughout the 200-bed A WHOLE NEW BEGINNING
hospital. The alcoves, complete with computer stations for documen- In turning these innovations into bricks and mortar, Providence
tation and windows for patient observation, bring nurses virtually to the Park wanted a building expressing the advances within. “The easiest
bedside of every patient. “It is essentially a decentralized type of nursing approach would have been to bolt on the next piece of the hospital to
the existing facility and create a building with a
similar appearance,” said Abbott. “But we
wanted this facility to make a statement. It is
not just an addition; this hospital is a whole new
beginning.”
NBBJ was commissioned to prepare a
master plan for the entire campus in 2002 and
to design a signature facility for this “next-
generation” hospital. The new facility’s bold
sweep of glass curtain wall with portions
covered by wood panels, porcelain tile, and
metal cladding is an abrupt break from the
predominately brick campus. This contem-
porary building rises from a two-story base and
opens into separate wings, giving the overall
structure the shape of a bent H with each side
curving in opposite directions.
Beyond making a statement, Providence
PHOTO BY TOM ARBAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Park wanted to create a serene environment for
patients and visitors. As a calming element, the
building does not appear as a monolithic and
intimidating “big-box hospital.” Stretching the
building into wings conceals the true expanse
of this 500,000-square-foot structure. “We
The lobby is an introduction to an interior containing an extensive use of wood, stone tile and wanted something that wasn’t too imposing on
neutral colors, all designed to evoke a calm, serene atmosphere. the site,” said Abbott. “The configuration breaks
up the building mass, so you are only seeing
model as opposed to one central station,” said Meyer. small areas of geometry at a time as you approach the building.”
Each alcove has a companion supply closet stocked with 100 of the NBBJ strategically placed expanses of tile and wood (actually a
most commonly used items in clinical care. “Studies show that about 40 bakelite panel of thin wood veneer impregnated with resin for
percent of a nurse’s time is spent ‘hunting and gathering’ for various ultraviolet and weather resistance) over the curtain wall. At the main
items,” said Meyer. “Placing these items close to the patient improves entry, “the wood paneling is the foreground material and is kept low on
patient care and the efficiency of clinicians. the façade where it can be experienced as you approach the facility,”
said NBBJ senior associate, Karl R. Schantz, AIA. “The wood is very warm
THE BUILDING AS CLINICIAN and goes through many changes in color as the day progresses. It is
At Providence Park, the building is an integral part of the healthcare only 14 percent of the exterior, but it makes the biggest impression.”
team. The use of double corridors and separate elevators – one serving The wood is in harmony with the serenity of this beautifully wooded
the public and the other patients and staff – presents a calm public campus and its duck-filled ponds. The tile and wood panels are placed
environment and preserves patient privacy. The team adopted this at highly visible locations, such as the Grand River Avenue façade and
practice after visiting the Disney Institute, a professional business one facing a peaceful pond garden in the center of campus, said
development organization that has worked with innumerable Fortune Schantz. Functionally, the wood and tile serve as a rain screen with
100 companies in developing innovative business practices. curtain wall backup. “It is a two-layer barrier system with the outer layer
Providence Park held user meetings with its own physicians and staff. acting as an initial screen to shed the rain,” said Hausler. “The back or
Planning took place in the midst of the SARS epidemic and the infamous second layer serves as the building’s complete air and vapor barrier.”
collapse of the power grid across an entire swath of the country in 2004. Each building face is a varied tableau of the same elements, namely
This inspired the planning team to plan for a pandemic by isolating the glass, ceramic tile, wood, and metal siding. Less costly metal siding is
emergency, radiology and pediatric departments from the rest of the placed at the uppermost levels as a cladding for the mechanical
hospital. “The air is not entrained back into other areas of the hospital,” penthouse, while glass fiber reinforced concrete or faux limestone forms
said Abbott. “These self-contained areas are under negative pressure part of the building base and entrance canopies. Two types of glass and
and have 100 percent outside air and exhaust.” The Emergency two colors of spandrel glass complete this diverse building enclosure.
Department and the entire hospital also have all-private rooms. “We chose the colors and glass types carefully and pixilated the curtain
As a lesson learned from the power grid collapse, Providence Park wall, so it wouldn’t resemble a monolithic, all-glass office building or a
purchased a generous amount of generator capacity and an uninter- box with punched openings,” said Schantz. “We even built a box at our

office to test the glass and spandrel color combinations. We also painted
dozens of spandrel panels to select the correct colors.”
MAKING THE DREAM POSSIBLE

The project team began turning the dream of this new facility into a tangible
- and affordable - reality in meeting rooms, in BIM cyberspace, and in the field.
First, Barton Malow/White estimated a set of ephemeral concepts, using its
detailed historical database to create a cost model estimate in the
programming phase and a basic project budget in schematic design.
Budget-wise, Barton Malow/White gave Providence a sense of what is
possible. “We gave them different variations, such as the cost for a 225-bed
versus a 200-bed hospital,” said Martin. “We did cost studies to determine what
the additional cost was for completing an acuity adaptable room. We also
analyzed the difference in cost between an inboard patient toilet versus an
outboard patient toilet.”
Converting a concept into dollars is a swift and accurate enterprise, because
of the extensive database built over time and based on the cost control log
maintained for every project. Like the medical monitors surrounding a patient’s
bedside, the cost control log continually evaluates the fiscal health of a project.
“It aids in prioritizing, updating, and acknowledging what can either be
removed or added to the project’s budget,” said Hausler.
Barton Malow/White’s cost control log also “gives the owner the necessary

tools to make the right decisions more swiftly,” said Martin. “We were coming
back to the table in a matter of days with different revisions and adjustments to
Expanses of wood veneer (right) are placed low on the façade as a warm and
comforting “greeting” to hospital visitors.
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the estimate.” Trade management partnerships with the three to six months to redesign it and then
Other power tools in the budgetary tool belt mechanical, electrical and plumbing rebid the project, delaying the start of
included the use of design assist and trade contractors also shaved $2.3 million from the construction. It really does make sense to have
management partners. Even before budget. These trade partners were brought on a construction manager engaged in the
completion of design development drawings, board at 60 to 70 percent completion of process early in the conceptual stage, working
the project team tapped the expertise of some construction documents. “Historically, these with the architect and owner. The project
design assist contractors: Contract Glaziers, trade contractors operate behind the scenes in issues are understood better. Plus, it is a great
Inc., the Detroit-based curtain wall contractor, confirming pricing and estimating,” said deal less adversarial than a lump sum bid
situation.”
All of these strategies paid off when the
Category 5 winds of Hurricane Katrina began
howling across the Gulf of Mexico and
shearing away pieces of the Gulf Coast. “Given
escalating prices from Katrina and a local
commodity shortage, absent the tools used by
NBBJ and Barton Malow/White we would not
have been able to manage the costs or even
stay on budget,” said Abbott. “We had what we
estimated was about a $5 million dollar hit
from Katrina. We had to manage our way
through that without adding to the budget.”
The project team’s astute attention to
budget stood strong against the force of
Katrina’s cost escalation. “We preserved the
maximum program through these other
savings,” said Martin. “We lined out $2 million
on the curtain wall, $400,000 on early purchase
of steel, and $2.3 million on the trade

management partners.”
Nursing the budget with such care, Barton
Malow/White preserved the hospital’s coveted
shell space, including room for 68 additional
beds, more operating room suites, and space
for the future installation of a 3T (tesla) inter-
operative MRI. “It is the first inter-operative MRI
A connector links the existing facility to the new hospital, a roughly H-shaped building of this power magnitude that I am aware of in
stretching into separate, curved wings. This configuration draws natural light into all of the
this region,” said Abbott.
patient rooms and conceals the true expanse of this 500,000-square-foot structure, ultimately
producing a healthcare facility that is not intimidating or overwhelming to the visitor. Moreover, this project approach resulted in a
better quality building, said Schantz. “We had a
very successful design assist relationship with
and the structural steel team of Indiana Abbott. “The trade management concept Barton Malow/White and the curtain wall
Bridge/Midwest Steel in Muncie, IN. Engaging brings these trades right to the table to help us contractor, CGI,” said Schantz. “Together, we
these key trades proved to be a mother lode of figure out what is the best value for our designed a much better building than could
cost savings. “They helped to evaluate project.” have been done in a traditional design-bid-
different materials, manufacturing options, and build process.”
other methods while still achieving the design PRACTICING PREVENTIVE MEDICINE Teamwork was the bedrock of the project’s
goal,” said Hausler. “Design assist also Pairing design and cost analysis in a duet of success. “The level to which all these different
accelerated the release of materials for order.” ideas and dollars, plus tapping the expertise of tools, methods and approaches succeed
Ultimately, design assist yielded $2 million key trades, delivered the project more swiftly depends greatly on how well the team gels
dollars in savings for the exterior enclosure and and at an affordable cost. “Absent this process, together,” said Hausler. “I feel very strongly that
shaved six weeks off the structural steel we might have been faced with a $280 million it is vital to have people who are willing to sit
schedule. “By being six weeks ahead of dollar project,” said Abbott. “It wouldn’t have down at the table together and work through
schedule and having the contractors on board been affordable. We would have had to go some tough issues, openly discussing them
early, we missed a $400,000 mill increase,” said back and value engineer constantly. It would and trying to find a solution.”
Martin. have cost us more.”
These design assist contractors also Adds White, “Many owners don’t understand LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS
quickened the pace of construction. “The the value of this process. Many owners think In the same spirit of teamwork, Hubbell,
structural steel and curtain wall contractors that if they just draw the drawings and go out Roth & Clark (HRC) was pivotal in keeping the
worked almost hand-in-hand,” said Hausler. for bid, they will save money. However, the project on schedule by preparing a storm
“Because of early involvement in design assist, project would most likely end up over budget. water management plan for the Providence
both could get an early jumpstart and work in The owner would have to pay the architect to Park campus far in advance of construction.
a phased manner throughout construction.” redesign it. The architect might spend another “Waiting to do the stormwater master

