CAM Magazine Special Issue 2007: The Best of Michigan Construction

SI 1-21 Boys Girls Club 10/4/07 10:17 AM Page 1
FALL 2007 VOL. 28 • NO. 11 • $4.00
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“VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
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FROM THE EDITOR
12
We ’re proud to present our Special Issue

Construction 2007. Contained within these
pages is a unique group of projects, selected from 22
the many submitted for publication. These projects
are representative of the vast complexity of work
that is accomplished by the talented individuals who
comprise Michigan’s construction industry. 32
We wish to thank our readers and the CAM

Membership for continuing to support us in
producing this annual issue. We sincerely hope all
40
of you enjoy reading this edition of Special Issue
Construction 2007.
48
Sincerely,
58
Amanda Tackett, Editor
66
PROJE C T S
76
12 Building XL: Boys and Girls Club NFL/Youth Education Town, Detroit
22 One Kennedy Square: A New Jewel for Detroit
32 Hyperdrive: Engineering Building, IAVS, U of M - Dearborn
84
40 Green School Make the Grade: St. Patrick’s North Campus School, Brighton
48 Starting at Square One: Warren’s Stunning New Civic Center Rises at One City Square
58 Structure and Function: U of M Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor
66 Building a Town Within a Building: 325 North Old Woodward, Birmingham
92
76 Renovations Add Drama to Allen Park High School
84 Structural Symbiosis: Bosch Corporation Office & Prototype Development Center,
Plymouth Twp. 102
92 Bringing Light to the Shadows: U of M Health System Rachel Upjohn Building, Ann Arbor
102 Field Position: Bodman LLP at Ford Field, Detroit
110 Taking a Step in the Right Direction: Blue Cross Blue Shield “Green” Parking Deck, Detroit 110
122 List of Subcontractors
6 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007

REPRESENTING
INSURANCE
& BONDING
General Insurance • Surety Bonds
1175 West Long Lake Rd. Suite 200 • Troy, MI 48098
248-828-3377
Fax 248-828-4290 - Bonding
248-828-3741 - Insurance
e-mail:mmiller@vtcins.com
www.vtcins.com
Del Valenti Rod Gawel Jason McLelland Teresa Casey

Bob Trobec Tim O’Malley Jeff Chandler Tom Morris
Al Chandler Joe McIntyre Jim Boland Gary J. Beggs
Mike Miller Kathy Irelan Julie Rourke
Ian Donald Tom Skuza Ken Boland
Unpatriotic!
Imported Millwork:
PUBLISHER Kevin N. Koehler
EDITOR Amanda M. Tackett
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR E. Dewey Little
Imitation!
Plastic or Foam Mouldings: ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mary E. Kremposky
David R. Miller
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Matthew J. Austermann

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Gregg A. Montowski
Cheap!
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Cathy A. Jones
Finger-Jointed Mouldings:
DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Chairman Randy L. Brooks,
Temperature Engineering Corp.
Vice Chairman Thomas E. Doyle,
Millwork & Mouldings Vice Chairman

Plante & Moran, PLLC
Nancy D. Marshall,
Manufactured from Treasurer

Aluminum Supply Co.
Jeffrey W. Cohee,
Frank Rewold & Son, Inc.
“REAL WOOD” by President Kevin N. Koehler
Patterson-Buck Hardwood: DIRECTORS Brian J. Brunt,

Brunt Associates
WORLD CLASS
Rick J. Cianek,
Fraco Products
Brian D. Kiley,
Edgewood Electric, Inc.
R. Andrew Martin,
F. H. Martin Constructors
Ted C. McGinley,
Gutherie Lumber Co.
Robert J. Michielutti Jr.,

Michielutti Bros., Inc.
John O’Neil, Sr.,

W. J. O’Neil Company
Glenn E. Parvin,
C.A.S.S.
2006
MARCOM International GRAPHIC DESIGN USA
Creative Awards Gallery of Fine Printing
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2005 Gold Award DESIGN AWARD 2002 Bronze Award
MANUFACTURERS
OF CUSTOM TRIM Michigan Society of
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Print Media Competition
2002, 2004, 2005 & 2007
& HARDWOOD Diamond Award
2003, 2006 Honorable Mention

Overall Association Magazine
Magazine Writing
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10 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

By David R. Miller, Photography by

Associate Editor Justin Maconochie
N
othing about the Super Bowl Host
Detroit’s big game, Committee Sponsors stepping
appropriately named up with a promise to raise an
Super Bowl XL, was small. An extra additional $1 million. The single
large crowd of over 68,000 fans watched largest donation of $1.5 million came
as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the from Dick and Sandy Dauch. The Detroit
Seattle Seahawks on their way to earning Housing Commission, HUD, and other
a fifth championship ring for the franchise in each Super Bowl host city, but Detroit’s donors raised the remaining $2.5 million.
– “One for the Thumb.” Attendees saw 32,000-square-foot building is about three The next step was in identifying a suitable
much more than a great game; they also times the size of most other facilities, mak- location for this investment. Close coop-
experienced an electrifying halftime show ing it a fitting legacy of a big game. Key eration with civic leaders and a thorough
featuring Mick Jagger, and witnessed foot- players in this super-sized effort included understanding of the services provided by
ball history as Jerome Bettis announced architect Ehresman Associates, Inc., Troy the Boys & Girls Clubs yielded an answer.
that the last stop for the Bus would occur and construction manager Spencer Dailey, Upon first glance, the site of the former
in Detroit, right where his journey began. Inc., Detroit. Herman Gardens might not seem ideal.
The excitement of Super Bowl XL could The site was first approved for U.S.
not be limited to a single day or location. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Many other events were synchronized to Corporations tend to thrive in healthy HOPE VI funding in 1996 during Detroit
FILLING A BIG NEED
capitalize on the energy of the game, but communities. This ripple effect around Mayor Dennis Archer’s first term in office,
few will have a lasting impact like the con- stable neighborhoods makes successful and these funds provided for the demoli-
struction of the Dick & Sandy Dauch private/public partnerships beneficial to tion of the 2,144 apartments in 1997. Little
Campus of the Boys & Girls Club, home of all. Detroit’s new youth facility could be a was done with the land in the following
the new NFL/Youth Education Town. textbook example. The process began years, but hopes for restoration never
Since 1993, the National Football League when the NFL Owners Trust provided $1 faded. Faced with the possibility of losing
has established a Youth Education Town million in seed money for the project, with HOPE IV funding, Detroit Mayor Kwame

Kilpatrick met with HUD to restore the they work their way up to the top of a
revenue, leading to the ambitious The facility site saw some extra large wish list.”
BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Gardenview Estates project. The overall accomplishments occur in a very short With favorable weather and timely
plan calls for a mixed income community time frame. In fact, the schedule itself deliveries, good project managers typical-
of approximately 920 single-family stands out as an achievement, as the con- ly save days or even weeks on project
homes, condos, lofts and townhouses. struction groundbreaking and final rib- schedules, but few are able to shave off an
The facility will serve children who live bon cutting occurred less than one year entire year. Then again, few teams share
in Gardenview Estates and beyond. apart. the dedication and professionalism
Approximately 34,000 school-aged chil- “The tight time schedule was a unique employed at the Detroit site. The facility
dren already live within a seven-mile challenge,” said Dale Ehresman, AIA, actually opened before the Boys & Girls
radius of the site, and the facility is expect- senior architect for Ehresman Associates, Club NFL/Youth Education Town in
ed to serve 2,500 members, many of Inc. “This project was unlike many recre- Jacksonville, Florida, which was built in
whom previously utilized Boys & Girls ation centers, which may float around on conjunction with Super Bowl XXIX one
Club facilities in Dearborn and Redford a city schedule for five to ten years while year earlier. Despite the fast pace, there
that were not ideally suited for this pur-
pose. Both are over 30 years old and nei-
ther was built from the ground up as Left: The emphasis on football is difficult to miss at the facility. The main entrance canopy sits
recreation facilities, the first being an old
beneath a 25-foot-long football, while the exterior wall features vertical “yard marker” stripes
supermarket and the second being a for-
and “hash marks” in a contrasting brick color.
mer tool and die shop with no gym. The

need for a new facility was obvious, but
Below: The athletic theme continues inside the facility. Ceramic tile floors with yard markings are
its construction was not a foregone con-

football-inspired and they may also serve a practical purpose. Staff members who are asked to
clusion.
check into something at the 30-yard-line will know exactly where to go.
“We were all well aware of the commit-

ment we were making,” said Len Krichko,
president and chief executive officer of
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern
Michigan. “There were a lot of skeptics in
the beginning, but we spent a couple of
years talking up the project and persuad-
ing people that a 32,000-square-foot facili-
ty meeting the needs of 2,500 kids could
be done.”
The site posed some difficulties, but the
facility could ultimately only be success-
ful if it were built with children nearby.
Since the children were already in the
area, the Boys & Girls Club simply needed
to find a contractor with problem-solving
abilities. Spencer Dailey fit the bill.
“What I’ve seen of Spencer Dailey, they
can build anywhere with ease,” said Larry
Knox, a member of the Boys & Girls Club
of Southeastern Michigan Board of
Directors and chairman of the Properties
Committee. “All we needed to do was get
them the money.”
Getting the money involved an educa-
tional process. Suburban leaders needed
to fully understand the benefits of a
vibrant Detroit.
“Getting $6 million from this communi-
ty would have been impossible,” said Tom
Hoeg, chairman of the Boys & Girls Club
of Southeastern Michigan Board of
Directors. “Our view is that we live in a
region, not just the City of Detroit or the
suburbs, so we should be helping each
other.”
The financial help that poured in let the
project team achieve a number of impres-
sive accomplishments at the site.
Visit us at www.cam-online.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 13

was also a strong emphasis on working

safely. Over 35,000 hours were logged on
the project without a single recordable
incident. Spencer Dailey has amassed an
enviable safety record by having everyone
on the jobsite pitch in for the effort.
“We all check safety when we walk
through, because Vince (Washington,
superintendent for Spencer Dailey) can’t
As a full service Carpentry & be in every room at once,” said Paul
Danko, project manager for Spencer
Dailey. “If someone comes over here to
Architectural millwork company we
deal with a problem, or even to just drop
utilize integrated technology to deliver
higher value to our clients. Estimating, off some paperwork, they’ll stroll through
Shop Drawings and Real Time Scheduling the building. Safety is a team effort.”
are linked to state-of-the-art woodworking The architect was also a part of the safe-
ty team. Clear sight lines at the facility
were intended to let staff members moni-
machinery. Our technology investment
tor children, but they also simplified con-
reflects our commitment to clients;
struction safety efforts, as all workers
quality and value you can depend on.
could be observed with a quick walk-
through.
“We designed the building with the
safety of the kids in mind, but the design
could have also contributed to construc-
custom veneer work tion safety,” said Ehresman.
custom veneer work Owners are also a vital part of any safe-
wood doors&& frames ty effort. After narrowing the list of
prospective bidders down to several final-
wood doors
custom frames
custom veneer work
ists, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern
veneer work
laminate/post
laminate/post forming
forming
Michigan asked for information relating
wood doors & frames
wood doors & frames
to the safety record of each. While this
laminate/post forming
laminate/post forming could be a liability for some companies, it
was clearly an asset for Spencer Dailey.
Among many other accomplishments, the
company received a 2006 CAM Safety
Achievement Award. To qualify for this
honor, a company must have no fatalities
for the calendar year, lost work day and
total recordable case rates below the
Michigan average for the construction
industry, and a current Michigan
Brunt Associates, Inc.
Experience Modification Rating of .99 or
48953 Wixom Tech Drive,
below. These impressive results could not
Wixom, MI 48393
occur without a strong commitment at
(248) 960-8295
every level.
Fax: (248) 960-8296
www.BruntAssociates.com “Safety is something that architects, and
Jeff Gantz
particularly owners, are getting more con-

Raplh Rexroat
cerned about,” said Anthony Spencer,

president of Spencer Dailey. “I’m on the
Jeff Gantz
job once a week doing safety audits,

Raplh Rexroat
checking things out, and talking to sub-

contractors. If I see something that isn’t
Jeff Gantz right, I make people aware of it.”
Raplh Rexroat Of course, safety is just one of many
things that supervisory personnel are held
Jeff Gantz
accountable for. Productivity is important
Raplh Rexroat
too, but workers must never be endan-
gered just to get the job done.
“As construction managers, our job is to
manage,” said Washington. “We need to
ensure that our people buy into what we

are telling them, and safety is a non-nego-

tiable issue. We shouldn’t need to tell
people that they can’t stand on a ladder
platform. If we need to tell them that,
they’re not doing their job.”
Of course, keeping on budget is another
vital component in meeting owner expec-
tations, and the project team excelled in
this area. The design team incorporated
several innovative ideas to offer maxi-
mum value for the money.
Building costs are only a part of the

LESS IS MORE
equation for facilities that run on

donations. Operating costs are also a key
factor.
“If we design a building that can be
visually monitored from one or two spots,
it can help take care of itself,” said
Ehresman. “We put the office in the cen-
ter of the building and surrounded it with
glass. People in the office can monitor the
games room, gym, hallway, entrances and
exits. There are no hidden corners, so peo-
ple will feel safe and be safe. The building
is set up to let the staff do a great job of
supervising and controlling. We put that Open spaces and clear sight lines let staff members supervise and control activities.

functional planning into the bricks and

mortar, and once it’s there, it’s there
forever.”
Bathrooms can be a trouble spot for
youth facilities. Motley Crue didn’t
invent the phenomenon of hanging out in
the boys’ room; they just immortalized it
in song. Privacy concerns make bath-
rooms difficult to monitor, so they can eas-
ily become havens for activities that
would not be permitted in public areas. If
a problem is suspected in a restroom, a
staff member of the appropriate gender
needs to drop everything and make a spe-
cific trip to check it out. Ehresman
Associates adopted a novel approach for
mitigating this problem. Toilet stalls are
placed inside small restrooms, but sinks
and mirrors are placed in common spaces
outside the doors. Young people who
congregate in restrooms tend to stay by
the sinks and now they gather under the
watchful eyes of the facility staff. The
sinks also facilitate faster cleanup for peo-
ple who simply want to wash their hands
and they can leave the sink area without
ever touching an unsanitary bathroom
door. If the idea works out well,
Ehresman Associates may apply it in
school settings.
In addition to creating a design where a
small staff can effectively supervise activ-
ities, Ehresman Associates added a num-
ber of energy saving devices into the
building to keep operating costs under
control.
“Operating costs are difficult for any
organization, so it is important to keep
energy costs down for long-term viabili-
ty,” said Ehresman. “We looked at electri-
cal costs, most of which come from the
lighting. We used motion sensors for light
control, so lights only come on when a
room is occupied.”
Motion detectors activate energy-effi-
cient fluorescent lights only when needed
and this illumination is augmented with
natural light from several skylights.
Energy-saving gas-fired rooftop heating
and cooling units were selected, and the
building was carefully zoned to maximize
their effectiveness. The gym, for example,
can be set at a cooler temperature with
more air exchanges to accommodate ath-
letic activity without cooling the entire
building past what is needed for comfort.
The building is also designed to keep
heated and cooled air inside where it
belongs, with two-inch rigid insulation
sandwiched between interior block walls
and a load-bearing masonry exterior.
“Insulation is very cheap, so we used a

GLAZING
GCA CONTRACTORS
ASSOCIATION
“A Continued Search for Industry Excellence”
AN ASSOCIATION OF QUALIFIED, KNOWLEDGEABLE,

DEPENDABLE AND RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS,
OUR MEMBERS STAND COMMITTED:
• To maintain the highest industry-wide standards

of personal and professional conduct
• To promote and provide dialogue among other

construction professionals
• To advise the membership with important information

and changes within the industry
• To hold training seminars on products, techniques

and application
• To provide social gatherings for members to

exchange informal ideas and questions related to
the industry
• To promote the advancement of the association at

local and state levels, supporting its goals and
objectives
GCA MEMBERS
American Glass & Huron Valley Glass Co.
Metals Corp.
Icon Glass Systems
Armor Glass & Metals Madison Heights Glass
Curtis Glass Modern Mirror & Glass
Edwards Glass Co. Peterson Glass Co.
Glasco Corp. Abbott K. Schlain Co.
Harmon, Inc. Universal Glass & Metals
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GLAZING
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43636 Woodward Ave.

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
(248) 972-1032
FLAG POLE
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(586) 751-7600
30660 Ryan, Warren MI 48092
Top: Lights are set in a lace pattern on this football-shaped ceiling. The lights shine down on a
water jet cut tile floor that includes the facility logo.
Bottom: The gym is easily accessible from the lobby area and it is decked out with the colors of
the Detroit Lions.

lot,” said Marc Chamberlin, architect,

Ehresman Associates. “We spent a little
extra money and got high-quality brick
that is very tough. It’s almost self-clean-
ing and it is resistant to scratches, mud
and debris. The interior is all block
masonry; there is no drywall to speak of.
It costs a little extra, but it will last
forever.”
An added benefit to this design is that it
simplified the installation of temporary
heat during construction. Once the insu-
lation was in place, the building held a
constant temperature with minimal use of
portable heating units, thereby enhancing
comfort and productivity on the jobsite.
Load-bearing masonry also eliminated the
need for structural columns, which aided
in the development of an effective floor
plan. The project team met a number of
budgetary and operational cost goals with
masonry, but the application is anything
but bare bones. Skilled craftsmanship is
on display in the upward sloping radius
design of the front entrance.
“It all went back to the craftsmen using
their levels,” said Rick Giummi, estimator
for Monte Costella & Co., Novi. “They
had to check with their levels every four
feet.”
Other finishes throughout the building
were also selected for their overall dura- Since 1968
bility. Doors are held onto their frames
with continuous piano hinges, which are
“SPECIALTY CLEANING”
more rugged than standard hardware and www.acmemaint.com
they also reduce the likelihood of pinched
fingers. Hard tile runs from floor to ceil-
ing in bathrooms, as opposed to a more
traditional combination of tile and dry-
wall. Porcelain tile floors in corridors are 24236 Mound Road, Warren, Michigan 48091
sturdy and easy to maintain, needing a
simple mopping as opposed to stripping
and waxing to look their best.
Commercial • Industrial • Institutional
The appearance of the facility will
Cleaning Services
change very little over the years, which is
a good thing because the football inspired
PROFESSIONAL DUCT CLEANING
design should appeal to almost any user.
Cleaning & Sanitizing • Complete HVAC Systems
Restroom/Laboratory/Paint • Exhaust Systems
The emphasis on football is difficult to

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS EXTERIOR BUILDING CLEANING
miss at the facility. The main entrance

Architectural Metal • Precast • Brick • Stone
canopy sits beneath a 25-foot-long football INTERIOR BUILDING CLEANING

constructed of lath and plaster over a steel Degreasing • Prep for Paint • Exhaust Fans • Floor Cleaning
frame. The exterior wall also features a
curve reminiscent of a football, complete
DEEP CLEANING
with windows placed every 5 yards on

Machinery De-greasing • Kitchen Facilities
center and accentuated with a vertical
Parking Deck Cleaning • Warehouses
“yard marker” stripe in a contrasting
Loading Docks • Compactors
brick color and accent brick “hash marks.” 37 Years In Business
The sports theme continues inside the
building, where the lobby features a wall (586) 759-3000 Fax (586) 759-3277
of display cases highlighting football

memorabilia, including photos of Dick

Dauch dating back to his days on
Purdue’s team. Interior walls also mimic
the curvature of a football, and the theme
is further reinforced with a football
shaped dropped ceiling, compete with
lights set in a pattern resembling the laces.
The lights shine down on a water jet cut
tile floor that includes the facility logo.
New technology allowed for the flawless
electronic transfer of the logo’s rounded
edges, which was not possible before.
Ceramic tile floors with turf colored
yard markings are football-inspired. This
feature may also serve a practical purpose,
as people have already noted that staff
members who are asked to check into
something at the 20-yard-line will know
exactly where to go.
The gym is easily accessible from the
lobby area, and the football theme contin-
ues into this space that is decked out with
the colors of the Detroit Lions. Side bas-
ketball courts feature adjustable baskets
that let anyone get into the game, regard-
less of their height. The gym includes
locker and shower facilities for those who
play, and bleachers for those who sit on
the sidelines. Other features of the center
include an arts and crafts center; commu-
nity room; learning center; meeting
rooms; outdoor play area; social and recre-
ation games room; technology center;
multi-media studio; and teen center.
Young people can also participate in out-
door sports activities on the Ralph C.
Wilson, Jr. Athletic Field, made possible
through the financial support of Buffalo
Bills owner and local resident, Ralph
Wilson.
Young people will enjoy the opportuni-
ties offered by the building for many years
to come. As an alumnus of Boys & Girls
Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Detroit
Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may have said it
best at the dedication ceremony for the
facility.
“Boys & Girls Clubs are more than sim-
ply a safe place to go after school,” he
said. “They are an organization that pro-
vides kids with direction, inspiration and
hope. The construction of the new Dick
and Sandy Dauch Campus home of the
NFL/YET-Boys & Girls Club, does offer
inspiration and hope to our city, serving
as a lasting legacy of the NFL Super Bowl
XL and as a great example of what can
happen when everyone comes together
for our kids.”
Though the project required an extra
large effort to bring it to fruition, the bene-
fits more than outweigh the expenditure.

SI 22-31 One Kennedy Sq 10/2/07 12:00 PM Page 22
O
ne Kennedy Square’s green shim- presence on the edge of Campus Martius thread tightly woven into the history of
mer of glass rises against the and an assured place in the architectural Detroit, itself. One Kennedy Square stands
tableau of stone monoliths in history of the city. Designed by at the convergence of three centuries: The
downtown Detroit. The building’s emer- Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield, building rests on the site of Detroit’s City
ald cloak and pure white marble columns and built by Spencer Dailey, Inc., Detroit, Hall built in 1871; City Hall gave way in
lend this Class A office building a strong this contemporary building is a bright the 20th century to the original Kennedy

Square, a public plaza built in 1961; today,

this new 21st century building adds its
emerald sheen to the bubbling fountains
and outdoor spaces of Detroit’s grand
Campus Martius Park.
Redico LLC is the Southfield-based real
estate and investment company responsi-
ble for the development of this 10-story
jewel. Together, the project team created a
building with a 21st century personality
using glass as the chosen medium. Over
110,000 square feet of glass and over nine
SALES RENTALS
different types blanket this contemporary
office tower. To break down the scale and
add to its sense of height, the building is
ERECTIONS DELIVERY
essentially broken into two forms: a taller,

SHORING SCAFFOLDING
emerald-green glass wedge with a boldly

SWING STAGING TRASH CHUTES
sloped roofline and a white-hued glass rec-

SCAFFOLD PLANKS Since 1952 EXPERT DESIGN
tangle, both with accents of the opposite

FALL PROTECTION AND
1-800-693-1800
color.
TRAINING SAFETY SERVICES
The front of the building “floats” on

columns of Statuario marble quarried in
the Cararra region of Italy. The stone was
taken from the same quarry and in the
exact location as the stone used in
Michelangelo’s masterpieces, said John S.
Fekaris, operations manager, Spencer
Dailey. The marble is known for its perfect
white purity laced with elegant gray veins.
The marble cradles the walls and floor of
the Woodward lobby in its bright beauty,
outshone only by a backlit wall and ceiling
recess of translucent glass filling the interi-
or and the Detroit night with a soft glow.
“This white marble has a very special
feel and quality,” said Daniel N. Tyrer,
project architect, Neumann/Smith who
designed this landmark building with the
late Kenneth Neumann, FAIA. “It has a
whiteness that is unlike any other. Other
marbles in Italy and in the United States
are considered white, but if you place
them next to this extraordinary marble, the
others often appear yellow.”
Neumann/Smith, Redico, Spencer Dailey,
and Booms Stone Co. all traveled to this
renowned Italian quarry to personally
select the marble blocks.
The building’s refreshing sense of light-
ness is not only a glass-and-marble
induced mirage. A portion of the building
actually floats or cantilevers over the side-
walk as an inspired solution to managing a
triangular site trapped in a 19th century
street grid above grade and a 20th century
parking deck below By floating two cor-
ners of a rectangular building over the tri-
angular lot line, Neumann/Smith created
an efficient and competitive floor plate for
a 21st century office tower.
Spencer Dailey adroitly managed the
challenges of shoring and building the

cantilevered corners and building within deck roof during construction. Plotting delivery schedules,” said Tysen McCarthy,
the tight confines of a congested urban site the shipment and delivery of long-lead Redico, senior vice president. “But we
not only during regular business hours but items, in some cases even before the job pulled together who we thought were the
also during Detroit’s Winter Blast and officially began, added to the lengthy list best in the industry to complete a pretty
Super Bowl XL. Building a 256,000- of project hurdles. Spencer Dailey man- challenging project. We called upon a net-
square-foot structure on top of an existing aged these unusual construction tasks and work of trusted relationships. Redico has
parking deck had its own series of formi- delivered a complex building in less than worked with Ken Neumann for 30 years,
dable obstacles, including painstaking 12 months. Stephen Dailey, president of Spencer
management of weight restrictions on the “It is one of the most remarkable project Dailey, and John Fekaris for almost 20
years.”
The story of how one of the first new

SETTING THE WHEELS IN MOTION
multi-tenant Class A office building in

downtown Detroit in more than 15 years
took shape begins with Visteon Corp.’s
challenge to Redico. “Visteon challenged
us to produce a new building in down-
town Detroit with occupancy costs less
than what could be secured by a single-
story building in the suburbs,” said
McCarthy. “A retrofit would not service
their technology needs.”
The site on the western edge of Campus
Martius fit the bill: the city owned the site
and was willing to transfer the parcel for a
mere dollar; the property was within a
designated Renaissance Zone; and the site
had a 473-car underground parking deck
with existing footings and foundations
designed to support a new building. “The
parking deck had even been completely
renovated two to three years before Redico
acquired the site,” said Scott A. Wortman,
AIA, Redico vice president/development.
With these incentives and the existing
infrastructure, Redico set the wheels of
development in motion on this piece of
property in the Motor City. “We started
looking at overall feasibility costs on the
project,” said McCarthy. “We quickly rec-
ognized that the occupancy costs for a ten-
ant were really quite low due to the offset-
ting savings created by the tax abatements
allowed under the Renaissance Zone.
Tenants’ rent would be offset by a variety
of other tax abatements.”
SEEING THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT
The first design hurdle was how to

ANGLE
design an efficient office building on a tri-

Commercial • Industrial • Institutional • Civil angular site, said Tyrer. Campus Martius
and the existing radial street grid created a
triangular island bounded by Fort Street
and Michigan, Woodward, and Griswold
Avenues. The site and the existing struc-
tural grid of the underground parking
garage seemed to suggest a triangular
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“A triangular building would have max-

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imized the usage of the site, but would not

have been a very efficient floor plate,” said

Patrick Macoska, RA, associate,
Neumann/Smith. “If we had built a trian-
gular building, the rental space would
have been uncompetitive with other Class
A buildings in the downtown area.” A tri-
angular office building may generate
oddly shaped, dysfunctional spaces. Plus,
the configuration may trap interior offices
deep within a light-deprived zone by
lengthening the distance between the exte-
rior wall and the restroom and elevator
core in some areas, added Tyrer.
Neumann/Smith decided to look at the
project from a different angle. “We hand-
ed the original plan for a triangular build-
ing to Neumann/Smith, and over the
course of what appeared to be a weekend,
Ken Neumann returned with a design con-
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LASZLO REGOS
cept for a rectangular building with a

25,000-square-foot floor plate, which is
important in this market,” said McCarthy.
How to fit the proverbial square peg in a
round hole, or in this case a rectangle into
a tight, triangular space? The answer: can-
One Kennedy Square is part of the drive to revitalize the 306-year-old City of Detroit.
tilever the two southeast corners of the

With its shimmering skin of glass, the building adds its own unique signature to the
landmark structures bordering Campus Martius.
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two-piece building over the sidewalk. heart of the best cities. The open space tral business district. The building is a
Pedestrians now walk under the build- beneath the cantilever may shelter an out- neighbor to such prominent structures
ing’s 22-foot-high clear span near door café as an extension of a proposed such as the nationally award winning First
Woodward Avenue and Fort Street. The restaurant to be housed on the building’s Federal Bank Building and the Penobscot
cantilever – originally conceived to create first level. The restaurant will flow visual- Building “with its complex explosion of
an efficient office floor plate – offers the ly into the café just as the building already vertical forms” and Detroit’s own iconic
entire city a gift: a pedestrian-friendly flows into the city through walls of trans- nightlight. “Ken Neumann and I were
walkway with a beautiful fusion of form parent vision glass cladding the entire very much interested in making this build-
and materials sheltered under the first floor. “We tried very hard on the first ing an important landmark worthy of the
“canopy” of the 10-story building. “Many floor not to hide from being downtown,” site,” said Tyrer. “In some cases, the build-
buildings are just a sheer verticality rising said McCarthy. “We wanted an urban ings are twice as tall and many are built of
from the sidewalk,” said Wortman. “This building where people are able to watch stone and are heavy and monolithic in
building engages the public and provides the world go by.” appearance.”
interest on a ground-level scale that I think One Kennedy Square’s future eateries will The contrast of glass and stone sets One
is a very spectacular piece of design.” be the perfect place for people watching in Kennedy Square apart, but this bright
A serpentine glass form snakes beneath the core of Detroit’s commercial business jewel of a building is still the short kid on
the cantilever, weaving in and out of the district and across from Campus Martius. the block. The size of the underground
building footprint and adding its own sin- Linking One Kennedy Square to the life of parking deck’s foundations limited the
uous line to an angular procession of the city was part of the development and height of the building. Although leasing
granite planters, marble columns, and the design vision for the entry plaza, whose considerations came into play, “the height
suspended corners of the glass-clad build- granite planters and pavement bands seem of the building was mainly determined by
ing. This visual rhythm of angles, all to seamlessly merge into Campus Martius, the amount of weight the existing columns
wonderfully clad in the richness of natural and for the actual building, itself. and footings of the parking deck below
stone and glass, creates the ultimate city could support,” said Tyrer.
sidewalk. As part of keeping up with the Joneses,
Dining alfresco may soon add even Neumann/Smith’s mission was to the building’s form was carefully sculpted
REACHING FOR THE HEIGHTS
more appeal to this wonderful space design a building able to take its place to add a sense of height. The sloped
expressive of the creative vitality at the among the landmark buildings of the cen- roofline of the green wedge facing
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Woodward adds to the building’s stature. ect team who brought the same intensity in the city. “We put a great deal of seri-
The sloped section is actually a screen wall and scrutiny to every facet of this signa- ous thought into the question, ‘What does
of opaque glass hiding mechanical equip- ture structure. this building want to be?’” said Tyrer.
ment and the elevator penthouse and “We designed the exterior to get it right.”
stretching the building’s height. Redico The schedule and the need for certain
did not want this faux wall to be obvious Neumann/Smith carefully shaped the pieces of rolled steel put the design in
A PROJECT IN OVERDRIVE
or to expose any girders or mechanical exterior of a building that occupies center overdrive with the design of the exterior
equipment to view. “We didn’t want it to stage in one of the most visible locations and the steel overlapping. “The steel was
look like a fake movie set from behind,”
said McCarthy. “We wanted to see if any-
thing could be seen behind it from any
angle on the ground.”
Neumann/Smith prepared a CAD
drawing showing sight lines from the sur- Proud Participant of the One Kennedy Square Project!
rounding surface streets to the roofline of
the building. “We discovered a few spots
on Griswold where this fake movie set
effect was apparent,” said McCarthy. “For
this reason, Neumann/Smith designed an
entire glass enclosure rather than a system
just holding up a faux façade.”
The wedge of green glass is also taller in
proportion to its width, adding to the illu-
M O R E T H A N
sion of height. “White glass accents lining

the green wedge make this section appear
to recede into the background, increasing
the sense of a having a tall, vertical core,”
added Tyrer.
OF E X C E L L E N C E
A 250-foot-tall white spire completes the

illusion of height. “The height differential
between the top of the glass screen wall
and the top of the spire gives the sense of
elongating the building and encourages
the eye to follow the spire up to the top,”
said Tyrer. The spire is tied into the struc-
ture at every floor until it rises unsupport-
ed for about 80 feet from the last tie to the
tip. “Because of the cantilever, it was diffi-
cult to find somebody willing to make it,”
said Fekaris. “Plus, 20-foot tall fins placed
near the top add weight and mass and
catch the wind.” Added Macoska, “If the
spire moved too much it would collide
with the glass screen wall.”
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the cantilevered portion tapers toward the Manager who can thrive in a team
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the building. The substantial bracket company. Email your resume and
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large and powerful lighting equipment to
light the spire at night.”
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With Redico, the team examined a num-
ber of different lighting options and even pweimert@madisonglass.com
skewed the fins to a certain angle to better
catch the light. This bright beacon is now
another iconic element of Detroit’s skyline,
thanks to the development, design, engi-
neering, and construction efforts of a proj-

bid out and shop drawings were underway even as other

aspects of the building were in design,” said Macoska.
Spencer Dailey was on the jobsite before the job began, order-
ing long lead items long before groundbreaking. Large pieces
of rolled structural steel had to be ordered before design com-
pletion to meet the schedule. “The manufacturer only rolls these
large pieces twice a year, so before we even knew that this was a
real project, we worked with Redico and Ross Structural Steel to
order those large pieces of steel,” said Fekaris. “If we missed that
window, there would have been no way of meeting that 12-month
schedule. We could not have waited for the next roll dates.”
The project team began weaving together the materials for
the building’s gorgeous skin in the very early stages of the proj-
ect. Taking into account time for fabrication and shipping from
overseas, the marble and granite had to be ordered almost on an
emergency basis to be able to enclose the building and install
the plaza’s hardscape in time for the project to meet its comple-
tion commitments for Super Bowl Sunday, said Fekaris.
The marble slabs traveled from sunny Italy to Redford,
Michigan for fabrication to speed the schedule and avoid delays
triggered by the month-long summer holiday traditionally
taken throughout Italy. “They take a month holiday in the
summer and that would have killed our schedule,” said
Fekaris. “Before they went on vacation, they cut the marble
blocks into slabs, put the slabs in containers, and then shipped
it to Booms Stone in Redford. Shipping it to Booms Stone
allowed us to control not only the schedule in fabricating the
stone, but it allowed us to control the deliveries, too. We didn’t
have space on the jobsite to have all the stone delivered at once,
so Booms Stone was able to fabricate the stone and deliver it as
needed. They did a great job.”
American Glass and Metals, Plymouth, worked closely with
Neumann/Smith on preparing mockups and pouring over
every detail of the glass skin that ranged from transparent
vision glass on the first level to alternating bands of spandrel
and green- or white-tinted translucent glass, depending on the
building face. Added Fekaris, “They went over every detail to
make sure the glass exterior was exactly the way they wanted it
to look. Obviously, working with that much glass takes a great
deal of upfront effort in terms of shop drawings and fabrica-
tion.”
One of several specialty glasses includes the sloped glass
screen wall forming the bold roofline. “The spandrel glass of
the screen wall has two opaque coatings to hide the mechanical
equipment,” said Tyrer. The color of the glass becomes a type
of language expressing the building’s entrances and identifying
the cantilevered corners. “The Griswold elevation is clothed in
white glass with a large green insert breaking down the scale
and making the entrance visible from even two blocks away,”
said Tyrer. “Accent glass marks the cantilevered corners with
white-hued glass on the cantilever of the green wedge and
green glass at the cantilever of the white box.”
Spencer Daily tackled the first construction hurdle in the pro-

BUILDING ON THE PAST
ject’s formidable obstacle course, namely the attachment of the

parking garage steel to the new building’s structural steel.
Beneath the grass and pavement of the former Kennedy Square
is a grid of stub columns extending a few feet above the top
level of the parking deck. Linking the two structural systems
proved to be a demanding adventure successfully tackled by
the welding expertise of American Erector, the subcontractor to

Ross Structural Steel. ranging from the weight of the equipment,

Spencer Dailey first unearthed the stub the weight of materials carried by the
columns, removed the protective wood equipment, and how the load is distrib-
from the steel, and began the arduous task uted over the tires. “We sent the informa-
of making full penetration welds to con- tion through Desai/Nasr, the structural
nect the systems. “It would take two or engineer, for analysis,” said Fekaris.
three days of work at each column to pre- “Analysis showed that different parts of
pare and reinforce the existing stub in the deck’s lid could withstand different
preparation for the connection of the new weights, meaning certain equipment could
building’s columns,” said Fekaris. be used in one place and not another,
“Because of the time involved and the fact while other equipment could not be used
that the stubs were left below grade, we at all and had to stay outside the perimeter
had 13 welders there at one time literally of the building.”
laying on their bellies to make those welds, The underground parking deck actually
because it was below grade. It was quite a extends under Woodward and Michigan
challenge. There was always the possibili- Avenues, Fort Street and the sidewalks
ty water would enter the work zone, shut-
ting down the welders. The whole opera-
tion took two to three weeks.”
Managing a jobsite on the roof of an Top: The crew prepares and reinforces the
underground parking deck entailed an existing steel column stubs of the parking
amazing degree of scrutiny and care. garage in preparation for connection to the
PHOTOS COURTESY SPENCER DAILEY, INC.

