CAM Magazine October 2022

ADVERTISING

DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

DIRECTORS Chrissy Brown International Building Products

Gerald C. Caratelli

Architectural Building Components, Inc. Matthew D. Cramer Dee Cramer

Frank G. Jonna

Jonna Companies

Teresa K. Miller Plante Moran Cresa

Todd A. Moilanen Cloverdale Equipment Co.

Jason R. Rewold Frank Rewold & Sons, Inc.

Kelvin B. Squires Center Line Electric, Inc.

CAM MAGAZINE EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

George Dobrowitsky

Progressive Mechanical

Daniel Englehart Peter Basso Associates, Inc.

Dennis King DMKING Consulting, LLC Amanda Tackett Consultant

James Vargo Capac Construction Company, Inc.

Voice of

from

Company Expansion

A Generational Partnership Ensures Success: Auto-Owners Insurance Expands Its South Campus in Lansing

Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research & Education

The Gathering Place: LSSU’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education Opens in Sault Ste. Marie Clinton-Macomb Library North Branch

Connecting a Community: Clinton-Macomb Public Library’s New North Branch Provides a Place of Joy, Discovery, and Inspiration

Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital

Competitive Constructors Join Forces at the New McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital

House Visitor Center and Administration Building

Ford House Honors the Past and Protects the Future: A Net-Zero Energy and LEED Gold Cotswold Village on the Lake

Hawk: Farmington Hills Community Center

The Hawk That’s Part Phoenix: Closed High School Becomes Thriving Farmington Hills Community Center

ABOUT THE COVER

Table of

CONTENTS

of the Year

Financial Services USA HQ

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters Reflects Michigan Site and Brand’s Global Status

Cancer Institute at McLaren

Lansing

Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing: A Building to Help Re-Build Health

GM Factory ZERO

Factory ZERO: Advancing GM’s Zero-Crashes, Zero-Emissions, and Zero-Congestion Future

Research & Development Center

KLA Corporation’s New R&D Center in Ann Arbor: Advancing Worldwide Semiconductor Manufacturing

Blue Water Energy Center

DTE Powers Toward a Net Zero Carbon Future with Its New Blue Water Energy Center

Medical Center

Nursing Its Medical Professionals: Livonia Medical Center Brings New Life to Schoolcraft College

Subcontractor Lists

The waterfront view of the city of Detroit boasts one of the most recognizable skylines in the world. In many ways, Detroit symbolizes hope, progress, and the power of industrialization. With such an iconic silhouette, showcasing a variety of different architectural styles and feats of construction achievement, it seemed an obvious choice to depict this view as the cover of this year’s Special Issue. This illustration is a unique and original painting created by CAM’s very own Senior Graphic Designer, Tim Andrews. While obviously not geared toward realism, this illustration instead aims to capture the remarkable cityscape of Detroit in a dream-like scene, juxtaposed against a surreal, larger-than-life sunset. In his free time, Tim likes to paint serene, evocative landscapes designed to create an emotional response from the viewer.

HEIDI BITSOLI

Heidi has been a writer and editor for more than 20 years, working in the fields of journalism and marketing. A versatile writer, her content has been published in newspapers, magazines, niche publications, university newsletters, and on countless websites. She also has written a few novels under a pen name.

LISA M. BRIGGS

Freelance writer Lisa Marie Briggs is a versatile writer who brings every subject or content to life — with flair, marketability, and distinctiveness. She collaborates with businesses and individuals for their long-term or shortterm writing projects. She has written for three Michigan-based magazines and currently is working on a book project featuring former Michigan of Department of Corrections prisoners. She is grateful to God for the opportunity to write and can be reached at briggs1020lisa@gmail.com.

DENNIS BURCK

With over two years of service at the Construction Association of Michigan, Dennis Burck is a consummate media professional generating leads for membership, reporting on events, writing CAM’s annual economic forecast, and contributing to CAM Magazine. He is a graduate of Wayne State University with a BA in journalism. Before CAM, his work appeared in the Detroit Metro Times, Lansing City Pulse, Metro Parent, Model D Media, and the National Endowment for the Humanities’ magazine.

Letter from the Editor

PATRICK CROWLEY

Patrick’s experience as a freelance Michigan travel writer has allowed him to write about the best Michigan has to offer, and writing with CAM Magazine has shown him that there is still more ground to cover. Patrick is a graduate of Oakland University and his degree in film and writing allows him to look at things through a different lens.

MARY KREMPOSKY-MCARDLE

Mary graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. As associate editor, Mary has been writing articles for CAM Magazine for more than 30 years. Over the years, she has enjoyed learning about beautifully designed and wonderfully crafted spaces, as well as witnessing an entire industry evolve into BIM and LEED and now beyond to data analytics and Net Zero Energy. She appreciates the many architects, engineers, construction managers, project managers, trade contractors, building owners, and business owners who have been willing to explain and share the stories of their projects and companies.

CHRISTINE SLOVEY

Christine Slovey is a writer, editor, and book builder with more than 20 years of experience publishing in the Detroit area. She comes from a long line of tradespeople, craftworkers, and artisans and is proud to contribute to CAM Magazine.

Welcome to the 27th edition of CAM Magazine’s Special Issue, which highlights 12 outstanding construction projects completed in the last year by members of the Construction Association of Michigan. As you read through the pages of this highly anticipated issue, a few trends will become clear.

The construction industry is accustomed to cyclical downturns, but the effect of COVID-19 on the global economy is unprecedented. Builders and suppliers continue to adjust to changes in schedules, supply chain disruptions, and worker shortages. Project teams have been forced to do more with less. Across the board, we’re seeing more collab oration among team members, and earlier on in the build process, as well as a sharp increase in the use of high-tech equipment and design, planning, and tracking tools.

A drive toward sustainability is also seen on nearly every project in this issue. You’ll read about EVs, the use of solar power and photovoltaic cells, and stormwater filtration systems. The trend is toward environmental preservation, bio philic design, and lessening the carbon footprint of Michigan’s buildings. We’re seeing a strong push toward reaching Net Zero – you’ll read about that a lot in these pages. All of this is evidence of the industry’s commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier environment for all of us in the state of Michigan.

Watch your email to learn how to cast your vote for the “Project of the Year,” which will be selected from these 12 Special Issue projects. The CAM Magazine Editorial Board and your input will determine the winner, which will be announced at CAM’s Annual Meeting in February 2023.

We hope you enjoy this Special Issue 2022 of CAM Magazine.

Diane Sawinski - Editor

A GENERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP ENSURES SUCCESS:

Auto-Owners Insurance Expands Its South Campus in Lansing

By Dennis Burck

With more than 100 years of experience in the insurance industry, Lansing-based AutoOwners Insurance Group provides insurance to more than three million policy holders in 26 states. It is an enterprise employing over 5,500 people across the country, with approximately half in its Lansing headquarters.

2019 was the year to break ground on new roots for new growth on Auto-Owners’ South Campus. Through COVID’s challenges and a redesign to allow for hybrid work schedules, construction manager The Christman Company and architect Gensler partnered to deliver a stunning new workspace with an emphasis on natural light and a modular work environment. SmithGroup and Ruby + Associates served as project engineers.

Auto-Owners Insurance’s new four-story,

235,000-square-foot facility is complete with all the modern amenities of a flexible, hybrid, work-from-home workspace. The building functions as a training and technology hub with a capacity of more than 1,000 workers. A common area with a conference room, kitchenettes, and restrooms sits centrally on each office floor. Anchoring the development on the first floor is a marketplace dining facility, lobby, and training rooms. A large first floor training room can fit up to 600 associates. On the building’s exterior, curtainwall windows are flanked by brick and paneling in a modernist style, allowing natural light to flood the workspaces and brighten an open, four-story atrium.

The showstopper on the building’s otherwise understated style is a four-story architectural staircase in the atrium, connecting all floors and breaking up the open floorplan. The structure is traversed

daily by Auto-Owners associates moving through the building. The demure yet dazzling new piece will anchor the AutoOwners’ state-of-the-art campus for decades onward.

But delivering high-quality pieces isn’t new for the project team — they’ve been here before.

A Generational Partnership

Christman and Auto-Owners Insurance have a well-established partnership of 71 years. Starting in 1951, The Christman Company built Auto-Owners Insurance’s downtown Lansing headquarters. Throughout the decades, Christman also supported AutoOwners with projects in Traverse City, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, and Indiana.

“I prefer the terms partnership and relationship alongside this owner,” said

Christman Vice President Rob Crowe. “Working with them for so many years, we know each other, making the conversation and process flow smoothly. It is great to complete a project and get the team back together.” The partnership started before the structure’s design, as Christman aided AutoOwners Insurance in planning and purchasing the land for the expansion.

As Christman’s Senior Project Manager, Chris Niswander oversaw the development from start to finish. “When you first look at the renderings with our history, you can definitely tell this is an Auto-Owners project,” Niswander said. “A lot of new buildings that are modern swing really high into modernism with a ton of glass and curves. It is something that may be sleek and shiny. But Auto-Owners is a little more conservative. "It is modern yet linear, clad in

brick. It ties into the previous building but stands on its own very well.”

Architectural unity across the AutoOwners campus was emphasized early in the design stage. “We wanted it to look modern, but not like a fish out of water,” said Auto-Owners Insurance Director of Real Estate Development and Acquisition Dan Keefe. “It needed to tie in well and look cohesive.” The utilization of new technology in the design phase would deliver this assurance to the growing insurance company.

Use of Virtual Reality Tech

With HoloLens technology, Christman deployed a mixed reality system for the owner to experience the architectural aesthetic of the project early in the design phase. The HoloLens Virtual Reality System

Brick, steel, and glass make up a classy yet understated facade that blends in with established buildings on the Auto-Owners South Campus Expansion in Lansing.

Climbing up the architectural staircase from the lobby, natural lighting from the sleek curtainwall glass floods all the floors of the structure.

All photos courtesy ofGilian

Fry, Gensler Regional Photographer and Visual Asset Coordinator

is an untethered and self-contained holographic device that allows users to see rendered objects layered on top of the eye’s natural field of view. The technology, rendering the finished project dimensions in 3D, enabled the project team to walk through the unmanifested front doors from the comfort of a conference room.

The HoloLens Virtual Reality system is an internal capability of Christman, according to Crowe. “We’re making design decisions and we like to show the owners how the massing of the building will feel along with the spacing. As the design progressed in the model, we could put it on the headsets and have the members of the organization feel

what the space would be like months and months before it was on the ground.”

Keefe said that the experience was amazing. “Construction is something I’ve been involved with for a while. I can look at plans and picture what it looks like reasonably well. But I think it was a big game changer for our senior leadership team,” Keefe said. “They were able to put on the headsets and see what the conference room looked like, what the atrium looked like, and walk through the office space.”

The technology bridges the gap between seeing what a project looks like and feel what it’s like to stand in the space itself.