planning on the campus could have delayed

the project by as much as six months to a year,”
said Gary J. Tressel, HRC senior associate.
HRC’s also crafted a stormwater plan and
relocated a creek on a parcel of property across
the street from the Providence Park campus.
Providence developed this parcel of land into a
retail development and eventually sold it to
help generate funds for the new hospital, said
La Belle.
HRC successfully navigated a labyrinth of
government organizations, first working with
MDEQ and FEMA in submitting a CLOMR (a
Conditional Letter of Map Revision to assess
whether a proposed project complies with the ! "#$
minimum National Flood Insurance Program % %
floodplain management criteria). HRC then !& ' (
determined the optimal building density for
the campus, defined the characteristics of the )* %
area watersheds, and charted the route and
probable flow of stormwater on the two sites.
“The stormwater ponds along Grand River
were then sized to comply with the City of Novi JetHeat, Inc.
and the Oakland County Drain Commission’s 17921 Masonic
requirement for a 100-year storm event,” said Fraser, MI 48026
Tressel.
HRC also worked closely with the City of 586-293-1270
Novi and other governmental bodies to obtain www.jetheat.com
permits for relocation of essential services
Protect your
needed to maintain ongoing operations in the
Providence Park campus. “Proposed parking
lots had to be constructed, relocation of the
business
helipad for Life Flight had to be coordinated
with the Bureau of Aviation, and the City and
Providence had to agree on what was the
investment.
buildable area of the primary campus,” said
Tressel.
HRC addressed potential roadblocks as early
as possible in design and construction to avoid
redesign and delays. “The City was willing to
accept portions of the project in which all the
details were not yet fully designed, and submit
residential development
them to the planning commission and city
Use trained, experienced, licensed
council for approvals, which were supple-
malls
mented prior to allowing work to commence,” union electrical contractors for reliable,
offices
said Tressel. quality maintenance, service, design and
Mother Nature was not as cooperative as the
installation at competitive rates.
stores
City of Novi. She christened the launch of the
project with a 10- to 12-inch snowstorm in
commerical properties
November 2005. “We went through a cycle of
restaurants
all four seasons in a matter of one month,” said
Hausler. During mass excavation and site
data networks
utility preparation, the melt waters saturated
the ground and began seeping through the The Union
Contractors and Electricians of IBEW Local 252
video networks
soil, a finicky combination of clay with layers of
telecommunications
fine, silt-like sand. “While we are trying to dig a
20-foot-deep hole, the groundwater was (734)424-0978
seeping down and coming through the veins A complete list of contractors is available at:
of silt in the sides of our excavation,” said www.ibewneca252.org

Hausler. Look for the Free 5-year
New Homeowners Electrical
Barton Malow/White installed a temporary Protection Plan
under drain system below the basement

foundations. “There is also a permanent were erecting steel over the basement Hausler. “Our goal was to have the lower floors
system, but we had a more extensive system in footprint and bringing the tower upward, fully enclosed for the coming winter, so we
place under the basement and around the while the foundation contractor was finishing could start interior fit-out that winter and
perimeter during construction to pump the foundations for the connector to the existing spring.”
water out,” said Martin. hospital,” Hausler added. Early involvement of the trade management
HRC reviewed appropriate fill and staging Construction of this meticulously planned partners permitted installation of MEP systems
areas on campus for the soggy spoils. “We project advanced swiftly. Use of a unitized as soon as sections of the building were either
wanted to avoid adversely impacting the glazing system reduced the schedule by two to enclosed or temporarily enclosed.“Trades were
campus,” said Tressel. “In many ways, we were three months. “From the beginning, the use of working on the curtain wall, and we were
hanging ductwork and installing pipe on the
lower floors of the building,” said Hausler. This
approach reduced the schedule by a solid
three months.
“BIM was also vital in fabricating and
installing the mechanical and electrical
systems without any system conflict, aiding
both cost and schedule,” Hausler said. “Plus,
BIM allowed us to verify layouts and
attachment points and make sure the
structural steel and curtain wall systems were
in sync.”
BIM may be the equivalent of the discovery
of the wheel in terms of designing and
constructing a building. Declared Schantz, “We
used BIM to develop the project and efficiently
draw a building that wouldn’t have been

possible without a great deal of effort only a
few years ago. The most extensive use of BIM
was by the MEP contractors on the jobsite;
ductwork was fabricated directly from the
coordinated drawings. Our model was
exchanged with the curtain wall fabricator
who used it to develop their models. The
Providence Park’s grand opening is helping to usher in a new era of patient care. At Providence structural analysis model was given to the steel
Park, every patient room is acuity adaptable. Plus, the hospital employs the amazing Vocera detailer who used it to design all of his
technology, a small wireless device worn that allows individual nurses to communicate directly connections and create their own model for
with their patients and with other staff members. submittal review and shop fabrication.”
able to benefit the campus by the thought a unitized system sped installation and THE GRAND UNVEILING
process of reusing soils for future provided a high-quality, factory-assembled After three years in the construction version
development.” Site Development, the Madison and inspected system,” said Schantz. “There of labor and delivery, Barton Malow/White
Heights-based mass excavation contractor, are only a few types of panel, but they are achieved substantial completion July 22, 2008.
placed “the spoils in an orderly fashion and in arranged to provide a variety of patterns.” Providence began a phased move-in
compaction, all to avoid re-handling of the Different mullion patterns subdivide the beginning Aug. 1, 2008, and then hosted an
soils in future developments,” said Tressel. The glass curtain wall and varied types of glass enthusiastic crowd of over 7,000 people at an
spoils of construction will even be used to blanket the façade, ranging from clear vision to open house in mid-August held before the
plant a future woodlot. “Providence also frosted glass, as well as spandrel glass in two hospital’s official opening on Sept. 5, 2008.
worked with the City to place excess topsoil shades of gray. The overall concept was to Patients, staff and families can now benefit
within a former utility crossing on campus,” convert the glass curtain wall into a from this thoughtfully designed healthcare
Tressel added. “This will help restore the area cloudscape. “NBBJ took a photograph of the facility and the healing presence of natural
and allow for future placement of trees.” sky and digitized it,” said Abbott. “They light, thanks to the building’s H-configuration
expanded the digits so that the pixels were designed to maximize the exposure to daylight
A MODEL PROJECT bigger.” The pattern and density of the and individual views from every patient room.
Construction was an orchestration of pixilated clouds became the template for the An atrium curtain wall draws natural light
overlapping phases. Both mass excavation and selection and placement of different types of into waiting areas arrayed along the full height
concrete foundations occurred concurrently, glass. of this five-story expanse. Melding with the
“because not all of the building has a Installation of this cloudscape in glass had to building exterior, the waiting areas and the
basement below it,” said Hausler. “We had proceed in a strict sequence. “Because of the interior contain “an extensive use of wood,
some other areas that we could work on strate- gasketing system, we had to work from left to stone tile and neutral colors to evoke a calm,
gically, because these areas had slab-on-grade right and from bottom to top to make sure we meditative setting,” said Schantz.
foundations.” Foundations and steel also obtained a proper seal on the fully glazed, The lobby is a wonderful, light-washed
overlapped to a slight degree. “In May 2006, we approximately 8-by-15-foot panels,” said introduction to the hospital interior. “We

(OWGREENCANYOURNEXTCONSTRUCTIONPROJECTBE
wanted an interior with a sense of

transparency and lightness,” said Abbott. “The
lobby has glass on both sides, so you are seeing
beyond the space to the outside and are able
-FU(4IPX:PV
'#ONSULTING'ROUPSEXPERIENCEDENGINEERSANDENVIRONMENTALCONSULTANTSDESIGN
to enjoy continually changing views TESTANDHELPYOUIMPLEMENTTHELATESTSTATE OF THE ARTSTRATEGIESFORSUSTAINABLE
throughout all four seasons.” DEVELOPMENT/URCOMPREHENSIVEENGINEERINGANDCONSULTINGSERVICES
NBBJ thoughtfully created this layered view
DELIVERINNOVATIVEGREENSOLUTIONSFORYOURSITEFROMTHEBEDROCKUP
to invite the site’s natural features into the
INCORPORATINGECO FRIENDLYTOOLSINCLUDING
interior. “At the main entry, the reception desk
is in the foreground and the pond garden in PERVIOUSCONCRETE
the background,” said Schantz. This same
RECLAIMEDASPHALT
layering is used to great effect in the connector
linking the existing outpatient facility with the GEOTHERMALSYSTEMS
new inpatient hospital. “From the existing SUSTAINABLEDESIGN
hospital, you walk between two walls of glass
"ROWNlELDSERVICES
that puts you as close to being in a garden as
you can get without actually going outside,” WINDPOWERANDOTHERALTERNATIVEENERGYSYSTEMS
added Schantz. ,%%$CERTIlCATIONASSISTANCE
With the new hospital connected to the
existing outpatient facility, Providence Park can 4OLEARNHOW'CANINCREASETHEGREENINYOURNEWCONSTRUCTIONORRENOVATION
place the new hospital’s administrative PROJECTCONTACTUSAT
functions in the outpatient building and retain
more space for clinical care within the hospital,
said Schantz. Separating inpatient and 4ROY-)\"RIGHTON-)
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SI 96-101 U of M Nanofab:Nov 10/12/09 3:37 PM Page 96
ECONOMICS
OF SCALE
By David R. Miller, Associate Editor
Photography by Jim Haefner
ewspapers have delivered a One nanometer is one billionth, or 10-9, of million worth of research was conducted at
N steady stream of grim economic