Spencer Dailey carefully calibrated the
new building’s columns.
equipment load on the roof of the three-
level parking deck throughout construc-
Bottom: Four caissons were installed to a
tion. The company obtained specifications

depth of 130 feet to create a foundation for
on every piece of equipment placed on the

the heavyweight crane on Griswold. Spencer
roof and compiled detailed information,

Dailey had to thread the caissons through the
web of utilities under the roadway.

ing site logistics and making sure there

wasn’t any downtime because of the deliv-
eries,” said Fekaris.
For site access, Spencer Dailey was
allowed two lanes on Griswold for the
duration of construction, as well as some
space on Michigan Avenue and none on
the main artery of Woodward Avenue.
Detroit’s Winter Blast and the arrival of
QUARRY PHOTO COURTESY OF SPENCER DAILEY; LOBBY INTERIOR BY LASZLO REGOS

Super Bowl XL almost right next door to
the jobsite added excitement and strain to
the job by furthering constricted site access
and placing additional demands on logis-
tics and schedule.
With the advent of these two exciting
events, One Kennedy Square had to make
its debut on the local and national stage
well before its official grand opening. The
barricades had to be disassembled, the site
cleared, and the building enclosed before
the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle
Seahawks arrived in the Motor City for the
Statuario marble quarried in the famous Cararra region of Italy (left) blankets One Kennedy big game. “We always agreed that we
Square’s contemporary but classic lobby (right). would vacate the Woodward sidewalk and
Michigan Avenue, including its sidewalk,
completely before the Super Bowl,” said
Fekaris. “In January 2006, we had to have
encircling the new building. The tower the adjacent columns on floors two all of the hardscape complete and the ele-
crane used to erect the project’s 1,950 tons through seven, said Macosta. Because the vations completely enclosed. We basically
of structural steel was placed on Griswold, corners remained unsupported until the lost the little space we had to work with.
because it is the only roadway near the site final attachment of the diagonal members We were literally right in the heart of the
free of the subterranean parking garage. on the 7th floor, Spencer Dailey had to Winter Blast at Michigan and Woodward.”
“The Griswold location also was one of the shore the cantilevered corners until steel At the 11th hour, Spencer Dailey also
only places where the crane was able to erection reached the seventh level and the had to vacate Fort Street after it was desig-
reach the entire building,” Fekaris added. concrete slabs were poured. “They could nated as a shuttle drop-off location.
Spencer Dailey established a base of not pour the slabs in these corners until the “Because Fort Street was the location of
operations in one of the closed lanes on 7th floor connections were made,” said our buck hoist and the main location for
Griswold reserved for the project, first Tyrer. “The concrete provided the final material deliveries to the building, we had
drilling four caissons to a depth of 130 feet component of the support structure, which to accelerate the completion of a freight
as a foundation for the heavyweight crane. all works together. Once the concrete was elevator as a substitute,” said Fekaris.
Threading the caissons through the poured, the shoring could be removed.” With such mind-boggling logistics, Fekaris
“spaghetti” of utilities under the surface of The shoring actually plunged through definitely ranks site constraints and sched-
Griswold was as daunting as threading the all three levels of the parking garage, ule as one of the toughest parts of the job.
proverbial camel through the eye of a nee- because of the absence of a footing in that “Saying the schedule is a challenge is kind
dle. “Many of the buildings in downtown particular location. “The day of reckoning of cliché,” said Fekaris, “but with these
Detroit are placed on caissons, but being came when the concrete was cured and the urban site logistics in a unique downtown
right in the middle of Griswold was a little shoring was being lowered,” said location, the Super Bowl and tenant-driv-
more complicated because the roadway is Wortman. “Is the building going to en commitments, the schedule was much
where all the infrastructure has been deflect? Is the corner going to sag? more of a challenge than your typical proj-
installed over the course of decades,” said Needless to say, it didn’t deflect at all.” ect.”
Fekaris. Working with Desai/Nasr, Much of the steel was hauled into the An established network of trusted rela-
drilling had to be moved to a different site on a tractor-trailer and lifted directly tionships was a key factor in overcoming
location several times during caisson from the truck to its place on the building this formidable series of obstacles and
installation. frame. With the project locked in a tight even transforming the project into an excit-
grid of city streets and the building footing and satisfying undertaking. “Spencer
print consuming much of the 1.5-acre site, Dailey’s choice of subcontractors made a
Intricate shoring supported the can- little room was left for material delivery huge difference,” said Macoska. “We
CLOSE QUARTERS
tilevered corners until the structural sup- and storage. Materials had to be delivered pulled on a past history of trust with sub-
port system was in place. Without almost daily and construction traffic man- contractors, because if the subcontractors
columns at the corners, the cantilevered aged adroitly to build this new structure in didn’t perform then we couldn’t make the
corners are supported by a series of diago- Detroit’s urban hub. “Our superintend- schedule.”
nal steel members that transfer the load to ent, Ted Hagan, did a great job of organiz- Fekaris concurs: “We had buy-in and

commitments from the subs going into the signature structure; Walbridge Aldinger porary neighbor, the Compuware
project well ahead of when the project was Co. moved its headquarters to One Building, rises in the northeast, complet-
even going to start. Whether it was for the Kennedy Square in summer 2007. The ing this arc of new development in the
elevators or for the steel or for the glass interior tenant floors offer stunning views city’s central business district. One
enclosure, everyone knew the schedule of the city, ranging from a close-up of the Kennedy Square now joins the neighbor-
and everyone bought into it and figured terracotta façade of the Dime Building, hood, adding its brilliant thread of glass
that into the plan.” now the renovated Griswold Place, to a and white marble to the revitalization of
Spencer Dailey’s productive meetings glimpse of the renovation underway on Detroit’s urban fabric.
with subcontractors and its meetings with the Book Cadillac. The building’s contem-
Neumann/Smith and Redico during
design eliminated surprises and “last-
minute hiccups,” said Fekaris. “Even with
all the complications, this was probably
the smoothest project I have ever been
involved with in my 16 years in construc-
tion. It really ran like clockwork. It was a
great experience for me personally. It was
the most satisfying, rewarding and excit-
ing project I have ever been involved in.”
McCarthy echoes the sentiment: “One
Kennedy Square is easily the project I have
We don’t know
been the most excited about and am the
most proud of – hands down - of anything
I have done in all my years in the busi-
ness.”
the meaning of
Such passionate commitment and
enthusiasm is clearly shown in the final
building. Every detail of this new land-
mark building from its height and massing
to its beautiful skin of glass and stone was
“uncollectible.”
thoroughly pondered and wonderfully
executed. The same lavish attention was
devoted to this striking lobby. The interior
of this Class A office building is draped in
beautifully veined marble and natural Our firm has collected millions of dollars
granite. The 22-foot high lobbies on
Woodward and Griswold Avenues are in accounts receivable and outstanding
citadels of white marble linked by an ele-
vator corridor sheathed in an exotic red
Turkish marble called Roso Leponto.
balances for suppliers and subcontractors
Stripes of Zimbabwe Black granite travel
the length of the elevator corridor and nationwide. We also provide construction
complete this lavish interior of natural
stone. lien and bond claim services.
Filling the lobby with a soft glow, a
recess of translucent glass and its stainless
steel anchorage fans out in the shape of a
xylophone behind and above the custom
reception desk. “The glass recess is itself The Law Offices of
an art piece within its white environment,”
said Tyrer. Together, the glass recess, the
desktop of boldly veined Turkish marble
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Ernst & Young are key tenants of this

SI 32-39 UofM Dearborn 10/15/07 4:07 PM Page 32
Building for an Industry

Moving at Light Speed
By David R. Miller, Associate Editor Photos by Jonathan Hillyer Photography
R
epeated exposure to the remarkable make each model better than the last. Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Ann Arbor, led the
tends to dull its impact on the sens- The automotive industry faces several project team that crafted this unique facility.
es. The same people who marvel at difficult hurdles in the future, as the need
a speeding car as it streaks by might give a for efficient transportation needs to be bal-
more tepid response to a fleeting glimmer anced against consumer demands, eco- The University of Michigan’s Dearborn
SERVING THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
of sunlight, even though the glimmering nomic pressures and environmental reali- presence began with a parcel of land
rays traveled much faster and further than ties. Housed in a state-of-the-art addition donated by Henry Ford. The land was
any automobile. The rapid pace of the to the Engineering Building, the Institute divided to create the U of M - Dearborn
automobile industry is very similar. We see for Advanced Vehicle Systems (IAVS) at Campus and Henry Ford Community
cars every day, and they appear very simi- the University of Michigan - Dearborn College (HFCC), with the original intent of
lar to the casual observer. Only a select few exists to let professionals keep pace with an having students receive two years of liber-
people are really aware of the countless industry that is moving at light speed. al arts training at HFCC before transfer-
hours of research and development Construction manager JM Olson ring to U of M for upper level courses
involved as dedicated engineers work to Corporation, St. Clair Shores, and architect relating to the automotive industry,

particularly business management and uninterrupted surface over the utility tunity needed to be evaluated very careful-
engineering. Educational needs have trenches when they are not in use while ly. Experienced architects have honed the
changed since the U of M Dearborn enhancing flexibility by providing easy ability to predict construction costs into a
Campus opened in 1959, so the institution access to systems. Placing these systems science, but like all sciences, these forecasts
now offers Bachelors and Masters degree under the floor, as opposed to above the are based on observations. Armed with a
programs. The field of engineering has ceiling, also prevents interference from the thorough knowledge of material and labor
also changed in the past 50 years, but U of rotating crane. costs, architects can suggest construction
M-Dearborn’s Engineering Laboratory State funding that covered 75 percent of methods that will meet all of the desired
Building is one of the four original brick the project cost represented an enormous criteria in a cost-effective way. Since
buildings on the campus. benefit for the University, but this oppor- detailed plans are needed to secure state
“The building definitely needed to be
updated and upgraded,” said Kathleen
Pepin, AICP, director of campus planning
for the University of Michigan – Dearborn.
“We maxed out power, air, and the infra-
structure in terms of being able to feed the
research and other work that was going on
in the building. Aside from the fact that
we had maxed out the infrastructure, the
labs weren’t easily adapted for the next
research project. Researchers would move
in and renovate a space to a point where
they could work in it and have students
work in it. When they moved out and the
next project came in, the space needed to
be renovated all over again.”
Research is the process of uncovering
the unknown, and this is reflected in
research facilities. Without an exact
understanding of the type of research that
will be needed in the future, structures like
the IAVS must be designed to accommo-
date rapid change.
“We don’t know what machines will go
into the various spots, or what research
projects will be done, so the users will
have to make some adaptations, but we
planned and designed the basic infrastruc-
ture so that it’s sitting there waiting for
them to do that,” said Terry Sargent, AIA,
design principal for Lord, Aeck & Sargent.
“We had to make sure the utility systems
were as accessible as possible within the
budget. The HVAC needs probably aren’t
going to change, but the ability to deliver
compressed air, gas, water and electricity
is important.”
Vehicle research often involves testing
with full-sized models and bulky equip-
ment. The heavy lifting, both literal and
figurative, occurs in the two-story high
bay space at the IAVS. A five-ton, 30-foot
high, pivoting radial crane in this space
rides on a track suspended from the ceiling
to rotate around a central column, provid-
ing 360-degree accessibility. The crane can
remove large floor panels to open mechan-
ical spaces beneath the floor, and utility
trenches, similar to those found in automo-
tive manufacturing facilities, supply
power, gas, water and ventilation wherev-
er needed. Metal plates provide an

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“We need to be able to look at things
with an open mind to pinpoint where we
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1-800-750-6698 what the costs will be when it is bid.”
A number of value engineering ideas
were incorporated into the project to
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“Every campus has its own distinct
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character,” said Sargent. “Trying to make
Protect your
something special while fitting in is a chal-
lenge, which we addressed here with the
scale of the building and the materials
business
used.”
The IAVS is wedged in between the
Engineering Building, which features a
investment.
very basic shape, and the library’s more
complex profile. The curved walls of the
IAVS create a distinct look for the struc-
ture, while precast concrete panels with
cut bricks set into them make a subtle con-
nection to the adjacent structures. The pre-
cast panels installed by National Precast,
residential development Inc., Roseville, also simplified construction
Use trained, experienced, licensed
during the winter because they could be
malls
union electrical contractors for reliable,
created in a controlled environment, with-
offices out the additional cost of temporary heat
quality maintenance, service, design and
and protective barriers needed to keep

installation at competitive rates.
stores mortar from freezing. Even in a factory
setting, the panel manufacturing was not
commerical properties foolproof. Concrete for precast panels is
restaurants usually poured into a flat form until it
cures, but the radius walls of the IAVS
data networks The Union mandated a U-shaped form. Vibration
Contractors and Electricians of IBEW Local 252 used to eliminate voids in the concrete
video networks could have shook aggregate in the mix
telecommunications (734)424-0978 down to the bottom of the form. The
resulting panel would be structurally
sound because of the embedded metal
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also complicated the installation process. walls of the facility posed challenges, as
“You can mount a flat panel in two they required a much higher degree of
points and it will be secure,” said Ron coordination between the precast contrac-
Pennington, project superintendent for JM tor and the glass and glazing contractor.
Olson. “The center of a radius panel is “We had to make sure that the precast
heavier, so it needs more support before it contractor was aware of our tolerances,
can be released from the crane.” which were pretty tight,” said Oleh
After the precast panels were manufac- Szekera, project manager for Harmon, Inc.,
tured and installed, attention turned to the Livonia. “We had to coordinate between
interior of the building, where appearance the precast drawings and our own shop
was also a key consideration. drawings, then we had to go out and veri-
“By design, this building is an interest- fy everything in the field.”
ing marriage of exposed structure and fin- The tolerances were so crucial because of
ished spaces,” said Ray Powers, opera- the inclusion of segmented glass in a radius
tions, for JM Olson. “There is a lot of wall. On a typical rectangular wall, toler-
exposed structural steel, which is usually ances are usually around 1/2-inch, but they
buried in the wall cavities. When the were only 1/8-inch at the IAVS. Precise
structural elements are exposed, there is a coordination was needed for much more
lot of fit and finish that isn’t usually than just the glass installation on the site.
required.”
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neering program at U of M - Dearborn. Precast concrete proved to be a good

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The facility sits on a natural walking path choice for the exterior of the building, but
(586) 771-2440 FACSIMILIE
through the campus; so many pedestrians maneuvering materials around the site
will pass through a corridor separating the proved to be a challenge. Precast seg-
high bay from the auditorium. Exhibits ments varied in size, but the 32 largest
www.jmolson.com
highlighting IAVS work will be displayed pieces weighed approximately 13,000

in this space, and a large bank of interior pounds.
windows provides a view directly into the “The large precast panels were a chal-
high bay. Approximately 6,500 square feet lenge with the tight quarters we had to
of exterior glass and 3,000 feet of interior work in,” said Pennington. “We also had
glass were combined to create a sense of to maintain student traffic and access to
transparency in the building, while pro- the site during that time.”
viding additional views of the high bay Trees, including some memorial plant-
from adjacent laboratory spaces and even ings that could not be disturbed and were
from outside. Once again, the curved only 30 feet away from the new building,
Exterior and interior glass provides a sense of transparency for the building

further hemmed in the site in addition to

nearby buildings and pedestrian paths. A
delicate balance was required to find the
Interior windows provide direct
views into the high bay.
right equipment for the site. Cranes used
to place the precast, for example, needed
to be fairly small to fit on the site, but they
also needed the lift capacity to place large
panels to sit on top of structural precast
panels over a sizeable distance.
“We had to close off one of the sidewalks
to bring the precast closer to the crane,”
said Pennington. “We couldn’t lift it very
far.”
Small cranes used to set glass also need-
ed ample room to maneuver around the
entire building perimeter, which further
limited space for cranes and other equip-
ment, but the crane used for the precast ate
up the biggest chunk of useable ground.
The precast panels added another logistic
challenge to the project with an innovative
insulation method that was used to maxi-
mize their energy efficiency. Isonine
spray-foam insulation, similar to popular
home improvement products, was applied
directly to the precast.
“With a more conventional method, we
would have put rigid insulation in the cavity
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between the metal studs,” explained Scott

Collins, project executive for JM Olson. The circular form of the high bay accommodates efficient
Metal studs were not needed in this crane movement. A rectangular design delivering the
case, as the insulation was applied directly same square footage would have increased the surface
to the precast concrete between the furring
area of the outside wall, but the complexities of radius
strips. The insulation expanded as soon as
construction offset any cost savings.
it was applied, allowing it to serve as a
suitable substrate for attaching gypsum
board after it was cut to the proper width.
The non-flammable product simplified
many aspects of the job by serving as insu-
lation and a vapor barrier, but some pre-
cautions were needed. Much like spray
products used by consumers, the isonine
insulation expands rapidly as soon as it
leaves the container. The key difference is
that the container in this case is a 55-gallon
drum, not a spray can that fits in the palm
of a person’s hand. The product expands
in air, and would continue to do so if it
were inhaled. Given the amount being
sprayed, rapid expansion inside a person’s
lungs could cause serious injury. Great
care was taken to prevent inhalation.
“We had specific safety measures in
place and we did most of the work during
the night shift to keep the other trades
away,” said Pennington.

Protective masks were worn by contrac- rectangular design delivering the same Mutual Electric delivered what was
tors who where present for the spraying. square footage would have resulted in a expected, as the high bay is an attractive
With this solid safety plan in place, the roughly 25 percent increase in the surface showcase of engineering innovation. The
project team was able to deliver some spe- area of the outside wall, but the inherent project team wisely planned to preserve
cialized spaces at the IAVS. complexities of radius construction offset this appearance by adding a wash station
any cost savings. Every contractor who just inside the overhead door used to bring
worked in the high bay needed to cope vehicles inside the high bay. The exterior
The IAVS features a number of special- with its complex shape, but few felt the of the high bay is equally attractive, with a
UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTS
ized spaces to aid in its mission, many of impact as keenly as electrical contractor unique design flourish that emphasizes
which posed interesting challenges for the Mutual Electric, Brighton. Tasked with the the work of the IAVS. Instead of being
project team. The high bay, for example, challenge of installing suspended cable supported from the bottom, the ceiling is
was designed with a circular form to trays on each of the two levels of the high hung from supports that radiate out from
accommodate efficient movement of the bay, Mutual Electric purchased a Cooper the high bay’s central support. The result-
overhead crane. The design team investi- B-Line product usually used to run cables ing configuration looks distinctly like a
gated the circular plan after visiting a sim- along the outside of a tank and adapted it hubcap from the air.
ilar manufacturing research building in for interior use. The cable tray needed to The IAVS auditorium also features
Germany. fit in perfectly with the exposed structural radius walls, which once again posed chal-
“They did a facility like this because, if steel and the moving crane. lenges for contractors. Mutual Electric ran
they put two parallel cranes in a rectangu- “I’ve worked with curved tray before, individual power cables and low voltage
lar space, they would lose all the area in but this is the first time I ever had to work conduits to approximately 30 tables inside
the middle where the columns were, around a crane rail,” said Rick Larese, the space.
because the cranes wouldn’t be able to owner of Mutual Electric. “Everything “When we install conduit, we do it in
reach the edges,” said Sargent. was exposed, so it also had to look pretty. the dirt,” explained Joe Burghardt, fore-
The cost of outfitting both configura- When owners expect a finished look, you man for Mutual Electric. “We brought the
tions with cranes was virtually identical. A owe it to them to deliver that.” conduit up the aisle ways, one for tele-
phone lines and the other for power, and
we had to locate table legs that weren’t
actually there yet.”
An entire week was needed to stake out
the space before anything could be
installed, a process that was complicated
by the lack of any straight lines to measure
off of. All conduits also had to pass
through a three-foot square opening at the
back of the room. There was no room for
error, as the location or size of the opening
could not be altered once the precast pan-
els were made. All of the electronic gear in
the facility, along with quality work
installed by other contractors at the IAVS,
exists for the single purpose of preparing
industry professionals to meet future chal-
lenges in a changing world.
“This building is appropriately named,”
said Pepin. “It is the Institute for
Advanced Vehicle Systems, not necessarily
cars. Cars are definitely the focus today,
but the building could allow research for
any type of vehicle, or any mechanical
engineering system. The use of the word
‘advanced’ was also very purposeful.
We’re looking to what’s next. We’re look-
ing at what is needed today as we look at
how to make it better. Certainly the auto
industry has some challenges ahead.
Hopefully the students coming out of this
program will be able to answer them.”
The success of these students, as well as
the IAVS and the industry, will be appar-
Vehicle research often involves testing with full-sized
models and bulky equipment. A five-ton, 30-foot-high,
pivoting radial crane in the high bay rides on a track ent when the next generation of vehicles
suspended from the ceiling to rotate around a central weaves its way into society as seamlessly
as today’s automobile.
column, providing 360-degree accessibility.

SI 40-47 St. Patrick 10/2/07 12:34 PM Page 40
PHOTO BY LINDHOUT ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS
Green School
Makes the
By Clare Desmond, Contributing Writer
Grade
St. Patrick and the USGBC Would Approve
superintendent for Contracting Resources
T
he significance of the underground showcases the benefits of recycling or re-
find by an electrical contractor dur- Inc., Brighton, general contractor/con- using materials for construction and, when
ing renovation of an empty office struction manager on the project. Hough choosing new materials, of selecting those
building, later to serve as St. Patrick’s gave the cruciform twig to Lorelei Darga, that are the most environmentally sound.
North Campus School in Brighton, would principal of the elementary school, and it The project is so environmentally friendly,
not have been lost on the school’s name- now occupies a place of prominence above so “green,” that it is on track to be the first
sake. Mythology credits St. Patrick for the entry door to the school’s chapel, LEED™-certified (Leadership in Energy
plucking a three-leafed clover, a shamrock, framed in a surround of painted sham- and Environmental Design), Catholic K-8
from the ground to explain the Christian rocks. school in the U.S., according to project
belief in the Trinity of the Father, Son and In many ways, the found twig symbol- architect David Richardson, NCARB,
Holy Ghost to pagan Ireland. While laying izes this project, which rehabilitated the LEED AP, of Lindhout Associates
conduit underground, the electrical work- former General Motors training facility Architects, PC, Brighton. The LEED submission
er found a twig shaped in the form of a office, empty for four years by March 2006 for the project has just entered the final
crucifix. For weeks, the twig drew atten- when construction on the renovation phase of construction review with the U.S.
tion sitting on the desk of Dan Hough, began. St. Patrick’s North Campus School Green Building Council (USGBC) in

Washington, D.C. one might think are recyclable actually are.

Leadership in Energy and “The paper that food comes wrapped in is
Environmental Design is the nationally a good example of that,” she explained.
accepted criteria for the design, construc- “It’s considered contaminated by the food
tion, and operation of high performance, it wrapped, so it isn’t recyclable.”
so-called “green” buildings, according to
the USGBC. LEED promotes and recog- SITE SELECTION WAS KEY
nizes sustainability in design and con- The single greatest benefit to the envi-
PHOTO BY LINDHOUT ASOCIATES ARCHITECTS

struction in five particular areas: sustain- ronment was the site selection for St.
able site development, water savings, Patrick’s school project, LAA’s Richardson
energy efficiency, materials selection, and said. “By using this structure in the city
indoor environmental quality. St. Patrick rather than buying a new greenfield site
North Campus School reflects the LEED within the township, costs were saved and
philosophy in all of those areas. the environment benefited,” he explained.
For this adaptive re-use of an existing, Richardson is himself a LEED-accredited
36,000-square-foot office building, approx- professional (AP), as is Steve Rabatin,
imately 90 percent of the existing structure LEED AP, Lindhout’s Intern III on the job.
was re-used, including existing windows, LAA founder, William Lindhout, AIA,
brick, frame, concrete slab and insulation. A cross-shaped twig, found underground at wrote the green specifications for the proj-
Of the new materials used during con- the site and now framed in shamrocks, bids ect.
struction, about 45 percent of them contain welcome to the school’s chapel. St. Patrick’s could have purchased 20
recycled content, including gypsum board, acres outside of the city, Richardson noted,
metal studs, steel framing and ductwork, adding that staying within the city limits
carpet and ceiling pads. In addition, end product,” she enthused. “The LEED was probably the “greenest” thing the
roughly 60 percent of the construction’s buildings have cleaner air, less pollen, church did, in part by limiting travel time
waste materials were diverted from land- more light. They’re more energy efficient and expense to a location beyond the city
fills either by recycling or re-use by manu- and in the long run, (an owner) saves on limits. Lindhout Associates was hired to
facturers. Carpet and ceiling pads were energy bills, gas, etc.” She expressed some study the feasibility of expanding the
taken back to manufacturers; light fixtures, frustration that LEED calls for more recy- existing school on Rickett Road, including
ceiling tile, steel, cardboard, wood, con- cling than can be accomplished right now the option of adding a level to it. That
crete, masonry and roof ballast were taken in Michigan. How much and which mate- study showed the site was too small and
to a recycling center. At one point, up to rials can be recycled depends on market the church would benefit more by building
five different dedicated recycling collec- forces, she explained. When there isn’t a another facility. The old school building
tion bins were on site, provided by Allied market for a product, it must then head to now is in “constant use” as a Christian
Waste Services, Flint Division. a landfill. As well, not all materials that Education Center for St. Patrick’s Catholic
Collecting so much for recycling on a
single project was new to him, Hough
said, noting that Allied Waste was able to Students enjoy the new art/music room in the renovated school. Selecting a site on a parcel of
provide much needed help accomplishing land within the Brighton city limits provided the single greatest benefit to the environment.
the recycling in a smooth and efficient
manner.
“It can be pretty challenging for contrac-
tors when they get involved in their first
LEED project,” Allied Waste Services’ con-
struction representative Carol DeMent
said. “It seems tedious at first.” Materials
to be collected for recycling are separated
on the jobsite, with collecting bins dedicat-
ed to, for example, concrete, wood, paper,
brick and block, etc. It’s not as easy as it
sounds, DeMent conceded, with the collec-
tion bins often being accidentally contami-
nated, often by well-meaning people who
didn’t understand the necessity of keeping
materials separated. She said Dan Hough
did a “fantastic job” keeping up the enthu-
siasm for collecting and, especially, clean-
PHOTO BY RON WALLIS
ing the bins of contaminating materials.

DeMent said there has been “a ton of
research” done in California supporting
LEED principals in building. “Contractors
in California build LEED because of the

Church parishioners, offering Sunday

school sessions and adult catechism les-
sons, Principal Darga said.
“We presented the ‘green’ issues to them
as an option,” Richardson said, adding
that Lindhout Associates had just joined
the USGBC the year before. Options were
discussed, he said, and it was decided that
working towards LEED™ certification
would be a positive way to promote the
new facility to the community and could
serve as an object lesson for students. As
noted earlier, the project is in the final
review phase with the USGBC.
St. Patrick Catholic School and Church
have been prominent in the city of
Brighton for more than 50 years. The
parish considered several greenfield sites
in the townships surrounding Brighton in
which to expand its campus, but in the end
decided to remain within the city, saluting
its lengthy community involvement and
the greening of St. Patrick’s North
Campus.
One of the major advantages of staying
within the city limits was that existing traf-
fic, water, sewer, gas and electric infra-
structures could be used and not duplicat-
ed at the Church’s expense in a rural
greenfield site, Richardson explained.
However, since a school building might
require an increase in plumbing fixtures, a
study was done to determine how much
water use might be saved by the use of
more efficient fixtures. Both the peak and
weekly flow was shown to be less than
Integrated Engineering Associates is your full service was used at the existing office building
engineering company. We provide engineering services to and the former, smaller school through the
Architects, Electrical contractors and Developers. Our firm use of waterless urinals, low-flow toilets,
has years of unique experience in the design of lighting, metered faucets and a low-flow dishwash-
power distribution, fire, security and communication er/disposal in the kitchen. These and other
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• Electrical Engineering manent irrigation for landscaping, result-
• Mechanical Engineering ed in a savings of 45 percent on water use
• Design-Build/Design-Assist compared to a standard facility, the archi-
tects say. Energy efficient fixtures not only
saved the cost of installing increased water
service, but also allowed continuing use of
the 2-1/2 inch water meter used for the old
office building, saving a potential $22,000
tap fee from the city for increased service,
according to the architect.
IDEAL FOR A SCHOOL

For information on Located at 1001 Charles Orndorf Drive
our capabilities call or e-mail: just off Grand River in Brighton, the exist-
ing building was a well-built steel frame
248-486-5510 with many windows and a brick exterior,
E-mail: info@integrated-engineering.com located on a 13.5-acre wooded site that
54101 Derek Dr., Milford, MI 48381 includes, on the back or west side, a portion
www.integrated-engineering.com of Little Worden Lake. A city conservation
area/park faces the east facade of the build-

ing, separated by two parking lots. In addi-

tion, St Patrick North Campus is across the
road from the city’s main library, making
the site even more ideal for a school.
Even with the added work involved in
collecting materials for recycling or re-use,
the St. Patrick North Campus School reno-
vation project was completed within six
months, including the construction of two
new additions, adding a total of approxi-
mately total 20,000 square feet to the exist-
ing structure. Despite delays necessitated
by negotiations with the city of Brighton
over site plan issues, it remained critical to
get the project done in time for opening in
September 2006, Richardson explained.
The documents were arranged into four
“blocks” in the project that allowed effi-
cient staging, so that as each trade com-
pleted its work the next could move into
that particular block.
PHOTO BY RON WALLIS
St. Patrick’s old school, on Rickett Road a

little over one mile away, was bursting at
the seams, Principal Darga said. Current A media center featuring a circular computer lab, constructed at roughly the
enrollment is 354 students, she noted, with center of the building, helps break up the 750-foot-long expanse.
405 enrolled for the 2007-08 school year.

.
Three colors of structural, decorative split faced block, blended on-site, highlight
portions of the 30-foot-high walls of the gymnasium.
Total capacity at the former school building extending off the west elevation at about
was 275. Healthy growth in the surround- the center of the building to provide new
ing community had strained the old space for a science lab, music room, art stu-
school’s ability to meet the needs of its studio and one new classroom.
dents and had generated a waiting list of Three different colors of structural 12-
about 100 families. The new school has a inch decorative split faced CMUs were
total capacity for 480 students, which blended on-site to add design interest to
amounts to 30 students per class and portions of the 30-foot-high walls of the
assumes two classes for each grade. gymnasium, which features a 94 foot clear
Currently, the school has only one 8th span by a length of 109 feet. Accent bands
grade class, but it can accommodate a sec- and painted units also add visual interest
ond class if need arises. Keeping the to the space. The new gym adds to the
enrollment somewhat under 480 allows building’s “greenness” because it “uses
the classes to be a bit smaller than 30 stu- block the way it’s supposed to be used,
dents each, Darga explained. that is, structurally,” Richardson noted.
There were minimal interior walls in the Flooring is approximately 10,000 square
existing structure, so it provided a fairly feet of maple.
clean slate in which to create a school envi- Approximately 8-10 masons worked
ronment. Its modest serpentine shape almost continually for two-and-a-half
extends 750 feet, nestled comfortably in months constructing the two additions,
the heavily wooded lot. “Care was taken to Dan Zimmerman of Zimmerman Masonry
use the existing shell as much as possible,” Inc., Howell, said. The job wasn’t without
Richardson said. To break up the lengthy complexity, including multiple set-ups
expanse on the interior, a media center fea- with local supplier Brighton Block, high
turing a circular computer lab — dubbed scaffolding and extensive vertical and hor-
“The Egg” — was established as a feature izontal reinforcement required by the clear
on the interior at approximately the center span. Construction of the new gym didn’t
of the building. begin until late May because the school
New construction included a 13,400- officials had told the contractor they could
square-foot gymnasium addition at the live without a new gym but they had to
south end and a 6,500-square-foot addition have the new science lab addition.