“They were able to stand in the four-story

atrium and look up,” explained Crowe. “They could also see the transition to the dining space and elevator bay. It kept the owner’s confidence that they were getting the type of building they envisioned from the start.”

Ruby + Associates provided structural building design services to Gensler. Not only does the building have some unique architectural features, it required some creative engineering. The northwest corner of the building is suspended using a combination of a cantilevered transfer girder and vertical braces. There are multiple interior balconies that support cantilevered monumental staircases, and a hanging conference room that overlooks the fourstory atrium. A lateral-force resisting system is reinforced masonry shear walls, predominantly within the stair and elevator cores. Ruby engineers modeled the building using TEKLA software for full interoperability with the architect’s Revit model for seamless design coordination.

Despite the use of the latest and greatest building technology, an unseen factor would change the course of the design.

The Pandemic Hits

The news of a statewide shutdown due to the pandemic came at an eventful day during the project as it topped off structural steel. “We hit the largest milestone on the day the project shut down. Over the coming few weeks, we worked on developing plans on what the new normal looks like with COVID protocols,” Niswander said.

Due to insurance and construction being granted the status of essential business, the project would be one of the first to get back to work in Michigan following new state and CDC guidelines. “We were tasked with leading the development of COVID protocols. It was interesting to spearhead the effort and see what worked and what didn't,” explained Niswander. The team deployed COVID screening and contact tracing app CopperShield™ along with a questionnaire for workers before entering the jobsite each day. This verified that everyone on the project site was healthy to enter and avoided any outbreaks that could halt the project.

Crowe said that with a culture of safety first in construction already in place, the jump to mitigating risk with a pandemic was just another challenge for safety planning. “It

A four-story architectural staircase is the expansion’s centerpiece, providing access to each floor as it winds up through the open lobby.

wasn’t a huge leap to apply the same principles and how we could put controls in place to reduce the risk to people working on the site,” Crowe said. “We had a language for this. Of course, it was a scary global event, but we figured out a way to do it and got systems in place that were able to be replicated on other jobs.” With success at the AutoOwners Insurance project, Christman continued to deploy CopperShield™ at jobsites across the state.

“I gained a whole new appreciation for the construction industry as a whole and the midMichigan group of contractors who were involved,” Crowe added.

Adapting to the Work-from-Home Reality

The workplace has changed. Spurred into action by pandemic factors, hybrid office and work-from-home arrangements are quickly becoming the standard instead of the exception. It is a trend easy to see in

2022, but when the Auto-Owners Insurance South Campus Expansion build team was in the midst of their project, it was a critical time to refocus and redesign.

“We weren’t too far out of the ground

when COVID took over everything. We are still figuring out what the long-term impacts are of working from home,” Keefe said. “But we had a good sense that there would be some level of work-from-home once we

Tucked behind the welcoming lobby, the first floor also features a 600-person capacity training room and full marketplace-style dining facility.

were past the bulk of the COVID issue.”

Instead of individual stations for each associate, Auto-Owners added shared workstations and extra offices to accommodate hybrid work schedules. “We went into this with a design and expected utilization. But this is a textbook example of something in the environment changing and the project needing to change with it,” Crowe said. “All of a sudden, layouts are changing, as well as the infrastructure around them. Designers had to get back involved. Chris Niswander had to manage this and keep the costs reasonable. Having the ability to change, adapt, and solve problems goes back to our partnership relationship.”

The revised design now enables AutoOwners Insurance to house multiple departments in the finished product. “Ultimately it allows us to have a greater capacity in that building, since associates will be sharing workstations day to day,” Keefe said.

Solar and Green Building

Energy use and sustainability was also an important part of the project. The expansion features a photovoltaic roof with 1,128 solar panels producing 456,870 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. On average, a single-family home uses 6,500 kWh per year. The solar roof on the expansion can power approximately 70 residential homes.

But for all the solar power the roof offers, the amount of penetrations in the roof is scarce aside from power cables. “The solar panel system is a ballasted system, so there is actually no structural tie-in for the solar panels,” Niswander said. “They are only weighted down on the roof, which is great for the owner because you don’t want a million penetrations.”

The panels are also a dual tilt system, pitched in opposite directions to increase the solar load per panel no matter the time of day. “This allows us to get a high density of panels on the roof because we aren’t worried about shadowing one panel to the next,” explained Niswander. “Overall, it was the most efficient way to design that system

for the most benefit to the owners.”

Another environmentally conscious component used on the building is a highefficiency envelope to keep out the summer heat and winter cold. A building with a highefficiency envelope utilizes green building techniques that rely on passive means like building orientation and specialized materials instead of more active means like advanced HVAC mechanical work to keep buildings at a suitable climate. “The building was designed to minimize solar heat gain. They were looking at how to optimize the green building,” Crowe said.

“As a company who is part of this community, we certainly feel it is good to be environmentally friendly. This is one avenue to do that,” said Keefe. “We are happy to do these things when it makes financial sense.”

Sleek and Stylish for Years to Come

Catching the attention of the local Lansing City Pulse newspaper, the finished project was featured as the “Eye Candy of the Week” in a June 2022 issue. “Each side of this building has something interesting to offer its viewers,” author James Knarian wrote. “Sleek grids of glass and steel cover most of the structure, though the scale and utilization of materials vary with each façade. In the front facade alone there are several different sizes of windows, with brickwork and concrete intermixed only in one section. The varied presentation of modern materials turns this office building into a fine piece of architecture.”

Working in the Lansing area, Niswander said that it was special to see the project team's work put to good use. “Getting to the end of all the struggles that COVID brought, with manpower issues and materials, while delivering a product the owner is happy with — I’m immensely proud of that,” Niswander said. “We don’t do buildings of this size in the area too often, especially for a longstanding and important client that we’ve worked with for decades.”

Crowe said that he is grateful for the longlasting partnership with Auto-Owners Insurance. “We want to deliver a building safely, within their budget, and on time. It absolutely happened with Chris Niswander’s leadership, and we are eager for the next one when the time comes.”

“The Voice of The Construction

The Gathering Place

LSSU’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education Opens in Sault Ste. Marie

By Mary Kremposky McArdle

For millennia, the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie has been a gathering place for water, fish, and people: the icy waters of Lake Superior flow into Lake Huron in a 21-foot elevation drop, schools of whitefish navigate the river’s waters, and several thousand years ago, the native Anishinaabe began to gather in the summer to fish and to renew community bonds along this great life-giving, fish-filled waterway in an area indigenous people call Bahweting.

Today, a new gathering place, called the Richard and Theresa Barch Center for

Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE), has been built along the Sault Ste. Marie waterfront. Lake Superior State University (LSSU), in alliance with the State of Michigan, SmithGroup, and Spence Brothers, created CFRE as a place of connection dedicated to sustaining the health of the Great Lakes through community engagement, research, and education:

• Community Engagement: SmithGroup’s design visually connects people within the building to this great river flowing between Michigan and Ontario. The building’s

extensive, north-facing glass curtain wall draws in panoramic views of the waterway into a two-story space called the Dr. Constance Baker Great Lakes Discovery Center. Within this interactive space, visitors can view the life within the river, whether glimpsing a tiny aquatic crustacean through a microscope or watching the king of the fishes (the endangered lake sturgeon) in an open, pond-like tank. “We included the lake sturgeon in the Discovery Center because the fish is a story of recovery and effective policy decisions,” said Dr. Ashley Moerke, CFRE Director and LSSU professor, School

of Natural Resources and Environment. “It wasn’t until the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that funded projects to clean up contaminated river sediments that we started seeing the population rebound.”

In a first-floor conference room, CFRE researchers share their knowledge of microplastics and other Great Lakes threats with the community. For young children, educators don a fish costume and explain why fish have fins. Much of the hands-on learning for K-12 students takes place in the second-floor Discovery Lab, another space

with a grand, freighter-filled view of the river.

The St. Marys River Keepers and other community organizations hold meetings in this collaborative hub, and CFRE partners, such as Michigan Sea Grant, a funding, research, and community outreach organization that generates educational programming, maintain offices in the facility.

The community even took part in the planning of the Great Lakes Discovery Center. LSSU and SmithGroup conducted visioning sessions with over 50 different regional stakeholders from educators and conservation groups to tribal elders from the Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “Stewardship emerged as the overriding theme for the space,” Moerke said. The theme is expressed in exhibits highlighting the indigenous community’s close relationship with the natural world and LSSU’s research and student projects promoting the health of the Great Lakes environment.

• Research: CFRE’s advanced laboratories allow researchers to take a deep dive into the aquatic ecology of the northern Great Lakes, whether it is studying invasive algae or examining the effect of changing plankton communities on the declining population of young lake whitefish. One lab, called a mesocosm room, is stocked with 18 large, round fish tanks and a web of intricate piping and plumbing systems in an adjoining pump room.

In this “think tank,” researchers can manipulate different variables, such as water temperature and turbulence, in different tanks as part of experimental design.CFRE’s most recent partner, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes National Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response in Freshwater Environments, will soon use the mesocosm room to “examine how oil behaves in different conditions, such as increased turbulence in fresh water or oil caught in sediments with more organic material,” Moerke said.

The collaboration of SmithGroup, its Canadian Consultant Silk Stevens, Spence Brothers, and Dresseler Mechanical created, routed, and connected this incredibly complex network of infrastructure within the confines of a very modest space. Thanks to the team’s hard work, CFRE’s mesocosm room offers an amazing flex-ibility in its capacity to produce more diverse conditions than a typical mesocosm room. “We are unique in the Midwest, and the capacity that we have is beyond most universities in the region,” Moerke said.

• LSSU Education: The Great Lakes are an immense freshwater classroom for LSSU students. For over 30 years, LSSU and its aquaculture students have operated a fish hatchery housed within the Soo’s Cloverland Electric Cooperative Hydroelectric Plant. LSSU students release about 30,000 Atlantic salmon annually into the river. With this level of experiential training, LSSU provides 70 percent of the DNR’s fish production staff.

Located in Sault Ste. Marie, the building is clad in materials influenced by the forests and shorelines of the Upper Peninsula. In the above photo, timber columns of white pine support the main entrance and wood panels (a durable phenolic architectural panel) warm the façade and root the building in the Upper Peninsula’s natural environment. Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

BARCH

Building on the strength of its fisheries management program, CFRE now offers analytical labs for water quality management and environmental science. “We’ve acquired high-end analytical equipment to detect low levels of emerging contaminants such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and other substances,” Moerke said.

CFRE’s robotics lab will make use of “remotely operated underwater vehicles and sensor technologies to assess habitat underwater, track fish, or determine water quality, all to better understand these big lake systems,” Moerke said. The lab will even adapt these vehicles to handle the stronger currents and comparatively shallow waters of a river environment.