news for far too long, often with
Michigan in the headlines. But
tiny experiments taking place in
a small laboratory expansion in Ann Arbor
could play a big role in reversing this trend.
The Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF) at the
a meter. The diameter of the finest human
hair, at 75 microns or 75 x 10-6, is gargantuan
in comparison, but a single particle of
nanometer size can wipe out an entire
project. Nanotechnology research is theoret-
ically possible anywhere, but the odds of
success are virtually nil in all but the cleanest
the LNF between 1986 and 2000. Last year,
the LNF was used by every department in the
University of Michigan’s College of
Engineering, 15 to 20 other universities
within a 400 mile radius, and perhaps most
importantly, approximately 20 external
companies.
University of Michigan now houses a state-of- of environments. The LNF was designed to “The American economy is driven by small
the-art cleanroom that is designed to facilitate nanotechnology by preventing business,” explained Dr. Dennis Grimard,
facilitate research and fabrication in micro nanometer-sized particles from entering the managing director of the LNF. “We have gone
and nanofabrication, semiconductors, research environment. In some spaces of from about $50,000 per year of external work
organics and other related fields of study. both the existing facility and the addition, to $600,000 last year. There are at least 100
Researchers who conduct this type of these particles are limited to 10 or less per jobs that this facility is directly able to
research can choose from a number of labs, cubic meter. support and the business that we generate
but none offer the unique combination of Creating a cleanroom that supports provides opportunities for all levels of
benefits found at LNF, and the facility was nanotechnology is a tremendous techno- educational background, from high school to
carefully designed to support work in this logical hurdle, but the potential rewards are Ph.D.”
emerging field for decades to come. enormous. Drugs with particles small The capabilities of the LNF are simply out
Construction manager Skanska USA Building enough to enter biological cells can be of reach for all but the largest companies.
Inc., headquartered in Parsippany, NJ with a created. Liquids could be encoded to “self- Few companies could afford the $3.6 million
local office in Southfield, and architect assemble” a structure. One possible operating budget or the 17-person full-time
SmithGroup, Inc., Detroit, were key players in application of this technology would aid in technical staff needed to keep the LNF
this effort to secure Michigan’s leadership the treatment of spinal cord injuries by functioning.
position in this emerging field. creating a self-assembling “scaffold” within “I am personally aware of one company
the damaged tissue to prevent scarring, that tried it and almost went out of business,”
NANOFABRICATION 101 thereby allowing the nerves to reconnect said Grimard. “They didn’t realize that there
To understand nanofabrication, imagine through the scaffold. MEMS, or microelectro- are more costs involved than just buying and
trying to put together a Swiss watch. Now, mechanical systems, also holds promise for installing the tools. All of the coordination
contemplate performing the same task with fabricating extremely small machines that that is needed takes a highly skilled group of
bowling balls raining down from the ceiling. can function inside the human body. people.”
What are the odds of creating a functioning The recent LNF project was an expansion So instead of building their own lab, most
timepiece? Those performing nanotech- to an existing facility, built in 1986, that companies will opt to use someone else’s,
nology research face a similar challenge, only contained a 6,500-square-foot cleanroom. making the true economic impact of the LNF
the bowling balls are tiny particles that are far The expansion adds 4,500 square feet of difficult to measure - but surely a positive for
too small to see. cleanroom space. Approximately $250 Michigan. These benefits were maximized by

Nanotechnology research
is theoretically possible
anywhere, but the odds of
success are virtually nil in
all but the cleanest of
environments.

SI 96-101 U of M Nanofab_Nov 10/5/09 2:59 PM Page 98
they are only 27-feet high, the fans operate as

efficiently as a 70-foot-high stack in a 10-MPH
wind. Even so, they still had to be placed on
the existing roof due to their size. Since the
existing cleanroom interior is column-free, a
bridge was created with two trusses to
transfer the weight to the perimeter columns.
The new addition contains approximately
7,000 square feet of clean space on the fab
level, of which only 4,500 square feet is
actually categorized as a cleanroom, the
remainder of the structure’s 37,500 square
feet is devoted to mechanical and other
equipment serving the clean spaces. The
addition contains no conference rooms or
offices. Even restrooms were omitted to
maximize available space for mechanical
equipment.
Schweiger compared semiconductor
production to the much simpler process of
baking cookies. A recipe might work fine one
day, but variations like humidity or
These six Strobic Air fans have a total capacity of 300,000 cfm and they also draw in barometric pressure can easily result in a bad
surrounding air to dilute output by entrainment. batch. The “cookies” produced at LNF can cost
millions of dollars, so consistency is crucial.
the experience of the LNF staff, as they planning of the building,” said Russ Sykes, Mechanical equipment is utilized to provide a
applied their knowledge towards building principal-in-charge and Science and controllable environment that facilitates this.
the best facility possible. Even with their Technology Studio leader for SmithGroup. “A cleanroom uses a lot of make-up air,”
thorough understanding of the field, a certain “Systems can be changed out but the organi- said Schweiger. “All of that air has to be
amount of speculation was needed to zation of sub fab, fab, interstitial and filtered and processed. When it is 95 percent
envision the future. penthouse needs to to handle the changes relative humidity in the summer, the
“We had to use our experience to guess that will happen.” cleanroom still needs to run at 42 ½ percent.
what the future needs would be,” said The cleanroom addition was built in three We need to strip out all of the extra humidity
Grimard. “If we guessed right, good job – but layers. The actual cleanroom where research to bring the outside air down, even below 42
if we guessed wrong, we would be stuck with takes place is referred to as the fab level. ½ percent to handle the interior latent load.”
a facility that didn’t meet out needs.” Support equipment is placed in a sub fab A staggering amount of mechanical
The experience of the LNF staff guided the level below. A concrete waffle slab forms the equipment is needed to facilitate this. Four
direction to create infrastructure that would floor of the cleanroom. Nearly every one of boilers, two rated at 150 boiler horsepower
meet all possible future needs. the more than 300 “waffle pockets” in this and two at 125 boiler horsepower, were
floor contains a “poke-thru” that provides installed. By opting for two sizes, the facility
SUPPORTING RESEARCH access to gaseous nitrogen, acid-waste, RO/DI staff can increase efficiency by only operating
No one knows exactly what direction water and process exhaust systems. Clean air the units that are necessary based on the
nanotechnology will take in the future, but is cooled and recirculated in a pressurized building’s current needs. Two clean steam
the LNF staff has a pretty good idea of what it plenum above the cleanroom, while the generators are capable of producing 3,500
will take to get there. make-up air handling equipment is situated pounds per hour utilizing water purified by
“We went to great lengths to make this in a penthouse level above. reverse osmosis. A 65,000 cfm unit provides
facility extremely flexible over the next 20 Exhaust is drawn out through the raised make-up air for the new cleanroom, while
years,” said Dennis Schweiger, LNF facility floor in the cleanroom, where it is either shortcomings in the existing cleanroom were
supervisor. “How do you plan for research vented directly outside or sent to one of three addressed with the addition of a 31,000 cfm
that will be done 20 years from now? You do newly installed scrubbers that purify the air. make-up air unit that augments the existing
it by putting in as much infrastructure as you The three scrubbers, each with a capacity of equipment.
can afford. We know that utilities will be in 14,000 cfm, augment the three scrubber units Cooling was another major consideration.
higher demand in the future. Your lifeblood that support the existing cleanroom. Sodium Chilled water from the University’s central
in a cleanroom is clean air and clean water. If hydroxide is delivered to all six scrubbers system handles the bulk of the cooling load,
you don’t have those, you can’t do anything.” from a centralized station, which minimizes while three, 96.6-ton low-temp chillers
Even the most sophisticated research labor costs by automating the supply provide the final dehumidification, for a total
equipment will eventually become obsolete. process. of 1,100 tons of cooling capacity. In fact, the
When replacement is necessary, the Exhaust for both spaces is now handled by output would be sufficient for 300,000 square
availability of mechanical and electrical six Strobic Air fans mounted on the roof. The feet of office space, making them just right for
support is what will ultimately determine the fans have a total capacity of 300,000 cfm and a cleanroom only 1.5 percent this size.
functionality of the building. they also draw in surrounding air, thereby Filtering equipment at the LNF provides an
“Everything starts with the organizational diluting output by entrainment. Although environment that is clean enough for the

From nanotechnology to bioinformatics,

SmithGroup speaks your language.
work there, but no filter ever built will catch setting than in an industrial facility where
every particle. Good housekeeping is a sure productivity is the key concern. Quite the
way to reduce the number of particles that opposite is true.
enter the system, thereby reducing the “I worked at IBM, and some people felt that
number that slip through. Many mechanical our safety systems didn’t need to be as good
spaces at LNF were painted white, which as theirs,” said Grimard. “I told them that ours
makes the smallest traces of dirt easy to had to be better. At IBM, everyone
identify and clean. Intumescent fireproofing, understands the process and the dangers.
applied by Cavalier Painting Co., Sterling Here, we have people walking their kids
Heights, was also used instead of fibrous through the hallway next door to a hazardous
materials to prevent pieces from flaking off. material facility.”
This added to the total fireproofing cost, but Potentially deadly gasses are used in any
the long-term benefit of an environment that semiconductor processing facility, but these
will be easier to keep clean won out. are contained in double-walled stainless steel
Creating a clean environment was only one piping at the LNF. Any gasses that escape the
goal for the facility. The project team worked innermost tube, which is highly unlikely, can
with the University to identify many more. be efficiently purged from the system by a
nitrogen system, with the outermost tube
SETTING GOALS providing an airtight layer of protection
The LNF is a fully functioning semicon- during the whole process. Other key safety
ductor processing facility, with all of the components include a gas detection system
hazardous that are inherent to this activity. A that can identify concentrations as small as
popular misconception is that safety parts per billion, negative air pressure
measures are less important in a university throughout the facility to force all gasses out
www.smithgroup.comom
architecture . engineering . interiors . planning

building technology . lighting . sustainable design
COMMERCIAL &
INDUSTRIAL
MECHANCIAL
CONTRACTING
PLUMBING
l
l HEATING
l VENTILATING
l AIR CONDITIONING
l PROCESS PIPING
4465 SOUTH STATE STREET

P.O. BOX 1718
ANN ARBOR 48106-1718
PHONE 734-665-0648
FAX 734-665-9731
Exterior brickwork features a complex pattern reminiscent of a solid-state electrical circuit.

problematic, particularly where the system

contained 90-degree bends, but the vendor
was able to demonstrate a few “tricks” that
included using a tube bender to create 90-
degree bends without any welding at all. For
this, and the many other piping systems
installed by Boone & Darr, the cleanliness of
the weld was crucial. In some cases, the firm
used orbital welding, which augments the
skills of a seasoned tradesperson with the
steady and even pace of a machine. Darr also
had high praise for the many subcontractors
who fit systems into these cramped spaces,
including his own subcontractors: Dee
Cramer, Inc., Holly, and Michigan Mechanical
Insulation, Inc., Farmington Hills; along with
Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., Livonia,
and Shaw Electric Company, Livonia, which
A tour isle runs along the perimeter of the space. Windows on both sides offer a clear view into held subcontracts under Skanska USA.
research spaces from the tour isle, or even from outside.
The team of experts who ran the existing
facility was determined to let their
experience guide the process. Many
and two emergency generators with impressive system was no easy task. Even shortcomings in the existing facility were
sufficient output to get everyone out of the with over 50 years of mechanical contracting addressed with the addition. A centrally
building safely in the event of a power experience, Boone & Darr, Inc., Ann Arbor, had located freight elevator, which the existing
outage. Finding a contractor with the proper never installed this particular system before. facility lacked, now serves existing and new
skills to install the double-walled piping that “During the bidding process, our foreman spaces, alike. All chemicals are now delivered
forms the first line of defense in this got in touch with the vendor for it,” said Jeff at the rear of the facility, with people entering
Darr, president of Boone & Darr. “It sounded from the front, thereby eliminating inefficient
pretty complicated, but it was actually fairly and potentially hazardous intermingling that
simple once we talked to someone who had took place previously. Owners who know
done it before.” exactly what they want eliminate guesswork,
The ½” piping arrived at the jobsite with ¼” but they also accept no substitutes or
piping already suspended inside of it, but excuses. By the end of the project, Dennis
welds needed to be performed on both Grimard, Dennis Schweiger and Dr. Tim Brock,
surfaces. This seemed like it would be lead research engineer at LNF, were
The LNF was designed to facilitate nanotechnology by preventing nanometer-sized particles,

one billionth of a meter in size, from entering the research environment.