“Even though the owner said the gym “science dock” at the lake, accessible from THERE’S MORE …
didn’t have to be done for the new school the science lab, for academic use by stu- Additional energy modeling was used
year in September, the contractor brought dents, Darga said. An outdoor classroom by the project team to study the energy
it in on time,” Rabatin said. “That was a was constructed behind the new school, used to temper the large amount of fresh
huge accomplishment.” with bench seating created from logs felled air necessary for the classrooms. Several
A Fire Department requirement called during construction. Viewed from the back systems were considered, and it was deter-
for a pathway adjacent to the back or west wall of windows inside the chapel, the out- mined that either high efficiency through-
elevation of the new gym. It was construct- door classroom is a simple site, but quietly wall ventilators or rooftop ventilators with
ed of 8-inch-thick slag sand so water could stunning in its visual demonstration of envi- Energy Recover Wheels (ERWs) would be
be absorbed through it, and on an approx- ronmental awareness and LEED concepts. most effective for this project. Both sys-
imate 4% grade to provide runoff toward
the lake. The new gym is open for rent to
the community, Darga said, and the school
plans to open it in winter for senior citi-
zens. In addition, the school is working on
a “fitness trail” for use by the community,
with help from Boy Scouts Jared Amman
and Brenden Kokoszka. Amman and
Kokoszka, both graduates of St. Patrick’s,
are working on their Eagle Scout rank by
developing fitness stations along the trail
that will display suggested exercises with
instructions and any needed equipment
required to complete them.
Constructing the 6,500-square-foot, 170-
foot-long lab/music/art addition,
Zimmerman crews had to move block and
other materials around the back or west
side of the existing building, which pro-
vides in some spots less than 20 feet of
clearance before the site slopes down per-
haps another 40 feet to the lake. The new
lab is an entirely new entity for St.
Patrick’s students. The old school had no
dedicated lab space at all. Nor did it have
a music room and it had only a combina-
tion art/science room. Gifted students had
to use a portion of gym storage space for
individualized instruction or projects. The
new school has a room dedicated for
advanced students and one for special
learning students.
Ceiling heights in the new lab addition
are 16 feet, versus the 8-1/2 foot ceilings in
the existing building. To provide diffused
light into the new wing, clerestory win-
dows were installed on the parapet atop
the west wall of the existing structure. T5
direct/indirect florescent lighting was
installed in the new wing for its energy
efficiency and low-glare. Tabletops in the
science lab are fire and chemical resistant
epoxy resin. Acoustical metal deck for the
ceilings in the art/music/science addition
and gymnasium absorb sound. The lab
and art studio addition features a green
roof with planters that are being added by
each succeeding class of students. The sci-
ence room as a “virtual periscope” that
allows viewing the roof plantings and a
miniature weather station.
Future plans call for creating an outdoor

ument notes “ …the obligation to share the

resources of the earth in an equitable man-
ner….” The chapter further states, in § 216:
“Faithful stewardship of the earth's
resources demands that the Church be a
partner in the development of a sustain-
able architecture. Materials, construction
methods, and procedures that are toxic to
the environment or that are wasteful of the
earth's resources should be avoided.
Providing heating, ventilating, air condi-

tioning, and lighting systems that are ener-
gy-efficient is financially sound practice
and, at the same time, environmentally
responsible. It is an exercise in parish stew-
ardship.”
Richardson summed up perhaps the
A 6,500-square-foot addition houses music, art and science spaces. Located on a
most significant rationale for green schools:
13.5-acre wooded lot that includes a portion of Little Worden Lake, the school plans “The green aspect helps kids learn.”
to have an outdoor science dock at the lake one day.
REMAIN, REMOVE OR NEW
Materials for the project included the
existing materials to remain, the existing to
tems were laid out by the mechanical/ Reporting Value) rating and fresh air vol- be removed and new materials. The exist-
electrical consultant, EAM Engineers, Inc., umes at or above ASHRAE standards, ing building shell was used as much as
Troy, and then sent out for preliminary according to the architect. possible, with the design calling for just
pricing by the construction manager. The four new openings to be cut into the exist-
church used the information and recom- BISHOPS WEIGH IN ing structure. Three of the new openings
mendations to decide on the rooftop units LAA even provided decision-makers at were created in order to connect to the new
with ERWs. ERWs control the ventilation St. Patrick’s with ecclesiastical verification lab and gym additions. The fourth created
entering a building and recover and re-use for energy efficiency in the building proj- a new entry and, fittingly perhaps, fea-
air that has already been cooled, heated, ect from the U. S. Conference of Catholic tures a defining round pillar faced with
humidified or de-humidified, depending Bishops’ November 2000 document, Built green glazed brick.
on the season and outdoor air conditions. of Living Stones: Art, Architecture & As much of the existing materials were
The ERWs use energy already created and Worship. Chapter Four, § 192, of that doc- sent for recycling versus landfills as possi-
blend it into the incoming air, resulting in
cost savings and conservation.
The 22 HVAC units installed at St. Completed in six months, construction at the school features 45 percent recycled
Patrick’s North Campus, all with ERWs building products. Approximately 60 percent of its construction waste materials were
and other energy saving features, were diverted from landfills.
estimated to reduce long-term energy use
by more than 30 percent. The units are con-
nected to occupancy sensors in the class-
rooms so that when the room is empty the
operation moves down to “unoccupied”
mode to save energy. A helicopter was
used to set the 22 units, in part because the
heavily wooded site would have made
using a crane difficult, said Steve Willacker
of the HVAC contractor, Design Comfort
Co., Inc., Howell, The trees “were not a
problem for the helicopter, Willacker said.
They were all set within approximately 1-
1/2 hours. Willacker credited proper stag-
ing and efficient placement of the HVAC
units on the ground for the ease with
which the units were placed on the
PHOTO BY RON WALLIS
rooftop. The units were somewhat congre-

gated in the parking lot, but also staged
down at least a portion of the building. Air
inside the building is aided by air filters
with a high MERV (Minimum Efficiency

ble. An example is that the removed ceil-

ing tiles were accepted for free by a manu-
facturer for recycling, while the removed
carpet with a jute backing had to be care-
fully cut and sent for recycling with a dou-
bly high charge over that for dumping in a
landfill. Rationale for doing that came
from the savings reached by not dumping
the ceiling tiles. New materials were con-
sidered for their life cycle cost, contribu-
tions to a healthy learning environment
and recycled content. High abuse gypsum
board panels were specified with nearly
100 percent recycled content, following a
discussion with the supplier.
Besides the ERWs on the HVAC units,
St. Patrick’s North Campus also highlights
energy efficiency and boasts 30 percent+
energy savings for HVAC through:
• Two new 95%+ efficient boilers
with a non-occupied mode
installed for perimeter heat;
• A high efficiency building
envelope with insulation added
to the existing structure;
• Ceramic paint that helps to
mirror heat back into the spaces.
The students seem to love this new
school, Principal Darga said. One thing
they like especially are the lockers that line
the corridors. They didn’t have any lockers
at the old school. Darga said, adding that
change of classes in the old school “was
horrible.” At 8 feet wide, the hallways in
the old school were congested and created
havoc at change of classes, she said.
Hallways at the new North Campus range
from 8 to 14 feet wide, with room to
accommodate lockers and chairs for one-
on-one council or instruction by parents or
teacher aides. The wider hallways provide
“better circulation and better opportunity
for casual learning,” Darga explained. The
new school offers 10-foot-high ceilings for
the junior high grades (6th, 7th and 8th)
and 8-foot ceilings in the lower grade
classrooms.
Three flat panel monitors display the
green building and environmental infor-
mation for students and visitors alike in
the common areas along with other school
announcements.
“Now we can teach like we’re in the
21st. century, not back in the 1950s,”
Principal Darga enthused.
St. Patrick North Campus school contin-
ues to experience interest from new par-
ents and increased enrollment, with many
new parents commenting to school staff
how the “healthy learning” environment
contributed to their decision to enroll their
children there.

SI 48-57 Warren Civic Center 10/15/07 4:17 PM Page 48
O
n a sweltering afternoon in July sculpture – a bright swirl of silver tubes The city has succeeded wonderfully,
the fountain pool at One City arranged in a ring. Welcome to Warren’s but the fountain pool is only the begin-
Square is alive with the bubble of new town square. “We wanted to create a ning of this remarkable new hub in the
water jets and the noisy glee of the three- pedestrian-friendly hub of city life,” said heart of Warren. The talents of
and-under crowd. A bride in the broad Gina Cavaliere, executive director of the Neumann/Smith Architecture, JJR, LLC,
hoop of a wedding dress and her groom City of Warren’s Downtown and Skanska USA Building Inc. have
stand near the shadow of a 20-foot-tall Development Authority (DDA). delivered an entire civic center as the

launch pad of Warren’s first downtown in The new city hall continues the friend-
its 50-year history. Ann Arbor-based JJR ly dialogue with its corporate neighbor.
provided urban design and landscape “The design center of one of the largest
architectural services for the project, corporations in the world is right across
developing the design for the City Square the street from city hall, so we tapped into
plaza and assisting the City of Warren in its presence for our design,” said Bert H.
drafting urban design guidelines and a Koseck, AIA, project architect for
new downtown center zoning ordinance. Southfield-based Neumann/Smith
The project earned a 2007 Merit Award Architecture. The new city hall and the
from the Michigan Chapter of the Tech Center’s Vehicle Engineering Center ARCHITECTS
American Society of Landscape together form bookends of glass, visually
Architects. linking corporate and municipal forces
Beyond the bubbling fountains, a broad across Van Dyke Avenue.
village green reaches almost to the In the near future, these two bookends
doorstep of Warren’s new city hall and will frame Warren’s emerging downtown.
library, a monumental expanse of steel, The new Civic Center will anchor the
glass and brick poised to lead the third future City Center, an 18-acre parcel of
largest city in Michigan into the future. city-owned property partially fronting
With steel columns rising 75 feet and a Van Dyke but dipping inward into a deep
sleek, cantilevered roof sculpted with the pocket of available land. “The original
precision of an airplane wing, the build- master plan of the 1960s referred to this
ing honors the industrial backbone of a area as the City Center, and city centers
city once home to the Detroit Arsenal are where people come together for com- PL ANNERS
Tank Plant and now a long-time neighbor merce, government and celebration,” said
of the General Motors Technical Center Cavaliere.
located directly across the busy expanse The commerce part of the equation will
of Van Dyke Avenue between 12 and 13 be the development of commercial high-
Mile Roads. City and corporation have rises destined to frame the new city hall
been tightly linked for the past 50 years; complex and flank the fountain and new
the powerful economic engine of the Tech village green. Once developed, this con-
Center fueled Warren’s explosive growth temporary town square in the middle of a
in the ‘50s and directly led to its official suburban American city will become a
charter as a city in 1957. modern reinterpretation of the piazzas of
INTERIORS
Warren’s new town square is a festive gathering spot, alive with landscaping, music, and a
fountain pool that doubles as an ice rink in winter. ALLEN PPARK
ARK
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Congratulations on your
successful building
projects!
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
FRENCH
associates
PHOTO BY MARCI CHRISTIAN
R ochester
ochester,
architects, MIplanners
248.656.1377
interiors
www.frenchaia.com

Warren’s Civic Center is a catalyst for the development of new commercial structures
destined to frame the city hall and town square.
Europe. “The concept goes back to Italy JJR’s inspired shaping of this people-
and France where the piazzas are all friendly public square offers Warren a
enclosed by buildings that collectively place to rekindle community spirit and
offer a sense of intimacy,” said Leonardo foster economic growth. The design vir-
Fabiilli, AIA, project manager, tuosity of Neumann/Smith Architecture
Zervos Group,Inc. Neumann/Smith.
The government part of the triad is the
has created a truly grand city hall reflect-
ing Warren’s industrial roots and infused
city hall complex that boosts efficient with the same modern but timeless aes-
delivery of city services and whose strong thetic as the buildings of renowned archi-
• BONDS presence is the perfect catalyst for devel- tect Eero Saarineen in the nearby GM
opment. The new building is a bold Tech Center. Together, this imaginative
translation of traditional civic design. In plaza and monumental building have
• CONTRACTORS this city hall of the 21st century, fluted breathed a sense of place into this once
INSURANCE stone columns give way to steel, the pre- non-descript parcel of land. After a tour,
cision metal canopy replaces the tradi- an impressed AIA Michigan elected to
tional pediment, and a clock tower of host its September 2007 conference on
• ENVIRONMENTAL brick and glass rises above it all. With its municipal design in the building’s main
INSURANCE steel pillars and a soaring wall of glass as conference room. “The conference dis-
its main face, this contemporary building played significant projects in the atrium
• LIFE & HEALTH has all the grandeur of a classic civic mon-
ument.
that played a key role in revitalizing
downtown areas and in creating energy
Over 50 Years The celebration portion is the fountain within cities,” said Fabiilli.
pool bathed in a rainbow of colored lights The statement could definitely be
of Experience synchronized to music and the syncopa- applied to Warren’s new Civic Center,
tion of 52 water jets. In winter, the pool itself. The new development was a key
becomes an ice rink that attracted over factor in Warren’s selection as one of only
(248) 355-4411 600 people shortly after its debut. The 10 communities initially designated as a
party continues with a growing list of Cool City by the State of Michigan, said
24724 Farmbrook Rd. community events sprouting in Warren’s Cavaliere. A Cool City grant even funded
new green space, including a new the creation of the two distinctive sculp-
Southfield 48034 farmer’s market, evening concerts, and tures – whimsical rings of silver-painted
Art in the Park. “On a weekend in sum- metal tubes designed by artist David Barr
Gus E. Zervos Steve M. Zervos mer the farmer’s market and a city-wide - that grace the fountain area and have
CEO President garage sale attracted over 8,000 people,” become the official logo of the City of
said Cavaliere. Warren.

The new Civic Center is already stimu- General Motors’ master plan for a bil- ation of the Civic Center as a source of tax
lating economic growth. An adjacent lion dollar expansion of its Tech Center generation. The former city hall, a
condominium development, called the was another green light on the road to the cramped, single-story building used as
Town Center of Warren, changed its plans Civic Center’s creation. “It became city offices for almost 50 years, occupies
and doubled its investment. “There is a apparent that if GM invested a billion prime commercial frontage on Van Dyke
lot of buy-in from existing businesses,” dollars in the Tech Center that our DDA Avenue. Placing the new city hall on an
said Cavaliere. “Plus, development pro- was going to have some funding to do inward parcel in the heart of the new
posals for the actual City Center are due major changes,” said Cavaliere. downtown, plus building a 618-car park-
at the end of 2007.” Blessed with lucrative corporate neigh- ing structure, released 14 acres of valu-
At the age of 50, Warren is successfully bors, the DDA still pressed to use the cre- able commercial property occupied by the
reinventing itself with the aid of its own
savvy administrative team,
Neumann/Smith, JJR, and the construc-
tion management prowess of Skanska
USA Building Inc., Southfield. Skanska
kept a tight rein on exorbitant steel prices
and crafted a work sequence able to
deliver an entirely new municipal com-
plex in only 12 to 13 months. “We ran the
job with five different schedules and sep-
arate trade meetings,” said Jim Steiner,
Skanska project manager. Skanska sliced
this complex project into manageable
pieces, first building the parking struc-
ture, followed by an almost simultaneous
demolition of an existing building and the
construction of the library and city hall,
and ending with the grand finale: An
intricate water feature and ice rink with a
wild tangle of infrastructure.
Skanska’s hard and carefully deliberat-
ed work resulted in the timely turning
over of the keys to the city back to the city,
itself. The project team completed this
landmark building on October 30, 2006,
almost 50 years to the day the late Gov. G.
Mennen Williams signed the charter des-
ignating Warren as a city on Oct. 27, 1956.
Fifty years after its official inception on
Jan. 1, 1957, this city is celebrating its
anniversary in 2007 with the creation of a
new Civic Center and the beginnings of a
new City Center.
ECONOMICAL BUILDINGS: A CIVIC DUTY

This singular Civic Center is an exam-
ple of sound fiscal planning. Far from
draining city coffers, Warren’s DDA has
been a wise steward of taxpayer dollars,
carefully building a solid revenue base
before launching its lofty vision of a new
downtown. The possibility of a new
Civic Center actually arose in the mid-
1990s inspired by the successful redevel-
opment of the former U.S. Army Tank
Command site. “Beginning in the mid-
90s, the Renaissance Zone at the former
Tank Plant was doing very well,” said
Cavaliere. “We said, ‘We know that we
are going to have substantial bonding
capacity in the near future. What should
we do with it?’”

old city hall and an array of surface park- city-owned parcel. The plan for a new city
ing lots. “Much of the funding for the hall and civic center was adopted in early
new building comes from the anticipated 2001 and the quest began for finding the
tax revenue on property that was tax neu- right team. “We hired Spectrum
tral forever,” said Cavaliere. Strategies, a division of HarleyEllis, and
Beyond the machinations of economic Premise Solutions as joint-venture pro-
development, the old city hall was func- gram managers to conduct initial pro-
tionally obsolete. Built in the 1950s, the gramming and aid in the selection of the
original city hall housed both city offices design and construction team,” said
and the court, which moved to a new Cavaliere.
location several decades ago. Warren’s JJR reworked the UDA Master Plan to
explosive population growth in the late incorporate a larger central civic space
‘50s and ‘60s forced the city to continual- and to create a more urban, vertical city
ly carve out a “warren” of new spaces hall/library. Neumann/Smith
within the interior, ultimately creating a Architecture began design in August 2003
convoluted hodge-podge of offices. and Skanska joined the team a few
Meant to last for only 20 years, this work- months later. The project team brought
horse of a building housed city offices for an astute attention to dollars and cents to
the next 50 years. “We had single-pane the creation of the Civic Center. Skanska
windows,” said Cavaliere. “We couldn’t analyzed variations in the design concept,
plug in too many pieces of equipment or scanning the options for budgetary con-
we would blow out half the building. cerns. “Skanska helped the owner make
Plus, the adjacencies made no sense.” choices as to which concept would be
The building industry had to jump within the budget and which would pro-
through a series of widely spaced hoops vide value for the money,” said Koseck.
to obtain permits and approvals. The In a major cost-saving measure, Skanska
Building Department and the Planning fast tracked the structural design to lessen
Department were located in opposite sec- the impact of high steel prices. “One of
tors of city hall, while the Engineering the big challenges we had with building
Department was located in another build- city hall was escalating steel prices
ing three miles away. “We needed a user- because of China’s high demand and buy-
friendly building able to deliver services ing power,” said Steiner. “Because we
more efficiently,” said Cavaliere. were very concerned about cost escala-
Armed with a vision, a plan, and a tion, we fast tracked the structural design,
pressing need, the DDA hired Urban released it for bid, and awarded the steel
Design Associate (UDA), Philadelphia, in early to lock in the pricing.”
1998 to formulate a master plan for the Neumann/Smith’s design funneled the
The grand opening of Warren’s new city hall and library

was a fitting way to celebrate the city’s 50th birthday.

project’s cash flow into the grand monu-

ment of the main building. “We elected to
use integral mix, colored precast concrete
rather than brick on the parking garage to
save costs and focus more on the main
building,” said Koseck.
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

In a sense, the quest for tax revenue
resulted in the imposing vertical
grandeur of the city hall. One option
under consideration called for three sepa-
rate buildings (library, city hall, and park-
ing structure) linked horizontally by an
atrium, said Koseck. The final design
fused the library, city hall and atrium into
a single, compact structure. In terms of
cost, this fusion reduced the building
footprint, increasing the amount of land
available for development and tax gener-
ation. The design added height to the
building and transformed the atrium
from a horizontal link to a dramatic verti-
cal face, resulting in the grand glass wall
that has become the building’s signature
element.
Adding height gave more prominence
to a four-story building without any
frontage on Van Dyke and forged a
stronger visual link to the VEC building
across the busy thoroughfare, said
Koseck. The seven-story clock tower
Interior Demolition SpecialistS
amplifies the building’s visibility from

the street by day; at night, dramatic light-
ing turns the tower into a lantern of light
and bathes the underside of the wing-like
canopy in an illuminating glow.
The design weaves together four differ-
ent building components. The building’s
exterior form and material cloak is a map
to the spaces within: The actual city hall
occupies the upper three levels of a four-
story office tower clad in brick that tradi-
tional material of many a civic building; a
first-story library of brick and glass is a
serpentine, organic form initially
enclosed within but ultimately uncoiling
behind city hall; and a four-story parking
deck with openings and colored precast
that merge seamlessly with the beige and
red brick of city hall. The fourth element
is the atrium housed in the dramatic
expanse of 75-foot-high glass that extends
across the entire front of the building and
forms the biggest picture window in
Warren.
Commercial – Industrial
Experienced Innovative Timely
DIVIDE AND CONQUER 13840 Intervale St. (313) 836-3366
Divide and conquer was Skanska’s
basic approach to controlling the project
Detroit, MI. 48227 (313) 836-3367 fax
schedule for this multi-faceted project. www.detroitdismantling.com info@detroitdismantling.com
Skanska first launched construction of the

most difficult. Today, wobbly-legged tod-

dlers splashing in the fountain and
kamikaze skaters whirling around the
rink certainly have no idea of the elabo-
rate systems and hard work that make
such play possible. Five miles of tubing
filled with calcium chloride services the
ice rink, and 48 pumps in a control room
located in the basement of the plaza’s
pavilion building control the chorus of
water nozzles and jets. “A whole series of
electrical panels control the lighting and
nozzle movement,” Steiner said. “We did
some re-engineering to give the city the
biggest bang for the buck. We can still get
a million different colors of lights out of
this particular lighting system, because
we waited a bit longer for the latest tech-
nology to be available.”
A rainbow of lights washes over the
ring of water jets, both synchronized to
music funneled through a sound system
integrated into the landscape and plaza.
This contemporary library (photo left) has helped attract an influx of new library cardholders
“The intricate nature of this water feature,
since its grand opening in January 2007. The atrium’s grand wall of glass (photo right) is a
75-foot-tall picture window offering a view of Warren’s future, while the atrium’s structural combined with an ice rink, really con-
web honors the city’s industrial roots. sumed the majority of time on the proj-
ect,” said Steiner. “We started in May
2006 and finished in October 2006.”
three-bay parking structure in August about a thousand pieces of structural steel Work on the fountain and rink had to
2005. Under the next bid pack, Skanska assembled like a high-volume space be as synchronized as the light, music and
installed the footings and structural steel frame. “Detailing the roof canopy alone water extravaganzas. The tubing, noz-
frame of the main 112,000-square-foot was quite a challenge,” said Steiner. zles, piping and all the inner workings for
building, initially working around an “Plus, the crew worked on 70-foot lifts in both rink and water feature are all located
existing structure housing offices of the the winter with the wind howling. Even in the same trench. Plus, two separate
Macomb County Health Department. though a good portion of the canopy was contractors – one local and one out-of-
The cranes and bulldozers were at the fabricated below and hoisted into place, state – handled work on the water feature
doorstep before the department actually the crew still was up on these lifts for and ice rink, respectively. “We held meet-
moved to its new location in a renovated months performing a great deal of over- ing upon meeting regarding how to
facility nearby. “The parking garage was head work on the aluminum composite install all these systems and how to avoid
already completed, we started the foot- panels.” damaging any of them during construc-
ings and foundations, and we had steel Every facet of the atrium demanded an tion,” said Steiner.
erected in the library as far as we could go extra infusion of care and skill, including Plus, Skanska executed a monolithic
until that building was vacated and matching the paint of the composite pan- pour for the rink/pool’s concrete slab
demolished,” said Steiner. els and the towering steel columns. The beginning at 2 a.m. on an August night in
Building enclosure resulted in another composite panels are painted in a very 2006. “We needed a completely solid sur-
split of the work sequence. “Because we controlled environment to deliver an face for the ice rink, and a monolithic
started steel in August 2005 and followed exceptional, high-quality finish. “To pour effectively addresses concerns about
with masonry in October 2005, the time obtain that same look on steel columns the concrete shrinking and cracking in
crunch of winter was approaching,” said with paint that is sprayed on was a chal- this vital area,” said Steiner. Altogether,
Steiner. “To meet the completion date of lenge that consumed some time,” said Skanska poured 259,830 hours of labor
next October, we basically isolated con- Steiner. into this award-winning facility that
struction of the atrium from the library Plus, a six-month lead time for the 5- recently garnered a 2007 Engineering
and the city hall, allowing us to maximize by-10 foot glass panels added another Society of Detroit Construction and
our efforts. We knew it was not cost effec- layer of complexity to the job. “Because Design Award.
tive to enclose the atrium in the winter, of the long lead time, we had to perform
because the wind would just unravel our a lot of field engineering work, plus work WELCOME WARREN RESIDENTS
efforts.” with the contractor to guarantee dimen- Neumann/Smith and Skanska have
Tackling installation of the atrium’s sions,” said Steiner. created an impressive new seat of govern-
massive roof called upon the skill and ment for the largest city in Macomb
stamina of skilled subcontractors. The PLAY IS HARD WORK County. Warren residents certainly have
wing-shaped roof cantilevers 45 feet The last work phase – the construction bragging rights to a city hall unlike any
beyond the glass wall and is composed of of the water feature and ice rink - was the other. Approaching the grand glass atri-

um – a symbol of an open, transparent, grid, said Koseck. Added Steiner, “The from a daddy-daughter dance to a two-day
and accessible city hall - is an invitation to hollow columns had to be spliced and a conference held by GM suppliers for GM
enter the building to take part in and special type of weld used before hoisting Tech Center personnel. The building’s first
make use of city government. the members into place.” level is home to the City of Warren’s main
On the interior, the glass wall draws in The atrium is a space for gathering, dis- conference room and its first main library in
daylight and offers a wonderful tableau plays, and basic orientation to city servic- its history.
of the plaza. The glass wall is designed es. Standing in the atrium the visitor
for maximum visibility on the atrium need only look up to survey the range of A LIBRARY OF THE 21ST CENTURY
level. The glass panes begin at grade, fea- city services clearly exposed by brightly Like the rest of this dynamic new
ture clear rather than fritted glass on the colored signage and the march of mezza- development, the new library was
atrium and upper level, and are even nines on the three levels above the atrium designed with an eye for quality and
larger to bring some of the best views to floor. The atrium interior is programmed economy. “The library was designed to
this public space. with a network of sound, security, and minimize the number of staff needed to
Like the exterior, the atrium interior power, voice and data systems, some con- manage the library,” said Koseck.
pays homage to the industrial history of tained in raceways beneath the floor slab. Economy didn’t detract from the sheer
Warren. Three rows of 24-inch hollow This infrastructure network powers com- pizzazz of the interior that has inspired
columns form a roughly N-shaped col- puterized kiosks directing the visitor to an influx of 500 new library cards a
umn grid rising the full height of the four- the appropriate department, a band stage month since the library’s grand opening
story atrium. The network of columns rise directly outside the atrium, and for uses in January 2007. The library is a curvilin-
from sturdy precast stone bases, their yet to be developed. ear space of brightness with natural light
girth and height creating a sense of the The atrium and the six conference rooms pouring in along the entire course of the
muscle and energy that created the city of the new facility are available for rent, exterior serpentine wall. Specialty interi-
beyond the glass wall. Bolts linking both as a public service and as a marketing or accents include copper panels on the
beams to the column grid and steel cross tool for Warren, said Cavaliere. The atrium main service desk etched with special
bracing over glass are all exposed, com- and conference spaces have been used for acid and coated with a polyurethane fin-
pleting an “artfully composed” structural community and corporate events, ranging ish, said Fabiilli.
Whether your project has

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Specialty spaces are cradled in the inte- With efficient workspaces in a wonder-
rior core of gold-painted curved walls. fully designed building, city workers are
These intimate spaces include a Teen operating more smoothly and more pro-
Room with a bank of computer and a ductively. “I believe there has been an
story-telling area for children, complete increase in productivity,” said Cavaliere.
with brightly colored tiles, built-in bench “People just seem to be happier when
seating, and a puppet theater. The Special they come to work. People are definitely
Collection Room for adults offers a taking pride in their workplace, and I see
ceramic tile fireplace and a maple mantle community pride in the people who come
flanked by warm maple bookshelves. into the building and exclaim, ‘This is
The 31,000-square-foot library also hous- great, and this is for us to use!’”
es one of six conference rooms, as well as The building’s layout is a tool for creat-
a computer room available to the ing a more accessible and transparent city
community. government. “We tried to make it easier
The main room of the library is a vast for the public to maneuver through city
curvilinear space with bright color hall,” said Koseck. For example, the fre-
accents in the ceiling repeated in ovals of quently visited Treasurer’s Office is on
bold color in the carpeting below. Light the first level of city hall. The building
soffits resembling inverted kiosks of floors are arranged by public use and
drywall brighten the ceiling with bold accessibility, with the fourth and least
yellows, reds and blues. “We used laser accessible floor containing the least pub-
layout on the floor to establish control lic space. Also, mezzanines on every
points for the purpose of building all level offer a tangible sight line into virtu-
these curvilinear elements,” said Steiner. ally every city office. “I think it was
important to Mayor Steenbergh to make
THE NOT-SO-MYSTERIOUS INNER the workings of government transparent
WORKINGS OF GOVERNMENT to the public,” said Cavaliere.
The Wow Factor was reserved for pub-
lic spaces such as the atrium and library. HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARREN, MICHIGAN
City offices promote efficient delivery of Neumann/Smith Architecture and
city services and greater accessibility to Skanska USA Building Inc. have deliv-
the public, but are modest and restrained ered a wonderful birthday present to a
in every department, including the city celebrating its first 50 years. The
mayor’s own office. “Mayor Steenbergh project team has helped turn a long-time
said he would rather put the money into dream into a tangible place of community.
public spaces instead of his own office,” “It is hard to say this as an architect, but it
said Cavaliere. is not about the building,” said Koseck.
City departments scattered throughout “My favorite image is the cold and windy
Warren, including the Engineering grand opening in November when people
Department and the Water Department, were ice skating, the music was playing,
were brought under one roof in the new and they had a 21-gun salute to mark the
city hall, allowing one-stop shopping for occasion.”
developers and builders and streamlining Said an enthusiastic Cavaliere, “In the
the delivery of all city services. planning phase, we envisioned a place for
“Everything for building, planning, kids to play in the fountain, organizations
assessing and engineering are on the third to rent conference space, or for people just
level of the new building,” said Koseck. to come out and eat their lunch. This
“They used to be three miles apart now development is now acting as a magnet
they are 30 feet apart.” for people and activities. It is really
The new building’s design also broke working.”
down barriers between departments. The Civic Center is only the beginning
“Before city offices were departmental- of the startling transformation of this
ized and physically segregated,” said parcel of property in the heart of Warren.
Koseck. “We created common areas The newly constructed grid of roadways
between departments. This promotes the and utility infrastructure, the extensive
creation of a synergy in which a person landscaping and site concrete work may
feels they work for one institution instead soon support several new commercial
of one department.” The building layout neighbors all gathered around the town
boosted collaboration between individu- square. The clock tower begins the
als within and between departments, countdown toward the dawn of Warren’s
resulting in a more efficient delivery of next fifty years.
vital city services.

SI 58-65 UofM Cardio 10/2/07 12:29 PM Page 58
S T R U C T U R E
and
Function
By David R. Miller, Associate Editor
Photos by Michael Collyer Photography
T
he purpose of any building can be wise designed for efficient movement of struction manager Barton Malow
easily guessed when structure is people and equipment within its walls. Company, Southfield, and architect
inspired by function. The stately The CVC also sits at a vital juncture of the Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott,
academic halls and majestic setting of the medical campus, essentially straddling the Boston, MA.
University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor cam- research and treatment areas of the
pus suggests scholarly pursuits, even grounds. A new building could have
when students are not present. Campus restricted access between the two sides, The CVC represents a solution to a num-
FACILITATING CARE
newcomers also never need to rely on the but the design incorporates several con- ber of issues facing the U of M Health
roar of the crowd to find Michigan nectors to other buildings and a footprint System. First and foremost, the existing
Stadium, as the facility was obviously con- that facilitates pedestrian and vehicular hospital was running out of room. The
structed to accommodate great views and traffic. The heart pumps blood to the need for new space could be perceived as
build lasting memories whenever the lungs to be oxygenated before it is sent out a crisis, but also presented an opportunity
Wolverines take the field. to sustain the body, and the CVC’s educa- for the construction of a new facility that
The University of Michigan tional component serves a similar func- would house related health disciplines in
Cardiovascular Center (CVC) similarly tion, letting individuals enrich themselves an environment that strongly encouraged
draws design inspiration from its intended with knowledge before using their new- interaction. Multiple specialists represent-
use, actually resembling a human heart. found skills in the world beyond. Key ing various disciplines treat patients with
Four chambers efficiently move blood members of the project team that created cardiovascular issues, and the ability of
inside a healthy heart, and the CVC is like- this heart-inspired facility included con- these health care practitioners to offer

“We wanted everyone to cross paths,” against placing coffee makers on every
explained Linda Larin, FACHE, MBA, floor, an unorthodox suggestion that she
chief administrative officer for the CVC. has seen used to encourage face-to-face
“We didn’t want to have a stroke area in contact at other medical facilities. In addi-
one place and a cardiology area in anoth- tion to creating a space where healthcare
er; we wanted the doctors to have to see professionals would interact with one
each other. One of the challenges for the another, the project team also created a
architectural team was to create office and unique healing environment.
clinical spaces that would bring people
together.”
Careful planning was employed to It is a well-known fact that many people
A HEALING ENVIRONMENT
ensure that the approximately 420,000- ignore symptoms, sometimes for too long,
square-foot CVC was easy to navigate and before seeing a doctor. Although there
provided plenty of places for meaningful may be some initial denial, most people
interaction. react to telltale symptoms like chest pains
“We zoned the building in a very simple or shortness of breath differently.

way,” said Elizabeth Ericson, FAIA, princi- Knowing that the problem might be relat-
Few experiences are as stressful as a
pal, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & ed to the heart adds a sense of urgency
heart-related hospital visit. The U of M
Cardiovascular Center was designed to
calm frayed nerves with the beauty of Abbott. “One side is basically patient ori- and anxiety.
extensive glass and natural light. entation and the other side is basically staff “There is probably nothing scarier than
orientation. The treatment areas are in the walking into a heart building,” said Larin.
middle. That supports sustainability by “There is no question when something is
letting us introduce daylight in the areas wrong with your heart – it’s not the flu or
with the largest number of people and a broken bone – it’s life and death. We
comprehensive care can be compromised restrict daylight where instruments and really wanted to create an aesthetic where
if they cannot communicate effectively. procedures require controlled environ- people knew they were in a safe, caring
The CVC brings together six departments: ments.” place as soon as they walked in.”
cardiology or cardiovascular medicine Instead of being located inside clinical Actually, the calming experience begins
(including hypertension), cardiac surgery, areas relating to their specialties, offices for before patients walk in. Following advice
vascular surgery, stroke care, intervention- physicians and other professionals are from the architect, facility planners for the
al radiology, and cardiothoracic anesthesi- grouped together by specialty. Open and U of M Health System took a fresh look at
ology. But simply putting everyone under airy spiral staircases encourage interaction the outside appearance of the campus.
the same roof would not guarantee true between floors, and consequently, depart- The existing large white buildings served
collaboration. ments. Ericson even recommended their intended purpose well, but most peo-

Individual partition walls in the cardiothoracic ICU provide privacy while glass walls facing
the corridor let healthcare professionals keep a close eye on patients. Small corridor alcoves
provide convenient workspaces for nurses.
ple would not call them inviting. With its “I really believe that connections to the
extensive glass and natural light, the CVC natural world are a part of the healing
softens the appearance of the entire cam- process,” said Ericson. “Sometimes just
pus, particularly at night. The facility was seeing a flower can be as transforming as
also built into a hill to reduce the scale and the latest drug.”
allow for a third floor main entrance. Art can also be uplifting, and almost any
Downplaying the size of a building can healthcare setting includes space for art.
soothe visitors, but grand statements can What sets the CVC apart is the planning
sometimes have a similar effect, especially that went into filling those spaces. Instead
when soaring spaces are filled with things of seeking out individual pieces, planners
that are pleasing to the eye. Plants and art- created a unified collection for the CVC
work are masterfully utilized at the CVC with specific goals in mind. Waiting areas,
to fill many large spaces with a feeling of where a person would likely be bored,
cozy intimacy. include vibrant pieces with complexities
Visitors drive through gardens atop the that can be studied over time, while
underground parking deck before entering intense treatment areas feature artwork
the soaring glass atrium. Bamboo, black with a softer palette and simple designs
olive and fig trees lift eyes and spirits up to that can soothe at a glance. Visitors to the
their top branches 30 feet above. The trees CVC will also see art that speaks specifi-
will eventually reach 50 feet, letting their cally to them, as great care was selected to
expanding foliage pleasantly diffuse natu- create a multicultural collection to reflect
ral light throughout the building. This the unique life experiences of all visitors in
unique space also includes a water feature a variety of mediums including painting,
with soothing sounds to calm frayed sculpture and textiles. The highlight of the
nerves. Some healthcare facility planners collection is a 1,200-pound bronze statue
shun living gardens because of allergy sitting against a limestone backdrop in the
concerns, but these can successfully main entrance lobby. Dedicated to the
addressed with careful plant selection and staff and facility at the CVC, the sculpture
a diligent maintenance commitment is titled “My Heart is in your Hand”, but
designed to prevent dust accumulation. the signature piece also represented a
Water in the CVC garden is kept in a con- unique task left in the hands of contrac-
stant state of motion to prevent algae tors.
growth. Despite the need for careful plan- “We needed to put some floor reinforc-
ning, many see strong benefits associated ing in for the sculpture,” said Gary
with healing gardens. Simmons, superintendent for Barton

Malow. “I had to make sure that was

done, along with the backing and the light-
ing, so we wouldn’t have to go back and
do renovations.”
Even the walls at the CVC can be consid-
ered art. Pontiac Ceiling & Partition Co.,
LLC, Pontiac, installed nearly 1.5-million-
square-feet of drywall, much of which
involved complex geometry including
intricate reveals and radii. The company
North American Dismantling Corp.
was able to couple the beauty of art with
the efficiency of mass production by care- INDUSTRIAL • COMMERCIAL • MUNICIPAL
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nurse stations into the 24 individual
patient recovery rooms. Individual parti-
tion walls in the cardiothoracic ICU pro-
vide privacy while letting healthcare pro-
fessionals keep a close eye on patients via
glass walls facing the corridor. Small cor-
ridor alcoves positioned in between every
two rooms, provide nurses with conven-
ient workspaces from which they can per-
form their duties without disturbing
patients. Family needs were also taken
into consideration with numerous medita-
tive spaces called quiet rooms, which are
placed throughout the facility.
Jeff Stone, project manager, and Larry
Skaug, project foreman, efficiently moved
workers and materials around the jobsite
to help Pontiac Ceiling & Partition deliver
these spectacular results. Barton Malow
took the lead in coordinating these efforts
with many other contractors as well as the
hospital staff, as there were many logistical
issues associated with the project.
Providing access to any jobsite in an

LOGISTICAL ISSUES
urban landscape can be a challenge.