In creating this collaborative hub, CFRE hopes to inspire a collective sense of stewardship to safeguard the health of the water, the fish, and the people who call the Great Lakes region home. What better location for this mission than at the “nexus of the Upper Great Lakes,” Moerke said. “We are within an hour’s drive of eastern Lake Superior, northern Lake Huron, and northern Lake Michigan. One couldn’t find a better spot for such a facility.”

A Building Rooted in the Upper Peninsula

The actual site is along the river and next to the LSSU fish hatchery housed within the east end of the hydroelectric plant. As viewed from East Portage Avenue, the two-story building rises against a backdrop of the broad blue band of the river to the north, and to the

west, a 200-foot-wide canal and the massive reddish sandstone-clad hydroelectric plant, originally built in 1902.

In configuration, the building is formed of two offset bars: a south bar for research spaces and a north, or riverside, bar for education and community spaces. Wing-like, the roof section of each bar slopes upward in opposite directions. SmithGroup designed the dual sloped roofs to give the building a distinctive presence along East Portage Avenue despite its distance from the main thoroughfare. “The building’s massing and its two separate roof peaks not only call out the building from the street but also engage the river and hatchery,” said SmithGroup Associate-Architect Sheri Duval. From the northeast vantage, one enjoys a view of the river curving in a broad sweep toward Sugar Island. From the northwest, visitors, standing on CFRE’s outdoor balcony, have a clear sightline to the fish hatchery and the river.

Duval said the building is clad “in materials influenced by the forests and shorelines of the Upper Peninsula.” Timber columns of white pine support the main entrance canopy on the south face and near the outdoor balcony. Wood panels (a durable phenolic architectural panel called Stonewood) warm the façade and root the building in the Upper Peninsula’s natural environment. Much of the façade is a medley of burnished CMU block, four different architectural metal panel systems, glass curtain wall sections, and a “river” of glass stretching across the entire north face.

The riverside facade is a pure expanse of glass curtain wall, except for greenish-blue panels hinting at the coloration of the St. Marys River and the copper-based mineral stains of the Upper Peninsula’s Pictured Rocks. Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

A Place of Connection

A welcome mat of greenery – a series of rain gardens, native plantings, and vegetated bioswales for natural storm water management – greets the visitor. Walk past the entry canopy’s white pine timbers, enter the vestibule, and the eye is drawn like a magnet past the visitors’ waiting area and through the Discovery Center to the wide river beyond the glass curtain wall. “One of the main goals was for people to walk into the building and to see straight through to the river,” Duval said.

The glass curtain wall and the building’s site orientation create a connection between the indoors and the outdoors, the visitor and the waterway. “From a site layout perspective, we located the building such that we could maintain good views downriver,” said SmithGroup Associate Civil Engineer Steven Thomas, PE. “We even made sure that the chosen plantings, especially on the north side, weren’t so tall that the plants would block the river view.”

SmithGroup’s strategic placement of interior glass connects visitors to the science taking place within the building: visitors can peer through a dedicated window into the first-floor mesocosm room, glass sidelights offer a glimpse into the general and analytical labs on the second level, and visitors in the open, two-story-high Discovery Center can look up and view the activities in the secondfloor Discovery Lab through the Lab’s sizeable upper window. “We wanted to put education and science on display,” Duval said.

An upper-level mezzanine is a great perch for viewing it all. “A visitor can look directly across the glass to the river but also below to the Discovery Center and across the opening to the Discovery Lab,” Duval said. “The building continually presents people with opportunities to peer into spaces while they are moving through the interior.”

As another type of connection, a partition wall between the Discovery Center and adjacent conference room can open into two spaces, creating a combination classroommeeting space. This flexible arrangement can

expand to include the visitors’ waiting area, creating an even larger community event space in the evening hours.

“Everybody Is All In”

This incredible resource for the Great Lakes region could not have been built without the collective expertise and sheer stamina of the entire project team. This 12-year-long project was a grand fishing expedition of a different sort: fishing for dollars and square footage –and through the debris-filled ooze of a difficult site.

Fishing for dollars for the $14.2 million facility involved applying for state funding, grant writing, fundraising, and valueengineering. As a cost-cutting measure, Moerke said the building footprint was reduced from 21,000 to 18,000 square feet in the early project phases. For SmithGroup, programming diverse uses into a modestsized building involved “puzzle-piecing it together,” Duval said. Working closely with LSSU, SmithGroup experimented with the orientation and placement of different spaces to make full use of the available square footage and to deliver a building aligned with LSSU’s mission.

During construction, Spence Brothers “fished” a site riddled with underground obstructions from the Brownfield site’s days as a Union Carbide plant. “Every time we put a shovel in the ground we hit buried foundations, steel, or old rail tracks,” said Don Denomme Jr., Spence Brothers’ Project Manager, Northern Michigan. “Some of the

obstructions the excavating contractor pulled out of the ground were quite substantial. Union Carbide would run train cars right inside its facility, and among the largest of the extracted obstructions were a number of pyramid-shaped pieces, about 10-foot square – 10 feet on the side and 10 to 12 feet tall –that were probably old railroad supports.”

Throughout the years of planning and design, Moerke would often say, “If you build it, they will come.” Spence Brothers built this riverfront gathering place – with a pause for Michigan’s COVID-19 shutdown – and LSSU students and the community have been flocking to CFRE since its opening in December 2021.

For LSSU students, “CFRE has become the place to be on campus,” Moerke said. “CFRE also is a very strong recruitment tool. We have 35 students trained as CFRE ambassadors to give tours to prospective students. We are the smallest state university in Michigan, and the new facility and its summer programs are a great way for us to show people the access we have to the lakes, the river, and the land. As of May 2022, we’ve had over 600 K-12 students through our doors, and we have 14 summer camps scheduled.”

Tourists are slated to arrive by the boatload – literally. “By May 2022, about 42 cruise ships had added us as a stop,” Moerke continued. “It hasn’t been a slow ramp up; everybody is all in.” The phrase is an apt description of the efforts of the entire team.

Generous patrons are honored on the donor wall (left) in the welcome and waiting area near the Discovery Center. Just beyond, attention is drawn to the wide river beyond the glass curtain wall. Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

The First Lap of a Long Marathon

The idea for this collaborative hub began in 2007. For the community, “there was no place in the area to learn about the Great Lakes,” Moerke said. For LSSU students and researchers, “we wanted to fill a geographic gap in Great Lakes research. Nobody was researching the northern Lake Huron, eastern Lake Superior, and northern Lake Michigan areas, and yet they are very important commercial fisheries and very important tribal resources.” According to the International Joint Commission, “the St. Marys River and its wetlands support one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in the Great Lakes Basin.”

In 2009, SmithGroup began working with LSSU to turn this expansive vision into an actual building. In 2010, SmithGroup provided LSSU with programming and a schematic design as part of the University’s proposal to the Michigan Legislature’s Capital Outlay Program. “The Program assesses available funding and reviews submitted projects that exceed $1 million from State Agencies and Michigan universities and community colleges,” said Thomas Pawlowski, Project Director for the State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB), State Facilities Administration, Design and Construction Division.

Initial approval allowed project planning to progress; final approval was granted in 2017. Over the long arc of this preliminary phase, changing market conditions and financing raised the cost from $13.2 million to $14.2 million with LSSU’s matching fund requirements increasing to $5.35 million, according to Pawlowski.

In the planning phase, costs increased as the project transitioned from renovating space in the hydroelectric plant to constructing a new building adjacent to the plant. “An operating hydropower facility presents some public safety risks and concerns,” Moerke said. “The active turbines are noisy, making it a space that wasn’t amenable to conducting classes or hosting school groups and visitors, and not being owned by LSSU, it would limit what we could do with the space.”

For research purposes, the new building had to be located close to the fish hatchery, eliminating the possibility of renovating another building. In turn, the fish hatchery could not be moved from the hydroelectric

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plant, “because it requires gravity-fed canal water from the river to function,” Moerke added.

Once the site and new building concept was established, Spence Brothers joined the project “at the start of preliminary design in 2018,” Pawlowski said. “Both SmithGroup and Spence Brothers were chosen through a competitive process.”

Fishing for Dollars

Additional funds had to be generated to offset market conditions and the project’s change in course. Moerke spearheaded the fundraising drive with the persistence of water carving a channel through solid rock. “Many different entities came together to fund this project,” said SmithGroup Senior Project Manager Patrick Westerlund. “It was a huge

undertaking, but Ashley was the stalwart leader of all of those efforts.”

The entire team worked tirelessly to secure grants to seal the funding gap. “I wrote and submitted the landscaping grant, but I couldn't have done it without the information

from the team,” Moerke said. SmithGroup provided landscape drawings, and John Galnares (Spence Brothers Vice President and Project Director) helped me (to create an itemized list as part of developing a budget estimate for the grant application).”

The Dr. Constance Baker Great Lakes Discovery Center offers a view of the king of the fishes –the sturgeon – in an open, pond-like tank. Science is on display throughout the building, thanks to the strategic placement of interior glass, such as the upper window showcasing activities taking place within the second-floor Discovery Lab.

Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

LSSU Sponsored Programs Administrator

Erica Newland helped in securing a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) grant to remediate the Brownfield site. “The grant covered a great deal of work,” Denomme said, “including the removal of excavated soils, the cost of the tipping fee at the specialty landfill, and the extraction cost of the site’s underground obstructions.”

Finessing the Budget

Every facet of the project was scrutinized for savings. “There was a lot of pressure in trying to work within the budget but still provide the program that CFRE needed,” Westerlund said. “As part of the whole design process, we had many discussions and reviews about materials, the function of spaces, and how all of it would fit within the budget.”

Spence Brothers suggested several cost-

effective alternatives that still preserved the design intent. On the façade, for example, the number of different panel types was reduced from five to four. “And we went from Vespa panels to Stonewood panels,” Denomme said. “The savings were probably about half of what was originally specified.”

The team conducted rigorous value analysis. From mud mats under the slab and timber columns around the north building face to sliding glass partitions within the interior, different building features were value engineered to meet the tight budget, according to Denomme.

Value engineering concluded on the first of two bid packages in September 2019, allowing work to begin on the first bid package consisting of concrete (foundations, slabs, and site concrete), elevator, site work (grading and utilities), and deep foundations.

Cantilevered Grade Beams

Given the challenging site and soil conditions, SmithGroup investigated numerous types of foundation systems, but ultimately chose drilled auger cast piles with a structural slab. According to Westerlund, the auger cast piles could support the building down to bedrock, and the install would not impact the adjacent hydroelectric plant. The deep foundation system called for “approximately 76 to 78 auger cast piles drilled 55 feet below ground level,” added Spence Construction Supervisor Adam Wichlacz.

A grid of pile caps and foundation grade beams supports the structural slab and completes the foundation system. “Each pile cap is placed on a cluster of three or four 14inch diameter piles to support each building column,” Denomme said. “Next, four- to fivefoot-high reinforced concrete grade beams connect the pile caps.”