The new addition contains 7,000 square feet of clean space on the fab level, only 4,500 square
feet of which are categorized as cleanroom. The remainder of the building’s 37,500 square
feet is devoted to mechanical and other equipment serving clean spaces. Even restrooms were
omitted to maximize space for mechanical equipment.
affectionately known as “DDT.” electrical circuit. A portion of the existing

“It was both a blessing and a living hell facility was transformed into an attractive
working with those three,” admitted Shawn entry, complete with upscale signage, a video
Champion, superintendent for Skanska USA. display screen and flooring that features
“They knew exactly what they wanted, so if circuitry patterns. Before the addition was
we started putting in something that they complete, visitors had to don cleanroom
didn’t want, it got ripped out and what they gowns to see the process equipment inside,
needed got put in. The flip side is that we also but the new entry provides easy access to a
saved a lot of work by talking with them unique tour aisle. The aisle runs along the
because they knew exactly what they needed perimeter of the space, with windows on
for this facility to function.” both sides offering a clear view into research
DDT, on the other hand, counted only spaces from the aisle, or even from outside.
blessings in working with Skanska USA and “The tour aisle is deceptively simple,” said
SmthGroup. The three singled out Champion George Karidis, mechanical engineer for Zervos Group,Inc.
for his ability to develop a thorough SmithGroup. “Really, it is just a sheet of glass
understanding of the complex project shortly between the floor and the cantilevered
after receiving his set of plans, and his calm canopy, which had to be supported from two
demeanor that brought order to an separate buildings – each one a different • BONDS
inherently chaotic environment. SmithGroup structural challenge.”
also earned high praise for simply listening to The western half of the tour aisle steel was • CONTRACTORS
what the team wanted and for putting the constructed from z-shape steel beams that
right people on the job to translate those were custom fabricated to tie into the
INSURANCE
needs into a workable design. The final result existing steel columns of the Electrical
of their efforts must be seen to be Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) • ENVIRONMENTAL
appreciated. building. These beams are supported at mid-
span by a line of new steel columns as they
INSURANCE
A BEAUTIFUL BOX cantilever out over the tour aisle. The exterior
In the earliest phases of the LNF project, windows are butt-glazed laminated glass • LIFE & HEALTH
the ownership team made their aesthetic with essentially no structural support and no
goals very clear. mullions, to combine an unobstructed view Over 50 Years
“When we first started working on this inside with a high-tech look. of Experience
project, I remember Dennis [Grimard] saying “There is actually a story of masonry sitting
that all he wanted was a box,” said Sykes. “The on top of the cantilever, not to mention the
only thing that mattered to him was what weight of the cantilever itself over the glass,” (248) 355-4411
was inside.” said Champion. “Making sure everything was
Paul Urbanek, design principal for tied together properly was a challenge.”
SmithGroup, worked out the concept of a The cantilever was the first of many
24724 Farmbrook Rd.
“beautiful box” that celebrated the work done weighty issues that were sorted out at the Southfield 48034
at the facility. Insets of composite metal LNF. As Michigan’s economic recovery
panels used elsewhere on the façade were continues, the bright minds employed at the Gus E. Zervos Steve M. Zervos
incorporated into the exterior brickwork in a facility can be counted upon to perform more CEO President
complex pattern reminiscent of a solid-state than their fair share of the heavy lifting.

SI 102-112 Sub Contractor List:SI 102-112 Sub List 10/12/09 3:43 PM Page 102
SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
Electrical – Micron Electric, Detroit

Electrical – Motor City Electric Co., Detroit
Electrical – Mutual Electric, Livonia
Electrical – Precision Electrical Contracting, Inc., Redford
Township
Electrical – Shaw Electric Company, Livonia
Electrical and Fire Alarm – Gillis Electric, Inc., Livonia
Elevator – Otis Elevator Company, Farmington Hills
Expansion Joint Systems and Thermal and Moisture Protection
– D.C. Byers Company Detroit, Detroit
Exterior Metal Walls and Sheet Metal Roofing – Michigan Metal
Walls, Inc., Wyandotte
Finish Carpentry and Millwork – Nelson-Mill Company,
Southfield
Fire Alarm – SimplexGrinnell, LP, Farmington Hills
WESTIN BOOK-CADILLAC RENOVATION HENRY FORD WEST BLOOMFIELD Fire Alarm Design and Fire Protection – Siemens Building
Architect – Lead Architect: Kaczmar architects inc., Cleveland, OH HOSPITAL Technologies, Inc., Plymouth Township
Architect – Historical Architect: Sandvick Architects, Inc., Owner – Henry Ford Health System, Detroit Fire Alarm Systems – Siemens Fire Safety, Novi
Cleveland, OH Civil Engineer – Wade Trim, Taylor Fire Protection – Ann Arbor Fire Protection, Ann Arbor
Interior Architect: Forrest Perkins, LLC, Dallas, TX Hospital Architect and M/E/P Engineer – Albert Kahn Fire Protection – Lawrence-Green Fire Protection, Inc., Detroit
Structural Engineer: Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, Inc., Associates, Inc., Detroit Fire Protection – Professional Sprinkler, Inc., Wixom
West Bloomfield Hospital Construction Manager – Turner Construction Fire Protection – S.A. Comunale Company, Inc., Farmington Hills
Mechanical Engineer: Denk & Associates, Cleveland, OH Company, Detroit Fire Protection – VFP Fire Systems, Troy
Electrical Engineer: Matrix Consulting Engineers, Lansing Hospital and Interior Designer – Henry Ford Health System Fire Suppression – Wolverine Fire Protection Company,
Civil Engineer: Giffels-Webster Engineers, Inc., Detroit Facilities Design and Construction, Detroit Mt. Morris
Joint-Venture General Contractors: Main Street, Ambulatory Diagnostic and Testing Center and Fireproofing – William E. Harnish Acoustical, Inc., Redford
Marous Brothers Construction, Inc., Willoughby, OH Restacking Construction Manager – George W. Auch Fireproofing – Spray-On-Fireproofing, Inc., Dimondale
Jenkins Construction, Inc., Detroit Company, Pontiac Fireproofing, Rough Carpentry and Drywall – Pontiac Ceiling &
Main Street Retail Area Designer – A3C – Collaborative Partition Co., Inc., Pontiac
KEY SUBCONTRACTORS Architecture, Ann Arbor Flooring – City Carpet & Flooring, Detroit
Loading Dock Equipment - Applied Handling, Inc., Dearborn Main Street Retail Area Designer – Hobbs + Black Associates, Flooring – Kaizen Contracting, Inc., Livonia
Ceramic Tile Flooring - Architectural Southwest Stone Inc., Ann Arbor Foundations and Flatwork – Fessler & Bowman, Inc., Flushing
Company, Livonia Vita Spa, Main Street Retail Interior Build Out, Farmington Glass and Glazing – Glasco Corporation, Detroit
Pools & Spa - B and B Pools and Spas, Livonia Road MOB Renovations, Francee & Benson Women’s Glass and Glazing – T.M.C. North, Inc., Troy
Design/Build Electric, Hotel Electric Installation - Bayview Center and Interior and Restacking Renovations Glass and Glazing – Universal Glass & Metals, Inc., MBE, Detroit
Electric Company, LLC, Redford Township Construction Manager – Kasco, Inc., Royal Oak Glass and Glazing, Frames Doors and Hardware – Peterson Glass
Concrete & Foundations - Broadcast Design & Construction Inc., Women’s Center Architect – Stucky + Vitale Architects, Royal Oak Co., Ferndale
Wixom Hardware Supplier – Gamalski Building Specialties, Inc.,
Carpet, VCT & Hardwood Flooring - Conventional Carpet, Inc., SUBCONTRACTORS Auburn Hills
Sterling Heights Air Balancing – International Test and Balance, Inc., Southfield HVAC – Baron Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Livonia
Design/Build HVAC - KW Lang Mechanical, Solon, OH Aquarium Demolition – Nu Wave Aquariums, Redford HVAC – Guardian Environmental Services, Inc., Livonia
Lower Level Metal Studs & Drywall - DENNCO Construction Inc., Asphalt Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Novi HVAC – Hale Contracting, Inc., MBE, Detroit
Detroit Automatic Door Openers – Stanley Access Tech, Farmington, CT HVAC – Heights Heating and Cooling, Inc., Auburn Hills
Upper Level Metal Studs and Drywall - Marous Brothers Awnings – Marygrove Awning Co., Inc., Livonia HVAC – Kirby-Clark & Company, Detroit
Construction, Willoughby, OH Building Controls – Johnson Controls, Inc., Auburn Hills HVAC and Mechanical – Limbach Company, LLC, Pontiac
Roofing & Ornamental Copper - Detroit Cornice & Slate Co., Inc., Caissons – Lanaville Foundations, Inc., Howell HVAC and Sheetmetal – Ventcon, Inc., Allen Park
Ferndale Caissons – Toledo Caisson Corp., Ottawa Lake HVAC and Temperature Controls – Systemp Corporation,
Overhead Coiling Doors - Detroit Door & Hardware Company, Carpentry, Drywall, ACT – Turner Brooks, Inc., Madison Heights Rochester
Livonia Carpet and Resilient Flooring – Master Craft Floors, Inc., Redford Interior Planting and Landscaping – Planterra Tropical
Floor Topping - DiLisio Contracting, Clinton Township Carpet and Resilient Flooring – Shock Brothers Floor Covering, Greenhouses, West Bloomfield
New Masonry - Dixon Masonry, Detroit Inc., Roseville Irrigation System and Landscaping – D & B Landscaping, Inc.,
Folding Partitions - Educational Equipment, Kent, OH Ceramic and Quarry Tile – National Tile Company, Royal Oak Livonia
Painting & Wallcovering - Eugenio Painting Company, Grosse Ceramic and Quarry Tile – Shores Tile Co., Inc., Roseville Kitchen Equipment – Great Lakes Hotel Supply Co., Detroit
Pointe Woods Ceramic and Quarry Tile – United Tile and Stone Works, Shelby Kitchen Equipment – Stafford Smith, Ferndale
Demolition - Ferguson Enterprises, Inc., Detroit Township Lab Casework – Architectural Systems Group, LLC, Holland
Glass & Glazing - Harmon Inc., Livonia Ceramic Tile – Boston Tile & Terrazzo Company, Detroit Landscaping – W.H. Canon, Inc., Romulus
Steel Stabilization - Ideal Contracting, Detroit Ceramic Tile and Stone – El Dorado Tile & Marble Co., Sterling Lightning Protection – Orion Services, Inc., Wixom
Trash & Linen Chutes - Kasl Enterprises, Inc. Belleville Heights Lockers – Rayhaven Group, Inc., Southfield
Condominium Electric - LaBelle Electric, Macomb Township Concrete – Amalio Corporation, Sterling Heights Manual Sliding Doors – Great Lakes Automatic Door, Inc.,
Rough & Finish Carpentry - Marous Brothers Construction – Concrete – Colasanti Corporation, Macomb Township Ferndale
Carpentry Division Willoughby, OH Concrete – ELS Construction, Orion Township Masonry – DiClaudio Mason Contractors, Inc., Grosse Ile
Metal Stud & Drywall - Marous Brothers Construction – Int. Concrete – F & M Contractors Companies, Utica Masonry – Navetta Mason Contractors, Inc., Brighton
Finishes Division Willoughby, OH Concrete – Simone Contracting Corporation, Sterling Heights Masonry – Robovitsky, Inc., Southfield
Stone flooring - Michigan Tile & Marble Co., Detroit Control Film – Solar Reflective Films, Inc., Farmington Hills Masonry – Tieppo Masonry, Wyandotte
Shower Doors - Modern Mirror & Glass, Roseville Cork Flooring – Mastercraft Carpet Services, Redford Mechanical – Comfort Zone Mechanical, Ann Arbor
HVAC Sheet Metal - Partlan Labadie Sheet Metal Company, Oak Park Cubicle Curtain/Track – The Parkway Group, Livonia Mechanical – ES/TEAC Mechanical, Inc., Livonia
Structural Steel- Reymar Steel Company, Detroit Decorative Concrete Sidewalks – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Mechanical – Western Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Clinton
Caissons - Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New Hudson Livonia Township
Fire Protection/Sprinkler System - Shambaugh & Sons, L.P., Southfield Decorative Fence – Future Fence Company, Warren Metal Studs and Drywall – Brinker Team Construction Company,
Spray On Fireproofing - Spray On Fireproofing, Dimondale Decorative Hardware Supplier – Materials Unlimited, Ypsilanti MBE, Detroit
Kitchen Equipment - SS KEMP, Cleveland, OH Demolition and Selective Demolition – Detroit Dismantling Metal Studs and Drywall – Central Ceiling & Partitions, Warren
Elevators - ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Livonia Corp., Detroit Metal Studs and Drywall – Turner Self Performance Group, Troy
Miscellaneous Metals - Titus Welding Co., Farmington Hills Doors, Frames and Hardware – LaForce, Inc., Troy Metal Studs, Drywall, Millwork, Demolition, Concrete, Temporary
Plumbing - Western Mechanical, Clinton Township Electrical – Ferndale Electric Company, Ferndale Protection, Supervision and Project Labor – Royal Oak
Masonry Restoration – RAM Construction Services, Electrical – Fitzgerald Electric Co., Livonia Millwork Company, Royal Oak
(formerly Western Waterproofing Co.), Livonia Electrical – Highgate Electric, Inc., Wixom Metal Wall Panels – Crown Corr, Inc., Flat Rock