Adding a working hospital into the mix
complicates this considerably.
The construction team needed to main-
tain circulation around the building for
emergency vehicles, provide access to two
loading docks at nearby buildings, and
accommodate another major construction

SAF
Art is an uplifting presence at the CVC. Even the walls at the facility
can be considered art. Pontiac Ceiling & Partition installed nearly
1.5 million square feet of drywall, much of which involved intricate
reveals and radii.
project on the ever growing campus. Utilities to the hospital also

could not be interrupted. The CVC features five separate connec-
tions to nearby buildings, including two underground connec-
tions some 60 feet below grade. Given the tight nature of the site,
intense earth retention systems were needed, including a 50-foot
permanent retention wall that separates the intersection of Ann
and Observatory Streets from the 450-vehicle underground park-
ing deck. The project team worked with Ann Arbor to obtain a
long-term license near city streets and provided as-built drawings
detailing the location of the tiebacks to prevent future road proj-
ects from compromising the stability of the retaining wall.
Contractors moved massive amounts of soil to place these reten-
tion systems, but they never knew exactly what they would find
when they started digging.
“The site was the location of the old main hospital,” said Mary
Krasny, associate director of real estate and design for the
University of Michigan. “It was demolished, but it was never 100
percent certain if all of the foundations were taken out. We
encountered some foundations that were not on the drawings,
but our biggest surprise was a telephone duct bank that fed the
main hospital. It had to be re-routed along the streets that sur-

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The trees in this atrium will eventually reach 50 feet, letting their expanding foliage pleasantly
diffuse natural light throughout the building. The space also includes a soothing water feature.
round the Medical Center because we scrutiny.

couldn’t bisect the site.” “Unfortunately, all of the air intakes for
Working on the campus constrained the existing buildings were looking right
construction operations in many ways. at us,” said Simmons. “When you’re that
Deliveries were coordinated to bring in close, the diesel smell is nauseating.
materials just when they were needed Anytime the wind blew from the wrong
because of limited space for stockpiling. direction, people inside might pick up an
Tradesworkers were also bussed in sever- odor from a concrete truck or an excava-
al times a day to prevent them from taking tor. After we were notified about the
parking spaces required for the smooth problem, we would either relocate until
operation of the hospital campus. Tight wind changed direction or quickly finish
spaces also limited the number of cranes what we had to do and pull out.”
that could be accommodated on the site. Many problems were averted by
“We only used one tower crane for most mandatory use of biodiesel fuel and
of the project, but we brought in some scrubbers. Instead of a harsh diesel smell,
hydraulic cranes during the steel erection biodiesel gives off an aroma more like siz-
process,” said Simmons. “We brought in a zling French fries, while scrubbers operate
Triple Eight (Manitowoc Model 888) for much like catalytic converters by burning
the parking deck because the crane need- residual fuel in the exhaust system.
ed to reach the entire structure, which fol- Simmons noted that neither of these two
lows the contour of the roadway. We also steps presented a major inconvenience,
needed to make sure there was no inter- but fuel did need to be certified as
ference between the Triple Eight and the biodiesel prior to its use on the site and
tower crane. They shared some of the scrubbers were also inspected to ensure
same air space.” they were in working order. According to
Spotters were deployed to ensure safe Simmons, scrubbers generally do not have
crane operations and Barton Malow even a major impact on newer equipment, but
lent their cranes to other contractors, older machines can experience problems
thereby eliminating the need for addition- due to backpressure.
al pieces of equipment that could have Proactive steps taken on the jobsite pre-
hampered operations on the jobsite. vented many problems during the con-
Cranes were not the only type of equip- struction process. The project team
ment hindered by the tight site, close applied a similar approach with the plan-
proximity to occupied hospital buildings ning of the facility itself, as careful
placed equipment emissions under careful thought was given to future needs.

are basically local, including the cement, that about 80 percent of the 700 pieces cre-
Building for the future of healthcare is a aggregate and rebar.” ated for the CVC job were unique.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
tricky proposition, as no one really knows The versatility of precast was demon- The function of the CVC ultimately
what new technologies will emerge and strated as National Precast easily accom- drove material selections and other deci-
what infrastructure will be needed to modated the complex geometry of the sions. While the precise function of the
accommodate them. Crucial design deci- project, including the convex and concave facility may not be obvious to a visitor,
sions were postponed as long as possible faces of the large curved wall. Precast is healing is strongly communicated by the
at the CVC to facilitate late-breaking often used on projects that require many gentle feeling of warmth that pervades
medical equipment advances. identical pieces, but Mourad estimates every inch of the structure.
“There was one room where the equip-
ment was being designed as we were lit-
erally designing the room around it,” said
Mary Pinegar-Koster, associate project
director for the University of Michigan.
The challenges associated with keeping
equipment options open were augmented
by the elaborate mechanical and electrical
systems needed to supply the machines.
This created a “trickle-down effect” where
the placement of systems impacted sur-
rounding rooms, but careful coordination
with subcontractors who installed these
systems prevented this from impacting
the overall quality of the project.
Building for the future takes on many
other connotations from a facility stand-
point. Expansion is frequently a consid-
eration, and it is well planned for at the
CVC. Empty shell space at the CVC is
already filling up to meet new demands,
but the building was also carefully sited
to allow for multiple additions and the
mechanical system was designed with the
capacity to adapt for future needs.
Green building is another concern
among facility planners who are truly
building for the future. The CVC
includes a number of features to reduce
energy consumption including a white
EPDM roof to reflect sunlight, motion-
sensor controlled lighting, heat recovery
wheels, thermal mass insulated exterior
architectural precast panels, and low-e
glass. The facility also reinforces the
pedestrian focus of the campus by intro-
ducing a walking path and including
bicycle racks. The landscaping that
replaced the existing paved parking lot
addresses runoff concerns by letting
water percolate into the ground. Green
materials utilized on the project include
various types of wood, linoleum, tile,
glass and low VOC paint.
Preference was given to local manufac-
turers who could minimize the environ-
mental impact of shipping materials to
the jobsite. National Precast, Inc.,
Roseville, was a vital part of this effort.
“Our plant is in Roseville, Michigan,
about 50 miles away from Ann Arbor,”
said Mike Mourad, project manager for
National Precast. “All of our materials

SI 66-75 325 N. Woodward 10/15/07 4:16 PM Page 66
BUILDING A TOWN
WITHIN A BUILDING
T
By Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor Photography by Christopher Lark
he pleasure of strolling down a Woodward Building, an engaging facility master plan for its downtown core called
vibrant city street, savoring its shops housing four different uses in a single the 2016 Plan. Burton-Katzman is one of
or dining alfresco in small cafes is no structure. the first developers electing to follow the
longer reserved for a European vacation. In the New Urbanism model, mixed- city’s Overlay District Plan, a set of guide-
Cultivating the lost art of the city stroll is used buildings and a pedestrian-oriented lines based on the New Urbanist principles
part of a growing force in municipal plan- plan have the power to activate the down- embodied in the city’s 2016 master plan.
ning called New Urbanism, a movement town core. Ann Arbor-based Hobbs+Black These principles encourage each building
designed to create pedestrian-friendly Associate, Inc.’s design of the 325 North to fit in with its site and the existing urban
town centers with an animated street life. Old Woodward building is helping to turn fabric through its “mix of uses, sense of
Mixed-use buildings are part of the effort a model into a fact. As the northern gate- scale, and pedestrian orientation and rela-
to breath new life into America’s cities by way to Birmingham’s downtown, this tionship,” said Vice President Robb
mingling residential and commercial uses. mixed-used building of warm, buckskin- Burroughs, AIA, Hobbs+Black.
Following the New Urbanist template, colored Cranbrook brick is adding vitality Working under these principles and the
Burton-Katzman Development Co. Inc., to the downtown streets of this Oakland Overlay District Plan, Burton-Katzman, as
Bingham Farms, turned an old address County community. developer and general contractor, shaped
into a new destination: the site of the for- The City of Birmingham is in the fore- a building housing four different uses –
mer Jacobson’s Men’s Store in front of Michigan cities in its adoption of parking, retail, office and residential –
Birmingham is now the 325 North Old the principles of New Urbanism into the essentially creating a town within a build-

SI 66-75 325 N. Woodward 10/2/07 11:06 AM Page 67
ing. Melding together these diverse uses ing, just because they are being construct- the property lines, according to Burroughs.
in a single structure demanded careful ed in established markets versus green- Burton-Katzman chose the latter despite
analysis and planning of the building’s field developments, which rely on market a series of restrictions and added entangle-
overall layout, its structural steel frame, growth in undeveloped areas,” said ments. Working under the Overlay
and its mechanical systems. Height Burton. “Secondly, I think the strength of District Plan, Hobbs+Black had to com-
restrictions blended the building into the Birmingham in a time when there is almost pletely design the building exterior – right
fabric of the neighborhood but complicat- no new construction in southeastern down to the control joints in the masonry –
ed design and construction of this intricate Michigan attracted us. We did something to obtain Planning Board approval.
Rubik’s cube of a building. that not only worked, it was, by some Details of the entire façade from side-
Building a town within a building and a measures, a grand slam home run.” walk to penthouse were regulated under
building within the existing fabric of a As one measure of success, “leasing of the Overlay Plan. The plan required 80
town were only two pieces of this compli- the space was extremely quick,” added percent of glazing at the first-level retail to
cated puzzle. The footprint of this urban Burton. “Even in a good economy to lease be transparent glass. Plus, the glazing had
infill, zero-lot line building consumed the a building as quickly as we did is remark- to be placed at the foot of the sidewalk,
entire site. With an extremely limited lay able. In a bad economy, leasing it as quick- despite a 7-foot drop along the Woodward
down area, Burton-Katzman constructed ly as we did is almost unbelievable.” Avenue frontage.
much of the building working only within After acquiring the property, Burton- Moving upward to the second and
the footprint of the structure itself. Katzman approached Hobbs+Black to third-level office space, “the plan mandat-
“Hobbs+Black did an amazing job han- assess the prospect of renovating the ed punched openings and a vertical
dling the complexities of the project and vacant store. The analysis showed the expression of the office windows,” said
the building,” said Peter Burton, principal building was a composite of six varied Burroughs. “Overall, the percentage of
of Burton-Katzman, a development com- structures wrapped in a common brick openness of the office levels was limited to
pany founded in 1912. “Often problems, if envelope. The building had six different 35 percent. The plan required a setback of
solved correctly, make the building better basement levels, six different floor levels, the residential level to reduce the scale of
than it otherwise would be. …I think this and a variance of one to two stories in the building. Even the slopes on the
building is an example of that.” height. mansard roofs were mandated, as well.”
By embracing challenge and employing The building’s varying construction sys- Despite strict guidelines, the Overlay
creative solutions, Burton-Katzman and tems and finish floor heights influenced Plan option offered key advantages. “The
Hobbs+Black have repaired a significant the decision to demolish the aging facility. truth is that the Overlay District zoning -
tear in downtown Birmingham’s urban Building a new structure entailed selecting even though it was restrictive in many
fabric. The site now supporting this four- one of two zoning options: conventional ways and made all of our lives complicat-
story building once housed the landmark zoning mandating a single use within a ed – allowed us much more latitude with
Jacobson’s Men’s Store. Today, the 325 structure pushed back from the property parking, site utilities and other important
North Old Woodward building is the new lines or the Overlay District zoning, a plan issues,” said Burton. “Each option had its
anchor for the northern end of downtown for a mixed-use facility directly abutting pluses and minuses, but the Overlay
Birmingham. The project is an unqualified
success, having gained the accolades of the
City of Birmingham and having secured
an occupancy rate approaching 100 per-
cent. Google announced its decision in
April 2007 to lease 17,000 square feet in the
building. Flemings, a prominent national
steak and seafood restaurant, is already
broiling prime rib in its well-appointed
and well-ventilated kitchen at 325 North
Old Woodward Avenue. The building has
become a financial service hub with UBS,
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.,
and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. occupying
the second and third floors.
For over four decades, Jacobson’s Men’s

WORKING THE PROGRAM
Store stood at the top of the long hill lead-

ing to Birmingham’s downtown shopping
district. After its closure, Burton-Katzman
decided to develop this infill site, attracted
by the inherent viability of infill projects
and the strength of the Birmingham mar-
ket. “We believe that infill, rehabs or
urban redevelopments in and of them-
The exterior cladding is a street map to the neighborhood within the building. Precast signals
selves often work when the economy is ail-

the presence of first-level retail space; brick defines the office areas on the second and third
levels; and the barely visible standing seam metal penthouses mark the residential level.

District zoning had more pluses.”

Under the Overlay District Plan, the city allowed Burton-
Katzman to more liberally tap into public parking for its tenants
and allowed the developer to attain a much higher floor area on the
site. Not only did the Overlay District Plan allow the developer to
construct a building of greater scale and magnitude, it was proba-
bly instrumental in obtaining a much-needed height variance. The
project team probably would not have stood much chance of obtain-
ing any kind of variance with the underlay or conventional zoning.
The mixed-use plan required retail on the first level and residen-
tial on the top level, but the three-story height allowance would
make residents on the north end “neighbors” with a direct sightline
into the adjacent parking deck. The height variance allowed the
residential level to rise above the parking garage and offer
panoramic views of Birmingham and the leafy expanse of northern
Oakland County stretching to the horizon. “In short, the building
that stands there today could not have been constructed under the
typical zoning,” said Burton.
The building now standing on the site of the former Jacobson’s

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
captures the classic feel of Birmingham’s downtown. This distinc-
The central atrium draws light into the core of the building, and con-
tains a clever trick of the eye. The end wall of the skylight is actually a
mirror. The mirror-clad end wall blocks the view of a condensing unit
farm and reflects a perfect mirror image of the atrium’s opposite end.
E D G E W O O D E L E C T R I C, I N C.
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A resident can enjoy a fine sunset over the City of Birmingham from the rooftop terrace of a
“classically modern” penthouse in this quintessential mixed-use building that employs the
structure’s own precast roof cornice as a balcony rail.
tive building is clad in the sand mold soft-

ness and texture of buckskin-colored Building lot-line to lot-line left little
ZERO LOT-LINE CONSTRUCTION
Cranbrook brick and architectural precast room for staging the job or storing materi-
concrete with a joinery pattern simulating als. Burton-Katzman first performed
cut stone. The building’s elegant assembly asbestos abatement and demolition of the
of materials includes dark blue-gray old Jacobson’s in October 2004, carefully
standing seam metal penthouses. These managing demolition within the tight web
“classically modern” penthouses are bare- of city streets. With only a small portion of
ly visible behind the pronounced precast an adjacent parking lot as a base of opera-
roof cornice that doubles as the balcony tions, Burton-Katzman began constructing
rail for the rooftop terraces. the new building within the strict confines
Commercial / Industrial Overall, the material palette is a map to of the structure’s own footprint.
the spaces within: The standing seam Burton-Katzman had to rethink the
Painting & Wallcovering penthouses mark the residential level; usual work sequence, essentially con-
over 100,000 bricks define the second and structing the new building from the inside
third level office space; and precast ele- out. A conventional steel erection sequence
ments announce the presence of the first- – assembling an entire floor before rising
level retail space. Two-story “portals” of to the next level – would require the use of
Outstanding Quality Service
Family Owned For 20 Years precast feature “an alternating system of a mammoth crane able to reach across the
steel canopies and fabric awnings that entire expanse of the emerging structure.
reinforce the rhythm of the storefront With no room for placing and maneuver-
entrances,” said Burroughs. “The multiple ing such a large machine, Burton-Katzman
23433 Hoover Road entrances break up the monolithic charac- positioned a smaller crane within the exca-
ter of a straight, long building of a repeti- vated site, using the same ramp now serv-
Warren, MI 48089 tive nature.” ing as the entrance into the parking level.
The corner of the building at Willits and Harold Price, Burton-Katzman’s con-
Ph: (586) 755-0055 Woodward is the most visible and pro- struction superintendent, explains: Two-
nounced entrance. Precast columns alter- thirds of the building’s steel was stacked
nating with tall, elegant glazing mark this within the excavation in this efficient work
Fax: (586) 755-6870
www.detroitspectrum.com radius entry. An arc of glass-covered, plan. A single crane rolled down the
steel-framed canopies completes the build- access ramp to begin operations in the cen-
ing’s debut on the streets of Birmingham. ter of the excavated site. Utica Steel, Inc.,

AOUN & CO., P.C.

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(734) 261-9800
29701 Six Mile Rd. • Suite 120
Livonia, MI 48152-8602
cpa@aouncpa.com Both office and residential lobbies are clad in polished granite flooring and quality wood
panels with stainless steel reveals.
Chesterfield, assembled the steel frame for sloped excavation, an approach consum-
the eastern third of the building, erecting a ing too much valuable space. As a replace-
complete four-story vertical expanse ment, Burton-Katzman drove sheet piling,
before moving the crane within the exca- like a giant cookie cutter, around the entire
vation and installing the center section. site only four feet outside the property
The unconventional approach required line. “The sheet piling was installed prior
careful planning to avoid becoming to the demolition of Jacobson’s and was
ensnared in the emerging steel web. not removed until completion of the new
“Otherwise, we would have been like the building,” said Price.
character in Mike Mulligan and His Steam The detection of deep foundations in
Shovel,” joked Price, referring to a famous some locations also steered the project
Specializing in children’s book about a steam shovel toward the sheet piling option. The origi-
named Mary Ann who excavated a build- nal Jacobson’s left a patchwork of old
E.I.F.S. ing site, became trapped in the freshly dug foundations and basements dramatically
hole, and then decided to become the varying in depth from shallow to deep to
building’s boiler. non-existent. “Some areas had no base-
Commercial Exterior
Only the remaining third was erected ment at all, while other areas had 12- to 15-
and Interior
Plastering using a small section of a public parking feet deep basements,” said Price. “The old
lot as a base of operations. “The negative store’s two-story section had a full base-
was, we couldn’t stack the steel inside the ment that was actually four feet deeper
excavation,” said Price. With less area in than our soon-to-be constructed basement.
the parking lot to stack steel, Utica Steel We had to remove all the old foundations
could only deliver two truckloads of steel and build new foundations at a uniform
at a time. “The truck had to have the right elevation.”
pieces, because we could have a entire As another complication, only four feet
day’s delay waiting for one piece of miss- of space was available between the sheet
ing steel,” said Price. “We had one person piling and the new concrete basement
from Utica Steel specifically assigned to walls, making for a tight squeeze during
making sure that the truck was carrying waterproofing and installation of edge
the correct steel.” drains in this restrictive site. The sheet pil-
ing could only extend four feet beyond the
21750 Schmeman
Warren, Michigan 48089 property line to maintain an open road-
This “inside-out” construction altered way for motorists and to avoid interfering
A SHADOW STORE BELOW GRADE
other facets of the project. Constructing with the gas, water and utility lines
(586) 775-8700
the steel from within blocked creation of a snaking beneath the street. At the south-
FAX (586) 775-7717

east corner of the building, the sheet metal almost directly abuts
the concrete foundation wall, because of the presence of a major
conduit. “We installed the sheet pile on an angle, and this radius
corner of the building went just inside of it,” said Price. “We put
waterproofing material against the sheet pile, poured the concrete
up against the sheet pile, and left some of the metal sheet pile in
place in this corner.”
The new 184,000-square-foot structure now rests on new
spread footings and foundations following the 7-foot grade
change of the site, thanks to Burton-Katzman, a company with
the ability to successfully produce a building under these chal-
lenging site constraints.
Hobbs+Black deserves credit for virtually designing a neigh-

DESIGNING A SMALL TOWN
borhood under one roof. Careful analysis, thorough planning,

and a few clever tricks melded together parking, retail, office and
residential uses into one workable structure. The building’s
structural steel design underwent thorough analysis early in the
design process to ensure the column placement services both the
building’s structural integrity and the specific needs of each type
of space. “The columns migrate all the way from the parking
level in the basement to the residential condominiums above,”
said Burroughs. “ A column could obviously not be set in the
middle of a parking stall or drive lane, and we didn’t want a col-
umn in the middle of a residential unit. We wanted the columns
staggered strategically, so walls enclose the columns or the
columns are wrapped in an appealing fashion.”
Altogether, Hobbs+Black created an efficient layout for the
entire building. Most of the building’s basic but unsightly needs
– refuse, a loading dock, and air exhaust – are placed along the
northern service corridor of the building abutting the alleyway.
Under Hobbs+Black’s design plan, the first-level retail is
designed with a tremendous volume, giving retail tenants a floor-
to-floor height of 22 feet. Multiple retail entrances exercised the
project team’s problem-solving muscles. “The retail component
was additionally complicated by the grade change,” said Burton.
“Not all of the retail spaces enter at grade, because of the 7-foot
grade change. We had to figure out a way to enter those spaces
from the sidewalk, plus make it handicapped accessible.”
Flemings, the well-known national eatery, has a stairway lead-
ing from the door to the main restaurant. The restaurant
employed the grade changes to its advantage by carving out
space for a mezzanine along its window frontage. The space now
occupied by Flemings was specially designed to accommodate a
restaurant and to service its mechanical needs.
The mechanical system was ingeniously designed and cleverly
disguised for the benefit of every type of tenant. Hobbs+Black
took advantage of the height differential produced by the site’s 7-
foot grade change to place a mechanical mezzanine between the
lobby and the second floor. As the next-door neighbor of the
restaurant, the mechanical mezzanine is conveniently located to
provide the high number of air changes needed in a restaurant
environment. The mezzanine contains three make-up air units
and the building’s compact heat pump system, a savvy choice
considering a conventional forced-air system would require large
rooftop mechanical units and would produce an unsightly vista
for residents.
Limbach Company, Pontiac, served as the design/build
mechanical contractor responsible for making the building freely
breathe. Keeping the airways open was particularly vital in the
restaurant kitchen and in the basement parking lot. The kitchen’s

Precast columns alternating

with tall, elegant glazing
supply air is delivered through grilled louvers located over the

mark this radius entry at
lobby entrance that simulate the fenestration of the building’s win-

Willits and Woodward.
dow units. The kitchen exhaust system is stacked in a neat line

through the building interior and is coordinated with the locations
of the rest rooms on the above floors. Large scrubbers in the work-
ing kitchen remove any odors from the exhaust air.
The air circulation pathway in the parking level begins at the air
intake grate in the building’s southwest corner, flows under an
areaway below the two elevator lobbies, and moves to an airshaft and
exhaust fan in the north corner of the building. “The basement park-
ing level is equipped with air quality sensors that, if tripped, increase
the fan speed and draw more air through the system,” said Price.
The parking level houses the primary mechanical, electrical and
life safety systems in a room on the north side of the facility.
Overall, fitting the mechanical system into a tight package entailed
a high level of planning.
Airflow and daylight are those intangible “amenities” that often
make or break a building interior. At 325 North Old Woodward, an
atrium skylight draws natural light into the central recesses of this
deep, compact building. Height restrictions, however, blocked the
rise of the atrium above the roofline. Hobbs+Black turned this
restriction into a benefit by creating a sunken well around the atri-
um perimeter that became the perfect place to house a condensing
PHOTO COURTESY © HOBBS+BLACK
unit farm for the air conditioning system.

Hobbs+Black cleverly camouflaged these units, bringing tenants
the benefits of natural light minus the unsightly view. The straight-
forward use of translucent or opaque glass on the lower half of the
corridor windows solves the problem in the residential level. In the
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lush, plant-filled atrium, Hobbs+Black during construction to execute these tal separation of uses, and an intricate
installed a mirror-clad end wall in the simultaneous tasks. “Working with high- snaking of building systems, the project
western portion of the skylight. Virtually end millwork requires proper temperature team was able to weave together four dif-
indistinguishable from the atrium glazing, and humidity controls,” said Price. “Plus, ferent uses into this singular structure.
the end wall blocks the view of the con- drywall compound won’t cure properly at Flowing up the long slope of North Old
densing units and reflects a perfect mirror the wrong temperature.” The building Woodward, this elegant addition to down-
image of the atrium’s opposite end. reached substantial completion on town Birmingham is a welcome member
November 17, 2006, the same day that UBS of the neighborhood, stimulating the econ-
moved into their space. omy and embodying the vision of the city
Class A office space surrounds the Through multiple entrances, a horizon- of the future.
A CLASSIC DOMICILE
green, light-filled oasis of the atrium. UBS,

a prominent financial services firm, occu-
pies the entire second floor, enjoying
offices clad in high-end millwork and
linked by 8-foot-wide corridors. Above
the two office levels, fourth-floor condo-
miniums offer elegant 10-foot high ceilings
and full height French doors with operable
transoms. The fourth-floor contains a
wood-paneled elevator lobby and spa-
cious, windowed natural light-filled corri-
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Separate elevator lobbies service office
and residential spaces. The large capacity,
high-speed elevators were selected to meet
the building’s height restrictions. “Height
restrictions eliminated the creation of a
penthouse, so we installed traction eleva-
tors with the operating mechanisms and
Compact Excavators
machinery on the side rather than above,”

said Price.
Both elevator lobbies feature polished
granite flooring and African mahogany
panels with stainless steel reveals.
Quality permeates the finishes and the
core construction of this distinctive build-
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ty insulation and its placement on the out-
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An Ingersoll-Rand utility distributor
Katzman had to build-out the UBS office
space while working on the core and shell.
“We were building out 27,000 square feet
of high-end office space as a portion of the
brick and windows were being installed to
get the tenant in on time,” said Price.
Burton-Katzman used temporary heating www.bobcat.com

SI 76-83 Allen Park 10/2/07 11:11 AM Page 76
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRENCH ASSOCIATES
W
hen the school year began at curving, scalloped front façade that a nearly $75 million bond proposal passed
Allen Park High School in the brought dramatic curb appeal to the 50- by Allen Park voters in March 2003 to
fall of 2006, students and staff plus-year-old school, as well as adding upgrade the school district’s six schools,
were welcomed to a school that not only needed space on the interior. including three elementary schools, one
looked different, but that had been The project, with construction manage- middle school, an alternative community
changed in dramatic and substantial ways. ment provided by McCarthy & Smith, Inc., school, and the high school. Also included
Construction was nearly complete on the Farmington Hills, and design by French in the high school project were renovated
extensively remodeled and technically Associates, Rochester, added 81,568 square computer and science labs, a new auto lab
upgraded school, highlighted by a new, feet to the original 153,600-square-foot space, additions for band/vocal and
state-of-the-art auditorium addition, an high school, for a total building space of weight/fitness spaces, and a new kitchen
enlarged competition natatorium, and a 235,168 square feet. The project was part of and dining area. Improvements were

made as well to the building’s aging infra- will relocate fall term (2004) to one of the the gym and establishing a new serving
structure to bring it more in line with cur- tech labs; fitness area space will be com- line.
rent building and energy standards. The promised; (and) multiplex will not be Retired superintendent R. Douglas
original auto lab was renovated into sci- available during the summer of 2004.” Pretty, who spearheaded the building proj-
ence rooms and the original media center While school function was not halted ect, has nothing but high praise for the
was renovated into counseling offices. during the two-year construction project, three main consultants that helped bring
Construction at the high school began in some areas were closed off for periods of to fruition the new construction and
June 2004 and was completed in time. Enlarging the pool on the south ele- upgrades to APHS, including McCarthy &
November 2006. Despite the numerous vation of the existing school required that Smith, French Associates, and technology
and ongoing renovations to the building, it be closed from June 2004 through consultant Wright & Hunter Inc.,
not a day of school was lost to construction August 2005. Swim team programs had to Birmingham. He noted the construction
work in the entire two-year period when be relocated to the district’s middle school manager’s value engineering as having
the school was fully occupied. That during the shut down. Similarly, construc- saved the school money on many occa-
required construction of two temporary tion of the new kitchen addition required sions. “We constantly got good value for
exit tunnels built of drywall over metal moving kitchen functions temporarily to our dollar,” Pretty said. He also noted that
studs and lighted to provide egress while
the new additions to the building’s front
elevation were under way. A driving factor
in bringing the project in on time and with-
An enlarged and renovated lobby and office area now greets students and staff.
in budget was to develop and adhere to a
A new media center was constructed just east of the lobby.
construction-phasing schedule.
“The project required a lot of coordina-
tion,” said engineer Steve Banchero,
McCarthy & Smith’s senior project manag-
er on the job, due not only to the extensive
ongoing construction, but because many
of the components specifically for the
auditorium addition came from out of
state. Banchero was helped on the project
by lead field superintendent, Scott
DeLano. DeLano, who has done work on a
Ph.D. in History and has been an adjunct
faculty member in the History Department
at Wayne State University, lives in the area
and has children who will one day attend
Allen Park High School. Doug
Underwood was senior project manager
for work done at all six Allen Park School
District schools, including the high school.
Scott Naumoff and Luke Baxter were also
superintendents on the high school proj-
ect.
“Extensive plans and logistics were

PLANS AND LOGISTICS
required to get materials to the site, main-

tain a clean and safe environment, and be
a good neighbor during construction,”
Banchero said. “To keep the project on
track with minimal impact on the curricu-
lum, a comprehensive project phasing
plan/schedule was developed.” Because
the school was affected by the phasing
plan, steps needed to be taken to ensure
that school functions were not disturbed
by construction. For instance, phase I
included new construction and remodel-
ing for the auto lab, fitness room and

building trades space. Therefore, the phas-
ing plan noted the steps that needed to be
taken as a result of that planned activity,
including, for example: “building trades

the architect met with the schools’ princi-

pals, teachers, and others to help choose
colors, fabrics and the like, engaging them
in the process all along. He said represen-
tatives from McCarthy & Smith and
French Associates attended bi-monthly
public school board meetings to provide
updates on the construction. “Bill
McCarthy spoke to our bond oversight
subcommittee early in the process to pres-
ent the project and show aerial photo-
graphs,” Pretty said. “As superintendent,
they kept me well informed all through the
process,” he added. “I can’t say enough
about all three (consultants),” Pretty said.
“They almost felt like family. We were just
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCCARTHY & SMITH CONSTRUCTION

thrilled at how well the three consultants
interacted together.”
The new front façade was bumped out

THE PARTICULARS …
between 30 feet and 45 feet toward

Champaign Street, varying because it’s
scalloped, “like the edge of a tree line,”
noted French Associates’ project architect
Tricia Beck, AIA, NCARB, in keeping with
The school’s existing swimming pool was enlarged from five lanes to six, all lanes were widened
and deepened, and a diving well was added.
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DID YOU KNOW…

her design theme of bringing the “out-
…National provides World Class Service
doors in.” The added space allowed for a in over 70 locations nationwide
new media center addition constructed
east of the main entry, an enlarged and
renovated lobby and
administration/office area in the center,
and four new spaces on the west end of the
building housing two new classrooms, a
music/vocal room and a band room.
The existing swimming pool was
enlarged from five lanes to six, all lanes
were widened and deepened, and a diving
well was added. Bill Robertson Pool
Design, Northville, was the pool consult-
ant. An exterior wall of the existing pool
had to be removed and the pool was cut
down its length in order to facilitate the
addition. The natatorium also was treated
to new tile inset with the school’s jaguar
mascot readily viewed from the bleachers. Call today for Chain Link, Panels, Windscreen,
Extensive site utility work was done in
order to complete the pool and auditorium Gates, Barbed Wire & Pedestrian Barricades!
additions, with both electrical and water 800-352-5675 • rentnational.com
utilities having to be rerouted. “The new
pool is fabulous,” APHS Principal Janet
Wasko exclaimed. “We can now host com-
petitions.”
Allen Park High School was built in
1955 and had been only minimally remod-
G2_CAM_v2_06 6/16/06 2:45 PM Page 1
eled since. It is located on a residential,

quiet street of mostly one-story ranch style
homes. There are houses adjacent to and
across the street from the school. Because
YOUR DIRT
GEOTECHNICAL
of its residential location and tight site,
project controls were implemented by
ENVIRONMENTAL
McCarthy & Smith to handle material
deliveries, noise and dust control, and
CONSTRUCTION
other issues that interfaced with the sur-
IS OUR
ENGINEERING
rounding community. The contractor and
architect worked with the school as it han-
dled concerns from the community about
the project, Principal Wasko said. “We did
a community forum with help from
McCarthy & Smith and the architect, and
allowed neighbors to come in and express
their fears,” she noted. She also held peri-
odic “coffee klatches” to explain the pro-
OBSESSION
posed project and answer questions. All of us at G2 share a single-minded obsession with unearthing every obstacle
Wasko had nothing but praise for
McCarthy & Smith and French Associates.
and opportunity on your site – from topsoil to bedrock. So leave the dirty work
“We adopted them as family,” she

to us. It’s what we live for.
enthused. “They were wonderful.”
Troy, MI: 248.680.0400
In June 2002, a “Citizens’ Blue Ribbon

GETTING THE VOTERS’ SUPPORT Brighton, MI: 810.224.4330
Committee” completed an eight-month- Chicago, IL: 847.353.8740

long study of the Allen Park School
District’s aging school facilities. The 26-
www.g2consultinggroup.com
member committee — composed of par-

ents, school staff, senior citizens, business
people, a local realtor, representatives
from city government, union members UNEARTHING POSSIBILITIES

“dreams” for the remodeled high school.