Spence mobilized on site on September 30, 2019. The former Union Carbide site once had multiple industrial buildings, including a massive structure with its own railway. From the moment Burton Excavating, the Sault Ste. Marie-base site work contractor, began preparing the building pad for deep foundations, “issues with the existing underground infrastructure from the demolished plant surfaced immediately,” Denomme said. Spence and SmithGroup worked as a team in navigating this underground obstacle course. “These obstructions were discovered during excavation, and we had to adjust on the fly in order to keep the project moving forward,” Thomas said.

As a particularly challenging condition, Spence Brothers encountered an old sheet pile wall while excavating the building’s northwest corner. Removal was ruled out, Westerlund said, because no one could reliably predict the sheer depth of the sheet pile wall. The solution: cantilevered grade beams. “Our structural team came up with the solution of relocating probably about three piles,” Westerlund said, “and redesigning the foundation grade beams to support the structural slab by creating a cantilevered grade beam scenario.”

Working with SmithGroup, Spence Brothers installed this row of auger cast piles on the landward side of the sheet pile wall.

“We then installed a grade beam system, supported on those (auger cast) piles, which cantilevered over the top of the sheet pile

The lake sturgeon is a story of recovery and effective policy decisions. The lake sturgeon population began to rebound after the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funded projects to clean up contaminated river sediments. Photo courtesy of Spence Brothers

wall in order to support the northwest corner of the building,” Denomme said. “…This approach is unique from the standpoint of the condition encountered and addressed.”

Early Bird Infrastructure

Finessing the budget for Bid Pack #2 (the remainder of the building) continued as work progressed on Bid Pack #1, including the early December 2019 through mid-January 2020 install of the auger cast piles. As one caveat, Spence held work on Bid Pack #1’s pile cap and foundation grade beams in order to secure what Denomme called the underground coordination contracts from Bid Pack #2’s mechanical, electrical, structural steel, and fire protection bidders in January 2020. “With these contracts in hand, we were able to get the information necessary for the concrete work to begin on the pile cap and grade beam work in late February 2020,” Denomme said.

As part of this tremendous coordination effort, the underground infrastructure, including sanitary and storm systems, had to be designed and installed prior to the pouring of the structural slab. The slab itself supports a wide network of underground systems. “These systems had to be in the right spot, because that structural floor slab is 12-inch-thick reinforced concrete,” Westerlund said. “Any underground infrastructure from the sturgeon tank and toilet fixtures to the electrical floor boxes had to be coordinated ahead of time prior to the pouring of the floor, which was the actual structural foundation slab. In a typical building, the structural steel is erected, the roof installed, and then they will pour the floor. In this building, we had to pour the floor first as part of the foundation and then raise the building out of the ground.”

Rooting the building into the ground took an almost Herculean effort. In yet another underground hurdle, the building is much lower than East Portage Avenue, making tapping utilities into the city right-of-way along this main thoroughfare a challenge.

“The sanitary sewer tap that was made for the lead from the building to the tap at the main was probably 20 feet deep,” Denomme said.

A Puzzle-Like Facade

With all the underground “dragons” slain, another monster reared its head: COVID-19. In March 2020, Michigan’s six-week COVID19 shutdown temporarily halted pile cap and

grade beam installation until May 2020. The pandemic’s supply chain-induced havoc rippled through the structural steel marketplace for even longer. Structural steel installation began in mid-September, and Spence then pushed for temporary enclosure of the building and the pouring of concrete floors. “Spence Brothers did a tremendous job of coordinating all of the trades and in bringing the building out of the ground in the middle of COVID,” Westerlund said.

Pandemic supply chain issues impacted the arrival of one of the facade panels, but the contractor kept on pace by prepping the facade prior to the panels’ arrival. The façade is a puzzle-like assembly of materials arranged in varied layouts across each building face. Different types of architectural composite metal (ACM) panels accent the expanses of burnished CMU, glass, and the Stonewood panels. “All of the panels were made to specifically fit a certain place on the facade,” Denomme said.

The ACM panels were the last pieces of the puzzle to be installed on the façade. To achieve the optimal fit, the metal siding contractor used a 3D modeling camera to accurately field measure the dimensions of every panel opening. Back at the shop, “they

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Natural light and a shoreline view – the prime habitat of the Michigander – fill the Discovery Center that offers curious students, cruise ship travelers, and tourists alike an enlightening perspective on the fish, the water, and the coastal management of the St. Marys River and northern Great Lakes.

Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

finalized the actual size of the panels,” Denomme said. “I give kudos to TFC Canopy, our metal siding contractor for that whole process.”

Now complete, the façade embodies “all the beautiful colors that come from the surrounding natural environment of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” Duval said. The riverside facade is a pure expanse of glass curtain wall, except for greenish-blue metal panels wrapping the northeast corner of the building and set on the glass like a window frame. “The greenish-blue panels hint at the river,” Duval said, “and they also were influenced by images we were finding of the Upper Peninsula’s Pictured Rocks.” Near the shore, the waters of Lake Superior have a lovely blue-green tint, while copper adds a blue-green stain to the more predominate red and orange hues of these well-known cliffs rising east of Munising.

The greenish-blue coloration “moves from the exterior to the interior walls of the Discovery Lab,” Duval said. This flow of color “highlights the Discovery Lab and calls attention to the education activities occurring within the building.”

The Mesocosm Room

For the interior, Denomme said fitting the necessary infrastructure into the mesocosm spaces made for a highly demanding installation. Silk Stevens designed the intricate web of piping systems and pumps supporting the room’s research capabilities. Spence Brothers gave Silk Stevens’ 3D model to Dresseler Mechanical as an installation aid to piece together this complex system in the small spaces of the mesocosm room and its adjoining pump room. The contractor’s work involved “setting the equipment and then running the piping to where it would best fit by understanding all of the different intricacies of what gets connected where and how the water is going to flow,” Denomme said. “They did a nice job of fitting all of the systems in the space.”

The mesocosm room itself “is a sealed, humidity-controlled environment isolated from the rest of the building,” Westerlund said. “The wall system is taken all the way up to the floor deck above, and it is sealed at the perimeter. The room’s dehumidification system is on a backup generator to make sure low humidity levels are maintained in the event of a power outage.”

After a training session in the room’s operation, a CFRE researcher said, “It’s complicated but very cool!” All of the team’s hard work now offers researchers a space with superb capabilities for keeping the Great Lakes and its fisheries healthy.

The mesocosm room’s flexibility offers researchers limitless possibilities in the design of experiments. CFRE researchers can either set the system on recirculate to conserve water or have the water flow through the tanks in a constant stream. “Other facilities within the Great Lakes region can only do one or the other,” Moerke said. “As another capability novel to our facility, we can pull raw water directly from the St. Marys River, allowing us to better simulate the actual living conditions of the organisms. Other facilities, located inland, usually use groundwater or municipal water, which isn’t quite the same. We can heat, cool, filter, or leave the water raw. The mesocosm room allows us to manipulate the environment and ask interesting questions about aquaculture or about the ecology of systems.”

As another novel capability, CFRE’s randomized tank placement minimizes the influence of building conditions on experimental results. For instance, tanks close to heaters or subject to more light may skew results. “The optimal solution is to place the tanks randomly throughout the room,” Moerke said. “Although it is more costly and it becomes a

bit more of a puzzle to install the web of pipes, it avoids confounding variables and produces the best experimental design.”

The mesocosm room is already expanding CFRE’s research opportunities. “In May 2022, we received our first grant that will use the mesocosm room to study the limiting factors of lake whitefish growth,” Moerke said. “When the lake whitefish are young, they feed on plankton, and it is thought that that might be the life stage limiting their numbers in the wild. It’s thought that the plankton community is changing. In the mesocosm room, we can manipulate the plankton community and see how they grow under different conditions.” The study also will investigate the cause of the shift in plankton species, whether it is climate change, quagga mussels, or a combination of factors.

A Vessel of Stewardship

LSSU and the team have created a powerhouse of a facility. In the Discovery Center, the live lake sturgeon and an interactive exhibit, called the Watershed Table, engage visitors of all ages. The Watershed Table invites visitors to shape the soil medium and to direct the flow of water, in part, as a lesson in the power of water to carve the land and the power of people to protect both. For example, “mowing the lawn of a waterfront parcel right to the edge of the river will cause erosion over time,” Moerke said. “This is because grass doesn’t have long enough roots to hold the soil well. Not only do people lose some of their property over time, but the eroded soil will be deposited in a habitat sturgeon and other fish need for their eggs. When this process of erosion and deposition

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Much of the hands-on learning for K-12 students takes place in the second-floor Discovery Lab, another space with a panoramic view of the river. Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

One lab, called a mesocosm room, is stocked with 18 large, round fish tanks and a web of intricate piping and plumbing systems both in the mesocosm room and in an adjoining pump room. Unique in the Midwest, CFRE’s mesocosm room has a capacity beyond most universities in the region. Photo Credit: BlueLaVaMedia

is shown on the small scale of this Watershed Table, the principle becomes more understandable.”

On a larger scale, the site itself is a type of Watershed Table designed to manage storm water flow. “In the vegetated bioswales, the planting mix contains deeply rooted plantings that are beneficial in promoting water quality,” Thomas said. “The water filters through the plant media, eventually runs through a storm conveyance system, and then enters the north basin that temporarily holds the water and the effluent from the mesocosm room. From that point, the water will go through a series of treatment trains and eventually make its way out to the river.”

SmithGroup is currently designing green infrastructure for the adjacent city-owned parcel. “We are going to be running the stormwater through another series of bioswales,” Thomas said. “The water will then reach an outlet control structure before moving out toward the river.”

The community assisted in this stormwater management effort by planting the site’s rain gardens and native vegetation. LSSU’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education is a human ecosystem of researchers, students, and the community, and even as Thomas points out, our Canadian neighbors across the river, all brought to this gathering space to understand, enjoy, and preserve the northern Great Lakes and the St. Marys River.

The river’s original stewards, the Anishinaabe, held a prayer ceremony at CFRE’s grand opening in December 2021. Bahweting’s original people have left their mark on the building in their prayers, in the visioning session, and in the paintings of a First Nations artist from Ontario. One of the graphic displays in the visitors’ waiting area features two Native women pouring an offering into the water from a luminous vessel. In Anishinaabe culture, women are the water keepers who protect the water and the life within it. Given Moerke’s tenacity, the CFRE director herself could be viewed as a very dedicated water keeper in any culture. Lake Superior State University, the State of Michigan, SmithGroup, and Spence Brothers gathered their collective expertise to root the building into very difficult ground and to bring this block, wood, and glass “vessel” of stewardship into existence along this historic waterway.

o n n e c t i n g a C o m m u n i t y

C linton-Macomb Public Library’s New North Branch Provides a Place of Joy, Discovery, and Inspiration

By Christine Slovey

As you drive toward the ClintonMacomb Public Library (CMPL)

North Branch in Macomb Township, its elegant copper-plated dome emerges on the horizon and draws you in across the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, which is part of the Clinton River Watershed. A gently sloping, fully accessible parking area gives way to landscape architecture that complements the watershed area and provides patrons with plenty of outdoor seating from which to enjoy the views.