SI 102-112 Sub Contractor List_SI 102-112 Sub List 10/5/09 2:26 PM Page 103
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SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
Millwork – Brunt Associates, Inc., Wixom Testing – Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc., Plymouth Carpet/Vinyl Flooring – Continental Interiors, Inc., Troy
Millwork – C & S Millwork, Inc., Clinton Township Timber Beams – Timber Systems, Lapeer Painting, Caulking and Wall Covering – Seven Brothers Painting,
Millwork – Integrated Interiors, Inc., Warren Unistrut – Strut Tech Systems, LLC, Clarkston Inc., Shelby Township
Millwork – Wally Kosorski & Company, Clinton Township Voice and Data Cabling – KLA Laboratories, Inc., Dearborn Fire Protection – John E. Green Company, Highland Park
Millwork – Madeira Woodworking, Co., Troy Voice and Data Cabling – Advanced Communications, Canton Elevators – Schindler Elevator Company, Ann Arbor
Miscellaneous Iron – Davis Iron Works, Inc., Walled Lake Voice and Data Cabling – Caretech Solutions, Inc., Troy Air Distribution System – Dee Cramer, Inc., Holly
Operable Panel Partition – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc., Bloomfield Hills Waste Hauling and Recycling – Grove Recycling Services, Hydronic Piping and Plumbing – Monroe Plumbing & Heating
Operable Partitions – Urban’s Partition & Remodeling, Northville Detroit Co., Monroe
Ornamental Glass – Modern Mirror and Glass Co., Roseville Wetland Mitigation – King & MacGregor Environmental, Inc., Building Temperature Controls – Siemens Building
Ornamental Metals – Couturier Iron Craft, Inc., Comstock Park Grand Rapids Technologies, Livonia
Overhead Coiling Doors – Detroit Door & Hardware Co., Building and Site Electric – Huron Valley Electric, Inc., Ann Arbor
Madison Heights Air & Water Testing and Balancing – Enviro-Aire, Inc., St. Clair
Overhead Door – KVM Door Systems, Clinton Township Shores
Painting – A & S Industrial Contracting Co., Warren On-Going and Final Clean-Up – DLS Services, Inc., Ypsilanti
Painting – Capco Painting, Rochester Window Treatments – The Sheer Shop, Inc., Shelby Township
Painting – Cavalier Painting Co., Sterling Heights Crane Set-Up & Rental – Connelly Crane Rental Corporation,
Painting – Century Painters & Decorators, Inc., Detroit
West Bloomfield High Voltage Cabling – University of Michigan,
Painting – Lindos Painting Co., Livonia Ann Arbor
Painting – Madias Brothers, Inc., Detroit Stabilization Grouting – Spartan Specialties, LTD,
Painting and VWC – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren Sterling Heights
Plumbing – Macomb Mechanical, Inc., Sterling Heights Audience Seating – Irwin Seating Company, Livonia
Plumbing – Michigan Mechanical Contracting, Inc., Hartland Service Elevator – Detroit Elevator Company, Ferndale
Plumbing – Robertson Plumbing & Heating Co., Wayne Overhead Door & Grille – Cornell Iron Works,
Plumbing and Mechanical – John E. Green Company, Mountain Top, PA
Highland Park Wood Doors – LaForce, Auburn Hills
Plumbing and Mechanical – Guardian Plumbing & Heating, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART Hollow Metal Frames and Doors – Tanner Supply, Temperance
Livonia Owner: University of Michigan Board of Regents Hollow Metal Frames and Hardware – Rayhaven Equipment Co.,
Plumbing and Mechanical – Guideline Mechanical, Inc., Clinton Architect: Allied Works Architecture, Portland, OR; Southfield
Township New York, NY Tunnel Reconstruction – Irish Construction Co., Inc., Howell;
Plumbing and Medical Gas – De Cal Mechanical Contractors, Associate Architect: Integrated Design Solutions, Troy Reliable Fence, Clinton Township; Spence Brothers, Ann Arbor
Inc., Warren Project Management: University Architect’s Office, University
Pneumatic Tube – Swisslog Healthcare, Rolling Meadows, IL of Michigan, Ann Arbor \
Pool/Pool Accessories and Concrete – Baruzzini Construction Construction Management: Skanska USA Building Inc.,
Co., Brighton Southfield
Precast Concrete Planks – Kerkstra Precast, Grandville Structural Engineer: KPFF, Portland, OR
Radiation Protection Doors – Parrott Shielding, Louisville, KY Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Fire: ARUP, New York, NY;
Retail Fitup and Tea Kiosk – Turner Special Projects Division, Integrated Design Solutions, Troy
Detroit Lighting/Daylighting: ARUP Lighting, New York, NY; Integrated
RF Shielding – Universal Shielding, Deer Park, NY Design Solutions, Troy
Rolling Overhead Gates – Crawford Door, Detroit Curtain Wall: RA Heintges, New York, NY
Roofing – Centimark, Westland Exhibition Design: Allied Works Architecture, Portland, OR &
Roofing – Christen Detroit, Detroit New York, NY
Roofing – Royal Roofing Company, Inc., Orion Graphics and Signage: Pentagram, New York, NY
Roofing – Schreiber Corporation, Detroit
Scaffolding – Scaffolding, Inc., Detroit SUBCONTRACTORS
Security, Voice and Data – Integrated Media Technologies, Temporary Fencing – Reliable Fence, Clinton Township
Detroit Earthwork/Site Utilities/Clearing and Demolition – Eagle PERE MARQUETTE DEPOT REHABILITATION
Selective Demolition – Homrich, Inc., Carleton Excavation, Flint; Schnabel Foundation Company, Cary, IL Owner – Great Lakes Center Foundation, Bay City
Site Construction – FMG Concrete Cutting, Inc., Brighton Selective Demolition – Blue Star, Inc., Warren General Contractor – Gregory Construction, Bay City
Site Construction – Site Development, Inc., Caissons – Lanaville Foundations, Inc., Howell Architect - QUINN EVANS ARCHITECTS, Ann Arbor
Madison Heights Structural Concrete & Foundations – Barton Malow Concrete, Structural Engineer – MacMillan Associates, Inc., Bay City
Site Fencing – Industrial Fence & Landscaping, Inc., Detroit Oak Park
Sitework – ABC Paving Company, Trenton Site Concrete – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Inc., Livonia SUBCONTRACTORS
Sitework and Concrete – Angelo Iafrate Construction Co., Structural Steel, Misc./ Ornamental Iron and Stairs – Cadillac Demolition – Demolition Solutions, LLC, Saginaw
Warren Iron, Inc., Oxford Drywall, Plaster and Acoustical – Acoustical Arts, Caro
Specialties, Stakeout/Layout – Ground Penetrating, Sylvania, OH Rough & Finish Carpentry – Brunt Associates, Inc., Wixom Electrical – Power Comm. Electric, LLC, Frankenmuth
Stakeout/Layout, Surveying – Spiecer Group, Inc., Saginaw Applied Handling/Dock and Material Lift & Accessories – Elevator – Kone, Inc., Livonia
Stone and Masonry – Brazen and Greer Masonry, Inc., Livonia Applied Handling, Inc., Dearborn Fire Protection – Winninger Fire Protection, Inc., Frankenmuth
Stone and Masonry – Giannola Masonry Company, Clinton Roofing – Ann Arbor Roofing Co., Whitmore Lake Flooring – Fabris Pearce, Flint
Township Damproofing & Waterproofing – Western Waterproofing, Glass and Glazing – Valley Glass Company, Saginaw
Stone and Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia Livonia Lightening Protection – Union Lightening Protection Installers,
Structural Engineering – Ruby and Associates, PC, HM/Wood Doors, Frames & Hardware, Overhead Doors, Fire Dayton, OH
Farmington Hills Shutters & Grilles – Detroit Door and Hardware Company, Mechanical – Remer Plumbing, Heating, Inc., Saginaw
Structural Steel – Assemblers, Inc., Pinkney Madison Heights Miscellaneous and Structural Steel Erection – Alliance Iron, LLC,
Structural Steel – Balas Structural Steel, Inc., Allen Park Curtain Wall/Glass/Glazing/Metal Wall Panels – Harmon, Inc., Bay City
Structural Steel – Casadei Steel, Inc., Sterling Heights Livonia Painting – Boice Bird & Son, Inc., Saginaw
Structural Steel – Cass Erectors, Inc., Livonia Skylights – United Skys, Inc, Round Lake, IL Roofing – Detroit Cornice & Slate Co., Inc., Ferndale
Structural Steel – Douglas Steel Fabricating, Corp., Lansing Exterior Stone Work/Masonry – Davenport Masonry, Inc., Holt Stone Fabrication – Metropolitan Stone, Carleton
Structural Steel – Nelson Iron Works, Detroit Drywall/Acoustic/Ext. Sheathing/EIFS – Pontiac Ceiling &
Structural Steel – Utica Steel, Inc., Chesterfield Partition Co., Pontiac
Structural Steel – Whaley Steel Corp., New Hudson Stone Flooring & Ceramic Tile – Empire Tile Company,
Studs, Drywall and Ceilings – ANM Construction Co., Inc., New Eastpointe
Hudson Terrazzo Repair/Epoxy Flooring – Hoover & Wells, Inc., Toledo,
Temporary Fencing – Shamrock Fence Company, Southgate OH
Terrazzo Flooring – Michielutti Brothers, Inc., Eastpointe Wood Flooring – Varsity Flooring, Inc., Shelby Township