They got most of what they dreamed of,
including an expanded and “dramatic”
entrance with a new state of the art media
center and an expanded main office with a
welcoming reception area for visitors,
highlighted with tiling that includes the
school’s monogram. “We truly got every-
thing we wanted and more,” Wasko said.
She said the school didn’t expect to get,
but is thrilled to now have a graphic arts
lab, video production suite, and music lab.
“We dreamed and we dreamed big,” she
said.
“We wanted the media center to be the
focal point,” Wasko added. “We see that as
a great connection with the community,”
noting that plans down the road include
allowing the community to use the media
center. The school also wanted the media

center to include a 35-station “drop-in”
computer lab where students could stop
by and check e-mail, work on papers,
study, etc. They wanted study and confer-
ence rooms and a broadcast studio for
radio and television, a writing center and
The stage and seating area of the new theater at the renovated Allen Park High School teacher workroom, professional library
feature the abundant use of wood, curves and the color green to mimic the outdoors. and lounge. They got all that, and the
drop-in computer lab is only one of three
new computer labs in the renovated
and others — unanimously recommended He attended APHS and has been active in school.
that the Allen Park Board of Education ask the community as well, serving terms on In addition to the drop-in computer lab,
district voters to approve bond proposals the city council. He credits his and his fam- Blue Ribbon Committee members wanted
it had developed to fund the proposed ren- ily’s long association with the community “more technology in every classroom.”
ovations. An effort to educate voters for helping get his vision for the schools They wanted a CAD lab and a new techni-
included a seven-page newsletter issued in accepted by voters. cal wing to include an auto shop, small
January 2003 that detailed what the bond In November 2002, Pretty gathered 175 engine rooms and added storage. They
proposal wanted to achieve, how much it parents, employees, and voters and held a “dreamed” of a counseling/career center
would cost, how it would be audited and “kick-off meeting” to get the bond propos- suite and that was provided in renovated
what it would be spent on. McCarthy & als passed. He felt voters would support rooms on the building’s second floor. Their
Smith and French Associates helped the the plan if they understood the need, but wishes also included a new kitchen and
Board of Education plan for the bond pro- even he was pleasantly surprised when cafeteria. They got that too. “The
posals. two of three propositions on the bond pro- kitchen/cafeteria was expanded by
Pretty was at the center of the school disposal passed on the first vote in March approximately two-thirds into an existing
trict’s efforts to get parents and the voting 2003. More than 65 percent of voters exterior courtyard off the south side of the
public behind the proposed additions and passed the first proposition, for $62.4 mil- school,” Banchero said.
renovations from the get-go. “He truly was lion to upgrade all the school buildings, They also got new windows throughout,
the visionary,” Wasko said. When Pretty and 54 percent of voters approved $12.2 renovated bathrooms, and air condition-
interviewed for the superintendent’s posi- million for the new auditorium addition. ing in the common areas like the entry
tion in the spring of 2000, he said he told lobby and administration space, the new
the Board of Education that his main goal additions off the north elevation and select
for the district would be to upgrade the One of the first things Pretty did follow- other rooms. A new public address system
DREAMIN’
schools. He told them it was clear the ing his appointment as school superin- linked to video was on the wish list, along
schools needed renovating and, especially, tendent in fall 2001 was to form a 26-mem- with an expanded parking lot, improved
technological upgrading. “I made it my ber Citizen’s Blue Ribbon Committee to lighting in hallways and new tiling
personal goal and the Board supported study the school’s needs and then come up throughout the building. Those wishes
me,” Pretty said. Pretty, who began his with a plan to share the information with were fulfilled and the gym was treated
career as an educator 35 years ago as a the public. The committee produced a with a new heating unit and energy recov-
teacher in Taylor, comes from a long line of presentation detailing its study and con- ery unit in lieu of air conditioning.
family dedicated to the Allen Park School clusions and the justification for the exten-
District, following his father and grandfa- sive remodeling and new construction
ther before him on the Board of Education. project, and describing the committee’s One of the biggest of the Blue Ribbon
STAR OF THE SHOW

Committee’s “dreams” for a renovated school and the Performing Arts Center, trim and elements in varying shades of
and expanded Allen Park High School was with white columns that support entry green. Curved elements abound, notably
realized with the new auditorium addi- canopies set in a slanted fashion to mimic at the edges of the stage, softening the
tion, the Allen Park Center for the Arts. swaying trees. space. Many, of not all, wall surfaces in the
Theatrical productions and anything else Inside the vestibule, a stairway to the seating area are curved to enhance
requiring a stage had formerly been con- balcony was constructed of radius glass acoustics. Wall panels in the seating area
ducted on a small shallow stage that was and metal. Decorative floor tiles call to are covered in a wood-like laminate.
set up on an as-needed basis in the gym. mind fallen leaves. The interior of the the- Painted surfaces are in several shades of
Now, students can produce professional ater features multiple touches of wood green to emulate the outdoors.
performances with professional level rig-
ging, staging, lighting and sound modi-
fiers. The auditorium was built on former
city-owned parkland that the school dis-
trict negotiated to obtain from the City of
Allen Park. The new theater is designed to
be a “working” theater, French Associates’
Beck explained, one that allows parents
not only to see their aspiring actor children
emote on stage, but also see them working
on the lighting catwalks and doing many
of the other activities required to mount a
stage production. “There’s no question this
is a learning theater,” Wasko enthused.
Wasko and some of the school’s neighbors
had been a bit concerned that the addition
might take away from the school’s neigh-
borly, small town feel. “Even though it’s
large, it’s still so intimate and so inviting,”
she praised. “You’re so close to the stage,
no matter where you are seated.”
Admitting to being a “big supporter of
the arts,” Wasko is delighted with the new
theater. She said the school is in the
process of establishing guidelines, fees,
practices and policies to rent the auditori-
um out. “The challenge is to make it self-
sustaining,” she explained, adding that the
school has already had interest shown in
using the auditorium by a ballet company
and several symphonies. The new theater
has a capacity for 650 people on two levels,
a compromise from the Blue Ribbon
Committee’s “dream” for a 1,200-seat the-
atre. Not compromised, though, were the
beauty, function and technical sophistica-
tion of the new space. Heavy String Reinforced Clear Poly
“The design is intended to make one feel
as if they are sitting in a forest of trees with
20´ x 100´ • 32´ x 100´ • 40´ x 100´
the tree trunks on the side walls and the Windclips for Tubular Scaffolding
foliage up above,” Beck observed. “Notice
the masonry on the side walls (on the inte- Electric Blankets
rior vestibule) that looks like the bark of a
paper birch tree.” Constructed of white Insul-Blankets
speckled 8-in. decorative block, the interi- Winter Mortar Admixtures
or “birch tree” walls comprise the back
wall of the theater. They are enhanced in
their design element by pendant light fix- Your Complete Winter Protection Source!
tures in the vestibule that were selected
because they are reminiscent of pinecones,
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ing the outdoors inside” actually begins
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addressed almost immediately was the

soil condition at the site of the new audito-
rium addition. “The soil is predominately
a soft clay layer to about a 20-foot depth,
then approximately 70 feet of soil with a
toothpaste consistency and minimal bear-
ing capacity,” Beck said. While the soil
conditions are the same under the existing
school building, there are no below grade
spaces under the school. The new auditori-
um, on the other hand, called for an
amount of construction below grade,
McCarthy & Smith’s Banchero explained,
for example, to house the orchestra pit,
mechanicals, storage and other spaces.
That and the mass and height of the addi-
tion required drilling 152 piles down 90
feet to bedrock and construction of a grade
beam foundation to support the new the-
ater addition. The piles were driven by J.T.
Crawford Inc., Commerce Twp. Beck

praised the school’s and neighbors’ under-
standing of the construction process and
Not a day of school was lost to the two-year
their willingness to “work through and
construction project to renovate Allen Park High School.
make this a team project. When we were
The project added 81,568 square feet to the building, including a new 650-seat auditorium,
driving piles, kids were in class,” she

natatorium, additional classrooms and technological and infrastructure upgrades.
noted.
The school’s rehab also included exten-
sive asbestos abatement. Floor tiles, win-
Dark green “acoustical clouds” hang fixtures, provides “ultimate flexibility,” dow caulk and pipe insulation were
from the ceiling also act “to hide stuff,” suitable for theatrical productions with removed and replaced. While the school
Beck said, such as a catwalk, mechanical many people as well as single guest speak- hired its own environmental consultant,
system components, and the like. The ers, Beck noted. Capabilities are available Healthair, Inc., Farmington Hills, who bid
proscenium opening is 49 feet wide by 23 for cable broadcasting with local networks the work out, McCarthy & Smith assisted
feet, 5 inches high, and the theater stage is as well as closed circuit events within the Healthair in coordinating the work, devel-
cantilevered 4 feet over the orchestra pit building. There are three control booths oping a phasing plan to get it done.
below. A movable and maneuverable centered in the seating area of the auditori- Another large part of the project was a
orchestra shell enclosure from the Wenger um: the top booth holds controls for the redesign of the main heating hydronic
Corp., Owatonna, Minnesota, allows the largest spotlights; the middle booth con- loop to accommodate the new hydronic
stage area to be reduced to a smaller, more trols smaller lights, and the lowest control loops for the building additions, with
intimate environment, either for aesthetics booth contains the sound equipment. A assistance from mechanical engineer, Peter
or acoustics. The shell system’s patented light rail extends along the entire balcony Basso Associates Inc., Troy, under contract
design consists of three vertical towers railing and two Juliet balconies on either to French Associates.
constructed of multiple curved panels on side of the auditorium also hold stage The new auditorium, plus new band
an aluminum frame. They are movable on lighting. They’re purposefully not hidden and vocal rooms, have encouraged
air cushions to nest for storage backstage. so that parents may view their children APHS’s drama and music departments to
Its roof system is made up of three pieces, operating the lights. Curtains on the back add students regularly, Wasko said. And to
each weighing 3,500 lbs., that hang from wall provide sound abatement and can be excel: the school’s marching band has
rigging and can be stored in the fly loft. moved out of the way entirely to be hid- been invited to participate in Detroit’s
The fly loft in the Performing Arts den behind a “closet” wall. Thanksgiving Day Parade for the second
Center is 62 feet, 8 inches high. Its profes- The backstage areas include a scene year. In approving the renovations and
sional rigging system includes 32 line sets, shop, costume and prop storage and a additions to APHS, the school district
all but one operated manually in part to combination dressing rooms/green room sought to bring the school building, educa-
provide theater students with that type of that may be used as a drama classroom as tional technologies and services to a level
learning experience. A total of 47,037 lbs. well. Each of the rooms backstage have that would “…educate our students for
of counterweights were provided for the sound and television connection so that 21st century careers and allow our stu-
rigging. Shuler Shook, Chicago, was the those backstage can see what is happening dents to remain competitive,” Pretty noted
theater consultant on the job, and on the stage and not miss cues. Three 16- in his 2003 newsletter. The school’s current
Acoustical Design Group Inc. of Mission, foot-high by 10-foot-wide rolling doors 1,200 students now have a 21st century,
Kansas, was the sound consultant. connect the scene shop with the stage and high-tech school equipped with the best in
A state-of-the-art lighting control sys- the outdoors to receive deliveries. educational facility upgrades and spaces
tem, featuring more than 120 stage lighting One of the main issues that had to be in which to grow and learn.

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:21 AM Page 84
By David R. Miller, Associate Editor Photos by Michael Collyer Photography
I
n nature, symbiosis occurs when two dissimilar organisms form a mutually beneficial relationship. This type of arrangement has
such obvious appeal that many have tried to replicate it outside the natural world. People seek others who need something they
have to give, just as suppliers tend to locate near companies that utilize their products. The resulting bonds strengthen everyone
involved.
The new Technical Center for Robert Bosch, LLC in Plymouth Township embodies the concept of symbiosis in several unique ways. The
site places the 225,000-square-foot facility near automotive clients as well as the Bosch Automotive Headquarters in Farmington Hills.
Proximity to I-275 provides easy access transportation and boosts visibility for the company, all while brightening the daily grind for thou-
sands of commuters with its attractive exterior. Groundwater and runoff, which can be detriments on some sites, are celebrated and creative-
ly used at the Bosch facility. Much like the building and the environment, technicians and office workers are also encouraged to work togeth-
er at the facility, in a process that is strongly supported by the architecture.
Creating a building that facilitated this level of structural symbiosis required the efforts of a team that was also willing to work together for
mutual benefit, including construction manager Barton Malow Company, Southfield, and architect Harley Ellis Devereaux, Southfield.

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:21 AM Page 85
mately finds its way towards the rain gar- water stairs that are designed to slow the
The Plymouth Township site that was dens. Curbs, which would have impeded water down before it enters the rain gar-
WORKING WITH NATURE
selected for the Bosch facility was a good water and added to the project cost, were dens, thereby preventing erosion and
fit for the intended use, but no site is ever removed from parking areas, while maximizing the time in which the water
ideal. Stormwater runoff needed to be rooftop water is channeled into a series of can seep into the ground. The Karl
minimized because the vacant land wasn’t pipes that are designed to take advantage Foerster plants selected for the rain garden
served by a formal storm sewer system. of the hydraulic gradient making the can withstand standing water for extend-
“You need to solve the stormwater water fight gravity as it overflows outlets ed time periods, making them an ideal
problem in any site planning effort,” said near the building – essentially creating choice for the portion of the site where
Mark Hieber, ASLA, LEED® AP, associ- three separate fountain features that func- water would be diverted. Soils in this area
ate, landscape architecture, Harley Ellis tion after heavy rains without any were also given careful consideration.
Devereaux. “Traditionally, that has been mechanical pumping apparatus. Water “We used the ornamental grass in combi-
done by taking water, putting it into a from these fixtures flows to a series of nation with a very strict soil specification,”
pipe, and making it go away where we
can hide it.”
Most large site plans include intensive
systems designed to divert water into
large detention basins. These systems
add significant project costs without real-
Like any organization, Bosch operates at peak efficiency when various departments
ly addressing the larger problem of local
communicate with each other. This two-story corridor provides necessary separation
stormwater management.
between research and office spaces while encouraging interaction.
“At Bosch, we are creating a ‘one site at

a time’ solution to a much larger regional
drainage problem,” said Hieber. “Urban
areas have huge problems with flooding
because there are so many impervious
surfaces. Systems are designed to send
water away as quickly as possible, where
it gluts the pipes, floods the streams and
sends sediment-laden water into natural
streams in which we are trying to propa-
gate fish. Bosch is being a good neighbor
by keeping the water onsite and sending
it into the ground where it belongs.”
Before being developed, the Plymouth
Township site would have taken care of
stormwater naturally, but construction
typically complicates this process.
Building footprints and paved areas
reduce the amount of land available to
absorb water, while irrigation require-
ments of formal landscapes simultane-
ously add even greater demands for the
oversaturated soil. Careful planning
helps to mitigate this effect at the Bosch
site.
Visitors at Bosch are greeted with a
small half-circle of turf grass and a few
decorative plants near the front door, just
as they have become accustomed to at
other facilities. The key difference is that
this small area is the only portion of the
site that needs irrigation. Rain gardens
with other ornamental grasses essentially
form a “bridge” between the organized
traditional landscaping and a softer land-
scape with indigenous prairie plants that
fills the remainder of the 76-acre site. The
prairie plants are already acclimated to the
local climate, so no irrigation is needed.
The Bosch site is designed to ensure a
smooth and even flow of water as it ulti-

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:21 AM Page 86
...serving the industry for over 55 years!
STAINLESS 3042B, 304 #4 POL, 304 #8 POL)

This full-service cafeteria provides a pleasant space for interaction between departments.
said Hieber. “Soils in the rain garden are a for their colleagues in other parts of the
loamy sand, which should not be con- building. A two-story corridor that is
fused with a sandy loam, which is what a flooded with natural light from expansive
landscape contractor would traditionally skylights separates research and office
supply on a site. The loamy sand offers spaces. The attractive finishes and acces-
CUSTOM WALL PANEL SYSTEMS
different drainage capabilities. The idea sible common areas, including outdoor
is for water to come into these rain gar- sitting areas and the building’s full serv-
dens and flood them. The soil is very ice cafeteria, draw in workers on both
porous, so the water drains out in 24 to 36 sides of the corridor. While they are
hours, which allows us to use the orna- there, it is easy to catch up on what others
mental grass without killing it and takes in the building are working on and coor-
away standing water which could be dinate efforts with them.
used by mosquitoes to breed.” “The design parameter is synergy
CAD DESIGN SERVICES
Since there is no standing water in between our offices and our lab,” said
these gardens, they can be placed near the Harold Domke, facilities director, auto-
building for everyone to enjoy. In addi- motive technology, for Robert Bosch LLC.
tion to letting them utilize water on the “People can interact in the central corri-
site, the new Bosch facility was designed dor, but we can keep the spaces separate
THRU WALL REGLET to let building occupants benefit from for security reasons and for the conven-
their own efforts, as well as those of their ience of our customers. I liken it to two
colleagues. separate buildings with a sidewalk
between them – we just covered it up so
we wouldn’t get wet.”
The site plan at the Bosch facility is People working in office spaces at
WORKING WITH EACH OTHER
designed to create a symbiotic relation Bosch depend on the laboratory spaces

between people and nature. The architec- more than they may realize. Of course,
ture of the facility similarly encourages the innovations born in the research
mutually beneficial interactions between spaces ultimately provide for the compa-
occupants. Like any organization, Bosch ny financially, but the project team also
operates at peak efficiency when various chose to emphasize the co-dependant
departments communicate with each relationship between the two halves of
other. Bosch faces an additional challenge the facility in a symbolic, yet highly func-
in this regard, as offices and research tional way. Mechanical systems were
spaces must be physically separated, designed to capture the heat generated by
which encourages employees in each area testing chambers in the research spaces.
to work independently with little regard “We use a closed-loop water source

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:21 AM Page 87
heat pump system,” explained Domke.

“The water loop cools our equipment and
we reuse the heat where we need it.”
The heat pumps can cool or heat a
WHERE THE
space by transferring thermal energy
directly from the water loop. Heat pumps
need to be spaced liberally throughout a
building for the system to work properly.
Construction
“There was quite a bit of coordination
with the placement of the heat pumps,”
said Jack Bullo, AIA, principal, architec-
tural design for Harley Ellis Devereaux.
INDUSTRY MEETS
“They are in the ceiling, but we needed to
think about access because they need to DESIGNERS ◆ CONSTRUCTORS ◆ OWNERS ◆ SUPPLIERS
be serviced.”
Heat pumps were placed along aisle
ways for easy access, which reduced the
amount of ceiling space for lighting fix-
NETWORK, EXPLORE, LEARN
tures and other infrastructure. Heat AND BE INSPIRED AT THE
wheels placed additional constraints on
ceiling configurations because they 2008 DESIGN &
forced the design team to consolidate air CONSTRUCTION EXPO!
entering and exiting the building to max-
imize their effect. Heat wheels function
by exposing air leaving the building to a
membrane that holds thermal energy. VIP RECEPTION &
These membranes come into contact with SHOW PRE-VIEW
make-up air entering the building as they
turn, allowing them to infuse the incom-
CAM’S 122nd
ing air with some of the heat that is leav-
ANNUAL MEETING
ing the building.

ARCHITECTURAL ALLEY
The new Bosch building is designed to EDUCATIONAL
let occupants gain the maximum benefit
PROGRAMS
from their labor. The facility was also CAM MAGAZINE’S
designed to complement their work in a SPECIAL ISSUE
number of ways. AWARDS
CSI’s DINNER MEETING
AND MUCH MORE!
Designing a building for Bosch first
STRUCTURAL SUPPORT STAFF
involved developing an understanding of

how the company worked. The impor-
tance of synergy was established early in
the process.
“One of many aspects that we were jug-
gling was the creation of a building that
would be effective in helping Bosch do its
TO RESERVE YOUR
job,” said Bullo. “We developed about 30

BOOTH SPACE CALL:
schemes and laid them out. About half of (248) 972-1000

the schemes were taken off the table (616) 771-0009
immediately because they didn’t offer a www.cam-online.com
direct relationship between office and lab.
The Bosch leadership in Germany said,
‘These are not Bosch buildings.’”
Even though they were among the
“neatest” designs by Domke’s own
admission, facilities that would not
encourage synergy simply did not fit
what the client needed. Flexibility was
also a vital component of the overall plan,
and the Bosch facility supports the work
that takes place inside is with its ability to
transform. The 225,000-square-foot build-

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:22 AM Page 88
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SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:22 AM Page 89
ing is only the first of three phases that Buehler. “With the chains, we would In addition to finding innovative solu-
will eventually deliver more than 1.2-mil- have needed to mount them to the steel, tions, Hatzel & Buehler also addressed the
lion-square-feet of enclosed space, but the drop them down, cut them to the eleva- schedule with good old-fashioned hard
exact nature of the future phases has not tion that we needed, put the S-hooks on work. The company averaged one floor a
yet been determined. and mounted the fixture. With the B-Line week with light fixtures on the office side of
“Each piece has been structured in a system, we just looped the cable around the building and installed almost 100 out-
way that allows it to grow independently and there was an adjustable connector for door light poles in less than one week. The
from the next piece,” said Bullo. “The lab height adjustments, so we spent a lot less can-do attitude of Hatzel & Buehler typi-
can grow, but the offices don’t necessarily time getting each fixture set at the same fied the entire project team, where every
need to grow concurrently and vice- elevation as the others.” contractor learned to depend on each other.
versa. That aspect gives Bosch the flexi-
bility needed for the future.”
The main corridor separating research
and office spaces can grow to three times
its current length if needed, and spaces on
each side also have ample room for
expansion. The cafeteria features a
unique glass wall facing newly created
wetlands on the site. If expansion man-
dates a larger eatery in the future, the
space can be expanded and the view will
be preserved – diners will simply be a few
feet closer to the natural splendor. A small
mogul field was established on the land
where future building is planned. Prairie
grasses planted on the mounds will add
to the visual appeal of the site until con-
struction takes place, and the mounds
will also minimize the requirement for
earthwork because the land can simply be
re-graded and compacted. Mechanical
systems were also planned with expan-
sion in mind. The closed-loop system
was outfitted with headers to accommo-
date future tie-ins, while boilers and cool-
ers meeting two times the current capaci-
ty needs were installed. Switches to pre-
vent simultaneous operations of these
units were installed with the current con-
figuration to minimize energy consump-
tion.
In addition to meeting future needs, the
Bosch facility was also designed to sup-
port the company’s current efforts.
Lighting was key in this regard, as much
of the work in the research spaces
involves visual inspection of test results.
Electrical contractor Hatzel & Buehler,
Inc., Livonia, installed over 1,500 lights in
the building, including 240 fixtures in the
high-bay area where product testing takes
place. Individually attaching each fixture
to the ceiling in the high-bay area could
have jeopardized the project’s tight time
schedule, but Hatzel & Buehler found an
innovate product, Cooper B-Line’s
KwikWire™, that greatly simplified the
installation process.
“We could have used fixture chains and
S-hooks, which would have been a lot
more time consuming,” said Kevin Provo,
senior project manager for Hatzel &

SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 11:22 AM Page 90
IF YOUR DOORS ARE NOT WORKING

Deadline pressure occurs on nearly
TEAMWORK
every job, but it was keenly felt on the

Bosch project, as tax abatements were
granted based on the assumption that the
facility would be occupied by December
31, 2006. Each member of the team was
carefully selected because a single missed
time window could have thrown the
entire schedule off.
“Subcontractor selection was very
important,” said Neil Quenon, project
manager for Barton Malow. “We worked
with Harold [Domke] and Bosch to make
NEITHER ARE YOU! sure that the people on the list would
work with the program. Low bids were
not the only consideration. It was also
Industrial • Institutional • Commercial important that we ended up with the
New Construction • Retro-fit • Service • Code Compliance right team.”
TriStar Fire Protection, Inc, Plymouth,
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www.detroitdoor.com “Construction, like life, is all about rela-
tionships. The better your relationships
are, the better your life will be,” said
Dwayne Roi, estimator and project man-
ager for TriStar. “Some people just want
Negotiators, to make a quick buck and move on, but
you need to look at the long term in con-
struction.”
Advocates, Barton Malow was able to exert a high
degree of control over the project by
assembling a quality team, but some
things were still impossible to control.
STRENGTH Counselors,
Weather complicated construction efforts
at a crucial time.
“We started foundations in late
December [2005],” said Scott Petiprin,
integrity project engineer for Barton Malow. “The
weather wasn’t too bad then, but we
started having a really mild winter in
January. Amalio [Corporation, Sterling
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E-mail:
E-mail: kgleeson@swappc.com
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SI 84-91 Bosch 10/2/07 3:12 PM Page 91
setting time and can facilitate placement slabs, from March 20-31, there was only methods, but Barton Malow distin-
in temperatures as low as 20° F. Even an average of three or four days that got guished itself with a proactive approach
with this reduced threshold, getting tem- below the minimum threshold. It would that placed the equipment and materials
peratures warm enough was far from cer- be a risk, but we thought we could pull it on the site and ready when needed.
tain. The project team also had to consid- off based on the data.” “Instead of waiting for things to hap-
er that the slabs were elevated, so two The project team decided as a group to pen, Barton Malow spent the money up
surfaces would be exposed to the cold take the risk, and it paid off spectacularly. front, and I think the consequences that
and blankets could not be used to protect After setting the pace with timely con- they might have faced were mitigated by
the bottom of the slabs. The space could crete work, Barton Malow worked to being proactive,” said Domke. “All of the
be enclosed and heated, but this would keep the pace by carefully pre-planning minor things, that could have become big
have resulted in delays along with addi- every aspect of the project. things, never did. I’m confident that, by
tional expense. BASF had amassed con- “We spent a lot of time trying to foresee spending a few dollars on the front end,
siderable laboratory data to document things,” said Petiprin. “There were obvi- they saved themselves a ton of money on
favorable results with Pozzutec 20+, but ously items that we couldn’t control, like the back end.”
Barton Malow conducted separate weather and delivery dates, but we tried The money saved by the efficient comple-
research to determine the suitability of to sequence the schedule so we could deal tion of the project was passed on to the
the product for this specific application. with those things.” owner, cementing the first of many symbi-
“Weather changes from year to year,” In addition to controlling the schedule, otic relationships to occur at the site. The
said Quenon. “We pulled the high and Barton Malow also worked to minimize structural symbiosis continues as every liv-
low temperatures over the last 15 years disruptions resulting from things outside ing thing on the site shares the benefits of
and analyzed them. Our analysis deter- the company’s control. Stone pathways, sound stormwater management practices
mined that during the window of time drying fans and pumps were used to con- and intelligent building design.
when we would be pouring the elevated trol water on the site – all traditional

SI 92-101 Rachael Upjohn 10/2/07 11:52 AM Page 92
T
he rumble of heavy construction equip-
ment and the rise of over 675 tons of
steel signaled the beginning of the
University of Michigan’s constructive new
approach to the treatment of depression and
bipolar disorder, maladies afflicting over 22
million Americans and 300 million people
worldwide. This rising lattice of steel is part of
a groundbreaking new facility dedicated to
lifting people out of the doldrums associated
with these brain disorders. Now completed,
the University of Michigan Depression Center
is rebuilding hope and delivering light to
those lost in the leaden wasteland of this
soul-draining affliction. As the nation’s first
comprehensive center for depression and
bipolar disorder, the new facility offers power-
ful tools for change, ranging from genetic,
sleep and brain-imaging research to clinical
care and public policy initiatives devoted to
erasing the stigma of depression and pro-
moting early detection.
Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. (Kahn)
designed and Devon Industrial Group (DIG),
both of Detroit, built this remarkable house of
healing whose broad sweep of glass curtain
wall draws in the restorative power of sun-
light. This great swath of curved glass spans
the entire south building face, its organic,
curvilinear form in harmony with the forested
wetlands and 1,054 native trees rising behind
the building. Altogether, 8,500 square feet of
glass curtain wall – plus an entry canopy of
pure glass – fills the eye with a welcome view
of the open sky.
“We wanted to create a building that was
the antithesis of depression,” said John F.
Greden, MD, executive director of the
Depression Center and former chair of the
University of Michigan’s Department of
Psychiatry. “We wanted ambient light every-
where, one for the general effect it has on
people, and two because of scientific data
that suggests that light is a variable in
Light to
By Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor
Photography: Beth Singer Photographer, Inc.
Bringing
the
92
Shadows
CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®
regulating brain function. We wanted a build- overall mission of this new facility. The Meader, granddaughter of the founder of
ing that is bright, inviting, warm and healing. Depression Center offers people laboring Upjohn’s pharmaceutical empire, has been
It should be in touch with nature, and in under the heavy burden of depression and battling depression for much of her life.
essence, it should embody change.” bipolar disorder the collective expertise of a Other major donors also helped with the
The talents of Kahn and the tireless efforts vast, multi-disciplinary network of healthcare momentum, and a grant of $14 million from
of Devon Industrial Group promptly filled professionals. “We are attempting to change the National Institutes of Health aided in fur-
Greden’s prescription for an inspiring, light- the entire care delivery system for depression ther subsidizing construction costs.
filled building. As general contractor, Devon and bipolar disorders,” said Greden, “and this With approval and funding in hand, the
Industrial Group delivered this building in beautiful facility certainly helps.” University of Michigan Health System set in
only 14 months, pouring over 248,232 hours motion plans to create a Depression Center
of labor into its construction, said Matt Pulick, COLLABORATIVE FUNDRAISING that would help alter the dismal statistics
DIG project manager. Together, the project Building this network was years in the mak- clouding these debilitating disorders. “We
team created a “chrysalis” of glass and mason- ing. This innovative center was proposed in hadn’t been making adequate progress in
ry housing spaces devoted to individual 1999 and discussed for several more years combating depression and bipolar disorder,”
transformation and a new multi-disciplinary before funding turned this wisp of an idea said Greden.
approach to behavioral health. Curtain walls into an actual proposal, for talk is cheap but a “It hits about 17 percent of the American
of glass bring the light of day into the build- building is quite expensive. Funding of this population,” Greden continued, “and we
ing’s interior; glass skylights hold sunlight in healing facility was a melding of the hearts, needed to have a center of excellence com-
place within the heart of a central atrium; and minds, and pocketbooks of innumerable parable to what has been done for cardiovas-
a three-story glass curtain wall draws natural benefactors. In 1999, Heinz Prechter, a suc- cular, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
light even into the garden level. cessful automotive magnate who suffered in The University of Michigan leadership saw
Following doctor’s orders to use natural secret under the dark cloud of bipolar disor- the wisdom of the Depression Center propos-
materials, cherrywood panels and beautifully der, offered a million dollars in seed money to al and decided to be first with such a facility.”
variegated slate flooring imported from launch the initiative. In November 2001, the
China fill the interior with a soothing warmth. regents of the University of Michigan BUILDING A SUPPORT NETWORK
“Since this is such a beautiful site, we wanted approved the concept of a university-based This cutting-edge Depression Center is
to bring in natural materials into the interior, center of excellence for depression. housed in the distinctive Rachel Upjohn
particularly in the lobby, atrium and other The $10 million dollar donation of Edwin E. Building anchoring the west end of the
public areas,” said Scott Heywood, AIA, LEED and Mary Upjohn Meader was pivotal in University of Michigan Health System’s East
AP, senior associate and Kahn project design- launching actual construction of the 112,500- Ann Arbor Health and Geriatrics Center.
er. “The slate, in particular, has a rich palette of square-foot building, officially approved in Kahn’s skillful design has shaped a facility
colors which helped pull a lot of the paint col- 2002. The Depression Center is named in with spacious public areas and a well-plotted
ors together. The interior features gentle honor of Mary Meader, born Rachel Mary placement of over 400 individual rooms. The
hues of sage green and other earth-tones Upjohn, and her grandmother, Rachel Depression Center’s power lies in its fusion of
that were chosen to create a calming Babcock Upjohn. The 90-year-old Mrs. four areas of expertise: research, clinical care,
ambiance for patients.”
Just as stone, wood, and the regenerative
force of natural light put people in touch with
the comfort and vitality of the natural world,
the Center also puts people in contact with
each other. The Center’s logo – three figures
with uplifted arms supporting each other and
reaching for the sun – expresses the healing
journey of the individual patient and the
The light-filled lobby (left) is designed to lift

the spirits.
The registration area (right) is clad in a

palette of natural materials, including
beautifully variegated slate flooring and
cherrywood panels with maple banding.

education and community outreach, and With its creation, the Depression Center within the University,” Greden added. “For
public policy initiatives. consolidates at least six offices and services example, we are working closely with the car-
The building also houses outpatient psy- once widely scattered across the campus and diovascular center to address the impact of
chiatry, alcohol and addiction treatment clin- throughout the Ann Arbor area. While not all depression and bipolar disorders on those
ics. A facility housing both substance abuse of the 167 University of Michigan faculty who with cardiovascular disease. If someone has
treatment and mental health therapies is a are members of the Depression Center main- an acute cardiac event the odds of dying
rarity and an acknowledgement that sub- tain offices in the new facility, the Center itself within the next year are more than three
stance abuse is often self-medication for encompasses a wide network, dedicated to times greater if one is also depressed and is
mental health issues. With not treated.”
researchers and clinicians in The Depression Center is
one building, scientific find- building bridges with primary
ings are more rapidly translat- care and OB/GYN physicians
ed into improved treatment. and branching out into the
Greden hopes the Center’s wider community to help
approach will continue to those lost in the shadows of
close the gap between this disorder. “Our staff mem-
research and treatment and bers have now screened
between the onset of symp- about 14,000 pregnant
toms and diagnosis. “The age women for depression,” said
of onset tends to be between Greden. “One of our mem-
15 and 24 for the majority of bers is leading a national sur-
those with both depression vey, working with the School
and bipolar disorder,” said of Public Health to examine
Greden. “Symptoms tend to depression on college cam-
start young but diagnosis puses. We have created out-
usually doesn’t come until reach programs to educate
about 10 to 15 years later in teachers, helping them better
the United States. If untreat- understand and recognize
ed, symptoms worsen over these disorders and to inter-
time. The whole goal of the vene appropriately.”
Center is to develop strate- Community outreach and
gies enabling us to find and public policy initiatives focus
treat these conditions earlier.” on education and combating
This three-level, light-filled the stigma of depression. “In
building is dedicated to find- the public policy arena, some
ing and treating an often hid- of our faculty members
den, stigmatized disorder. worked with the Michigan
The first level houses clinical Legislature in passing the
care, including the U-M Chase Edwards Act, a piece of
Addiction Treatment Services legislation emphasizing the
clinic, Child and Adolescent importance of teaching high-
Depression and Psychiatry, school students about
and Adult Psychiatry clinics. depression and suicide,” said
The second level is devoted to Greden.
research, including a Sleep To accommodate the
and Chronophysiology Lab Depression Center’s diverse
and areas for study of neuro- needs and initiatives, the
The central atrium is bathed in natural light and painted a delicate sage
biology, addiction, and Rachel Upjohn Building con-
green. The logo, depicting three figures supporting each other and reaching
depression and health servic- tains an extensive network of
for the sun, is the focal point of this core space.
es. The garden level nestles 335 offices and treatment
into the slope of the site, cre- rooms and another 50 to 100
ating an outdoor plaza area and housing a building the intangible infrastructure of ancillary spaces. “One of the biggest chal-
120-seat auditorium and spaces for other hope. lenges was programming a building that
education and support services. In fact, the “The Depression Center brings people housed so many departments that were com-
Depression Center developed and operates together from about 13+ different schools ing together for the very first time and laying
the only nationally accredited depression dis- within the University of Michigan, including them out in a way that made sense,” said
ease management program offering immedi- the School of Medicine, Public Health, Heywood. “To facilitate the effort, one of
ate consultation between patient and case Nursing, Social Work, Pharmacy, and the Kahn’s healthcare planners interviewed
manager. Altogether, the Rachel Upjohn Literature, Science and Arts Psychology researchers and staff to understand what
Building is a healing hub and headquarters Department,” said Greden. they needed in their new space. This is how
for an integrated Depression Center and U of This visionary facility is “also designed to the quantity and adjacencies of the rooms
M’s Psychiatry Department. build bridges with other centers of excellence came about.”