Ann Dilcher, AIA, Principal at Quinn Evans Architects, says of the location, “The wetlands environment inspired designers to make the entryway an exciting adventure.”

The sidewalk leading to the east entrance of the library is lined with an assortment of outdoor musical instruments, drawing younger patrons into the fun world of knowledge and learning that the library represents.

Building a Space to Learn and Grow CMPL’s new North Branch is the embodiment of the Clinton-Macomb

community’s commitment to grow its library system as the community itself grows. The old North Branch, while much loved and well utilized by the community, had outgrown its space. It was also the oldest and the smallest of CMPL’s three library branches. Situated in a building intended for medical offices, it could not be renovated sufficiently to meet the needs of north Macomb’s expanding community.

The new North Branch doubles the square footage of the old North Branch library. It provides state-of-the-art service, collections, and amenities and more than 28,000 square feet of indoor space and another 6,000 square feet of outdoor space in the form of patios, porticoes, and courtyards. Wi-Fi is available inside and outside of the building with five USB/AC power posts available on the east patio and courtyard. Residents have access to public computers with color printers. Self-service study rooms provide space for quiet study, or for livelier groups to collaborate without interfering with other library users.

Modern features and amenities encourage community use. Usable spaces

within the library are uniquely designed to appeal to all patrons, from young toddlers and school age children to teens and adults. Reservable spaces include the small study rooms as well as a large meeting room and conference room. These spaces also provide inside-to-outside-and-insideagain layered views, connecting visitors to the natural surroundings to the east and town square area to the west. This inside/outside design was intentionally developed and can be appreciated throughout the library.

The new branch is located on a sevenacre parcel of land donated by the Macomb Township Board of Trustees. The site is a part of the township’s Macomb Town Center, a one-mile-square area of new urbanism development with an early twentieth century aesthetic that will act as a place for Macomb Township residents to gather and build community ties. Plans are to build townhomes, parks, specialty retail shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

The library is situated in the Center’s town square, along with the township’s municipal building and the Macomb Township

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Recreation Center. Township officials required that the library’s design be compatible with the existing buildings and reflect the overall aesthetic. Quinn Evans Architects met the challenge. “The design is focused on incorporating historical elements in an authentic and contemporary manner,” said Dilcher.

Macomb Township Supervisor Frank Viviano told Alec Szwarc of the Macomb Township Chronicle in October 2021, “The building is a stunning piece of architecture.”

Speaking of the library’s place in the Macomb Town Center, Viviano said, "This building will provide an outstanding anchor to this Town Hall complex and is something we as a community can enjoy for many years to come.”

Collaborating for Success

The entire project is the successful collaboration between the Clinton Macomb Public Library, Quinn Evans Architects, and McCarthy & Smith, Inc. as construction manager. Because the project team was established during the pre-construction period, the vision for the new North Branch

was developed early and maintained through final design, bidding, and construction. More than 50 firms from throughout metro Detroit and across the United States collaborated to bring the vision to reality.

Groundbreaking took place with a ceremony on May 4, 2019. By this time, CMPL’s library board and Director Larry Neal had already been working with now retired Lead Design Architect James Mumby, as well as Ann Dilcher, Ben Telian, and Fatima Beacham of Quinn Evans. The Quinn Evans team worked with Neal to ensure that the building design and grounds reflect CMPL’s focus on community and access.

The design artfully combines traditional features such as a 53-foot copper dome, porticoes, and large exterior archways and outfitted the building with cutting-edge technology and infrastructure including elevated access floors, contained mechanicals in a penthouse area, state-ofthe-art automated conveyor unit to handle returns, among others. In addition, the library has its own generator and serves as

an essential services building during emergencies.

Formal Elements Provide Substance

The 53-foot copper dome is a focal point from both outside and inside of the library. From the outside, it gives the one-story building height and impact even as it resides among the larger municipal building and recreation center. It harkens back to other great domed structures in American architecture, such as Monticello, the Library of Congress, as well as the first public libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie at the turn of the twentieth century.

Weighing 38,000 pounds, the dome was fabricated by McCarty Domes in Tucson, Arizona. It was constructed in Tucson, disassembled, shipped to Michigan, and reassembled on site. The exterior of the dome consists of 1,104 handcrafted copper tiles, cut and placed by the William Molnar firm. Over time, the copper tiles will transform from reddish brown to a beautiful verdigris patina.

The library’s two entrances, one on the east side of the building and the other

The west-facing entrance to the Clinton-Macomb Public Library North Branch opens onto the township green. The distinctive copper dome gives the singlestory library equal presence to the larger public buildings on the green and complements their turn-of-the-twentieth-century architecture.

Photo by Justin Maconochie, Maconochie Photography

facing west into in the town square, bring you into the central community gathering space of the library. Here the dome rises 38 feet from floor to ceiling. Many design features of the building reflect the importance of knowledge and learning. The interior of the dome, for example, features a geometric pattern that emulates patterns found in flowers, echoing the library’s

connection to its natural environment and reflecting the order and mathematical principles found in nature. The interior panels weigh 300 pounds each and had to be lifted and hung in place with aircraft wire. The panels include acoustical materials for sound absorption.

Directly below the interior of the dome lies an eye-catching terrazzo compass

medallion, made possible by a generous donation from the Friends of the Clinton-Macomb Public Library. The compass design was suggested by Gretchen Krug, Head of Spatial Planning/North Branch, who also helped set out the building needs for Quinn Evans. The whole team immediately loved the idea. It represents the library’s role as a natural crossroads for the north Macomb community. The

Directly below the interior dome, a terrazzo compass medallion represents the library’s role as a cross roads for the community, a place for residents to congregate. Generations of Macomb County residents will say, “Let’s meet at the compass.” Photo by Chris Lark

highlights new and popular items in the library’s collection, and self-check-out stations. The circular vibe of the room reinforces its purpose as a meeting place and community hub. Around the edges of the room are door-free restrooms, drinking fountains, a customer service desk, and more seating areas that make it a

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The library’s classic copper dome measures 38 feet from the floor to the oculus and has impact from both the outside as well as from the interior commons area that is the main hub of the library. This area is a meeting place for residents that includes comfortable seating, shelves to display new library materials, a customer service desk, holds pickup, restrooms, and drinking fountains, all artfully arranged around the dome and terrazzo compass features. Photo by Chris Lark

welcoming and useful space for residents to meet up and begin their library encounter. Moveable shelving allows the entire space to be cleared for special events.

According to Neal, “Architects James Mumby and Ann Dilcher think a lot about the different types of spaces that different

boards for selection. Some of the durable boards were crafted into trim and benches by Wally Kosorski & Co. of Clinton Township. Some of the wood was sent to Burgeon Group in Phoenix. There, they custom designed and built educational end caps in the children’s area. These artful pieces feature colorful and engaging

The adult reading area of the library is at the far end of the commons area. It opens vertically and features clerestory windows that pull in abundant natural light and connects the interior space to the outdoor space. “Floating” globe lights are an eyecatching feature. At night, they can be appreciated from the outside by visitors to the Town Center. Photo by Chris Lark

information about Macomb Township’s farming and agricultural heritage, while others offer facts and illustrations of different wetland habitats in honor of the natural area surrounding the library. A small leaf symbol appears on items constructed from the salvaged beech trees, offering a fun learning opportunity about sustainability as kids search the library for the leaf symbols.

A teen area features a mirrored inside/outside table inspired by Billund Bibliotek in Denmark as well as a PS 5 gaming station and study rooms that overlook the east courtyard. Another nice feature for teens and other students is a selection of private study rooms that can be reserved using the library’s app. The application sends a code the user who then uses the code to directly access their reserved room, without needing to wait for a librarian to open the room for them.

To support future adaptability, this half of the building was built entirely on a raised access floor. Throughout the library are floor pockets that feature fun and unique displays meaningful to the history and culture of the Macomb Township region. One of the floor pockets holds a time capsule that will be opened in 2071.

As you continue along the main artery, past study rooms and the main reference desk, the area opens vertically into an adult

reading room. Warm, natural materials and lighting create an inviting gathering space with various seating options. Glowing orbs are a nighttime feature, transforming this space into a lantern from the outside as an impactful visual for visitors to the Town Center. Clerestory windows pull light into the adult reading area, while generous use of interior glazing allows natural lighting to penetrate through perimeter spaces such as tutor rooms and conference spaces. The large, open space with abundant natural light is yet another instance of the outdoor space meeting the indoor space to give visitors an inside-outside experience.

The library has two main entrances. The east entrance faces the parking lot, which is set amidst an area of mature trees and natural beauty. This side of the library has a patio area with tables and seating and power outlets, allowing patrons to work or use other electronic devices while appreciating the beauty of the surroundings. Every inch of this outdoor space is fully accessible, as is the interior of the building with automatic power entrances, door-free access to restrooms, built-in step stools at restroom sinks, and a motorized scooter and wheelchair for inlibrary use. A drive-up window allows patrons to pick up or return items, pay fines, and obtain or renew library cards.

The west entrance to the library faces

what is a busier town square area. A courtyard and porticoes welcome patrons from this side of the building. A large meeting room and creative/story time room open directly to the west porticoes. Front loggias allow programs to spill outside and help shade this western facade. As formal elements framing the entry, the loggias respond to the requirement of early twentiethcentury aesthetics.

Overcoming Challenges with Ease

Farmington Hills-based McCarthy & Smith provided construction management services. The company has extensive experience on publicly funded projects, including schools, libraries, and municipal buildings, providing their services to Detroit and surrounding areas for more than 50 years. Aaron Phillips, Senior Project Manager at McCarthy & Smith says that libraries hold a special place in his heart and he fondly recalls his hometown library, the Transylvania County Public Library in Brevard, North Carolina. “Although it was a small, rural mountain town library, it had wonderful summer programs and had a profound impact on my love of learning. I think building them now is my way of giving back.”

McCarthy & Smith was brought into the North Library project very early. Phillips recalls, “We interviewed for the CM role in February 2018 and were awarded the project in March 2018. Planning work began immediately.” During a tour of the new branch, Library Director Larry Neal commented that he was aware of McCarthy & Smith’s reputation for ensuring a successful project with a high-quality outcome. He was happy to have them join the project team early to help guide the team through project challenges.