MAJOR SUBCONTRACTORS
Rubbish Removal – Allied Waste Services Detroit, Jenison
Excavating – Al’s Excavating, Hamilton
Studs and Drywall – The Bouma Corporation,
Grand Rapids
Tile – Central Tile & Terrazzo, Kalamazoo
Excavation, Site Utilities – Connan, Zeeland
Access Flooring – Data Supplies, Plymouth
Painting & Wall Covering – Dave Cole Decorators, Sparta
Waterproofing, Resinous Flooring – Helms Caulking &
Waterproofing, Jenison
Demo/Excavation/Remediation – Homrich, Inc., Carleton
Landscaping – Katerberg VerHage, Grand Rapids
Portable Toilets – Kerkstra, Hudsonville
ONE HAWORTH CENTER Doors, Frames, Hardware – Laforce, Inc., Green Bay, WI SPARROW HEALTH SYSTEM WEST WING
Owner: Haworth, Inc., Holland, MI Roofing – Langerak Roof Systems, Sparta ADDITION AND PARKING STRUCTURE
Architect: Perkins+Will, Chicago, IL Window Replacement – Madison Heights Glass, Ferndale Owner – Sparrow Health System, Lansing
MEP, Structural, Civil Design & Engineering: Elevator – Otis Elevator Company, Grand Rapids Program and Construction Manager – Granger Construction
GMB Architects + Engineers, Holland, MI Hardware Supply – Page Hardware, Wyoming Company, Lansing
Construction Manager: Turner Construction Company, West Masonry – Roossien Masonry, Grandville Architect of Record – HDR Architecture, Inc., Omaha, NE
Michigan, Grand Rapids Structural Steel – Steel Supply & Engineering, Associate Architect – Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield
Grand Rapids
MAJOR CONSULTANTS MEP & Misc Equipment – Turner Logistics, Detroit SUBCONTRACTORS
Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture, Chicago, IL Millwork – Trend Millwork, Lincoln Park Carpet, Resilient Flooring, Drywall and Acoustical – Bouma
Commissioning Agents: Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc., Acoustical Ceilings/Demolition – Turner Self-Perform Group, Interiors, Okemos
Grand Rapids Troy Carpet, Resilient Flooring, Drywall and Acoustical – William
Lighting Design: Radient Design, Grand Haven Trailer Cleaning – United Commercial Services, Grand Rapids Reichenbach Company, Lansing
Conceptual Engineering and Sustainability: Battle McCarthy, Metal Wall Panels – Universal Wall Systems, Grand Rapids Concrete and General Trades – Granger Construction Company,
London, UK StrucFolding Partitions/Fire Doors – Won Door Corporation, Salt Lansing
HVAC & Plumbing (Design Build): Allied Mechanical Services, Lake City, UT Concrete and General Trades – Kares Construction Company,
Kalamazoo Charlotte
Fire Protection (Design Build): – Brigade Fire Protection, Earthwork – Eagle Excavating, Flint
Belmont Earthwork – TCI, Eaton Rapids
Electrical (Design Build) – Parkway Electric, Holland Electrical – Summit Contractors, Inc., Haslett
SALES RENTALS
ERECTIONS DELIVERY
SHORING SCAFFOLDING
SWING STAGING TRASH CHUTES
SCAFFOLD PLANKS Since 1952 EXPERT DESIGN
FALL PROTECTION AND
TRAINING 1-800-693-1800 SAFETY SERVICES

SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
Electrical – Superior Electric Company, Lansing Flagpole – Rocket Enterprise, Inc., Warren
Elevators – Schindler Elevator, Lansing Masonry – Brazen & Greer, Inc., Livonia
Fire Alarm Equipment and Temperature Controls – Siemens Pre-Engineered Building & Misc. Iron – Abbott Schain (sky-
Building Technologies Inc., Plymouth Township lights), Livonia; Cass Erectors & Fabricators, Livonia; Custom
Fire Protection - Jackson Automatic Sprinkler, Spring Arbor Architectural Sheet Metal, Detroit; Engineering Buildings,
General Trades – Nielsen Construction, Holt Inc., Livonia
Glass and Glazing – Calvin & Company, Flint Carpentry – Integrated Interiors, Inc., Warren; Westwood
Glass and Glazing – Lansing Glass Company, Lansing Carpentry Company, Birmingham
Masonry – Davenport Masonry, Holt Metal Doors & Hardware – LaForce, Inc., Green Bay, WI and Troy,
Masonry – Schiffer Mason Contractors, Holt MI
Material Testing – Soil & Materials Engineers, Inc., Lansing Overhead Coiling Doors – Crawford Door Sales, Inc., Detroit
Mechanical – Gunthorpe Plumbing & Heating, East Lansing Aluminum, Glass/Glazing – IXL Glass, Grosse Pointe
Mechanical and Fire Protection – John E Green, Gypsum Board Systems – Ann Arbor Ceiling & Partition,
Highland Park Ypsilanti
Millwork – Klein Cabinets, Westphalia WING LAKE DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER Acoustical Work – William E. Harnish Acoustical,
Millwork – MOD Interiors, Ira Township Owner: Bloomfield Hills School District Redford Township
Millwork – Strata Design, Traverse City Architect: TMP Architecture, Inc., Bloomfield Hills Ceramic Tile – Empire Tile & Marble Co., Inc., Eastpointe
Painting – B & J Painting, Lansing Construction Manager: George W. Auch Company, Pontiac Resilient Floor/Carpet – Imperial Floor Covering, Inc., Walled
Painting – Valley Painting, Inc., Flint Mechanical and Electrical Engineers - Peter Basso Associates, Lake
Pneumatic Tube System – Swisslog Heathcare Solutions – Inc., Troy Epoxy/Waterproof Coat – Seven Brothers Painting, Shelby
Rolling Meadows, IL Civil Engineers – Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc., Detroit Township
Roofing – Bonor Restoration, Lansing Painting – Accurate Painting Company, Warren
Sheet Metal – Dee Cramer, Holly and Allied Sheet Metal, SUBCONTRACTORS: Signage – Stamp-Rite Supersine, Lansing
Jackson Wing Lake Developmental Center Subcontractors Visual Display Surface – Claridge Products & Equipment, Inc.,
Steel – Cadillac Iron, Inc., Oxford Sitework – Service Construction, LLC, Southfield West Bloomfield
Steel – Douglas Steel Fabricating Corp., Lansing Asphalt Paving – Ajax Paving Industries, Detroit Toilet & Bath Accessories – Progressive Plumbing Supply,
Steel – Union Fabricators & Fitters, Jonesville Concrete-Site/Flatwork – The Gilardone Co., LLC, Novi Warren
Temperature Controls – Johnson Controls, Auburn Hills Fences & Gates – Michigan Fence & Supply Co., Harrison Operable Panel Partitions – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc., Bloomfield
CMCI
Terrazzo – Central Tile & Terrazzo, Kalamazoo and Fabris Pierce, Township Hills
Flint Landscaping – Rainman Landscaping, Inc., Northville Roller Shades – The Rose Collection, Ferndale
Terrazzo – Michielutti Brothers, Eastpointe Existing Building Demolition – MacKenzie Environmental Food Service Equipment – Great Lakes Hotel Supply Co., Detroit
Services, Inc., Grand Ledge Plumbing – Oakland Plumbing Co., Ray Township
Concrete Foundations – Novi Wall, Inc., Novi HVAC – Great Lakes Mechanical Corporation, Dearborn
Fire Protection – Tri-Star Fire Protection, Inc., Plymouth
Electrical – CEI Electric Co., Commerce Township
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Construction Manager - Bloom General Contracting, Inc.,
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Service available nationwide.