This well-ordered series of rooms house close proximity, jumping the synaptic gaps ronal net” and build a national network of
research offices and labs, clinical delivery between disciplines to create new pathways depression centers in league with other lead-
rooms, and specialty spaces such as a Sleep and approaches for these age-old disorders. ing universities across the country and with
and Chronophysiology Lab, an Exercise and Researchers, clinicians and a host of other dis- the recognition of the National Institutes of
Nutrition Lab to study the impact of physical ciplines are working in one building as one Health. “We’ve taken steps to launch a nation-
activity and other factors on depression, and mind and with one purpose: to advance the al network of depression centers that will be
a simulated MRI scanner room to prepare healing of depression, bipolar disorder, and comparable to national centers of excellence
patients for an actual MRI test. Like the vast other mental health concerns such as anxiety for cancer and heart disease,” said Greden.
neuronal pathways in the brain, these differ- and substance abuse. “We’ve already had one terrifically successful-
ent offices and functions are now working in The ultimate goal is to extend this “neu- ly meeting with 15 other representatives
from leading universities around the coun-
try.”
Collaboration is the ultimate power tool
both in treating depression and in bringing
this much-needed Center out of the ground.
“If you look at systems and the way we all
tend to operate, too often we start clustering
in silos, meaning we get together in networks
with people who are doing similar things as
us,” said Greden. “In actuality, what really
moves things forward is if you start exchang-
ing ideas on a frequent basis with those who
have a different perspective and a different
area of expertise, and that is what this Center
is intended to accomplish.”
COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION
This $41 million dollar undertaking was
built on time and within budget thanks to the
tight focus of Devon Industrial Group and the
collaborative efforts and collective expertise
of the entire project team. “Devon Industrial
Group’s team developed and maintained a
collaborative environment among all the
Rachel Upjohn Building’s stakeholders, name-
ly U of M, Kahn’s design team, and the sub-
contractors,” said Matt Pulick, DIG project
manager.
Working in sync was vital to meeting the
project’s core challenge: the schedule. “DIG
hit the ground running, and foundation work
began three weeks after contract award,” said
Pulick. Bi-weekly meetings of owner, archi-
tect/engineer, and contractor kept the lines
of communication open and the project on
track, added John R. (Jack) Callas, AIA, Kahn
senior associate, project management.
Devon Industrial Group also assembled its
“A Team” of project managers to successfully
tackle the company’s largest project with the
University of Michigan to date, said Robert
Washington, DIG director of business devel-
opment. “Devon had an excellent superin-
tendent, Mike Kalil,” added Callas. “Matt
Pulick was right on top of every aspect of this
job. These guys are no-nonsense. They just
got it done.”
Devon Industrial Group’s streamlined sys-
tem of best practices is a vital tool in the
hands of its personnel. “We implemented
DIG’s Lean Construction techniques, which
force out problems earlier than a typical con-

struction scenario, saving everyone valuable

time and money on holds and rework,” said
Pulick. “For example, we implemented 5S
Audits (standing for separate, straighten,
scrub, standardize and systemize) to promote
safe, organized and clean work areas where
materials are close to their installation point,
thereby reducing material handling.”
Just as the Depression Center readily
shares knowledge and expertise, DIG’s Lean
Construction approach draws on a company-
wide database to get the job done. “With
Lean Construction, we also utilized our
Lessons Learned Database which shares
knowledge and experience gained company-
wide on other projects,” added Pulick.
A FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR
The actual building maintains the same
collaborative spirit. The building’s steel
superstructure rests on spread footings and
wears a material cloak of brick and limestone
designed to blend seamlessly into the exist-
ing campus master planned by Kahn. The
new building is directly linked to the East Ann
Arbor Health and Geriatrics Center via a sun-
lit, slate-paved corridor, yet its glass expanses
and organic curves place the building in a
class by itself. “We wanted to create the
appearance of a village by being sensitive to
the architecture of the existing building, but
at the same time create a structure with its
own identity,” said Heywood. “We achieved
this through the use of very different geome-
tries, forms, and massing.”
The north face flows mainly in a rectilinear
United Union of
line along the top of the slope in response to Roofers,
the street and the existing row of buildings.
Curved expanses of two-story glass curtain Waterproofers
wall punctuate the north façade and fore-
shadow the sweeping arc of glass curtain wall & Allied Workers
stretching along the entire south building
elevation. The building cascades down the
Local 149
slope; its gradient allowing the creation of an
exposed garden level and the rise of a three-
story glass curtain wall offering a tableau of
cloud and sky. Industrial • Commercial • Institutional
The garden level houses a 120-seat audito-
rium with an indoor reception area and out- Roofers & Waterproofers of Local 149 have the skill,
door plaza, taking full advantage of the natu- knowledge, and training to be productive and qualified for all
ral views. “The south face has a large, sweep- roofing and waterproofing systems.
ing convex curve that opens up a series of
views out to the beautiful woodland and wet-
Serving these areas of Michigan
lands,” said Heywood. “At garden level, the
glass is eye level with a waving fringe of Detroit/Metro Mid-Michigan Northern Mich./U.P.
native prairie grasses, which contributes to Office (313) 961-6093 Office (810) 687-1368 Traverse City
the site yet discretely shields views of the Fax (313) 961-7009 Fax (810) 687-2647 Office/Fax (989) 786-4209
parking lot beyond.”
This great swath of curved glass and its Port Huron Local 149 Apprentice School
masonry endpoint meet the curved tip of the Office (313) 961-6093 Office (248) 543-3847
north face; the two curved tips together cre- Fax (313) 961-7009 Fax (248) 543-3871
ate an almost football-shaped point at the

western elevation. Building this assembly of with the primary care facility manager to plan use of unsightly cross bracing, Kahn used
line and curve entailed exacting alignment of activities, coordinate shutdowns, and con- moment connections to resist the wind load
all facade materials.“The curvilinear elements stantly communicate our work plans, so no on the expanse of two-story curtain wall
of the building especially required a lot of one was caught off guard.” stretching west of the entryway.
input from the subcontractors to ensure Natural light cascades down the lobby’s
alignment of the masonry joints, glass mul- A PORTAL OF LIGHT soaring donor wall, part of the limestone
lions, the stone and all the other elements of DIG began construction in August 2005 tower marking the divide between the
the building façade,” said Pulick. and reached substantial completion in curved tip and straight line of the north
Thoughtful placement of the building on October 2006. To date, over 55,000 patients building elevations. The curvilinear lobby
the site avoided disturbing most of the wet- have walked through the Center’s glass captures light from the northwest and draws
lands and allowed the new center to flow into doors and countless others have benefited it across an original metal wall sculpture by a
the existing medical center. “There is a wet- from its services.The main entry and lobby is member of the University of Michigan
land running through the site, so there was a welcoming portal, greeting patients and School of Art and Architecture. The wall
heavy involvement with MDEQ in obtaining visitors with the healing balm of sunlight sculpture is a row of leafy trees with a flock
site work approval,” said Marc Danzig, U-M
Construction Office. “Measures were taken
above and beyond to protect the environ-
ment.”
Devon Industrial Group kept tight reins on
soil erosion by following the company’s best
practices program. “Using techniques from
DIG’s soil erosion protection best practices
program, we were able to maintain the slope
during the summer until the sod was
installed,” said Pulick. “For the slope, we stag-
gered hay bales to establish check dams to
slow the rainfall runoff’s velocity, thereby
minimizing erosion.”
This same program aided the cause of wet-
land protection. “For handling the proximity
of the wetlands, we used techniques from our
erosion protection program and diverted
construction traffic from the area until per-
manent erosion measures were in place,” said
Pulick. “Also, at the wetland areas, there is a
green buffer zone between the wetland and
the roadway and parking lot to help filter out
any runoff contaminants, such as oils, road
salts and sand, before they enter the wet-
lands.” A glass entry canopy greets visitors and patients to this groundbreaking facility.
As another key challenge, DIG had to work
in the midst of three bustling construction
projects and had to avoid interfering with the and the grace of natural materials. The of birds in a perpetual burst of flight. Donor
work of an operational medical center. Four canopy’s uplifted glass wing is attached to a names are placed between each tree trunk
building projects were in various stages of two-story glass wall bending back into a sky- and include the name of Phil E. Jenkins, the
construction on the East Ann Arbor Medical light that fills the lobby with light. “We went founder of Sweepster, Inc., whose wife pri-
campus: the Depression Center and through many variations to arrive at the vately suffered from depression for years.
Ambulatory Psychiatry Building; a new design of a canopy that soars away from the His experience inspired a donation of $4 mil-
Ambulatory Surgery and Medical Procedures building and that expresses a sense of psy- lion dollars to the Depression Center, includ-
Center; a renovation of part of the East Ann chological uplift,” said Heywood. “We want- ing $2 million to the lobby and $2 million for
Arbor Health Center building to create a new ed the main lobby to be filled with light, a professorship.
home for the U-M Geriatrics Center’s clinics; because that is the first place people will Jenkins’ name appears on the gorgeous
and an addition to the same building to experience the building.” cherrywood panels with maple banding
expand existing medical imaging facilities. Bracing this glass wall against lateral wind cladding the walls of the registration area.
“The ever-evolving logistical issues on a con- load entailed installing a beam above the Altogether, this singular building contains
struction project are always tough, and this doorway. The covered beam almost resem- 7,000 square feet of medium red cherry-
project was made more so by U of M bles a lintel above a door and does not mar wood and 21,000 square feet of slate floor-
Healthcare’s need that our construction activ- the main expanse of clear glass. “The addi- ing, said Pulick.
ities did not impact or interrupt operations tion of this beam helps take the lateral wind
for the existing primary care facility and the load away from the glass wall and carries it A WELCOMING OASIS
surgery center (opened in Spring 2006),” said down to the foundation via the columns on The lobby ceiling lowers and then blooms
Pulick. “Our superintendent worked closely either side,” explained Callas. Avoiding the into a two-story volume of sky-lit space

forming the heart of the entire facility and atrium, namely the logo of three figures Zeppa, was indispensable in reconciling
its central point of organization. The open holding the sun, donated by Renee Stiles, room dimensions where problems arose.”
seating reception atrium clearly divides the artistically produced in stained glass by The wood panels throughout the lobby,
Child and Adolescent Clinic on the north artist Jone Rakoski, and set in a wood-clad atrium, and the auditorium interior and
and the Adult Outpatient Clinic on the wall. Carving out this peaceful enclave in a exterior were a particularly difficult material
south.“The atrium makes it very easy to nav- building solidly packed with over 400 sepa- to merge with the interior curves. “Another
igate through the building,” said Heywood. rate rooms was a worthy but formidable challenge was aligning the wood joints with
“The clear wayfinding helps to calm and undertaking. the other architectural features, such as the
reassure the patients and visitors. We didn’t “It was an extremely tight fit trying to drywall construction joints, interior door and
want people to be anxious or confused in include such a large element that was not window mullions, and light fixtures, all on a
trying to find the right office.” really a programmed space and still make curvilinear geometry,” said Pulick. “We
The atrium is a blend of open and intimate room for the 300+ offices with a targeted solved this through a collaborative jobsite
spaces, all bathed in natural light and cra- function,” said Heywood. “But I think the environment where Devon Industrial Group,
dled in an oval of cherrywood walls and building definitely wouldn’t be the same Kahn, and the subcontractors really worked
floors of variegated slate. Waiting rooms are without the atrium.” Fortunately, the gen- as a team to resolve problems quickly as
placed in small alcoves lining the open atri- erosity of donors made this wonderful space they arose without altering the design
um. The FRIENDS Education and Resource possible. intent.”
Center is an alcove shielded from the open For Devon Industrial Group, the challenge The auditorium, its curved expanses
atrium by a wood-paneled wall. Located at was to build the unconventional shape of draped in gorgeous wood panels, also posed
the end of the atrium, the FRIENDS Center is the atrium that echoes the overall building’s a few technical hurdles for the project team.
a small gathering space offering booklets, curvilinear and rectilinear form. Portions of “We had to put what wants to be essentially
sign-up sheets for clinical trials, and pam- the lobby and the quarter-circle curve of the a large column-free space into the basement
phlets on ADD, depression, anxiety and a garden-level auditorium posed the same or garden level of the building where all of
host of other health concerns. obstacle.“Layout was a great challenge,” said the structure needs to bear down,” said
The open seating area is a beautifully clad Pulick. “The curved walls were actually first Heywood. “We examined many variations of
oasis painted a delicate sage green and con- laid out in the parking lot on a Saturday as a the auditorium’s layout and geometry and
taining the visual focal point of the entire mock-up. Kahn’s onsite representative, Elio ultimately chose a quarter circle shape. By

MARSHALL SALES, INC. rotating the entire auditorium, we were able ect, but became available during actual con-
(313) 491-1700 PHONE to have only one column come through the struction,” said Callas. The end product is an
(313) 491-6462 FAX space, though we did have to add a faux col- elegant, wood-paneled half moon of a room
DETROIT umn enclosure just to visually balance the with teleconferencing capacity and live
space.” streaming on the Web.
(269) 345-6896 PHONE A limited floor-to-floor height in the audi-
(269) 345-8440 FAX torium also summoned the creative prob- THE RESEARCH BACKBONE
KALAMAZOO lem solving skills of the project team. The building’s second floor serves as the
Devon Industrial Group had to excavate four research hub of this fascinating facility.
YOUR SOURCE FOR: feet below the garden level in the podium Given its strong research backbone, the
A325 STRUCTURAL BOLTS area to gain more height and clearance. A Depression Center “is the first and still the
A490 STRUCTURAL BOLTS third challenge of the auditorium was alter- only comprehensive multidisciplinary
SELF DRILLING SCREWS ing the projection room behind the podium depression center that the National
SELF TAPPING SCREWS stage to suit the arrival of the latest state-of- Institutes of Health funding helped to con-
HEX CAP SCREWS the-art technology. “The latest technology struct,” said Greden.
LAG SCREWS wasn’t even available at the start of the proj- The varied research spaces total 54,000
CARRIAGE BOLTS
PLOW BOLTS
TEK SCREWS
SHEET METAL SCREWS
DRYWALL SCREWS
DECK SCREWS
WOOD SCREWS
CONCRETE SCREWS
THREAD CUTTING SCREWS
HEX NUTS
ROD COUPLING NUTS
LOCK NUTS
STRUCTURAL NUTS
FLAT WASHERS
LOCK WASHERS
FENDER WASHERS
BEVEL WASHERS
FINISHING WASHERS
STRUCTURAL WASHERS
WEDGE/EXPANSION ANCHORS
SLEEVE ANCHORS
NAIL-IN ANCHORS
DROP-IN ANCHORS
HEADED CONCRETE ANCHORS
BENT ANCHORS
STUD ANCHORS
LAG SHIELDS
RIVETS
THREADED ROD
ADHESIVE & POWDER ACTUATED
DRILL BITS
TAPS & DIES
HOLE SAWS
INSTALLATION TOOLS
... AND MORE
CERTIFIED WOMEN-OWNED, DETROIT AND
WAYNE COUNTY-BASED ENTERPRISE
ISO 9001:2000
CERTIFIED
The south elevation’s broad sweep of curtain wall draws in the vitality of natural light and offers
views of the fringe of prairie grasses behind and the forested wetlands beyond the building.

square feet and include observation rooms tors, which include stressful or traumatic life donors, the vision of Dr. John Greden and the
for watching parent-child interaction for the experiences, physical illness, and certain University of Michigan, the talents of Albert
purposes of studying how depression social and financial situations.” Kahn Associates, Inc., and the focused prob-
affects the next generation, and a Sleep and Depression casts its gray pall over people lem solving of Devon Industrial Group, this
Chronophysiology Laboratory containing from all walks of life, ranging from your local nationally significant facility is deeply
isolation and control rooms to block light, grocery store clerk to Mike Wallace, CBS News engaged in unlocking the secrets of a devas-
sound and even radio waves that may inter- correspondent emeritus and member of the tating disorder. Bringing light to the shadows
fere with brain wave measurements or neu- Depression Center’s National Advisory Board. and restoring health to the weary is embodied
roimaging. “The lab is designed to produce Thanks to the generosity of Rachel Mary in the very glass, stone and wood of this singu-
up to 1,000 foot candles of illumination to Upjohn Meader, Phil Jenkins, and other larly designed and well-crafted building.
simulate the height of day,” said Callas. “The
lab simulates different times of day with flu-
orescent lights of different colors.”
Researchers use the lab to examine the
sleep/wake cycles or circadian rhythms of
depressed people. “Some have actually
likened having depression to having perma-
nent jet lag,” said Kara Gavin, media manag-
er, Department of Public Relations &
Marketing Communications, University of
Michigan Health System. “The circadian
rhythms are definitely altered in depressed
and bipolar persons.”
Using medical-imaging technology, neuro-
scientists can observe the brain in action and
study the impact of stress, differences in hor-
mone levels, and response to tasks. The
Depression Center also has a Positron
Emission Tomography analysis laboratory for
deciphering brain activation zones by inject-
ing a short-lived radioactive substance in the
person under study. Neuroscientists can ana-
lyze what happens in the brain of a person
with depression or an anxiety disorder versus
a control subject without such disorders. “For
Next Generation Services Group
inc.
instance, researchers are looking at what
areas of the brain become active when a per-
son makes a mistake and noticing the differ-
ences between the control subjects and
those with an anxiety disorder,” said Gavin.
Next Generation Environmental, Inc.
Other research focuses on analyzing what
Asbestos and Lead Abatement, Environmental Remediation
areas of the brain are more active in a
depressed person versus a non-depressed
person when memories of a sad event are
triggered. “There are some serious biological 21st Century Salvage, Inc.
differences between the depressed person
Industrial and Commercial Demolition,
and the non-depressed control subject who
both may experience the same event but Dismantling, Salvage and Strip Out
respond differently,” said Gavin.
According to information supplied by U of
M, “The Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Genes High Tech Industrial Services
Project incorporates a large-scale DNA
repository which has been established at Industrial Cleaning, Water Blasting, Duct Cleaning
the Depression Center to study and conquer and Plant Decommissioning
bipolar disorder. The Prechter Bipolar
Genetic Repository is collecting DNA sam-
ples from 1,000 people diagnosed with CHARLIE MARTIN cmartin@ngsg1.com
bipolar disorder as well as 1,000 healthy 10750 Martz Road
President Ypsilanti, MI 48197
individuals. We don’t know exactly what
causes depression, but research has shown Ph: 734.485.4855
that it is an interaction of genetic vulnerabil- Fax: 734.485.6959
ity and what experts call environmental fac-

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 102
F
ord Field will always be best known as
field the home of the Detroit Lions, even

though the versatile venue has also
played host to a variety of sports and other
events since opening in 2002. In fact, profes-
sional athletes playing in front of Sunday
crowds are not even the only people taking
position
advantage of good field position to reach
their objectives inside the massive facility.
The old Hudson’s warehouse that was reno-
vated and expanded as a part of the Ford
Field project also provides space for a num-
ber of tenants who wish to capitalize on a
one of a kind location.
The prospect of having an office with a
view of the 50-yard line at Ford Field would
By David R. Miller, Associate Editor appeal to almost anyone, but it was ideal for
the lawyers of Bodman LLP. The firm has had
Photos by Justin Maconochie Photography a strong connection with the Ford family

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 103
and with the City of Detroit since two Ford the willingness to embrace new ideas were
Motor Company attorneys who left the com- needed to consider the space. There were Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.
pany to open a private legal practice found- also practical concerns associated with
ed the company now known as Bodman LLP doing business at a major sports and enter-
Hilti systems and solutions are
in 1927. The task of transforming the fifth tainment venue. Weekend work is common,
designed for professionals like you –
and sixth floors of the warehouse and so the ability to drive in and park on Lions to help you finish jobs on time
adding an upper level to create 67,000- game days had to be taken into account. and on budget.
square-feet of office space was tackled by Detroit Tigers games could also impact park-
architect Gensler Architecture Design & ing and traffic with Comerica Park right next At your local Hilti Center, you
Planning, Detroit, and construction manager door. Careful preplanning was needed to can check out the latest in Hilti
Turner Construction Company, Detroit. demonstrate that Ford Field could operate innovation, participate in hands-on
as a place of business. product demonstrations, get tools
SITE SELECTION “We got over our concerns by looking at serviced, and, of course, buy
Bodman LLP has been headquartered in the planning the Ford Field management Hilti products.
Detroit since the firm’s founding, most had done,” said David Hipp, chairman of
There are 3 full service Hilti
recently occupying approximately 42,000- Bodman’s Real Estate Practice Group. “We
Center locations in Michigan
square-feet of floor space at the Renaissance looked at parking capacities and likely traffic to serve you:
Center before moving to Ford Field. As flows and we became very comfortable with
Bodman LLP grew, this arrangement gradu- the belief that we could operate a law firm in
6 Mile Rd
ally became less convenient. The firm even- the building without disruption.” 28190 Schoolcraft Rd
Livonia, MI 48150
tually leased space in two towers at the Ford Field also posed some logistical 5 Mile Rd
Renaissance Center, housing attorneys in advantages. Parking is plentiful, freeway Schoolcraft Rd One Way
Exit 177
one and other key departments, including access is easy, and nearby dining and enter- I-96
One Way
Exit 176
Exit 176
Overpass
Exit 177
Schoolcraft Rd
accounting and IT, in the other. This effec- tainment options abound. Besides, how
Inkster
Middlebelt
Merriman
Farmington
Newburgh
tively reduced the interaction between many law firms benefit from numerous free- I-275 Plymouth
departments, thereby making it more diffi- way signs directing clients, who may be Joy Rd
cult to get divergent viewpoints while also unfamiliar with the area, right to their front
adding the expense of tying data and com- door? Yet despite all of Ford Field’s benefits, Dertoit
munication systems together. Bodman LLP the project team needed to develop an 28190 Schoolcraft Road
also split larger offices into smaller spaces to overall design strategy that would adapt the Livonia, MI 48150
accommodate more people into a finite warehouse to the needs of the client. I-475
area. Coping mechanisms intended to do

Exit 7
E Court St
more with less stretched the available space NOT A TYPICAL DAY AT THE OFFICE Exit
6
3433 Lapeer Rd
Flint, MI 48503
Exit 138
Exit 139
Exit 139
to the limit, forcing the firm to consider a Ford Field is clearly a unique location for a I-69 Exit 138
move. Maintaining a strong Detroit pres- legal office, which placed an unusual Lapeer Road
S Center Rd
St
Exit
S Averill Ave
S Dort Hwy
2th
E1
7
ence was a key consideration. demand on project designers. Cliff

Exit
ord
6
“We knew that we wanted to stay down- “You don’t typically see a law firm going
S
Lippincott Blvd
t
S Saginaw St
I-475
town,” said Larry Shulman, chairman of into a warehouse space that is attached to a
Bodman LLP. “We have always been located stadium,” explained Chris Beck, AIA, LEED“
downtown and we have major clients here, AP, senior associate for Gensler. “The chal-
Flint
so it was always a priority to stay downtown lenge was to blend the traditional feel of a
3433 Lapeer Road
in the central business district.” law firm, with rich colors and materials, with Flint, MI 48503
No matter how strong the desire to stay the more contemporary feel that this space
downtown was, it needed to bend to practi- evokes.” 36th St. SW 36th St. SW
cal considerations. Bodman LLP worked Programmatic needs placed additional

Clyde Park Ave. SW
with a real estate broker to hunt for Detroit constraints on design possibilities. High ceil-
131 40th St. SW
locales that would meet the needs of the ings at Ford Field lent themselves to wide
S. Division Ave.
Buchanan Ave. SW
Clay Ave. SW
Stafford Ave. SW
firm. Many conventional office buildings open spaces, for example, but the nature of
640 44th St. SW
were considered, but the more unusual Ford legal work mandates a certain degree of pri- Grand Rapids, MI 49508
Field location rose to the top of the list. vacy. Seven conference rooms, plus a board 44 St. SW US 131 Exit 79 44 St. SW
“It makes all the sense in the world for us room, are grouped together to create a con-
to be at Ford Field,” said Shulman. “Not only ference center inside the space. These
is it a great facility, but it also associates us spaces are uniquely designed to offer Grand Rapids
with one of our biggest clients [the Ford absolute privacy without compromising the 640 44th Street SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
family]. That was a big plus for us.” open feel created by the warehouse envi-
Despite the enthusiasm, there were still ronment.
hurdles to overcome. Law firms are general- The conference rooms are designed as 1-800-879-8000
ly conservative, and the unorthodox choice boxes, reminiscent of shipping crates, within en Español 1-800-879-5000
of Ford Field undoubtedly raised a few eye- the larger box of the warehouse space. Their www.us.hilti.com
brows. The massive floorplate and high staggered placement within the warehouse
warehouse ceilings did not lend themselves and the use of wood veneer exteriors serve Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.
to typical law office décor, so flexibility and to reinforce this concept.

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 104
These conference rooms combine to cre-

ate a landscape with a distinct urban feel,
one that is amplified by the exposed
mechanical systems overhead and the selec-
tive use of contemporary glass and steel.
The space between conference rooms has
essentially become a streetscape, with con-
ference room walls standing in as store-
fronts. Extensive interior glass also aids in
the transmission of natural light.
The contemporary, urban feel of the
streetscape is softened with rich wood and
subdued color tones. Each conference room
has been given a distinctive personality.
Instead of simply being designated
“Conference Room A” or “B”, each room is
named for something of importance to the
firm. Naming rooms after geographic areas,
or for clients or individuals who played key
roles in forming Bodman LLP, gave designers
an opportunity to tie furnishings and décor
in with each name, thereby giving each
room an identity.
Suspended “clouds” serve many purposes
in the conference area. They aid with
acoustics while providing ceiling space for
lights, microphones and other equipment.
They also obscure views of some of the more
unsightly mechanical elements while reduc-
ing the scale of the space to a more human
level. A large cloud over the boardroom
table even features a distinct football shape,
but soft colors and the oval table below tend
to downplay this. The playing field is visible
from several locations in the office, so foot-
ball also plays a role in defining the feel of
the space, but homage is paid is subtle ways
that avoid tired clichés. Not only did football
play a key role in the design, it also had a
direct impact on every construction activity.
“We were working in an occupied, func-
tioning stadium, so we had to abide with
their security regulations and coordinate for
loading dock space,” said Brian Cooper, proj-
ect superintendent for Turner Construction.
Contractors needed to coordinate deliver-
ies with other contractors and with Ford
Field. The single loading dock at the facility
was pressed into service to accommodate
every event at Ford Field, but weekends
before Lions home games were particularly
hectic. Deliveries were usually cut off two
days in advance to bring in food, beverages
and other items for hometown fans.
Contractors needed to use the loading dock
with the mindset of getting the project done
on time as the primary goal. Every contrac-
tor worked to bring deliveries in precisely
when needed, but things rarely go exactly as
planned. Contractors took it upon them-
selves to work together to prevent late deliv-
eries from impacting the schedule. If anoth-

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 105
er contractor’s delivery ate into their dock

time, contractors did whatever they could to
make sure that both deliveries got through
the door. As the metal stud, drywall and
acoustic ceiling contractor on the project,
Brinker Team Construction Co., Detroit,
brought a lot of materials to the site and was
instrumental in this effort.
“You do what you can to work with the
other contractors because everybody needs
to work together to get the job done,” said
Paul Bitar, operations manager for Brinker
Team Construction. “Besides, I might have a
truck show up late when someone else has
the dock, so I might need the same favor in
return.”
Ford Field is an unusual place to build, but
the Bodman LLP office was also constructed
at a unique time. Super Bowl XL impacted
the entire region in 2006, and the epicenter
was at Ford Field, precisely where and when
crews were busily transforming a portion of
the building into new office space. Work
inside the facility was shut down for three
weeks to accommodate Super Bowl XL, with Conference rooms are designed as boxes, reminiscent of shipping crates, within the larger box
deliveries stopping two-and-a-half weeks of the warehouse space. These conference rooms combine to create a landscape with a dis-
prior to that, taking precious time out of a tinct urban feel, which is softened with rich wood and subdued color tones.
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SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 106
Roofing Tech 9/19/02 10:01 AM Page 1
Over and above our heads,

a roof is all that separates us from the elements. six-month construction schedule.
Contractors were able to stockpile materials
Often, little thought is paid to a roof…
in a small area of the sixth floor, thereby let-
until it fails. ting crews continue to work during the
delivery shutdown. As Super Bowl XL got
closer, contractors also needed to contend
• Consulting and Technical with increasing security requirements.
Assistance to the Fortunately, the Ford Field and the NFL man-
Construction Industry agement worked to accommodate contrac-
tor requests whenever feasible.
To make sure your roof is installed • Roof Management Planning “The project went very smoothly because
or repaired correctly, you need a we were able to coordinate and follow the
roof consultant who offers the
• Roof Evaluation
specific processes required when working
knowledge, experience, service, • Roof Design and Consultation inside Ford Field,” said Brad VanSteenkiste,
and integrity to go over and above project manager for Turner Construction.
your expectations. • Quality Assurance for New The new office space for Bodman LLP is
Construction and Reroofing similarly designed to ensure a smooth flow
You can depend upon of work.
Roofing Technology Associates. • Litigation Assistance on
Roofing Matters WORK SPACES
The warehouse floors occupied by
Bodman LLP feature a long and narrow foot-
print. This configuration aided the design in
many ways, but it also posed some chal-
ROOFING TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, LTD. lenges. The most obvious advantages were
38031 Schoolcraft • Livonia, Michigan 48150-1065 the ability to introduce natural light into the
(734) 591-4444 • FAX (734) 591-1660 • E-mail: rta@rtaltd.com space with windows and ample space for
Web site: www.rtaltd.com perimeter offices that offer the privacy
needed for legal work. Partner offices are
lined up on one exterior wall, providing a
view of the city, with associate offices on the
other wall, which looks out on the concourse
and the stadium’s suite levels. Large admin-
istrative workspaces, one for each two exte-
rior offices, are lined up in the public corri-
dor between the partner and associate
offices. Since they are located in a visible
area, appearance was an important consid-
eration with the administrative workspaces.
Each workstation was assembled onsite
from three large wooden sections to form
functional and attractive spaces. This
arrangement offers an ideal working envi-
ronment. The only problem was that there
was not enough of it. The project team
added an additional level to provide more
floor space.
“We added, in essence, a seventh floor,”
said VanSteenkiste. “We hoisted a structural
steel system into the building through the
exterior and we poured a concrete slab to
add extra space. The structure was con-
ducive to putting the upper floor in because
it was a warehouse with 12-inch-thick con-
crete floors. Other structures with four-inch
concrete decks would have required more
reinforcement.”
The thick concrete was a boon and a curse
for the project team because of the need for
efficient travel between the new level and
the fifth and sixth floors occupied by the
firm. Since the space is served by a single set

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 107
of passenger elevators, the long footprint of the space would have

led to lengthy trips between floors without additional access routes.
A large staircase was added to improve the traffic flow, but cutting
through the massive concrete slabs was easier said than done. A
smaller staircase was also added on the opposite side of the build-
ing from the elevators, but the main staircase in the middle of the
space provided the greatest challenges. The structural steel stair-
case features an industrial look, but it is eased into the sophisticated
office space with wood accents. Nothing could ease the process of
installing the structure, as it required the cutting of massive holes in
substantial concrete decks.
“We cut through one floor to build the main staircase,” said
VanSteenkiste. “We used a diesel saw and it took about two nights –
one night for cutting and one night for removal. We had to put in a
lot of shoring and hoist the material out.”
Concrete weighs about 150 pounds per-square-foot, so the 200-
square-foot floor weighted about 30,000 pounds. The floors were
cut in a grid pattern, yielding more manageable 3’x3’ chunks
weighing about 1,350 pounds. These smaller pieces still needed to
be supported from underneath as they were cut, and there were
taken one at a time down freight elevators to street level.
The seventh floor has an 8’3” ceiling height, giving it a more inti-
mate feel than most other areas of the office. Existing conduits and
Administrative workspaces are lined up in the public corridor

between partner and associate offices at Bodman LLP. Since they are
located in a visible area, these workstations were designed to be
functional and attractive.
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SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 108
pipes were rerouted and raised over the The office arrangement at Bodman LLP is
level, which takes up about 1/3 of the sixth ideally suited to the work performed by the
WORKERS’ floor. Custom luminaries were also installed firm. Intelligent planning extends beyond
COMPENSATION to focus light downward onto the sixth floor,
but also project light sideways into the addi-
individual offices to include the entire space.
PLAN tional space. Since these were a 16-week OTHER SPACES

lead time item, careful preplanning was Productivity is an important consideration
A group self-insured Workers’ needed to prevent the installation from dis- at any office, so the interior at Bodman LLP
Compensation plan rupting the project schedule. was carefully planned out to minimize the
providing participants with “This project was completed by Turner’s amount of time wasted as employees travel
programs and services Special Project Division,” said Steve Berlage, around the building. Unlike many similarly
superior to those available vice president and general manager of sized offices, where a single coffee station
Turner’s Michigan Office, “and this is a great may be sufficient, multiple stations were
through the traditional
example of our ability to complete high-end needed at Bodman LLP because the long
insurance approach. interior office space with unique complexi- footprint of the space would have put some
ties.” employees too far away.
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This large staircase was added to improve the traffic flow, as the space is served by a single
www.ma-engineering.com set of passenger elevators. Cutting through the 12-inch-thick concrete floors was easier said
than done.

SI 102-109 Bodman 10/2/07 12:05 PM Page 109
Reference materials were also given care- Natural lighting that bathes the interiors fect fit for the law firm.
ful consideration. Many law offices, includ- occupied by Bodman LLP helped to illumi- “Ford Field management has been very
ing the former Bodman LLP site at the nate an opportunity that could have been accommodating,” said Laura Collins, execu-
Renaissance Center, feature massive libraries missed. Although the location selected by tive director of Bodman LLP. “Even with
that serve as both a showpiece and a source the Bodman LLP is unconventional, the man- everything else that goes on here, they are
of needed printed material. Many of these agement team that made Ford Field avail- always very concerned about our needs.
resources are available electronically now, able followed through with a commitment They make sure that we have what we need
rendering large libraries obsolete, but some that made the airy warehouse floors a per- to operate as a business.”
printed materials are still essential. Instead
of having a centralized library, Bodman LLP
has several smaller collections grouped near
the offices of attorneys with related special-
ties. This frees up a considerable amount of
floor space while actually making books
more accessible to the people who rely
upon them. In addition to using books, the
legal profession also generates printed
material that must be filed. If current trends
continue, electronic documents will eventu-
ally replace these files, but legal offices still
must include ample file storage space. The
overall amount of floor space dedicated to
file storage is reduced at Bodman LLP, with
TM
extensive offsite storage being utilize to
assist the firm in meeting current needs. In
the future, offsite storage may not be need-
ed any longer, and file storage spaces at the
Bodman LLP office can also be reconfigured
for other uses.
Efficiency from a time management
Plunkett Cooney has been part of
standpoint was not the only consideration
with the Bodman LLP interior; materials Michigan’s construction industry
were also selected to reflect efficient use of since 1913. Clients tell us they appreci-
resources. Carpeting and Forbo Linoleum ate our fearless determination
were supplied from manufacturers commit-
ted to sustainable and environmentally
to obtain the right result from the
responsible processes. Floor tile was fabri- boardroom to the courtroom.
cated from recycled tires and roofing mate-
rials, and many of the wood veneers were A leading advisor to developers, design
installed over an engineered backing of
recycled wood. Over 52 percent of all con- professionals and contractors, Plunkett
struction debris was also diverted from land- Cooney can provide legal counsel to
fills through project-specific waste-hauler assist you in achieving your business
reporting requirements and an education
goals.
program for onsite trades workers. Perhaps
the greatest outward sign of environmental
commitment comes from the selection of
the site, as the old Hudson’s warehouse
could have faced a wrecking ball without
the benefit of a forward-thinking develop-
ment plan that sought to preserve unique
architecture. The intent behind the recy-
cling of the warehouse carried over to the SCOTT H. SIRICH
Bodman LLP project. Construction Law Practice Group Leader
“Sustainable design is important in Gensler (248) 594-8228 • ssirich@plunkettcooney.com
projects and we were able to integrate our
philosophy with Bodman’s receptiveness to
using sustainable elements,” said Beck. “We
used recycled materials such as flooring and
wood, and incorporated natural daylighting
to create a warmer feel while minimizing
energy usage by artificial lighting.