Other team members from McCarthy & Smith include Project Superintendents Bill Butka and Jim Hasselle, Project Engineer Noah Steiner, Sarah Moore and Caryn Robinson in Project Accounting, Lyn Blaharski in Project Closeout, and many other support staff.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the library was held in May 2019. Fairly early in the process, the project hit a few road blocks — including permitting, design

Designed and constructed by the Burgeon Group, interactive end panels in the children’s area provide facts and illustrations about various wetland habitats in honor of the natural area surrounding the library. Photo by Chris Lark

criteria, and road expansion negotiations with Macomb Township — that delayed the construction start date. During this time, McCarthy & Smith worked with the community in a proactive and positive manner to resolve issues. Contractors were kept up to date on revised schedules and construction was able to begin in November of that year — although under much colder, wetter conditions than was planned.

Very wet conditions from November 2019 through Spring 2020 added to the site challenges. It was determined that the foundation structure needed to be changed from trench footings to form-in-place concrete foundations. Baruzzini Contracting constructed the foundation pads, measuring 12’ x 12’ and 38” thick, despite extremely wet conditions at the work site.

The site location, while replete with natural beauty, also presented special challenges. The owners and designers agreed that construction should respect the site’s unique wetland ecosystem and less than one third of an acre of wetlands was disturbed. The landscape design around the building by Beckett & Raeder, Inc. helps incorporate the building into the natural space. Several indoor design features educate patrons about the importance of watershed areas in providing vital habitats for plants and animals, filtering pollutants from the environment, and helping to prevent soil erosion.

Sustainable elements were also factored into the design. The new library features a geothermal heating and cooling system, a snowmelt system at the entrances, approaches to the building, and portico areas, all reducing the need for salt application in the winter. The landscaping storm retention filter and slow storm runoff into the adjacent wetlands will help prevent future flooding.

One of the biggest challenges to the project was the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic a mere four months into the construction process. In March 2020, the open site was completely shut down. McCarthy & Smith Senior Project Manager

Aaron Phillips recalls, “The library project was not deemed as ‘essential’ by the state of Michigan, so ultimately, like most construction projects, the library stalled for around eight weeks.”

The entire team used the time to plan. “Although disappointing, our organization

understood the dynamic of the situation and began pivot planning,” said Phillips. “During this time, it was still ‘all hands on deck’ through countless remote meetings to determine how to navigate, create, and implement new procedures.”

When work was allowed to resume, McCarthy & Smith successfully managed new site safety requirements including mask wearing, daily screenings, navigating suspected and confirmed cases, in addition to worker shortages, materials shortages, and delivery lags. Phillips credits McCarthy & Smith Corporate Safety Officers Brian Gesaman and Brian McAskill: “[They] lead a fantastic group of individuals that monitored daily updates from the CDC, WHO, and other health organizations and ultimately implemented a COVID-19 Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response Plan so that everyone could continue working safely.”

McCarthy & Smith employed a webbased construction management tool called Procore. With an average of 15 different trades on site every week, the tool was accessible to the entire construction team—owner, designers, trade contractors, engineers, and fabricators and provided progress reports, photos, RFIs, drawings, and specs.

Connecting a Community

The finished project embodies the collaborative spirit with which the Clinton Macomb Public Library, Quinn Evans Architects, McCarthy & Smith, and more than 50 firms representing hundreds of artisans, tradesmen, and laborers worked together to build more than a library. They created an enduring structure that residents of Macomb Township can be proud of, where they can gather to learn, collaborate, and plan for their futures in a space that honors the history of the community, and provides state-of-the-art services to carry them many years into the future.

Clinton-Macomb Public Library Director Larry Neal hopes that the new North Branch will become “a place of joy, discovery, and inspiration” for residents of northern Macomb Township “for generations to come.”

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Better savings,

Competitive Constructors Join Forces at the New McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital

By Lisa M. Briggs

Patients and visitors to the new nine-story, $601 million hospital complex located near the campus of Michigan State University, known as the McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital, would never know it was built by two rival construction companies – because that's the way they wanted it.

Remarkably, two hospitals were combined into one – formerly one was a

primary, acute care hospital, and the other an orthopedic specialty hospital.

Dan Medrano, Corporate Vice President for Strategic Construction, Energy and Real Estate for McLaren Health Care, had a vision that might intimidate some construction companies: He wanted two of Michigan’s largest construction companies that specialize in building health care facilities – Barton Malow and The Christman Company – to

innovatively work together to bring this major project to life. Medrano relied on Kramer Management Group to help the McLaren executive leadership team drive the joint venture concept with Barton Malow and The Christman Company (BM/C).

Before plans were drawn and dirt was dug, McLaren spent close to $1 million in process improvements. Research was done and surveys were conducted on

how everything is best done – from how a patient is treated to how supplies are provided, how meds are stocked, how equipment comes out of sterile processing and goes into the operating rooms, and more. That was the first investment of many to come.

The 562,000-square-foot health care project broke ground in December 2018. Some of the executive leadership team included BM/C Senior Project Manager Keith Berry; BM/C Principal-in-Charge John O'Toole; BM/C General Superintendent Gary Hatter; BM/C Project Director Colin Martin; and Kramer Management Group Vice

President Dan Rooney. Medrano's trust in the team paid off for McLaren and the staff, and especially for the patients of the technologically advanced, state-ofthe-art health care campus that opened its doors 37 months later.

Entering the Hospital

An all-glass, floor-to-ceiling lobby allows for natural sunlight to stream into the 240-bed hospital, which is dotted with inspiring artwork to comfort. There's an “art gallery” vibe to the hospital's entrance, which erodes any clinical-like feeling. It also has some premium amenities such as birthing bathtubs in the labor and delivery department, an emergency room department designed in self-sustaining pod-style rooms, and an actual GMC Sierra Truck used for rehabilitation therapy.

A Michigan Department of Corrections high-security unit was built for hospitalized prisoners, and private registration rooms include removable glass panels. The hospital was also designed and built with prevention measures to handle any future global outbreaks – the plan includes 68 pandemic-ready rooms equipped with negative pressure and the latest in technology and comfort.

The plan to create a more tranquil hospital environment motivated Medrano to bring in commercial interior experts from Lansing’s Pace Howe Design. The interior team understood and embraced the concept of designing a very “un-hospital-like” feel.

Bringing in Kramer to Help Manage the Project Medrano's use of Kramer Management Group is a delivery model for health care systems in Michigan that he believes works best. “McLaren Health Care Corporation looks at overhead for the headquarters as just adding cost to the care,” said Medrano. “Hospital systems

normally have a very large facilities department, and the construction department would have construction managers, project managers, interior designers, and others. What I have done is chosen to have Kramer Management Group be an extension of my department. I charge them to the project so their costs are capitalized and I get to hire skillsets at the time, whether they be estimators or planners. That model is unique in Michigan. The proof is in the pudding – we had a very homogenous team, and it worked very well.”

Dan Rooney, Vice President of Kramer Management Group understood his company's role. “We worked under Dan Medrano, serving and executing his visions. We were able to put together a platform that allowed McLaren to assemble some of the best builders, designers, and trade partners in our region. Each firm was selected not only for their experience in health care, but also for their willingness to embrace advancement of design-assist in prefabrication in Michigan.”

Medrano is a combination of dreamer, visionary, and risk-taker. Previous, smaller-scale health care projects in Flint, Port Huron, and Petoskey were already completed under Medrano's leadership, and the Lansing McLaren Hospital project would prove to be larger, more complex, and one that would set the bar in two critical areas: prefabrication and design-assist strategies. Medrano is proud of the fact that those two factors alone shaved millions off the intended budget and allowed the facility to open its doors on the original completion date. “We could not have anticipated the efficiencies in the design-build, design-assist constructing techniques,” said Medrano. “I don't think we fully understand how much money we saved with that, but it's clear it was substantial.”

“We learned from the other projects how to do this one better,” said Medrano. “This project was $601 million in total project cost – the hospital tower was the majority of it. The total project is tracking to be $39 million under budget.”

MCLAREN GREATER LANSING HOSPITAL

The Western-facing exterior portion of the McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital Lansing glows at twilight. The nine-story building took 1,330,000 man-hours to construct.

Photos courtesy of John D’Angelo

Creating a Top-Notch Joint Venture

Those jaw-dropping statistics cause Medrano to rejoice over his decision to bring in two of the biggest health care constructors in the state of Michigan – Barton Malow and The Christman Company – instead of bidding one against another to win the McLaren project.

“We had a nice balance of seasoned leadership and up-and-coming talent,” explained Gary Hatter, a 38-year Barton Malow veteran who served as the General Superintendent for the Barton Malow/ Christman joint venture. “When you blend those two together from different firms, you've got yourself a pretty good recipe of resources to sustain all the mandates of a build like this. A lot of that strategy was put up front to the core leadership between the two firms and then we back-filled, based on our agreements of the joint venture.”

“We had our ebbs and flows,” said Keith Berry, BM/C Senior Project Manager. “I think it was three months before Mike Balke from Kramer Management Group knew who was who – who was from Christman and who was from Barton Malow. The mindset of the team

was the benefit of the project. It wasn't ‘what is Barton Malow doing?’ or ‘what is Christman doing?’ – it was ‘what is the project team doing?’”

Hatter agreed. “It was a unified approach. The majority of the personalities and the experience level of the staff blended well. The leadership group and executives shared the same perspective. As a group, we were functioning as one, and at a high level.”

Working with a joint venture can also serve to disperse the risk. “If one organization cannot complete the job, the other one is legally obligated to do so,” said Medrano. “Also, these two companies have the same cultures, which I appreciated. They had a lot of resources available to them, and I wanted A-teams in all of my various projects. I thought the resources of all the companies, safety records, and cultures would be helpful, so we ended up signing a five-year contract for the joint venture.”

Using Modern Management & Delivery Methods

“We used design-assist to engage MEP contractors early to help with the engineering,

prefabrication, and we set up a local prefabrication plant where we did MEP work,” said Berry. He explained the backbone of design-assist: “It's about bringing on subcontractors early. When the design is at a napkin sketch almost – is the time to bring in their expertise and different ways and methods of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design ideas from the field to collaborate with the design team – rather than the traditional way of having the design team work in a vacuum and then turn it over to the contractors. It's based on experience, and it takes a lot of trust.”

Medrano added, “In the design-assist mode, you have a designer such as a mechanical engineer design mechanical systems … but when we use design-assist, the assist is coming from the mechanical subcontractor through their expertise, ability, knowledge, and experience. We bring them on early to assist the design process so the final design is actually done by the subcontractors. That allows you to understand true costs and have an overall greater synergy in the design process. Delivering the project quickly and knowing

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the true costs early drives us to want to use design-build with designassist.”

The consolidation of two construction giants brought about the necessity to combine thinking and operating patterns. Everyone agreed the best way to do that is to adhere to Lean principles. Berry explained Lean: “It's a way of collaborating on a project where you engage experts at the right time and bring those experts into the room to talk about the processes you're going to use – how you're going to build, how you're going to execute, and how you're going to solve problems as early in the process as possible.”