Architect - Studio Design ST, Westland
Civil Engineer – Zeimet Wozniak & Associates, Novi
Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Engineer - M.E.
CMCI has protected over a million square feet of floors.

Engineering Consultants, Inc., Plymouth
LEED Consultant - Newman Consulting Group, LLC, Bloomfield
- 1st Unionized Moisture Remediation Company in America -

Hills
LEED Architectural Consultant – Young & Young Architects,
Bloomfield Hills
We at CMCI look forward to being a part of your solution…

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SUBCONTRACTORS
Carpentry, Insulation and Drywall – Central Ceiling & Partition,
ConcreteMoistureControlInc.com
Inc., Warren
Caulking – J & S Construction, Inc., Fowlerville
Ceramic Tile – National Tile Company, Royal Oak
866.404.CMCI (2624)
Concrete Flatwork – Contek, Inc., Ann Arbor
Domestic Well, Supply Pipe and Fire Pump System – Brown
Drilling Company, Inc., Howell
Earthwork and Utilities – Wagner Excavating, Inc., Brighton
EFIS – Saylor’s, Inc., Ottawa Lake
Elevator – Otis Elevator Company, Farmington Hills
Engineer – M.E. Engineering Consultants, Inc., Plymouth

Fire Suppression – Ann Arbor Fire Protection, Ann Arbor Electric – Dynalectric, Troy; Industrial Electric, Detroit; Centerline Siding – C.L. Rieckhoff, Taylor
Foundations – CTS Foundations, Inc., Walled Lake Electric, Centerline Miscellaneous Metals – Davis Iron Works, Walled Lake; MBM
Fencing – Security Access Controls & Fence, Brighton Exterior Concrete and Parking Lot – ABC Paving, Trenton Fabricators, Romulus; Titus Welding, Farmington Hills
Geothermal Wells and HVAC System – Hardin Geotechnologies, Excavation – Angelo Iafrate Construction Co., Warren Structural Steel – Ross Steel, Detroit; Midwest Steel, Detroit
Inc., Indianapolis, IN Firestone Roof – Christen Detroit, Detroit Sprinkler – Lawrence Green Fire Protection, Detroit; John E.
Glazing and Canopy Systems – Advanced Storefronts, Inc., Troy Foundations – Simone Contracting, Sterling Heights Green, Highland Park; SA Communale, Farmington Hills
HVAC Makeup Air Unit – Air Handlers Corp., Clarkston Flatwork – Walbridge Concrete Services, Detroit Waterproofing – RAM Construction Services, Livonia
Kitchen Equipment – Gold Star Products, Oak Park HVAC, Plumbing– Universal Piping, Oak Park; Great Lakes Landscaping – WH Canon Company, Romulus
Landscape Architect – Land Design Studio, Southfield Mechanical, Dearborn; Pipe Systems, Inc., Troy Pavers/Retaining Wall – Soulliere Decorative Stone, Utica
Masonry – DS Building Contractors, Inc., Milan Masonry – Dixon Masonry, Detroit Irrigation/Water Feature – Marc Dutton Irrigation, Waterford
Material Testing Engineering – TES Consultants, P.C., Farmington Millwork – Madeira Woodworking Co., Troy Skylights – Supersky Products, Mequon, WI
Hills
Metal Panel Wall System and Entry Elements – John W.
McDougall Co., Inc., Nashville, TN
Overhead Doors – Crawford Door Sales, Inc., Detroit
Paint and Wallcovering – Masterpiece Painting Co., Whitmore
Lake
Plumbing – Mills Mechanical, Ortonville
Precast – Kerkstra Precast, Grandville
Roofing – Single Ply International, Inc., Livonia
Site Lighting Installation and Electrical – La Belle Electric
Services, Inc., Macomb
Soil Erosion Installation – J & M Construction Corp., New
Hudson
Soil Erosion Monitoring & Maintenance – ECR, Inc., Sterling
Heights
Specialty Floor Coating – Venture Specialty Products & Services,
Farmington Hills
Stone Base and Asphalt – Nagle Paving Company, Novi
Structural Steel – Cass Erectors, Inc., Livonia
Tree Clearing, Grubbing, Retaining Walls, Landscaping and
Irrigation – F.J. LaFontaine
& Sons Landscaping Co.,
DTE ENERGY CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION

Owner: DTE Energy, Detroit
Architect: Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield
Construction Manager: Walbridge, Detroit
CONSULTANTS
Landscape Architect: Grissim Metz Andriese Associates,
Northville
Civil Engineer: Tucker, Young, Jackson, Tull, Inc., Detroit
Structural Engineer: Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, West
Bloomfield
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Peter Basso Associates, Inc.,
Troy
Lighting Consultant: Gary Steffy Lighting Design, Inc., Ann
Arbor
Parking Consultant: Rich and Associates, Inc., Southfield
Fountain Consultant: The Waterworx Company, Toronto
TRADE CONTRACTORS
Irrigation Designer – Graber and Associates, Washington
Carpeting – NBS, Troy
Ceramic Tile – Michielutti Brothers, Eastpointe
Curtainwall/Glass – Exterior Wall Specialties, Northville; Peterson
Glass, Ferndale
Demolition – BlueStar, Warren; 21st Century Demolition,
Ypsilanti
Drywall – Acoustic Ceiling & Partition, Ann Arbor; Denn Co.,
Detroit

SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
Historic Consultant - QUINN | EVANS ARCHITECTS, CONSULTANTS

Ann Arbor Mechanical/Electrical & Structural Engineer: Korda/Nemeth
Interior Design Consultant (Hotel) – Portfolio Associates, Inc., Engineering, Inc., Columbus
Houston, TX Mechanical/Electrical Engineer (HVAC): Limbach Company,
Paint and Wallcovering – Madias Brothers, Inc., Detroit LLC, Pontiac
Plumbing Engineer – Ron George Design & Consulting, Monroe Civil Engineer: Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., Bloomfield Hills
Roofing – JD Chandler Roofing Company, Detroit Food Service Advisors: Nisonger Associates, Inc., Milford, OH
Scaffolding and Shoring – ThyssenKrupp Safway, Inc., Detroit Low-Voltage Consultants: Gene Burton & Associates, Franklin, TN
Sitework – Blaze Contracting, Inc., Detroit
Stairs – Davis Iron Works, Inc., Walled Lake SUBCONTRACTORS
Steel – Michael Fabricating, Inc., Trenton Site Work, Final Site Work & Paving – Angelo Iafrate
Stone Counters and Floors – Hospitality Stone, Shelby Township Construction, Warren
Storefront, Windows, Glass and Glazing – Universal Glass & Concrete Paving – John Carlo, Inc., Clinton Township
Metals, Inc., MBE, Detroit Irrigation/Landscaping – Tom’s Landscape & Nursery, Troy
DOUBLETREE GUEST SUITES FORT SHELBY Electrical (including underground) – Center Line Electric,
Owner – Fort Shelby Development, LLC, Detroit Center Line
Design Build Contractor – L.S. Brinker Co., Detroit Mass Excavation – Site Development, Madison Heights
Designer and Architect of Record – Hobbs + Black Associates, Foundations – Barton Malow Concrete, Oak Park
Inc., Ann Arbor Structural Steel – Indiana Bridge/Midwest Steel, Muncie, IN
Civil Engineer – TES Consulting, P.C., Farmington Hills Curtain Wall (cold-formed framing) – Contract Glaziers, Inc.
Electrical Engineer – ETS Engineering, Inc., Royal Oak (CGI), Detroit
Mechanical Engineer – Climatek Engineering, Inc., Dearborn Elevators – Thyssen Krupp, Livonia
Structural Engineer – Ehlert/Bryan, Inc., Southfield Elevated Concrete Decks – Amalio Corporation, Sterling Heights
Spray-On Fireproofing for Structural Steel – William Harnish
SUBCONTRACTORS Acoustical, Inc., Redford
Demolition – D-21, Detroit Roofing – Christen Detroit, Detroit
Design/Build Electrical – Motor City Electric Company, Detroit Underground Plumbing, Storm Piping & Plumbing Equipment –
Design/Build Mechanical – Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn Western Mechanical, Clinton Township
Design/Build Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical Inc., Clinton Twp Loading Dock Equipment – Applied Handling, Dearborn
Drywall and Interior Finishes – Brinker Team Construction PROVIDENCE PARK HOSPITAL Masonry – Dixon Masonry, Detroit
Company, MBE, Detroit Owner: St. John Health System, Novi Casework – Trend Millwork, Lincoln Park
Elevators – Kone, Inc., Livonia Construction Managers: Barton Malow Company, Southfield; Drywall, General Trades, and Ceiling – Barton Malow Interiors,
Exterior Restoration – Chezcore, Inc., Detroit White Construction, Detroit Oak Park
Foundations and Concrete Flatwork – B & B Concrete Architect of Record: NBBJ, Columbus, OH; Dorchen/Martin Interior Glass and Glazing – Edwards Glass, Livonia
Placement, Inc., Romulus Associates, Inc. Southfield (renovation of the existing hospital) Gypsum Wallboard/Acoustical Ceilings – BMI/Brinker, Oak Park
Negotiators,
Advocates,
STRENGTH Counselors,
integrity
trust Providing excellence
in the law — comprehensive
construction, business,
transactional & litigation
services to the business
community over 50 years.
Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C.