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/15/07 4:17 PM Page 110
PHOTO BY JUSTIN MACONOCHIE
T
By Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor
he meadow has returned to this green roof in Michigan. meaning, this wonderful platform of
306-year-old city founded on the Wide open to the sky and swept by green 100 feet above grade gives visitors
once-lushly vegetated banks of the light breezes, this oasis of pure, unob- the illusion of walking directly into the
Detroit River in 1701. An unconventional structed space is the perfect antidote to skyline of Detroit.
expanse of green in downtown Detroit is the urban office dweller’s sense of con- The walking track and the vegetated
perched 10 stories above Congress finement in car, cubicle, and the tight grid roof itself are healthy for body, mind, and
Avenue, forming a 53,000-square-foot of city streets. On this unique rooftop, a building. A daily trek on the rooftop will
blanket of yellow, pink and white sedum bright green ribbon of a walking track be part of an employee exercise and
on top of Blue Cross Blue Shield of turns exercise into a sightseeing tour with health program that has already reduced
Michigan’s new parking deck. This park the broad blue arc of the Detroit River far the weight of participants by a collective
perched on a parking deck is the first veg- below and a “forest” of downtown build- 3,079 pounds. While use of the walking
etated or “green” roof in the City of ings rising to the west. Giving the term track may lengthen life expectancy, a veg-
Detroit and the second largest continuous “pedestrian-friendly cities” a whole new etated roof will extend the life of its host

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:43 PM Page 111
building by decades. “This parking deck

may last for 40 to 50 years,” said Kathleen
M. Buck, R.A., project manager and asso-
ciate at Neumann/Smith Architecture,
the Southfield-based architectural firm
that designed this innovative structure as
part of a Blue Cross’ downtown campus
remodeling project.
Both walking track and vegetated roof
put Mother Nature back in the driver’s
seat by using approaches more closely
aligned with natural systems. The walk-
ing track is formed of recycled rubber,
and the roof’s soft sponge of sedum and
soil reduces the building’s stormwater
burden. As construction manager, the
Michigan office of Turner Construction
Company installed a massive cistern
under the newly renovated plaza, located
adjacent to the parking deck, to collect
stormwater from the vegetated roof, the
plaza and the Blue Cross tower. The cis-
tern serves as a reservoir to irrigate the
roof, two newly created pocket parks, and
the small forest of trees now gracing this
peaceful, freshly vegetated plaza in the
heart of the Blue Cross campus.
Blue Cross has submitted the entire
campus remodeling project - parking
deck, plaza renovation, and the creation
of multi-purpose rooms and linkages
from deck to existing tower - for the cov-
eted LEED™ certification. Once attained,
the 1,808-car deck will be one of the first
parking structures in the country to
receive the LEED stamp of approval.
Turner Construction and
Neumann/Smith Architecture are the
perfect team for the job. Over 25 percent
of Turner’s staff in Michigan are LEED-
certified AP professionals, able to navi-
gate Blue Cross through the LEED certifi-
cation process, said Ronald D. Dawson,
Turner ’s project executive.
Neumann/Smith’s creative designs have
shaped the Blue Cross campus for
decades and have dotted the entire metro-
politan area with an impressive portfolio
of engaging buildings. For beyond green
practices, this cutting-edge structure
turns the definition of a parking deck on
its head.
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hybrid vehicle - is parking deck, exercise 33026 Capitol
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SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:43 PM Page 112
Oakland Metal ple of out-of-the-box thinking in both function and form. The
Sales, Inc. irregularly shaped deck – a trapezoid or a square with a sliced-
off corner – follows the broad curve of Congress Avenue.
“Many parking structures are rather boxy in appearance,” said
Scott R. Bonney, A.I.A., LEED AP, project designer and associate
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• Copper Bar striking roofline with the sophistication light years beyond a
typical parking structure. At night, the serrated edge is softly
ALUMINUM illuminated, adding a dramatic glow to the cityscape and turn-
• Mill Finish .025-.125 ing a parking structure – often the ugly duckling of a develop-
• Anodized Aluminum .032-.125 ment – into the proverbial beautiful swan.
• Pre-Finished Kynar 500 Painted Sheets .032-.063 A curved site and the inspired use of common precast double
T beams shaped this innovative facility. “The reason the corner
roofline is stepped in that fashion is because the structural
KYNAR 500 PRE-PAINTED members for the roof are made out of double Ts of precast con-
STEEL SHEETS IN 50 COLORS crete,” said Bonney. “These members are available typically in
modules of 10 or 12 feet. Instead of slicing the members on a
• Manufactured Roofing and Wall Systems
diagonal like a sandwich and making them flush with the diag-
In many Profiles and Different Manufacturers
onal angle of the building corner, we left them alone to jut out
• Custom Fabricated Break Metal, Trim and
in steps and create this angled edge. This approach highlighted
Flashing Available
the angle of the building on Congress Avenue and gave that cor-
ner a dramatic character.”
AMERICAN & EUROPEAN
COPPER GUTTER SYSTEMS JOINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD
While some parking decks have been designed with all the
charm of a storage warehouse, the Blue Cross facility is an
ADDITIONAL STOCK ITEMS engaging interplay of brick and precast, creating a building skin
• Rain Carrying Goods in Painted Steel with a layered appearance to feed the eye and form a distinct
• Expansion Joints face on each building side. “The entire facade has different lay-
• Snow Guards ers of materials and a sort of 3D-quality to its surfaces,” said
• Duralink Sealant Bonney. “The multiple layers of materials are a way to break
• M-1 Structural Sealant down the scale of the structure and to add a little variety.”
• Underlayment Across the face of every façade precast sections are unexpect-
• Solder - Flux - Irons edly exposed or brick sections blanket precast surfaces.
• Copper Roofing Nails
• Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel 10ga - 30ga
• Stainless Steel Sheets 10ga - 28ga
• Bonderized Steel Sheets
• Galvalume Sheets A walking track of recycled rubber and a vegetated roof of sedum
• Galvannealed Sheet creates an unconventional green space in downtown Detroit.
• Lead Sheets & Pipe Covers
• For All Your Metal Needs
Call Us Today!
Oakland Metal Sales
2430 N. Opdyke Rd
PHOTO BY SCOTT R. BONNEY, NEUMANNSMITH ARCHITECTURE
Auburn Hills, MI 48326

www.OaklandMetalSales.com
Phone (248) 377-8847 • Fax (248) 377-4196
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
SINCE 1984

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:43 PM Page 113
Altogether, the deck’s varied and playful TESTING ENGINEERS

& CONSULTANTS, INC.
layering of materials is a far cry from a
typical parking structure. “It is meant to
be a bit whimsical and to add a little char-
acter to what is kind of a serious-looking
building overall,” said Bonney. “It also
reflects the urban environment where
Engineering Client Success
buildings stop and start at different eleva-
tions and are varied to provide more visu-
al interest.”
The precast and the brick “introduce”
the parking deck to the community of
surrounding buildings. Sight lines from
Congress Avenue and the freeway visual-
ly link the precast spandrels of the deck to
the buff-colored concrete tower of the
main Blue Cross tower. The brick ties the
parking structure to the buildings of
Bricktown and Greektown. The pattern
• Building and Infrastructure • Construction Materials Testing
of punched openings in the deck’s perfo-
rated masonry walls even simulates the • Environmental Services • Indoor Air Quality
window openings of old brick buildings • Geotechnical Services • Asbestos/Lead/Mold
in downtown Detroit. “Typically, brick
walls in old buildings do not have large
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horizontal openings with a great deal of
steel,” said Bonney. “The older brick
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Offices in: Ann Arbor, Detroit & Troy A Certified WBE/DBB
buildings have a certain ratio of solid
space to openings, and they have a certain
bearing quality. We wanted to reflect the
types of window openings in our design.
In fact, these perforated masonry walls
are even load bearing.”
Unlike the brick in old buildings, the
deck is clad in brick panels set in precast
concrete, a less costly alternative to hand-
laid masonry. “We felt the use of brick in
the project was important, but we wanted
to include the material in an economical
fashion,” said Bonney. Added Buck,
“Blue Cross is very conscious of making
sure they spend their money wisely.”
THE GREEN ECONOMY

The same concern with economy was
extended to the green building process.
Creating an environmentally friendly
building demands what Neumann/Smith
calls “Smart Design.” Without careful
design approaches and wise management
of fiscal resources an environmentally
friendly building remains a well-inten-
tioned wish. “One has to achieve the
desired level of certification in an afford-
able way,” said Bonney. “We really tried
to evaluate what would be the best way to
achieve the desired level without spend-
ing money foolishly. There are many dif-
ferent ways to tackle LEED, and the way
chosen has a very big impact on cost.”
Thinking green in the design’s concep-
tual stage and bringing the construction
manager on board as early as possible

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 114
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40833 Brentwood The Blue Cross Blue Shield campus offers an oasis of greenery, both above and at grade. A
Sterling Heights, MI 48310 portion of the newly renovated plaza houses an outdoor dining area in a pleasant triangle
(586) 978-0425 • fax 978-0370 of trees.
helped shape a cost-effective, environ- ect with Blue Cross and Neumann/Smith
mentally friendly strategy. “As to plot the “green” game plan. The proj-
Neumann/Smith came up with different ect team targeted specific categories and
ideas and options to achieve LEED points to be attained on the LEED “score-
points, our estimating group would actu- card” and clearly delineated each party’s
ally assemble a cost analysis, allowing the responsibilities from the owner to the
owner to make the decision based on the subcontractor. “Certainly, it was impor-
design aspects, as well as knowing the tant when bidding the work to pass all
cost implications,” said Dawson. this information along to our subcontrac-
For example, Turner and tors,” said Dawson. “It was important for
Neumann/Smith toured the Ford Rouge subcontractors to take sustainable strate-
Plant’s well-known green roof, attended gies, such as waste management prac-
seminars, and evaluated the presenta- tices, into account in their bids.”
tions of various contractors detailing dif- Respect and teamwork were the foun-
ferent types of green roof assemblies. “As dation of the sustainable initiatives and a
a team, we decided what would be the core force in the creation of the entire
most appropriate for this building, both project. “The design was very flexible,”
from the sustainability side, as well as said John H. Becker, manager, Detroit
from the perspective of the owner’s cost,” Property Management, Blue Cross Blue
said Dawson. Shield of Michigan. “… Everybody had
Turner’s knowledge of LEED docu- an active part in the project, which was a
mentation was a key factor in securing partnership between our Facilities
the contract. “Turner was very outspoken Management group, the designers, and
in their desire and commitment to make the construction team. Everybody had an
this a LEED-certified project,” said equal voice and everyone’s opinion
Bonney. “They had a very good plan to counted. I think that is a good concept to
move forward with LEED, and they have have from the outset.”
been instrumental in the whole documen- The Blue Cross Blue Shield of
tation process needed for certification.” Michigan. project team included: Ray
Turner joined the team at the very con- Warner, director of Facilities
ceptual stages, meeting early in the proj- Management; Mike Nolan, owner’s rep-

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 115
resentative and project manager; John

Becker, property manager; Stan Mroz,
architect; Gwen Rippee, space planner
and art curator; and Ron Beaudoin, man-
ager of Electrical and Data Services.
CIPRIANO
BUILDING THE FUTURE
Coating Technology
Blue Cross was unanimous in their
decision to build a “green” parking deck. Your Single Source Coating Contractor
“It was a joint decision amongst our lead- Cipriano Coating Technology installs state of the art protective
ership, architect, and facilities,” said
& decorative coatings for Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional facilities.
Becker. “We wanted to do something
strictly driven by the environment.” We combine our years of experience with today’s technology to provide the
Another factor drove the decision to proper surface preparation
actually build a new parking facility. The and coating system to match
clock was running out on Blue Cross’s each client’s individual need.
aging parking deck originally built in
1969. Blue Cross hired Neumann/Smith Call the coating contractor
Architecture to conduct an extensive
of choice today, and
analysis of the deck and to determine before after
whether the aging structure could be sal- ask for your free consultation.
vaged. “We learned that the level of
repair and reconstruction would result in CIPRIANO
basically closing off sections of the deck
for long periods of time,” said Bonney. “It
COATING
is a cast-in-place deck, so it is a little hard- TECHNOLOGY
er to repair in place than other decks.”
The corporation’s parking needs were
1-888-726-3322 www.garlandbycct.com after
already stretched to the limit with hun-

dreds of employees parking offsite in
Greektown, Annunciation Church, and in
leased surface lots throughout the area.
Closing the deck was not a viable option.
“If we renovated the deck, we would
have to evacuate people from the old
structure, and we had no place to put
them,” said Becker. “We re-evaluated our
needs and decided to build a new and
larger parking deck to accommodate our
future growth, as well.”
Turner arrived on site in March 2005,
ready to transform a 140-car surface lot
into a 600,000-square-foot parking deck.
Building this rooftop park and its com-
panion green space was no walk in the
park. Turner first had to manage a size-
able network of underground utilities,
including the relocation of a 24-inch
water main and an 8-inch gas line from
the footprint of the parking deck to the
perimeter of the site, said Dawson. The
Blue Cross campus was placed over a
grid of existing streets in the 1960s, leav-
ing a subterranean network of utility cor-
ridors, including the one in the path of
the new 10-story parking deck.
The next major phase entailed installa-
tion of 112 caissons plunging 110 feet to a
proper bearing surface. Working near an
occupied facility during deck construc-
tion and in the actual Blue Cross tower
during construction of the multi-purpose

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 116
SPARTAN spaces posed its share of challenges. “We

installed vibration monitors during earth-
facility. It probably is a third of the cost of
the entire project.”
SPECIALTIES work operations, because Blue Cross has

a computer center located right next door
to the emerging parking structure,” said
The local manufacture and transport of
this massive stack of precast is an eligible
LEED credit for local/regional materials.
LTD Dawson.
Work progressed on the installation of a
Installation of the precast had to wait for
two more significant steps: building the
massive cistern 17 feet below grade. “The multi-purpose rooms in the lower levels
cistern is probably as long as the building of the parking deck and elevator installa-
is tall,” said Bonney. “At 180 feet long and tion. “There was substantial cast-in-place
Soil 10 feet in diameter, you could drive a
truck through this enormous cistern.” At
work to be done prior to precast installa-
tion,” said Dawson. “The multi-purpose
Stabilization one point, “a bulldozer was lowered into

the excavation to push the tank sections
together,” added Jay Campbell, Turner’s
rooms and the locker rooms are all
formed out of cast-in-place concrete and
actually have a cast-in-place ceiling on
Solutions project superintendent. “The tank assem-
bly was by Merlyn Contracting.” This
them as well. Plus, the Gen2 elevators – a
new type of elevator coming into use that
man-made “aquifer” is designed to col- relies on belts rather than more typical
lect irrigation water from the roof of the cable traction devices – needed to be
GROUND
TECHNOLOGIES
Jet Grouting
Compaction Grouting
Chemical Grouting
Micro Fine Cement
CONCRETE REPAIR
Preplaced Aggregate
Epoxy Injection
Fabric Form Grout Bags
A walk on the rooftop is a tonic for body and mind. The vegetated roof reduces the building’s
Gunite stormwater load, funneling runoff from the roof to a massive cistern used as an irrigation
source for campus greenery and the roof’s own meadow of sedum.
PILES
parking deck and main tower, plus the installed prior to placing the last pieces of
Mini Piles plaza and all the service areas. As part of precast in place. We actually had to insert
the project, Turner also separated a com- the elevators before we put the roof over
Soil Nailing bined sewer overflow system beneath the them.”
plaza, separating the storm and sanitary
Earth and Rock Anchors lines as a boon to water quality. INSTANT ARCHITECTURE
While the grid of caissons and the mas- Turner installed the precast in full 10-
sive cistern were being installed, National story-tall bays. The crane worked its way
(586) 826-8811 Precast, Inc. in Roseville was busy pro-
ducing the double T precast sections com-
around the building, beginning in the
northeast corner with the installation of
posing the concrete “bones” of the park- the first 10-story-high bay, followed by
6250 Sims ing deck. Altogether, “the deck is formed eleven additional sets of bays, said
of 1,996 precast members, half of which Campbell.
Sterling Heights, MI 48313 are 12-feet wide by 60-feet long double- Placing these massive precast banks
Ts,” said Campbell. Added Dawson, required both interior and exterior brac-
“Precast is the largest component of this ing of the emerging building. “Certain

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 117
bays had to be tied together before we difficult to reach.” The metal roof parapet mon ways. “In trying to maintain the
could cut the structure loose,” said was panelized and set from the roof for design intent using this rigid structural
Dawson. Each precast bay rose as swiftly safety, convenience and cost. “We didn’t system, we were probably really pushing
as a pop-up section in a children’s book. have to do any scaffolding on the outside, the envelope,” said Buck.
“As a designer, I find the use of precast which would have been more expensive,”
construction as an interesting way to see a added Buck. GREEN SPACE ABOVE GRADE
building realized,” said Bonney. Altogether, Neumann/Smith employed The project team certainly did push the
“Prefabricated off site and then brought the common building staple of the park- envelope in transforming a parking
to the job and assembled, precast is sort of ing deck – a precast double T – in uncom- structure into a meadow. With its
instant architecture.”
Blue Cross requested two precast
enhancements for building longevity,
namely precast members with cast-on-site
toppings formed of fiber mesh. “With
pretopped T’s, there are cracks in the pre-
cast when it is finally set on some jobs,”
said Dawson. “They are not structural but
aesthetic concerns. However, salts do
enter the cracks and eventually it does
become a maintenance problem. This is
the best deck I have ever seen for avoid-
ance of cracks, and I have walked all of
the floors without seeing any cracks.
Now I am also a believer in fiber-mesh
toppings.”
Neumann/Smith wanted to cap the
roofline with a crisp and attractive edge
to complete the parking deck’s dramatic
debut on the streets of Detroit. As a
design strategy, the brick wall panels stop
short of the roofline, the flange of the pre-
cast double Ts actually cantilever over the
edge of the bearing wall, and the flat por-
tion of the double Ts continue even
beyond the flange to end this procession
of layers.
Decorative silvery metal caps cover the
unattractive ends of the double T’s and
protect the precast from the elements.
“Blue Cross wants to make sure the deck
lasts for 40 to 50 years and that there are
no ongoing maintenance issues,” said
Buck. “This protects the strands that are
exposed at the end of the double T’s, cre-
ating a design feature that works at a
maintenance level.” As a construction
strategy, Turner had the decorative metal
caps installed at the plant. “They were
actually set with the precast ahead of
time,” said Dawson. “As you can imag-
ine, the location would be difficult to
reach.”
A smooth, white metal panel fascia sys-
tem travels the roofline and works with
the white-painted surfaces of the upper
deck level to produce a “very light and
airy top to the building,” said Bonney. As
a construction strategy, Turner had the
decorative metal caps installed at the
plant. “They were actually set with the
precast ahead of time,” said Dawson. “As
you can imagine, the location would be

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 118
PHOTO COURTESY OF TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
H.A. This cutting-edge parking lot takes shape in downtown Detroit.
SMITH
LUMBER & HARDWARE
umbrella of living plants, the vegetated membrane below the vegetated strata.
Doit
Best
Full Service Commercial
roof assumes the duties the plant world
has performed for millions of years:
absorbing carbon dioxide, managing
stormwater, and cooling the world
Plus, the vegetated roof eliminates
rooftop parking, thus blocking the seep-
ing of corrosive, salt-laden stormwater
throughout the deck. Beyond these func-
beneath a shelter of green. Dark pave- tional benefits, this lush blanket of sedum
Contractor Lumber Yard ment and roofs absorb heat and collec- is beautiful to behold and is fully visible
Large Inventory • Speedy Deliveries tively produce what is called the urban from the mid to upper levels of the Blue
• Dri-Con Fire Retardant Lumber & heat island effect, a measurable tempera- Cross tower.
Plywood ture rise in cities and other developed The vegetated roof covers approxi-
• Wolmanized Pressure-preservative environments, according to an EPA web- mately 70 percent of the 75,000-square-
Treated Products site. foot roof. A Blue Cross information pack-
As another duty, the vegetated roof et lists the roof’s layers, beginning at the
• Douglas Fir Plywoods & Wide
captures rain water and snow melt in its bottom: a waterproofing membrane, root
Dimension Prefabricated Wall Panels
soft living tissues. Impervious surfaces barrier, drainage material consisting of
• Mixed Dense Hardwood
block stormwater absorption, leading to plastic coils to permit runoff of excess
• Crane Mats flooding and polluted run-off directly rainwater, a filter fabric to keep debris
• Densglass Gold into waterways. On the Blue Cross deck, from creating blockage in the drain sys-
• Nail Base Roof Insulation any excess water is filtered and enters the tem, retention fabric placed to store rain-
cistern installed beneath the adjacent water for reuse by plants, and finally pre-
28575 Grand River plaza. vegetated mats containing a variety of
Farmington Hills, MI 48336 The benefits of a green roof continue to minimal maintenance sedum plants.
www.smithlumber.com grow: The vegetated roof extends the Early planning again created a flourish-
lifespan of the parking deck by providing ing project. “We purchased the sedum
248.474.6610 a barrier between damaging ultraviolet
radiation and the 90-mil EPDM roofing
early in the project from a vendor who
actually grew it specifically for this proj-

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 119
ect,” said Dawson. “We were able to go

out and look at it in the fields and see the
growth of our green roof.” The eight dif-
ferent varieties of sedum selected have a
good track record of survival in
Michigan’s climate. “This is the same
sedum and growth medium that is on the
Rouge Plant,” said Dawson. “Our tour of
the Rouge facility showed that this partic-
ular sedum type would grow well in this
area.”
Xero Flor America, LLC supplied the
patented vegetated system that was
raised and cut like sod and transported to
the jobsite in pallets, said Buck. Xero Flor
has ties to the robust German green roof
industry that has accumulated years of
data documenting the success of this par-
ticular system.
The cistern and a newly installed high-
efficiency irrigation technology filter and
distribute stormwater from the roof and
from across the impervious surfaces of
the entire Blue Cross campus.
“The water is filtered through a succes-
sion of filters, enters a catchment system,
and is then used to irrigate the campus
landscape,” said Buck. “The water can be
pumped back to the parking deck’s vege-
tated roof to irrigate the sedum, which
really only needs water while the
drought-resistant sedum is being estab-
lished.”
Beyond the vegetated roof and cistern,
the project employs a variety of environ-
mentally friendly strategies. The light fix-
tures in the parking deck contain sensors
that deactivate parking bays exposed to
sufficient natural light, said Buck. Other
LEED points were earned for recycled
content of materials. “The parking struc-
ture itself is made out of concrete and a
small amount of steel, both of which are
recycled products that were harvested at
local concrete plants,” said Bonney.
“Plus, building the parking structure
alone earns LEED points, because the
parking structure is one factor in creating
a compact, dense use that makes room for
open space.”
THE GREENING OF DETROIT

An aerial view shows the vegetated
roof and the renovated plaza as two com-
panion parks bringing an infusion of
green into the heart of the city. The orig-
inal plaza was essentially an isolated
walled garden with limited greenery and
limited public access via a narrow stair-
case entering the garden from the street
level. The new design blankets the plaza
with freeform and formal landscaping

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 120
and introduces a sweeping spiral ramp second park on the corner of Congress in terms of the cost required to pump the
for greater public and handicapped acces- Avenue. Such small touches go a long way water.”
sibility. “We planted the trees in a more toward creating a pleasant and livable city. Cost constraints and bad weather often
natural random fashion, giving part of As Michiganders know, Mother Nature shutdown the fountain, leaving the sculp-
the plaza the feel of a wooded area,” said can be temperamental. The project creat- tured figures standing in an empty pool.
Bonney. “The plaza also had a triangular ed an indoor link between the parking Working with the artist, Neumann/Smith
bosque of trees with outdoor seating and deck and the main tower and enclosed designed a glossy granite plinth as a base
dining.” underutilized outdoor space behind the for fountain and sculpture. The granite
The plaza’s slope creates a natural plaza’s existing fountain and sculpture. plinth simulates the sheen of water, pro-
amphitheater marked by a large grassy Enclosing this almost hidden alcove, per- viding an attractive base for the sculpture
bank and concrete bench on the upper manently cast in shadow by an overhang, in the winter months. In summer, “the
level; a beautiful hardscape of reused created an indoor multi-purpose area reclining woman will be floating on a
granite slabs and red and black concrete used as a lounge or special events area. series of water jets that will be illuminat-
pavers arranged in stripes grace the lower This new indoor area also showcases ed from below at night,” said Bonney.
level. Keeping true to its green mission, the focal point of the former plaza, name-
“the granite was salvaged and reclaimed ly a fountain and bronze sculpture by GOOD MORNING BLUE CROSS
from the original plaza,” added Buck. The John Nick Pappas called “The Procession: Blue Cross unveiled this unconvention-
grassy bank and hardscape are two A Family.” The project presented the per- al parking deck at the grand opening in
curved components lending an organic fect opportunity to renovate the fountain, September 2006. “Neumann/Smith and
flow and sweep to this new park-like chiefly to create a more affordable and Turner did a terrific job,” said Becker. “I
expanse. lower maintenance installation. “In the am very impressed and very satisfied
Two pocket parks planted even more original design, a large waterfall cascaded with the quality they produced.”
green space in downtown Detroit: the behind the sculpture of a reclining The beauty and utility of spaces inhab-
project team installed a small park woman,” said Bonney. “It was like ited daily can shape attitude and produc-
between the parking deck and its neigh- Taquamenon Falls. Unfortunately, the tivity. Employees arriving every morning
bor, the Holy Family Church, as well as a fountain was every expensive to operate can enjoy the high clearance and bright

SI 110-121 BCBS 10/2/07 3:44 PM Page 121
interior of the deck, itself. The structure be removed; parking will be retained on deck have been latecomers to this 306-
has two-way traffic isles, a two-ramp sys- the first three levels and a roof will be year-old town. Blue Cross,
tem offering quicker access to all levels of installed on the fourth tier,” said Bonney. Neumann/Smith and Turner
the structure, and two entrances – one on When Augustus B. Woodward planned Construction have transformed the park-
Congress and one on the I-375 service the radial street grid of Detroit in 1805, ing deck from being merely a stack of
drive – all designed to aid access and traf- Henry Ford had not even been born and storage shelves for cars into a human
fic flow. “Rich & Associates, our parking his invention of the mass-produced auto- place with a touch of style and an
consultants, did a topnotch job in creating mobile was almost a century away. Even expanse of green.
a functional layout, excellent signage, and in the Motor City, the car and the parking
a wayfinding system,” said Bonney.
The new technology of the Gen2 eleva-
tors provides a smooth, quick ride and a
stunning view of the city rising or falling
before one’s eyes. The lobby, with
columns clad in iridescent glass tile and
walls of gray porcelain ceramic tile and
stainless steel accents, is not your typical
parking deck entry.
The newly enclosed link between deck
and main building is a long promenade
skirting the cafeteria. Fin-shaped metal
ceiling panels, placed at alternating
angles, add flair to this long corridor
whose floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer a
full view of the newly renovated plaza.
The entrance to the new multi-purpose
wing is clad in 1-inch-thick Ubatuba
granite, a material similar to the granite
wall coverings covering the tower’s two-
story lobby.
Sustainable strategies infused the con-
version of 8,000 square feet of interior
space. “We were responsible for provid-
ing low VOC paints, sealants, carpeting
and other materials of that nature,” said
Dawson. “We needed to make sure the
specifications were appropriate, and then
Clark Hill’s Construction Team is
we followed through on the submittals to
made up of attorneys from multiple
make sure that that is what the subcon- practice groups who share a common
tractors were providing on the project.” characteristic: significant real-world
Turner maintained its “green” course of expertise spotting, acting upon and
action throughout construction of this s o l v i n g t h e c hallenges faced by
multi-faceted undertaking. “We separat- businesses in the construction industry.
ed the waste throughout the job,” said In a world of generalists, count on our
focused construction expertise.
Dawson, “recycling as much of the con-
struction and demolition debris as possi-
ble. We far exceeded our goal in waste
management.” We Understand Your Challenges
Neumann/Smith Architecture and We Offer You Solutions
Turner Construction Company have pro- We Share Your Passion
duced a magical, functional and sustain- Count on More.
able space, the ultimate mixed-use build-
ing that allows people to park their car
and take a walk all in the same structure.
The new deck has allowed Blue Cross to
consolidate its parking needs and to bring
virtually all employees back to the home
campus. “We moved 800 people over at 800.949.3124 | www.clarkhill.com
one time once the deck was finished,”
said Becker. The existing deck will be
partially salvaged. “The southern half
and the top level of the northern half will

SI 122-132 Subs 10/17/07 8:44 AM Page 122
SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
SUBCONTRACTORS AND PROFESSIONAL • Foundations and Flatwork – Merlo Construction ONE KENNEDY SQUARE
CONSULTANTS LISTED HERE ARE IDENTI- Company, Inc., Northville
FIED BY THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, • Food Service Equipment – The F.D. Stella Products Owner – Redico LLC, Southfield
Co., Detroit Architect – Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield
ARCHITECT OR OWNER.
• Furniture – McMillan Brothers, Warren Construction Manager – Spencer Dailey, Inc., Detroit
• Hardwood Floors – Legendary Hardwood Floors, Mechanical Engineers – Limbach Company, Pontiac
DICK & SANDY DAUCH CAMPUS OF THE Milford Electrical Engineers – Center Line Electric, Inc.,
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, HOME OF THE NEW • HVAC and Controls – Multi Mechanical Service, Inc., Center Line
NFL/YOUTH EDUCATION TOWN Sterling Heights Civil Engineers – Tucker, Young, Jackson, Tull, Inc.,
• Joint Sealants – Signature Sealants & Waterproofing, Detroit
Owner – Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Berkley Structural Engineers – Desai/Nasr Consulting
Farmington Hills • Landscaping – Crimboli Nursery Inc., Canton Engineers, Inc., West Bloomfield
Architect – Ehresman Associates, Inc., Troy • Lockers – Steel Equipment Company, Pontiac • Landscape Architects – Grissim Metz Andriese
Construction Manager – Spencer Dailey, Inc., Detroit • Masonry – Monte Costella & Co., Novi Associates, Northville
• Office Furniture – Intermode, LLC, Detroit • Lighting Consultant – Gary Steffy Lighting Design,
• Asphalt Paving – Asphalt Specialists, Inc., Pontiac • Overhead Doors – Detroit Door and Hardware Co., Inc., Ann Arbor
• Athletic Equipment – Porter Athletic, Equipment, Madison Heights • Traffic Consultant – Parsons, Detroit
Co., Broadview, IL • Painting – J & B Painting, Livonia
• AV Equipment – Sound Engineering, Inc., Livonia • Plumbing – Solomon Plumbing, New Hudson Subcontractors:
• Carpentry, Millwork, Stone Tops, Drywall, Acoustical • Roofing and Sheet Metal – Port Huron Roofing & • Demolition – Adamo Demolition Co., Detroit
– Matrix Commercial Carpentry, Wixom Sheet Metal Co., Clyde Twp. • Curtainwall – American Glass and Metals Corp.,
• Carpet, VCT, Base and Modular Floor Mats – • Security – Strategic Protection Group, Oak Park Plymouth
Conventional Carpet Inc., Sterling Heights • Signage – Moore Signs, Clinton Township • Crane Pad – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights
• Ceramic Tile – Rustin Tile and Marble, Inc., Dearborn • Skylights – Glazed Structures, Inc. (GSI), Grayslake, IL • Scissor Lifts – Applied Handling, Inc., Dearborn
Heights • Structural Steel – Intrepid Steel, Southfield • Tunnel for Sewer Connection – Bankston
• Chainlink and Ornamental Fencing – Riteway Fence, • Surveying/Layout – Giffles – Webster Engineers, Construction, Detroit
Co., Sterling Heights Rochester Hills • Concrete Flatwork –B&B Concrete, Romulus
• Doors, Frames and Hardware – Tupper Door and • Technical Support and Engineering – Takasa, Inc., • Marble – Booms Stone Co., Redford; Stone
Hardware, Inc., Farmington Hills Crystal Lake, IL Consulting Co., Sarzana, Italy
• Earthwork – A G Excavating, Inc., Berkley • Telescoping Stands – Interkal, Kalamazoo • Millwork – Brunt Associates, Wixom
• EIFS and Cement Plaster – DeBacker and Sons, Inc., • Toilet Accessories/Partitions, Fire Extinguishers, • Electrical – Center Line Electric, Inc., Center Line
Warren Shades, Projection Screens, Mirrors – International • Metal Siding at Air Intake – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc.,
• Electrical – IWC Group, Detroit Building Products, Inc., Livonia Taylor
• Fire Protection – Liberty Fire Protection, Inc., Clinton • Windows, Entrances and Glazing – Modern Mirror &
Twp. Glass Co., Roseville
• Flagpoles – Rocket Enterprise, Inc., Warren
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SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:01 PM Page 123
• Security and Access Control – CTEC, Center Line

• Masonry – Dixon, Inc., Detroit
• Foundations (slab on grade) – E.L.S. Construction,
Inc., Orion Twp.
• Ceramic Tile – Empire Tile and Marble Co., Inc.,
Eastpointe
• Fencing – Industrial Fence & Landscaping, Inc.,
Detroit
• Toilet Access/Fire Extinguisher – International
Building Products, Livonia
• Carpenter/Drywall – Jimenez, Detroit
• Overhead Doors – KVM Door Systems, Clinton Twp.
• Paint/Wall Covering – Madias Brothers Painting
Contractors, Inc., Detroit
• Glass Ceiling – Madison Heights Glass Co., Inc.,
Madison Heights
• Irrigation – Marc Dutton Irrigation, Inc., Waterford
• Concrete Barricades – Merlyn Contracting, Novi Commercial • Industrial
Since 1974
• Temporary Heat – Nu Temp, Inc., Clinton Twp.
• Elevators – Otis Elevators Co., Farmington Hills
• Shoring – Patent Construction Systems, Taylor
• Floor Covering – PCI Industries, Inc., Oak Park
• Fire Protection – Professional Sprinkler, Inc., Wixom
• Caissons – Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New
Hudson 27270 Gloede • Warren, Michigan 48088
• Steel – Ross Structural Steel, Inc., Detroit; American
Ph (586) 774-3110
Erectors, Inc., Waterford; Davis Iron Works, Inc.,
Commerce Twp.
Fax (586) 774-7055

• Roofing – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Orion
• Doors/Frames/Hardware – Russell Hardware Co.,
Troy
• Mast Erection – Sav’s Welding Services, River Rouge
• Mast Fabrication – PoleTech, East Setauket, NY
• Shoring – Scaffolding, Inc., Detroit
• Testing – SME, Plymouth
• Asphalt Paving – Simone Contracting Corp., Sterling
Heights
• Landscaping – Tom’s Landscaping, Troy
• Fireproofing – Intumescent – Trident National
Corporation, Detroit
• Fireproofing – Spray On – William E. Harnish
Acousticals, Inc., Redford
• Misc. Steel – Vulcan Iron Works, Detroit
• Waterproofing – Western Waterproofing Co., Livonia
• Louvers – Wm. H. Scarlet & Associates, Inc.,
Southfield
• Temporary Barricades -- State Barricades, Warren
• Lane Striping – RS Contracting, Inc., Fraser
INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED VEHICLE

SYSTEMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
- DEARBORN
Owner – The Regents of the University of Michigan,

Ann Arbor
Architect – Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Ann Arbor
Civil Engineer – The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc.,
Dearborn
Construction Manager – JM Olson Corporation, St.
Clair Shores
MEP Engineer – Newcomb & Boyd, Atlanta, GA
Structural Engineer – Robert Darvas Associates, P.C.,
Ann Arbor
Subcontractors
• Acoustical Wall Panels – Division Nine Products, Inc.,
Farmington Hills
• Asphalt Paving – Nagel Paving Company, Novi
• Automatic Temperature Controls – Honeywell,
Saginaw
• Caissons – Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New
Hudson
• Carpentry – George I Landry, Inc., Milford
• Casework – Custom Fabricators, Inc., Grand Rapids
• Commissioning – Toombs & Associates, Ann Arbor