This selected approach allows for less waste in the construction process and reduces down time in work flow. Ultimately, it saves money. “The Lean philosophies helped us achieve continuous work flow, and made this project what it was,” said Colin Martin, BM/C Onsite Project Director.

We also used the Big Room concept,” said Berry, “which is ‘bringing in everybody together.’” This style of collaboration brought the team face-to-face often to present ideas, work through details, and come to a consensus. Reports, graphs, data charts, and other documents were continuously evaluated by everyone. This methodology proved to be beneficial when questions were presented, options needed to be weighed, or decisions had to be made on how to proceed with particular components of the project.

For example, selecting the best option for the installation of the bathroom pods was tackled from every angle. “We use the data generated from the issue or question,” said Berry. “We have select teams that are processing and researching facts, and when they bring the data together, they analyze it, and out of the data we're able to create options on how to resolve it.” Then the team must vote on what to do.

Working Toward Phased-Occupancy

The project included a phased-occupancy timeline. As general superintendent on the project, Hatter recalls one of his favorite and

unique schedule-related moments. McLaren requested to have some critical hospital areas ready 16 weeks before the rest of the building. “McLaren's wishes to have the emergency department, imaging department, and two surgery suites built out four months before the rest of the building was to be completed happened because of the decisions BM/C made in the design-build aspect, and the Lean and prefabrication

aspects,” said Hatter.

“Health care is unique, meaning you can't just move in a table or desk the day of occupancy,” added Berry. “There's the quantity of booms, of major equipment, and also the amount of time it takes to move in the MRI, CT, and all these very sophisticated pieces of equipment. It all has to be calibrated and commissioned. In order to see the patient on opening day, the owner

The overhang of the hospital’s main entrance faces a flat lot, which is complemented by a parking ramp for easy access by patients.

needed four months before that phase to get the space equipped. Instead of doing construction, owner-equipment, then patient, we combined the construction and equipment phase.”

In August and September 2021, vendors were invited to the completed areas to begin installation of equipment. By January 2022, the project was substantially complete and patient rooms were being furnished. “In this case, we were actually able to get true activation in January, in a little over one month after substantial completion,” said BM/C Principal-in-Charge John O'Toole. “In the traditional model, they would complete the construction and start the activation period where the owner has three to four months to get ready for patients. But because of this approach, we were able to reduce that duration to one month.”

“Our goal was to allow McLaren, due to hospital placement characteristics, count on the procurement and installation of their medical equipment program for those specific clinical areas,” said Hatter. “So BM/C went off the schedule based on the designbuild, which allowed us to start with the

enclosure of what we call the podium pavilion. This space housed the emergency department and imaging and surgery suites. Accomplishing that was one of the high-peak milestone goals of the project. We made this overall schedule-timeline work. At the end of the day, history says, we did it.”

Medrano and the team were pleased with the remarkable early turnover and credits the design-assist approach for its efficiency, even during the COVID pandemic, when job sequencing was disrupted. “The local municipalities shut the project down for two months during COVID, and yet we were able to recover from that,” said Medrano. The down time allowed the team to plan how to re-activate while keeping 400 returning workers socially distanced and safe.

“Other projects have phased occupancy of this size, but for McLaren this was a highfocus entity within the overall build schedule to get them off and running in order to meet that target patient one date, despite COVID19,” said Hatter. “We built the building around that approach. It fell right in line with the target completion milestone.”

Constructing Off-Site

The most significant success of this project centers around all of the off-site prefabrication. “The scale of prefab on this project was well above what is typical,” said Martin. “We did some pretty complex prefabrication.”

In the Big Room, the team came up with their off-site prefabrication plan. A 30,000square-foot, vacant warehouse three miles away from the hospital construction site was rented. This is where teams of multi-trade subcontractors constructed portions of the building in a climate-controlled environment. Building in this atmosphere proved beneficial because workers were not exposed to the elements – wind, rain, snow, heat, and humidity are all avoided. “They're not working in the cold,” said O'Toole. “Productivity is not as good in the cold, and work is not as efficient.” It also makes for a safer work place – instead of climbing scaffolds, platforms, or ladders, work is done at chest-level in an indoor assembly-line system.

Tradesworkers from multiple entities worked at the warehouse. “There were tin knockers, sheet metal workers, pipefitters,

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electricians, plumbers, insulators, and carpenters,” said Hatter. “There were drywall finishers and metal studs as part of the core infrastructure that made up the overall prefab plant.”

The subcontractors who worked on the project went through the typical bidding process. “Willingness and experience were not our priority when selecting the subs,” said Berry. “We wanted subs who had the spirit of collaboration.”

The largest prefab exercise was constructing the McLaren patient tower MEP rack systems. “The racks contained

everything needed to complete the tower floors – hot water, heating hot water, chilled water, and duct supply return, cable tray, line voltage, and fire alarm,” said Berry.

“Everything was included in the prefabricated racks.”

“The MEP systems were put into prefabricated, corridor racks,” said Berry.

“Everything in the traditional build of a building took place in the conditioned warehouse setting. Instead of a worker being on a ladder in December, in the cold, trying to hang pipes, ducts, or other materials, he's in a plant creating a rack six weeks earlier

The Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital’s emergency entrance and ambulance bay allows for interior access for paramedics, so patients are not transferred outdoors in the elements.

than he would be if he was working in the conventional construction or stick-built manner.”

The MEP prefabricated racks – all 220 of them – were built in 20-foot sections and were tested and pre-certified for quality control in the warehouse. They were then carefully loaded on a truck, transported across town, and placed on platforms known as superdecks at the edge of the building.

Approximately 900 linear feet was installed per floor on levels four through nine. The racks were lifted up into the ceiling space of the tower floors with a support crane. There were connecting points for the units to line up in the tower structure.

“Once the racks are brought to the site, it's about four hours to unload, and a day and a half later they're hung,” said Berry. “This was a collective approach on what we did, and how we did it. It was part of that Big Room

approach we took on early in the project.”

The racks contained insulation and materials that could not get wet. The crews needed everything to be watertight. If it was raining, nothing would be transported. “The racks had to be brought out of the warehouse, strapped onto a semi-truck, hauled over via the highway, staged, unrigged, re-rigged, and hoisted onto platforms,” said Berry.

Much of this work inside the prefab warehouse was done by MEP experts from Limbach, a long-standing and experienced mechanical contracting company based out of Pontiac. "The prefabrication process at McLaren Greater Lansing's controlled environment for our mechanical and plumbing crews allowed them to perform their work in an environment which promoted safe working conditions, timely execution of work scopes, and predictable deliverables to

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The front face of the McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital features a large expanse of glass windows, which provides abundant natural light to the front of the building.

a site that was not ready for the mechanical and plumbing scopes to be installed at that point in the workflow,” said Limbach Senior Project Manager Jason Kopczyk.

Kopczyk touted the benefits of working in a controlled shop environment. “We were able to build better, faster, and safer offsite –and ahead of a typical onsite project schedule,” said Kopczyk. “Prefabrication allowed us to be less impacted by unknown schedule hiccups typically seen onsite with a linear workflow production. Looking back, it was a game changer for the project schedule and made the project schedule redeemable amidst variables like weather, a pandemic, and supply chain issues. I will personally be pushing for the prefabrication on all of our future projects given the success seen at the McLaren Greater Lansing Project.”

A.O. Wood, Project Manager from Southfield's Shaw Electric Company,

believes the initial gathering of MEP and design-assist partners is what made the project's schedule and financial savings so successful. “Early onboarding of MEP design assist partners by BM/C allowed the team to collaborate and work closely with the HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux) engineers and other design-assist partners to design and plan for the fabrication of the MEP racks in a safe and highly controlled environment,” said Wood.

“Further, the utilization of Lean building techniques such as Takt planning allowed the team to execute the work in a production-line manner, where steady and consistent manpower levels were employed to allow for just-in-time delivery of the racks to match the construction schedule of the building. These efforts created significant schedule and cost savings.”

Takt planning is an important measure of

output against demand. An online definition describes Takt time as “the rate at which you need to complete a product in order to meet customer demand.” It comes from the German word “Takt,” meaning beat or pulse in music.

Another benefit was the use of computers to assist the controlled-environment work to be more precise than if it was constructed on site. “We modeled this in the computer model to help us line it up with the beams,” said O'Toole. “We had a 3-D model that we inserted into this and did a layout that had templates to correlate with the model.”

Medrano, and everyone involved, breathed a sigh of relief when everything fit together on site – from construction in the warehouse to installation in the tower, all the dimensions fit together!

The prefabrication process goes deeper. Some of the structural elements of the McLaren Hospital is stronger and the materials heavier than if it would have been conventionally built. “The structural characteristics of the building as it was designbuilt, because of the additional weight, all that rack is carried by steel, which weighs more than what would traditionally be in the building

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MCLAREN

The new hospital’s second floor hosts patient rooms, as well as a nursing station to service the area.

if it was stick-built,” said Hatter. “We were able to design the advantage of the prefabricated racks by having the structural integrity in the frame of the building to carry the additional weight, concrete included.”

“We wanted to build it prefab with designassist and collaboration in mind,” said Berry. “Normally you design the structure and then the MEP duct work systems, and heavy pieces will fit around the structure. The whole team had to come together and really develop the design together as opposed to the model of structure hands it off to MEP, and MEP hands it off to the contractor.”

These prefabrication techniques are not commonly used in health care construction. “We don't want to be the first to do something like this that could put patient care at risk,” said Medrano. “In order to get comfortable with it, it really takes the designers, construction managers, and the subcontractors to have a risk model where they can accept the type of risk that goes with using these techniques. So they have to have (1) the techniques, (2) the risk profile, and they have to be comfortable and mature enough for a health care organization like myself to use it.”

The main hospital lobby connects to the cafeteria and adjoining cancer center, making single campus access easy for patients, visitors, and staff alike.

The McClaren Greater Lansing Hospital includes 17 state-of-the-art operating rooms and 240 patient rooms, including 68 pandemic-ready rooms equipped with negative pressure and the latest in technology and comfort.

Ensuring Safety While Saving Time & Money

The safety record on this project was exceptional. “We didn't have some of those trades doing difficult work above their shoulders, or on ladders,” said Medrano. “A lot of that was eliminated in the prefabrication plant. The men were working in a climatized building so they weren't working with cold fingers or gloves or things of that nature.”

According to Berry, the exterior, concrete pre-cast panels contributed to the project’s positive safety record and time needed to complete the job. “They were a finished product. Once we put them on, they were virtually done. All we had to do was drop down and do some caulking work,” he said. Also, prefabricated, unitized curtain wall systems were utilized, “which again made it that much easier, and that much less time workers were on a swing stage or a manlift,” said Berry. “And the smaller components that we did inside the building such as the kitting of all the electrical outlet switches, kitting of the plumbing fixtures, prefab doors and hardware, pull wire systems kept the electricians out of the ceiling – all contributed to some of the biggest time savers.”