1000
1000 Maccabees
Maccabees Center•25800 Northwestern Hwy.
Center•25800 Northwestern Hwy. Post
Post Office
Office Box
Box 222•Southfield,
222•Southfield, Michigan
Michigan 48037-0222
48037-0222
248.746.0700•Fax
248.746.0700•Fax 248.746.2760
248.746.2760
E-mail:
E-mail: kgleeson@swappc.com
kgleeson@swappc.com •• www.swappc.com
www.swappc.com

A S S O C I AT E
Resilient Flooring and Carpet – Quality Floor Coverings, Oak Park Construction Engineering Technology
Hard Tile – Boston Tile, Detroit
Painting and Wallcovering – Future Maintenance, Livonia BACHELOR’S
Window Washing Equipment – Thaler Metal Industries, New Architectural Engineering
Braunfels, TX (combined bachelor’s and master’s studies)
Fire Protection – Wolverine Fire Protection, Milford Civil Engineering
Testing – SME, Plymouth Construction Management
Irrigating Wells – Layne-Northern, Lansing Engineering Technology
Port-A-Johns – Brendels Septic Tank, White Lake
Site Fencing – Noble Fence, Armada MASTER’S
Waste Removal – Capital Waste, Inc., Detroit Civil Engineering
Material Hoisting – Elevator Technology, Detroit Construction Engineering Management
Engineering Management
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN,
LURIE NANOFABRICATION FACILITY Lawrence Technological University
Owner – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Office of Admissions
Architect – SmithGroup, Inc., Detroit 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058
Construction Manager – Skanska USA Building Inc., 800.CALL.LTU • ltu.edu
Parsippany, NJ (with a local office in Southfield)
SUBCONTRACTORS
Aluminum Curtain Wall, Doors, Canopy and Louvers – American
Glass & Metals, Plymouth
Building Temperature and Process Controls – Siemens Buildings
Technologies, Inc., Livonia
Clean-Up – DLS Service, Ypsilanti
Cleanroom Partitions, Access Flooring, Plenum Grid, Cleanroom
Protocol and Cleaning - Performance Contracting, Carmel, IN
Concrete Foundations and Flatwork, Site Grading, Paving and
Concrete – Spence Brothers, Ann Arbor
Earth Retention and Waterproofing – Davis Specialty
Contracting, Inc., Milford
Electrical – Shaw Electric Company, Ann Arbor
Epoxy Floor Coatings – A & S Industrial Coating, Co., Inc., Warren
Fire Protection and Demolition of Fire Protection – John E.
Green Company, Highland Park
Gown Room Demolition – Blue Star, Inc., Warren
Halon Fire Protection Relocation – Healey Fire Protection, Inc., Orion
Hydraulic Elevator – Kone, Inc., Livonia
Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia
Masonry Mock-Up Panels – Giannola Masonry Company, Earth Retention Systems - Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI
Clinton Township
Metal Studs, Drywall, Acoustic, EIFS – Ann Arbor Ceiling &
Partition, Co., LLC, Ypsilanti VERSATILE GEOTECHNICAL CONTRACTORS
Nitrogen Tank Relocation, Process Piping, Plumbing and HVAC –
Boone & Darr, Inc., Ann Arbor
Overhead Doors, Loading Dock Equipment and Furnish Doors –
Detroit Door & Hardware Co., Madison Heights
Painting and Intumescent Fireproofing – Cavalier Painting Co.,
Sterling Heights
Resilient Flooring and Carpeting – Shock Brothers Floor
Covering, Inc., Roseville
Dan Thome, District Manager
Roofing – CEI Roofing, Howell Midwest District Office
Rough and Finish Carpentry – FBK Associates, Inc., Rochester Hills
Site Utilities – Tri County Electric Co., of Washtenaw, Saline 5945 W. Main Street, Suite 102 Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Sitework and Mass Excavation – Eagle Excavation & Phone: 269.353.8421 Fax: 269.353.8435
Contracting, Inc., Flint www.nicholsonconstruction.com
Spray-On Fireproofing – DennCo Construction, Inc., Shelby
Township
MICROPILES ANCHORS GROUTING AUGERCAST PILES
Structural Steel, Miscellaneous Deck, Miscellaneous Iron –
SOIL NAIL WALLS SOIL MIXING DIAPHRAGM WALLS VIBRO TECHNOLOGIES
Douglas Steel Fabricating Corp., Lansing
Temporary Fencing – Reliable Fence Company, Clinton Township

ADVERTISER INDEX
1-800-PackRat.com ................................................................................37
Ace Cutting Equipment & Supply ....................................................14
Acme Maintenance Service ................................................................53
Allingham Corp. ......................................................................................41
Aluminum Supply Company - Marshall Sales, Inc. ....................81
Amalio Corporation ..............................................................................49
Aoun & Company....................................................................................20
Auch Company, George W. ................................................................25
Boone & Darr, Inc. ..................................................................................99
CAM Administrative Services ..............................................................3
EARTHMOVING, LLC CAM Affinity Program..........................................................................IBC

CAM ECPN ......................................................................................67, 103
CAM EXPO ................................................................................................43
MASS GRADING • SITE UTILITIES C.A.S.S. ........................................................................................................63
C.F.C.U. ........................................................................................................11
Earth Moving Site Development Capital Insurance Group ....................................................................31
Cipriano Coating Technology ............................................................65
Concrete Moisture Control ..............................................................106
Private Work • Commercial & Public Work Connelly Crane Rental Corporation ................................................33
Sand and Gravel Pits Curran Crane Co., J.J. ............................................................................21
D&R Earthmoving ................................................................................110
Soil Erosion Controls • Seeding DESAI/NASR ............................................................................................77
Danboise Mechanical ..........................................................................41
MDOT Prequalified
Detroit Carpentry JATC ........................................................................35
Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc. ..........................................................80
WE ARE A MULTI-STATE CONTRACTOR Detroit Terrazzo Contractors Association ....................................53
DiHydro Services ................................................................................105
Doeren Mayhew ....................................................................................71
Dunn Blue ................................................................................................26
5840 Sterling Drive, Suite 420 • Howell, MI 48843 Edwards Glass ........................................................................................95
Engineered Buildings, Inc. ..................................................................71
ph: 517-552-4433 ● fx:517-552-4455 Ferndale Electric ..................................................................................IFC

Fishbeck Thompson Carr & Huber ..................................................67
G2 Consulting ........................................................................................95
Glazing Contractors Association ........................................................4
Great Lakes Farbricators and Erectors Association ......................9
Guy, Hurley, Blaser & Heuer, LLC ........................................................17
Hartland Insurance Group ..................................................................87
Hilti, Inc. ....................................................................................................48
IBEW Local 252 ........................................................................................93
Jeffers Crane Service, Inc. ....................................................................91
JetHeat ......................................................................................................93
Kapnick Insurance Group ..................................................................73
Klochko Equipment Rental ................................................................57
Lawrence Technological University ..............................................109
Marous Brothers Construction ..........................................................15
McCoig Materials ..................................................................................31
Michigan CAT ..........................................................................................BC
National Construction Rentals, Inc. ..................................................21
Navigant Consulting ............................................................................33
Next Generation Services Group ....................................................79
Get Your Free Electronic Subscription Now Nicholson Construction Company ................................................109
North American Dismantling Corp. ................................................73
only at www.cammagazineonline.com Oakland Companies ............................................................................49
Oakland Metal Sales ............................................................................10
Operating Engineers Local 324 ..........................................................7
Osborne Trucking & Osborne Concrete, John D. ........................19
Plante & Moran, PLLC ........................................................................107
Plumbing Professors ..........................................................................101
Plunkett Cooney ....................................................................................51
Rice & Werthman ..................................................................................57
Roth Incorporated ................................................................................80
SANI-VAC Services, Inc. ........................................................................26
SMRCA ......................................................................................................34
Scaffolding Inc. ....................................................................................105
SmithGroup ............................................................................................99
Spartan Specialties ................................................................................59
Sullian, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C. ..................................................108
Trend Millwork ........................................................................................47
Turner Construction Company ........................................................27
Valenti Trobec Chandler ........................................................................5
Wade Trim ................................................................................................57
Wayne Bolt & Nut Co. ............................................................................20
Woods Construction Inc. ..................................................................100
Zervos Group ........................................................................................101

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CAM Magazine Special Issue 2009: The Best of Michigan Construction

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CAM Magazine Special Issue 2009: The Best of Michigan Construction

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SI 1-11 Intro_Nov 10/5/09 2:43 PM Page 1

FALL 2009 VOL. 30 • NO. 11 • $4.00

“VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY”

AN ASSOCIATION OF QUALIFIED, KNOWLEDGEABLE,

• To maintain the highest industry-wide standards

• To promote and provide dialogue among other

• To advise the membership with important information

• To hold training seminars on products, techniques

• To provide social gatherings for members to

• To promote the advancement of the association at

Coming Soon: www.gcami.com

43636 Woodward Ave.

GRIFFIN, SMALLEY & WILKERSON, INC.

VTC INSURANCE GROUP

ONE HAWORTH CENTER

FALL 2009 SPECIAL ISSUE FROM THE EDITOR

to the 14th edition of CAM

We hope you enjoy Special Issue

54 Sparrow Health System

6 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

Local 324 Journeyman

LURIE NANOFABRICATION FACILITY

FALL 2009 SPECIAL ISSUE

74 DTE Energy’s Downtown Campus

DTE ENERGY DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

88 Providence Park Hospital

102 Project Subcontractor Lists

8 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

COPPER ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mary E. Kremposky

KYNAR 500 PRE-PAINTED Vice Chairman Glenn E. Parvin,

STEEL SHEETS IN 50 COLORS Treasurer R. Andrew Martin,

Frank G. Nehr, Jr.

• Galvalume Sheets AMERICAN INHOUSE

SINCE 1984 For editorial comment or more information: magazine@cam-online.com.

10 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

ThE BooK CAdillAC

T historic Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit. The name-

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 13

completed the way he wants it enveloped in darkness as he entered the

Michigan’s Largest Selection

25806 Novi Rd. • Novi, MI 48375

Imagine taking a building from this. . .

We take great pride in being the only

Integrated Services for Complete

16 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

300 WORKERS AND A ROBOT

REACHING HOME PLATE

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 17

new staircases. This entailed a great deal of building

exterior attachment points consumed three to four months,

A CUSTOM RIDE TO A HEAVENLY BED®

18 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 19

AOUN & CO., P.C.

20 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

transition the loads of the hotel tower through

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 21

22 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

FROM THE GROUND UP construction of full-size mock-ups by Turner’s

y massive project team led by hospital and

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 23

24 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2009 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

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