SI 122-132 Subs 10/15/07 4:39 PM Page 124
SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
• Crane – North American Industries, Inc., Woburn, MA ST. PATRICK NORTH CAMPUS SCHOOL • Carpentry – George I. Landry, Milford
• Doors, Frames and Hardware – Rayhaven Group, Inc., • Gypsum/Acoustic – Jasman Construction, Whitmore
Southfield Owner – Diocese of Lansing Lake
• Drywall – Barton Malow Interiors, Oak Park Architect – Lindhout Associates Architects, Brighton • HVAC – Design Comfort Co. Inc., Howell
• Electrical – Mutual Electric, Brighton Construction Manager – Contracting Resources, • Roofing – Spirit Roofing, Brighton
• Elevator – Otis Elevator Company, Farmington Hills Brighton • Concrete Flatwork – Ameri-Construction, Howell
• Fire Protection – Wolverine Fire Protection MEP Engineers – EAM Inc., Troy • Concrete Flatwork – Goretski construction, Milford
Company, Milford Civil Engineers – Alpine Engineers, Novi • Floor Covering – Shock Brothers, Warren
• Fire Protection Services – Architectural Building Structural Engineers– Paradis and Associates, • Painting – United Painting, Clinton Twp.
Components, Oak Park Rochester • Glass/Glazing – Glasco, Detroit
• Flooring – Quality Floor Covering Co., Oak Park Interior Design – Facility Matrix Group, Ann Arbor • Operable Walls – Gardiner C. Vose, Bloomfield Hills
• Foam In Insulation – Seal Tech Insulation, Belleville • Visual Display Boards – Advanced Specialties,
• Glass and Glazing – Harmon, Inc., Livonia Consultants Birmingham
• HVAC – Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn • Surveyor – Boss Engineering, Howell • Lockers – Rayhaven Group, Southfield
• Landscaping – W.H. Canon, Inc., Romulus • Computers/Technology – ICCI, Ann Arbor • Asphalt Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Novi
• Louvers – Construction Specialties, Southfield • Cables, Phones, Audio/Visual – Intelligent Choice • Overhead Doors – Crawford Overhead Doors,
• Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia • Playground Equipment – DP and Hoffman Play Detroit
• Overhead Doors – Detroit Door & Hardware Co., Works, Brighton • Bleachers – BEC International LLC, East Lansing
Madison Heights • Door Hardware – Detroit Door and Hardware,
• Painting – Niles Construction Services, Inc., Flint Subcontractors Madison Heights
• Plumbing – Oakland Plumbing Company, Ray • Earthwork/Utilities/Retaining Wall – Bob Myers • Fencing – Security Access Control, Brighton
Township Excavating, Brighton • Sealant – Western Waterproofing, Livonia
• Precast Concrete – National Precast, Inc., Roseville • Steel – S&G Erectors, Howell • Equipment – Hoyle Athletic Supply, Midland
• Roofing – Quality Roofing, Ann Arbor • Foundations – MJM Foundations, Brighton • Gym Floor – Foster specialty Floors, Wixom
• Security System – Electronic Safety Service, Inc., St. • Masonry – Zimmerman Masonry Inc., Howell • Scoreboards – Motor City Scoreboard, Madison
Clair Shores • Fire Protection – Tri-Star Fire Protection, Plymouth Heights
• Siding – CL Rieckhoff Company, Inc., Taylor • Demolition – 21st Century Salvage, Ypsilanti • Signage – Signs by Tomorrow, Brighton
• Sitework/Cast in Place – B & B Concrete Placement, • Plumbing – Mills Mechanical, Ortonville • Ceramic Tile – National Tile Co., Royal Oak
Inc., Romulus • Electrical– Crampton Electric, Fowlerville • Landscaping – Tom’s Landscaping, Troy
• Steel – Cadillac Iron, Inc., Oxford • Recycling – Allied Waste Services, Flint • Food Service Equipment – Great Lakes Hotel Supply,
• Tile – B & B Tile & Marble, Fair Haven • Blinds – The Sheer Shop, Shelby Twp. Detroit
• Waterproofing – DC Byers Company Detroit, Detroit
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SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 125
CITY OF WARREN CIVIC CENTER
Owner – City of Warren

Architect – Neumann/Smith Architecture, Southfield
Construction Manager – Skanska USA Building Inc.,
Southfield
Urban Design, Civil Engineering, Landscape
Architectural Services – JJR, LLC, Ann Arbor
• Library Consultants – Hidell and Associates

Architects, Carrolton, TX
• Civil Engineer – Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.,
Bloomfield Hills
• Civil Engineer – Nowak & Fraus, Royal Oak
• Mechanical/Electrical Engineer – Peter Basso
Associates, Inc., Troy
• Structural Engineer – L&A, Inc., Farmington Hills
• Parking Consultant – Rich and Associates, Inc.,
Southfield
Subcontractors – Library and City Hall

• Ceramic Tile – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton
• Exterior Signage – ASI Modulex, Troy
• Precast Concrete – Assemblers, Inc.,
Pinckney/National Precast, Inc., Roseville
• Structural and Misc. Steel – B&A Steel Co., Inc.,
Chesterfield
• Drywall and Acoustical – Barton Malow Interiors
Division, Oak Park
• Water Feature – Baruzzini Construction Company,
Brighton
• Plumbing – Bill James Plumbing and Heating, Inc.,
Madison Heights
• EPDM Membrane Roofing – Bloom Roofing Systems,
Inc., Whitmore Lake
• Fireproofing – The Bouma Interiors, Inc., Lansing
• Masonry – Brazen & Greer Masonry, Inc., Livonia
• Joint Sealants – D.C. Byers Company, Detroit
• Overhead Doors – Detroit Door and Hardware,
Madison Heights
• Hollow Metal and Finish Hardware – Detroit Rolling
Door and Gate, Detroit
• Concrete Foundations – E.L.S. Construction, Inc., 33900 Concord
Orion Township
• Interior Glass and Glazing – Exterior Wall Specialties, (734) 421-1170 Livonia, MI 48150 Fax (734) 421-5237
Northville JACKSON BUILDING LIVINGSTON PREFERRED
• Glass and Glazing – Huron Valley Glass Co., LLC, MATERIALS BUILDING MATERIALS BUILDING MATERIALS
Ypsilanti (517) 788-4333 (517) 552-9000 (734) 243-3262
• Ice Rink – Ice Builders, Inc., Liverpool, NY 120 Rosehill 4100 Lambert Drive 615 Harbor
• Interior Signage/Illuminated – J.L. Geisler Jackson 49202 Howell, MI 48843 Monroe 48162
Corporation, Warren
• Electrical – LaBelle Electric Services, Inc., Macomb EAST SIDE BUILDING OAKLAND ACOUSTICAL
Township MATERIALS BUILDING MATERIALS SERVICES, INC.
• Composite Panels/Metal Panels/Roofing – Michigan (810) 364-5500 (248) 377-1770 (810) 232-3994
Metal Walls, Inc., Wyandotte 4180 Dove Rd. 1099 Doris Rd. 2632 Lippencott
• Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning – R.W. Mead Port Huron 48060 Auburn Hills 48326 Flint 48507
& Sons, Fraser
• Toilet Partitions and Accessories – Russell Hardware EAST SIDE BUILDING ACOUSTICAL PREFERRED BUILDING
Company, Troy MATERIALS SERVICES, INC. MATERIALS
• Elevators – Schindler Elevator Corporation, Livonia (586) 949-6160 (989) 754-0420 (419) 868-5659
• Painting – Seven Brothers Painting, Shelby Township 28187 Kehrig Dr. 3725 E. Washington 10559 Geiser Rd.
• Floor Covering – Turner-Brooks, Inc., Madison Chesterfield 48047 Saginaw 48601 Holland, OH 43528
Heights
• Finish Carpentry – Trend Millwork, Inc., Lincoln Park FRAMES, DOORS PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY
• Site Concrete/Concrete Flatwork – Simone & HARDWARE, INC. BUILDING MATERIALS DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
Contracting Corporation, Sterling Heights (734) 422-5400 (734) 482-3764 (248) 377-6720
• Rough Carpentry – Wally Kosorski & Co., Clinton 33026 Capitol 1255 W. Michigan Ave. 1099 Doris Rd.
Township Livonia 48150 Ypsilanti 48197 Auburn Hills, MI 48326
• Landscaping and Irrigation – WH Canon, Inc.,
Romulus ACOUSTICAL CEILINGS & FRAMES, DOORS &
• Fire Protection – Wolverine Fire Protection, Mt. SERVICES, INC. WALLS, INC. HARDWARE, INC.
Morris (989) 779-7577 (734) 422-0484 (517) 787-5800
• Window Treatments – Creative Windows, Ann Arbor 4315 Corporate Dr. 12770 Farmington Rd. 118 Rosehill Suite A
Mt. Pleasant 48858 Livonia 48150 Jackson 49202

SI 122-132 Subs 10/15/07 4:40 PM Page 126
SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
Subcontractors – Parking Structure • Electrical (Parking Garage and Cath Lab) – Turner • Elevator Consultant – Donn Rush Associates, DeWitt
• Carpentry – Brinker Team Construction, Detroit Electric, Detroit • Landscape Architect – Michael J. Dul & Associates,
• Glass and Glazing – Exterior Wall Specialties, • Elevators – Schindler Elevator Corporation, Ann Birmingham
Northville Arbor • Lighting Designer – Gary Steffy Lighting Design,
• Concrete Foundations/Flatwork – E.L.S. • Equipment (Unistrut) – Unistrut Detroit Service Inc., Ann Arbor
Construction, Inc., Orion Township Company, Wayne • Mechanical/Plumbing Design/Build – Limbach
• Drywall – Pontiac Ceiling & Partition Co., Pontiac • Exterior Curtain Walls (Levels 2 and 3) – Contract Company LLC, Pontiac
• Resilient Flooring – Ideal Floor Covering, Sterling Glaziers Inc., Detroit • Electrical Design/Build – Edgewood Electric, Inc.,
Heights • Exterior Masonry – Leidel & Hart Mason Contractors, Madison Heights
• Plumbing – Oakland Plumbing Co., Ray Township Livonia • Fire Protection Design/Build – Westland Fire
• Electrical – Maryland Electric Co., Inc., Clinton • Exterior Metal Panels – C.L. Rieckhoff Company, Inc., Protection, Inc., Livonia
Township Northline • Security Design/Build – Security Corp., Novi
• Hollow Metal and Finish Hardware – Airtec • Exterior Plaster/Soffit/Studs and Interior Applied • Hardware Specifications – Ingersoll Rand, Security
Corporation, Detroit Fireproofing – The Bouma Corp., Okemos Technologies, Ferndale
• Elevators – Schindler Elevator Corp., Livonia • Exterior Precast – National Precast, Inc., Roseville
• Waterproofing, Joint Sealants & Traffic Coating – • Fire Protection – SimplexGrinnell, LP, Farmington Hills Subcontractors
Western Waterproofing Co., Livonia • HVAC – Ventcon, Inc., Allen Park • Foundations – R.L. Shekell, Inc., Wayne
• Painting – Trident National Corp., Fenton • Interior CMU Walls – Davenport Masonry, Inc., Holt • Waterproofing – D.C. Byers Company, Detroit
• Illuminated Exterior Signage – MLS Sign Company, • Landscaping – Site Development Services, Madison • Steel & Architectural Steel Fabrications – Utica Steel,
Inc., Chesterfield Township Heights Inc., Chesterfield
• Illuminated Exterior Signage – Digimatics, Inc., • Lighting Protection – Huron Valley Electric, Detroit • Concrete Flatwork – Simone Contracting Corp.,
Toledo, OH • Magnetic Shielding – Braden Shielding, Tulsa, OK Sterling Heights
• Earthwork & Site Utilities – John Carlo, Inc., Clinton • Mechanical – W.J. O’Neil Company, Livonia • Precast – National Precast, Inc., Roseville
Township • Mechanical (Level 5 South and Thoracic OR) – • Light Gage Metal
• Site Concrete – Angelo Iafrate Construction Co., Monroe Plumbing & Heating Company, Monroe Framing/Drywall/Carpentry/HM/Interior
Warren • Mechanical (Parking Garage) – Westside Mechanical Construction – Diversified Construction Specialists,
• Precast Concrete – Assemblers, Inc., Contractors, Brighton Inc., Rochester Hills
Pinckney/National Precast, Inc., Roseville • Millwork and Casework – Nelson Mill, Southfield • Glazing, Windows and Curtain Walls – Modern Mirror
• Masonry – Brazen & Greer Masonry, Inc., Livonia • Miscellaneous Architectural Metals – Davis Iron & Glass Co., Roseville
• Structural & Misc. Steel – B & A Steel Co., Inc., Works, Inc., Walled Lake • Brick – Beldon Brick Sales Co., Fraser
Chesterfield • Miscellaneous Metals (Parking Garage) – Van Dam • Masonry – Davenport Masonry, Inc., Holt
• EPDM Roofing – Bloom Roofing Systems, Inc., Iron Works, Inc., Grand Rapids • Exterior Wood Doors & Windows – O.L. Bolyard
Whitmore Lake • Painting and Wall Covering – Cavalier Painting Co., Lumber Co., Rochester Hills
• Overhead Doors – Detroit Door & Hardware, Sterling Heights • Interior Stone & Tile – Carlo Tile & Marble Co.,
Madison Heights • Pneumatic Tube – Swisslog Translogic, Rolling Southfield
• Fire Protection – TriStar Fire Protection, Inc., Meadows, IL • Architectural Woodwork – Distinctive Interiors, Ltd.,
Plymouth • Roofing – Ann Arbor Roofing Co., Whitmore Lake Roseville
• Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning – Great • Signage – Visual Entities, Inc., Grand Rapids • Flooring – Continental Interiors, Troy
Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn • Site Excavation – Eagle Excavating & Contracting, • Awnings – Marygrove Awnings, Livonia
Inc., Flint • Elevators – Kone Elevator, Livonia
• Skylight – Naturalite Skylight, Terell, TX • Roofing – Lutz Roofing, Shelby Township
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN • Stone and Ceramic Tile (Quiet Rooms) – Empire Tile • Caulking & Sealants – Seal Tech, Mount Clemens
CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER and Marble Co., Inc., Eastpointe • Painting – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Warren
• Structural Steel – Douglass Steel Fabricating Corp.,
Owner – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Lansing
Architect – Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott, • Substations – Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., ALLEN PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Boston, MA Southfield
Construction Manager – Barton Malow Company, • Telecommunications – Center Line Technologies, Owner – Allen Park Public Schools
Southfield Center Line Architect – French Associates, Rochester
Engineer – Smith Seckman Reid (SSR), Nashville, TN • Underground Mechanical – Michigan Mechanical Construction Manager – McCarthy & Smith Inc.,
Contracting, Inc., Southfield Farmington Hills
• Acoustic Ceiling Tiles and Cubicle/IV Tracks – • Vinyl Flooring and Carpeting – Continental Interiors, Civil Engineers – Giffels-Webster Engineers,
Acoustic Ceiling & Partition, Ann Arbor Inc., Troy Rochester Hills
• Air and Water Balancing – Absolute Balancing Co., • Window Shades – The Parkway Group, Livonia Structural Engineers – Penhale & Yates Inc., Southfield
Inc., South Lyon • Wood Cap (Stair 5) and Wood Railings (Levels 2A MEP Engineers – Peter Basso Associates Inc., Troy
• Ambulance Bay Doors, Interior Curtain Walls and and 3) – Brunt Associates, Inc., Wixom
Sidelights – American Glass & Metals, Plymouth Consultants
• Building Controls – Honeywell International, Saginaw • Voice/Data – Wright & Hunter Inc., Birmingham
• Carpentry (Parking Garage) – Great Lakes Ceiling & 325 NORTH OLD WOODWARD BUILDING • Testing – G2 Consulting Group, Troy
Carpentry, Ann Arbor • Food Service – Baker Group, Grand Rapids
• Casework (Café) – Stafford Smith, Kalamazoo Owner – B/K/G Birmingham, LLC, by Burton-Katzman • Temperature Controls – Master Temp Control, Livonia
• Ceramic Tile – Southeastern Tile, Mt. Clemens Development Company, Bingham Farms • Theater Planners – Schuler Shook, Chicago, IL
• Concrete – Spence Brothers, Saginaw Architect – Hobbs+Black Associates, Inc., Ann Arbor • Sound System – Acoustical Design Group Inc.,
• Concrete (Parking Garage) – Devon Industrial Group, General Contractor – Burton-Katzman Development Mission, KS
LLC, Detroit Company, Bingham Farms • Pool Consultant – Bill Robertson Pool Design,
• Drywall and Soffit Ceilings – Pontiac Ceiling & Interior Designer – Hobbs+Black Associates, Inc. Northville
Partition Co., LLC, Pontiac w/Dan Clancy, Ann Arbor
• Elastomeric Flooring – Stonhard Industrial Flooring, Civil Engineer – Giffels-Webster Engineers, Rochester Subcontractors
Maple Shade, NJ Hills • Pool Scoreboard – Daktronics, Ypsilanti
• Electric Ductbank Excavation – WPM, Grand Blanc Soils Engineering – G2 Consulting Group, Troy • Earthwork/Site Utilities – WPM Inc., Grand Blanc, and
• Electrical – Motor City Electric Company/Huron Structural Engineer – L&A Structural Engineers, Inc., Bowden Excavating Inc., Gregory
Valley Electric, Detroit Farmington Hills • Asphalt Paving/Site Concrete – Nagle Paving Co., Novi
• Electrical (Level 5 South) – A.F. Smith, Ypsilanti • Selective Demolition – Blue Star Demolition, Warren,
• Electrical (Parking Garage) – Shaw Electric Company, Consultants and Great Lakes Construction Services, Beverly Hills
Ann Arbor • Architectural Specifications – Richard L. DeLisle, Inc., • Foundations/Footings – Dan’s Cement Inc.,
Grosse Pointe Farms Columbus

SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 127
• Foundations/Footings – Moretti Foundation Co., • Electrical – J&J Electric Inc., Warren Subcontractors
Woodhaven • Testing & Balancing – Enviro-Aire/Total Balance Co. • Earthwork – Angelo Iafrate Construction Company,
• Concrete Flatwork – Fiore Construction, Howell Inc., St. Clair Shores Warren
• Concrete Flatwork – RML Decorative Concrete, • Fencing – Nationwide Fence & Supply Co., • Electrical – Hatzel & Buehler, Inc., Livonia
Washington Chesterfield • Elevators – Schindler Elevator Corp., Livonia
• Masonry – J&J Construction Co., Brighton • Fencing – Future Fence Co., Warren • Fire Protection – TriStar Fire Protection, Inc.,
• Masonry – Brazen & Greer Inc., Livonia Plymouth
• Structural Steel – Ross Structural Steel Inc., Detroit • Flatwork – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Livonia
• Structural Steel – Cadillac Iron Inc., Oxford BOSCH TECHNICAL CENTER • Flooring – Continental Interiors, Inc., Troy
• Steel “H” Piles – J.T. Crawford Inc., Commerce Twp. • Foundations – Amalio Corporation, Sterling Heights
• Carpentry/General Trades – EBI Detroit, Detroit Owner – Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany • General Trades – US Builders, Detroit
• Carpentry/General Trades – Westwood Carpentry Architect – Harley Ellis Devereaux, Southfield • Glass and Curtain Wall – Peterson Glass Co., Ferndale
Co., Beverly Hills Construction Manager – Barton Malow Company, • Kitchen – Great Lakes Hotel Supply Co., Detroit
• Roofing – Port Huron Roofing & Sheet Metal, Clyde Southfield
Twp.
• Roofing – M.W. Morss Roofing Inc., Romulus
• Aluminum/Composite Panels/Metal Siding –
Universal Wall Systems Inc., Grand Rapids
• Caulking & Firesafing – Statewide Caulking Co.,
Milford
• Frames/Wood Doors/Finish Hardware – Rayhaven
Equipment Co. Inc. Southfield
• Frames/Wood Doors/Finish Hardware – Detroit
Rolling Door and Gate Inc., Detroit
(586) 757-7100
• Windows/Glass & Glazing – Chelsea Glass, Chelsea
• Windows/Glass & Glazing – Hewett Co. Inc., Pontiac
• Metal Studs/Drywall – Barton Malow Co., Southfield
• Metal Studs/Drywall – Jimenez Construction, Detroit
• Tile – Boston Tile & Terrazzo Co., Detroit; supplier
Virginia Tile, Farmington Hills
• Acoustical Treatment – Wm. E. Harnish Acoustical
Inc., Redford
ADVANTAGES OF USING YOUR EVS BUYING SERVICES:
• Carpet/Resilient Tile/Sport Impact Flooring – Quality ✓ COST SAVINGS: (1) The best purchase or lease price for your new car
Floor Covering Co., Oak Park or truck (2) This service is offered to you as a benefit (3) This service is offered
• Painting – Skylite Painting Co. Inc., Livonia to your family and friends with your referral (4) You will receive the best price
• Visual Display Boards – Polyvision Corp., Dixonville, PA for your used vehicle.
• Interior Signage – The Supersine Company, Detroit
• Operable Partitions – Gardiner C. Vose Inc., ✓ FINANCING: (1) Quick approval (2) Lowest rates available (3) Purchase or
lease plans offered through dealerships or banks (4) All dealer rebates are
Bloomfield Hills
applicable.
• Stage Wood Flooring – Varsity Flooring Inc., Shelby
Twp. ✓ CONVENIENCE: (1) Professional, customer & friendly service (2)
• Toilet Partitions – R.E. Leggette Company, Dearborn Evaluation and analysis of the vehicle that best suits your needs and your
• Metal Lockers – Shelving Inc., Auburn Hills pocketbook (3) No need to shop dealer showrooms or be pressured into buying
• Music Casework/ Orchestra Enclosure – Wenger or leasing without all the facts (4) Comparison shopping done for you (5) Your
Corp., Owatonna, MN new car or truck delivered to your home or office.
• Pre-Manufactured Casework – Polyvision Corp.,
Clymer, PA
• Science Casework – Rush Parker Company, Sanford
• Window Treatment – Creative Windows, Ann Arbor
• Pool Construction & Equipment – Aristeo
Construction Company, Livonia
• Stage Rigging/Tracks/Curtains – Stagecraft Industries
Inc., Portland, OR
• Auditorium Seating – Seating Concepts, San Diego CA
Mitchell Associates, Grand Rapids
• Overhead Doors – Overhead Door Co. of Huron
Valley, Whitmore Lake
• Gymnasium Bleachers – Hoyle Athletic Supply,
Midland
• Food Service Equipment – Stafford-Smith Inc., Do yourself a favor. Call your buying service today. You will be treated to
Kalamazoo professional, experienced, customer friendly, and no hassle service.
• Auditorium Pit Lift Elevator – American Accessibility
Tech. Inc., Perry
• Passenger Elevator – ThyssenKrupp Elevator Corp., This program can be offered to all employees and
Oak Park their friends and family. Do them a favor too!
(586) 757-7100
• Cross Corridor Fire Door – Crawford Door Sales Inc.,
Detroit
EVS
• Plumbing/HVAC – Long Mechanical, Northville Call today:
• Pre-purchased Unit Ventilators – The Bolhouse Co.,
(Everything Very Simple)

Grandville
Automotive Sales & Leasing

• Fire Protection – Wolverine Fire Protection Co., Mt.
Endorsed Service Provider
Morris
• Fire Protection – Three Towers Fire Protection,
Lincoln Park
• HVAC – Partlan-Labadie Sheet Metal Co., Oak Park
• Electrical – McSweeney Electric Co., Wixom

SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 128
SUBCONTRACTOR LIST
• Landscaping – Inland Lakes Landscaping, Pontiac • Doors, Hardware and Frames - Detroit Door & BODMAN LLP AT FORD FIELD
• Masonry – Giannola Masonry Co., Clinton Township Hardware, Madison Heights
• Mechanical – Bumler Mechanical, Inc., Sterling • Ceramic & Slate Tile - Empire Tile and Marble Co., Tenant – Bodman LLP, Detroit
Heights Eastpointe Owner – DLI Properties, Detroit
• Metal Siding – C. L. Rieckhoff Company, Inc., Taylor • Punch Windows, Curtain Wall & Skylights - Exterior Architect – Gensler, Detroit
• Overhead Doors (Loading Dock) – Detroit Door & Wall Specialties, Northville Construction Manager – Turner Construction
Hardware Company, Madison Heights • BMS Controls - Fontanesi and Kann Company, Oak Company, Detroit
• Painting (Interior and Exterior) – Future Park Structural, Electrical and Mechanical Engineer –
Maintenance, Livonia • Ice Machine - Great Lakes Hotel Supply, Detroit SmithGroup, Inc., Detroit
• Roofing – Christen Detroit, Inc., Detroit • Exterior Monument Signs - Harmon Sign, Toledo, OH
• Sitework – Site Development – Madison Heights • Ornamental Gates - Industrial Fence, Detroit Subcontractors
• Structural and Miscellaneous Steel – Ross Structural • Divison 10 - International Building Products, Livonia • Audiovisual Systems – Governor Computer Products,
Steel, Inc., Detroit • Fire Protection - Interstate Fire Protection, Milford Dearborn
• Tile – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton • Auditorium Seats - KI, Brighton • Carpentry, Drywall, (Acoustical Ceilings) – Brinker
• Isolation Springs - Kinetics Noise Control, Inc., Team Construction Company, Detroit
Bloomfield Hills • Concrete – E.L.S. Construction, Inc., Orion Twp.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN • Brick/CMU Masonry - Leidal & Hart Mason • Data and Communications – Conti Technologies,
DEPRESSION CENTER, RACHEL UPJOHN Contractors, Inc., Livonia Sterling Heights
BUILDING • Painting - Madias Brothers Painting Contractors, Inc., • Electrical – La Belle Electric Services, Inc., Macomb
Detroit • Exterior Signage – Harmon Sign/Planet Neon, Novi
Owner – University of Michigan Health System, Ann • Telecommunications - Motor City Electric • Fire Protection – Detroit Automatic Sprinkler, LLC,
Arbor Technologies, Detroit Warren
Architect/Engineer – Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., • Paving - Nagle Paving, Novi • Flooring – Turner Brooks, Inc., Madison Heights
Detroit • Mechanical - PACE Mechanical Services, Inc., Ann • Glass and Glazing – Universal Glass and Metals, Inc.,
General Contractor – Devon Industrial Group, Detroit Arbor Detroit
• Elevators - Schindler Elevator Corporation, Ann Arbor • Hardware – A & C Builders Hardware, Inc., Warren
Subcontractors • Excavation & Utilities - Site Development, Inc., • HVAC – Systemp Corporation, Rochester
• Electrical - Alpha Electric, Inc., Sterling Heights Madison Heights • Interior Demolition – Detroit Dismantling Corp.,
• Steel Erection - American Erectors, Waterford • Structural Steel Fabrication - Steel Supply & Detroit
• Lockers - Angers Equipment Co., Detroit Engineering, Grand Rapids • Interior Masonry – Leidal and Hart Mason
• Louvers - Architectural Building Components, Oak • HVAC Sheetmetal - Ventcon, Allen Park Contractors, Livonia
Park • Landscaping - W.H. Canon, Romulus • MEP and Miscellaneous Equipment – Turner
• Millwork & Rough Carpentry - Brunt Associates, Inc., • Concrete Foundations & Flatwork - Walbridge Logistics, Detroit
Wixom Concrete Services, Detroit • Millwork – Trend Millwork, Inc., Lincoln Park
• Roofing - CEI Group, LLC, Howell • Waterproofing - Western Waterproofing, Livonia • Miscellaneous General Carpentry – Turner SPG, Troy
• Floorcovering - Continental Interiors, Inc., Troy • Movers – Palmer Moving, Warren
• Overhead Doors & Grilles - Crawford Door Sales, • Operable Partitions – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc.,
Detroit Bloomfield Hills
INSURANCE BONDING
OAKLAND COMPANIES
INTEGRITY • COMMITMENT • SECURITY
Our Primary Client Goals:
Protect Your Assets • Control Your Costs • Provide Exceptional Service
ISO 9001:2000
Certified Co.
888 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 1200, Troy, Michigan 48084
www.oaklandcompanies.net
Ph (248) 647-2500 • Fax (248) 647-4689
SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 129
• Painting – Madias Brothers, Detroit • Caissons – Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New • Landscaping – WH Canon, Romulus
• Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical, Inc., Clinton Twp. Hudson • Folding Partitions/Fire Doors – Won Door
• Spray-on Fireproofing – Pontiac Ceiling and Partition • Fire Protection – Simplex Grinnell, Farmington Hills Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT
Co., LLC, Pontiac • Water Main Relocation – Site Development, Inc., • Surveying Services – Rama Rao & Alfred, Inc., Detroit
• Structural Steel – Whaley Steel Corp., New Hudson Madison Heights • Testing – Soil and Material Engineers, Inc., Plymouth
• Window Treatments – The Sheer Shop, Shelby Twp. • HVAC – Temperature Engineering Corporation, • Testing and Inspection – TEC Testing Engineers, Troy
Sterling Heights • Site Granite Paving – Grunwell-Cashero Co., Detroit
• Traffic Control Systems – Traffic & Safety Control • Fountain – Marc Dutton Irrigation, Waterford
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN Systems, Inc., Wixom • Irrigation – American Sprinkler & Landscape, Inc.,
PARKING DECK AND CAMPUS • Acoustical Ceiling and Partitions – Turner Interiors, Livonia
IMPROVEMENT Troy • Surveying services – Field Measurements, Inc. Clinton
• MEP & Misc. Equipment – Turner Logistics, Detroit Township
Owner – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan • Restoration/Waterproofing – Western Waterproofing • Flooring – Artistic Installations, Inc., Warren
Architect – Neumann/Smith Architecture Company, Livonia • Pipe Lining – Utility Services Authority, Belleville
Construction Manager – Turner Construction
Company
Structural Engineer – Desai/Nasr Consulting
Engineers, West Bloomfield
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineers (Deck) –
Strategic Energy Solutions, Inc., Ferndale
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineers (Link) --
DiClemente Siegel Design, Inc., Southfield
Civil Engineer – Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., Bloomfield
Hills
Landscape Architect – Grissim Metz Andriese
Associates, Northville
Parking Consultant – Rich and Associates, Inc.,
Southfield
Door Hardware Specifications – Jenosky Consulting,
Inc., Novi
Subcontractors
• Electrical – Alpha Electric, Sterling Heights
• Plaza Precast Seating – American Vault and Concrete,
Detroit
• Foundation Concrete – Aristeo Construction
Company, Livonia
• Signage – ASI Modulex, Troy
• Precast Erector – Assemblers, Inc., Howell
• Granite/Tile – Booms Stone Co., Redford
• Roofing and Sheet Metal, Sedum – Christen Detroit,
Detroit
• Fall Protection Equipment – Davitco Construction
and Maintenance LLC, Farmington Hills
• Doors/Frames/Hardware – Detroit Door and
Hardware, Madison Heights
• Flatwork Concrete – Devon Industrial Group, LLC,
Detroit
• Structural Steel/Misc. Steel – Dumas Concepts in
Building, Northville
• Painting and Wall Covering – Eugenio Painting,
Grosse Pointe Woods
• Glazing – Exterior Wall Specialties Corp., Northville
• Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical, Clinton Township
• Demolition – Homrich, Inc., Carleton
• Fence – Industrial Fence and Landscaping, Inc.,
Detroit
• Site Concrete – J.J. Barney Construction Company,
Rochester Hills
• Interior and Exterior Masonry – Leidal and Hart
Mason Contractors, Inc., Livonia
• Access Control/CCTV – Mechanical Controls and
Maintenance, Inc., Sterling Heights
• Excavation and Utilities – Merlyn Contractors, Inc.,
Novi
• Ceramic/Terrazzo Flooring – Michielutti Brothers, Inc.,
Eastpointe
• Electrical – Motor City Electric Co., Detroit
• Precast Concrete – National Precast, Inc., Roseville
• Elevator – Otis Elevator Company, Farmington Hills
• Construction Sign – PLSC Sign Contractors,
Southfield
• Ceilings and Partitions – Pontiac Ceiling and
Partition, Pontiac
• Metal Lockers – Rayhaven Equipment, Southfield

SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 130
ADVERTISER LIST
AWI Great Lakes Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Interface Financial Group, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Ace Cutting Equipment & Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Iron Workers Local 25 Training Center . . . . . . . . 83
Acme Maintenance Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 JM Olson Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Advance Concrete Products Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Jeffers Crane Service Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Aluminum Supply Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Kem-Tec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Amalio Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Klochko Equipment Rental Company, Inc. . . . . . 26
American Pipe Lining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Laramie Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Aoun & Company, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Lifting Gear Hire Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Assemblers Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Limbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
B & B Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Livonia Building Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Berbiglia Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 MA Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Bobcat of Motor City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Madison Heights Glass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Broadcast Design & Construction, Inc. . . . . . . . . 99 Makita Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Brunt Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mans Lumber & Millwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
CAM Administrative Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Marshall Sales, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
CAM Affinity Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 MasonPro Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
CAM ECPN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC McCoig Holdings LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
CAM Expo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Michigan CAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
CAM Workers’ Compensation Plan. . . . . . . . . . . 108 Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters . . . . . 95
C.A.S.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Midwest Vibro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
C.F.C.U.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 National Construction Rentals, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Cipriano Coating Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Navigant Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Clark Hill PLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Neumann/Smith Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Conley Associates, Inc., D.J.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Next Generation Services Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Connelly Crane Rental Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Nicholson Construction Company. . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cougar Sales & Rental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 North American Dismantling Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Cummins Bridgeway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Oakland Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Curran Crane Co., J.J. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Oakland Metal Sales, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
DESAI/NASR Consulting Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Operating Engineers Local 324 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Daiek Woodworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Osborne Trucking & Osborne Concrete,
Danboise Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 John D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
DeBaker & Sons Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Osterman Electric Company, Inc., Rich . . . . . . . 114
Detroit Carpentry JATC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Patterson-Buck Hardwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
R
Detroit Dismantling Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Plante & Moran, PLLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
DANGE
Detroit Door and Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Plunkett Cooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Premier Electronics, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Detroit Terrazzo Contractors Association. . . . . . 42 Rinke GMC Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC
DiHydro Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Rocket Enterprise, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Doeren Mayhew. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Ronald B. Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Dunn Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Roofers Local 149 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Duross Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Roofing Technology Associates, LTD . . . . . . . . . 106
ETS Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Rooter, MD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50, 130
Edgewood Electric, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 SHW Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Edwards Glass Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 SMRCA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Environmental Maintenance Engineers . . . . . . . 28 STIHL Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
HIGH
Executive Vehicle Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Safety Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Fast Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Safway Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Ferndale Electric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Scaffolding Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Seedguy Hydroseeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Frames, Doors & Hardware, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Shelving, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
EXPOSURE French Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

G2 Consulting Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Glazing Contractors Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Spartan Specialties LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
State Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C.. . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Great Lakes Fabricators & Erectors Sunset Excavating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Superior Materials/US Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
When You Gutherie Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Gwyer Reprographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Tech Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Testing Engineers & Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Advertise In H. A. Smith Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 UHY Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
CAM Magazine! Hale Contracting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Hansen Marketing Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Unilock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
Valenti Trobec Chandler, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Hartland Insurance Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Virchow Krause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Hertz Equipment Rental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 W.W. Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
(248) 969-2171 Hilti, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Wade Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hydro X (ML Chartier). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Wayne Bolt & Nut Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Fax (248) 969-2338 IBEW Local 252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Woods Construction Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Integrated Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Zervos Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 131
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ONLINE MADE EASY!
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PROJECT NEWS
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projects instantly, for less
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PLUS online plans, specs,
addenda and bid
documents.
CALL THE CAM MARKETING DEPT. & SUBSCRIBE NOW!

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SI 122-132 Subs 10/2/07 4:02 PM Page 132
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CAM Magazine Special Issue 2007: The Best of Michigan Construction

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CAM Magazine Special Issue 2007: The Best of Michigan Construction

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SI 1-21 Boys Girls Club 10/4/07 10:17 AM Page 1

FALL 2007 VOL. 28 • NO. 11 • $4.00

BANKING MADE BETTER

FROM THE EDITOR

We ’re proud to present our Special Issue

We wish to thank our readers and the CAM

6 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007

1175 West Long Lake Rd. Suite 200 • Troy, MI 48098

Del Valenti Rod Gawel Jason McLelland Teresa Casey

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Matthew J. Austermann

Millwork & Mouldings Vice Chairman

Manufactured from Treasurer

Patterson-Buck Hardwood: DIRECTORS Brian J. Brunt,

Robert J. Michielutti Jr.,

John O’Neil, Sr.,

& HARDWOOD Diamond Award

2003, 2006 Honorable Mention

313-581-6000 • FAX 313-584-6373 and additional mailing offices.

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

10 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

By David R. Miller, Photography by

12 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

mer tool and die shop with no gym. The

its construction was not a foregone con-

“We were all well aware of the commit-

Visit us at www.cam-online.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 13

was also a strong emphasis on working

particularly owners, are getting more con-

cerned about,” said Anthony Spencer,

job once a week doing safety audits,

checking things out, and talking to sub-

14 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

are telling them, and safety is a non-nego-

Building costs are only a part of the

equation for facilities that run on

Visit us at www.cam-online.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 15

functional planning into the bricks and

16 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “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

43636 Woodward Ave.

18 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

lot,” said Marc Chamberlin, architect,

The emphasis on football is difficult to

miss at the facility. The main entrance

canopy sits beneath a 25-foot-long football INTERIOR BUILDING CLEANING

with windows placed every 5 yards on

Visit us at www.cam-online.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 19

memorabilia, including photos of Dick

20 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

22 CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

Square, a public plaza built in 1961; today,

essentially broken into two forms: a taller,

emerald-green glass wedge with a boldly

sloped roofline and a white-hued glass rec-

tangle, both with accents of the opposite

The front of the building “floats” on

Visit us at www.cam-online.com CAM MAGAZINE FALL 2007 23

The story of how one of the first new

multi-tenant Class A office building in

SEEING THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT

The first design hurdle was how to