Besides time savings, there was something more spectacular being saved. Medrano commented that using designbuild saves money in the long run because it condenses the entire construction and design schedule. And well, time is money.

“Every month, a project this size has nonexempt bond financing. Every month on this project, I saved $2 million in financing costs. We were able to lay out a timeline –say three months …that was $6 million worth of finance cost I didn't have to pay,” he explained. “When you get the more efficient operating rooms, more efficient cath labs that generate a higher rate of return because they're more efficient and seeing more patients – everything drives to have a shorter design and construction durations.”

But there are risks involved. “We did enough to mitigate the risks to a level that I was willing to accept,” said Medrano. “There's a lot of trust and confidence in the team members – and they delivered.”

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Getting Input & Making Decisions

Constructing the McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital involved modern construction materials and techniques as much as attitudes and levels of trust. The blueprints for both stemmed from willing team members who, early on, studied more than 29 prefabrication components and only eliminated four. “We had a matrix of options for prefabrication. The data drove the decision, just like it always did,” said Berry.

In one particular area, instead of data driving the decisions, some nonconstruction professionals were brought in to help make decisions. Before the 240 patient rooms were built in the hospital tower, the team set up foam board room simulations where staff could move pictures of components around in the room – such as the sink, soap dispenser, cabinetry, etc. From this exercise, a mocked-up patient room was constructed a few hundred yards away from the hospital site.

Staff members were brought in to evaluate various design elements and to engage in a collaborative discussion concerning room layout and design. Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel were able to put on HoloLens, a mixed-reality device that allows interactive holograms of an environment – in this case, the patient and operating rooms. The medical staff could “see” the potential design of a patient room and operating room, for example.

If you didn't know better, you'd think you were in an actual patient room,” said Berry. “We're trying to get the hundreds of pieces and parts that make up a patient room right and functioning the way the doctors and staff need it to be. For example, if the sofa couch is on a wall, what size does that need to be in order to allow the caregivers to maneuver around it?”

Getting the patient rooms designed as accurately as possible early in the process means fewer mistakes later. “If there's a $4,000 change that has to be made in the room, that's a million dollars to fix it in 240 rooms,” said Rooney. “You don't want to find out about changes too late.”

Prefabbing Success

Not only did McLaren merge two hospitals into one … behind-the-scenes, two construction giants became indistinguishable. From the beginning, the

teams from Barton Malow and Christman embraced one mindset. “Early on in 2018, we had a two-day kick-off for a teamorganization, team-integration, where 50 people came together to talk about the big buzzword: prefabrication,” said O'Toole.

The pipes, metals, and wires were not the only things prefabricated on site. Maybe the most important investment in the entire joint venture project was its

sense of unity and togetherness. This kind of intentional prefabrication of two companies blending forces turned into a tower of strength as tough as the steel that went into the construction of the new McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital.

Ford House Honors the Past and Protects the Future

A Net-Zero Energy and LEED Gold Cotswold Village on the Lake

By Mary Kremposky McArdle

In the evening, a soft glow fills the lush grounds and illuminates the limestone walls of the new Edsel and Eleanor Ford House Visitor Center and Administration Building on the estate’s Grosse Pointe Shores campus. The same gentle light shines through the dormer windows jutting out from the steep gable roofs of this contemporary translation of a Cotswold-style building. The lighting system is designed to simulate the lovely glow of candlelight in honor of Edsel and Eleanor Ford, who preferred its warmth and intimacy while dining as a family in their Gaulker Point home along Lake St. Clair.

Like the soft flame of a candle, the new Visitor Center and Administration Building is aglow with Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s passion for design, love of the natural world, and wel coming sense of hospitality. Leadership of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House (now known as Ford House) chose the team of SmithGroup and Frank Rewold & Sons Inc.

(FRS) to create a collection of buildings on the 87-acre estate embodying these admirable qualities – and located just down the lane from the original house:

• Stellar Design and Construction –

In the 1920s, Edsel and Eleanor Ford fell in love with the character and warmth of the Cotswold villages in the English countryside and engaged Albert Kahn to design their new home in the same architectural style. In September 1928, the family moved into their lakeside Cotswold-style home with its rusti cated stone walls, prominent chimneys, and steep gables that brought the 30,000-squarefoot dwelling down to a human scale.

In honor of the original home, Ford House and the team created two stone-clad build ings, both evocative of the Cotswold style but contemporary in its precision detailing. Rather than rusticated masonry, “our exterior limestone walls have a much more precise

and machined appearance,” said SmithGroup Principal and Project Designer Ben Grobe.

Built almost a century apart, the historic and contemporary share the same stellar design quality. “Aesthetically, the buildings are beautiful,” said Ford House President and CEO Mark Heppner. “There was a commit ment to quality that is important to the Ford family. They wanted to ensure that the same commitment to aesthetics and detail that Edsel and Eleanor had when they first built the house in 1928 was transferred to this project. And certainly, SmithGroup brought that to the table. …The family didn’t want to cut corners.”

Certainly, FRS didn’t cut corners. In fact, they built an almost full-scale mock-up of an entire building corner from the foundation to part of the roof to ensure quality control. FRS and its team constructed dozens of mockups and welded hundreds of moment connec

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tions to build these incredibly complex, steelframed buildings. In total, FRS converted 500 pages of design documents and 2,000 line items into these timeless, classic, and impec cably crafted buildings. “It was a once-in-alifetime project,” said FRS Lead Project Superintendent Bill Hidinger.

• Sustainability – Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s much-beloved candlelight had what we would now call “a low-carbon footprint.”

Today, these contemporary buildings use the sun as a “candle” to provide electrical power via roof-mounted photovoltaic arrays. The photovoltaic system is part of a quest to achieve Net Zero Energy Certification for the Administration Building through the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge, and LEED Gold for both structures.

As a Net Zero Energy building, the Administration Building produces more ener

gy than it consumes on an annual basis, according to SmithGroup Electrical Engineer Francesca Price. Under the Living Building Challenge, a building must meet this criterion and achieve complete electrification. Electrification reduces harmful emissions within a building, and when paired with a pre dominately renewable power source, helps reduce climate-altering carbon dioxide emis sions.

“Combustibles are disallowed,” said SmithGroup Mechanical Engineer Brittany Fiema. “Nothing is gas-fired in this building.”

Rising as a symbol of two different eras, the streamlined, contemporary Cotswold-style chimney is non-working and zero-emission. The chimneys are repurposed “as chases for relieving exhaust air,” Fiema added.

Preservation of the trees, birds, and water of idyllic Ford Cove and its tree-fringed peninsula, called Bird Island, was another driving force of the project. Prior to construc

The lighting design casts a soft glow over the lakefront site and the two new buildings.

For the buildings, the “candle in the window effect” simulates the candlelight preferred by Edsel and Eleanor Ford during family dinners in the dining room of the estate’s original house.

tion, healthy mature trees were transplanted to the estate’s nursery and replanted on site after project completion. The buildings, sited along a bird migratory pathway, have birdfriendly glass with a baked-on, ultraviolet coating to prevent bird-window collisions.

Thanks to the site’s sophisticated storm water filtration system, the storm water released into Ford Cove and Lake St. Clair is cleaner than the lake itself. Grobe sums it all up in a comment published in The Architect’s Newspaper, March 18, 2021, edition: “The ability to show the community that we can make our water cleaner than it was, that we can create more energy than we spend, all while enriching our cultural heritage and adding beauty to the world is a powerful statement.”

• Hospitality – In the Visitor Center lobby, the main seating area features moderndetailed, wood-paneled walls, an inviting fire

FORD HOUSE

Photo Credit: John Martin

place, and portraits of Edsel and Eleanor Ford “greeting” visitors to this new building on the shores of Ford Cove. “First and fore most, we wanted people to feel welcome just as they would have back in Edsel and Eleanor’s original home as a guest,” Heppner said. “I think the design team did a great job of extending that spirit of welcoming-ness to the entire building.”

The lobby takes its inspiration from the front hall of the original house in its warmth and in its programming. “A front hall is the heart of a house and every space flows from it,” Heppner said. “Our lobby is the center of the new Visitor Center in the same way.” On the first level, two eateries – The Continental restaurant and a grab-and-go called The Speedster – peel off to the left, a retail shop is to the right, and ahead is the permanent exhibit space called the Ford Family Story, along with changing exhibit space and class rooms. The current exhibit, Driven by Design, showcases Edsel Ford’s design influence in the making of these classic, automotive gems.

The building’s design and the polished execution of every detail generates an inviting

ambiance. In a second-story, pre-function space called the Cove Loft, the scalloped lines of a bluish tile cover an entire wall, “giv ing the wall a three-dimensional texture,” Grobe said. “The tile and the building’s many details are an expression of craft and a way to add warmth to the interior spaces. Several tile patterns in the original house were brought to the new building.”

The sheer design and construction quality creates what Grobe calls the pleasure of being in a “refined cohesive space. Nothing is out of place and every detail has a resolution to it. Without knowing exactly why, people may simply wonder, ‘What is it about this space that feels so nice?’”

A Place to Celebrate

The 40,000-square-foot Visitor Center invites the community to learn the story of the Ford family and to gather with their own family and friends in one of the Center’s four event spaces or to dine lakeside in The Continental, attend educational programs, host corporate meetings, or to celebrate anniversaries in well-crafted spaces set in a rare natural area shielded from the bustle of the Detroit metro

politan area. As the premier event space, the Lakeshore Room’s foldable, glass nano-walls offer gorgeous views of Ford Cove and open onto an outdoor balcony.

In lieu of open offices, the Administration Building’s work spaces are separated by floor-to-ceiling wood assemblies similar to bookcases. This inspired arrangement adds a home-like touch to office spaces designed for a staff accustomed to working in the his toric Ford house. The 17,000-square-foot building has “phenomenal conference, meet ing, and event spaces as well,” Heppner added.

No wonder visitors and organizations have been flocking to this new Visitor Center and Administration Building in increasing num bers since its grand opening in late spring 2021. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, visi tation to Ford House has soared from an annual average of 40,000 to over 100,000 people in its first year alone, according to Heppner. Ford House memberships have increased from 1,400 to 5,000 in a single year.

The credit belongs to Ford House, SmithGroup, FRS, and its team of trade con tractors who poured an incredible amount of

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thought and effort into the making of these beautifully detailed buildings. Having toured several impressive visitor centers in the pro ject’s early planning stages, Heppner can say with certainty, “there are beautiful visitor cen ters for historic house estates in the country, but I think our commitment to sustainability and stewardship, our success in being sympathetic to the original Ford house but still differentiating the contemporary buildings, and just the quality, intimacy, and sense of welcome leads me to say that there is nothing quite like this in the nation.”

The Master Plan

Twelve years in the making, the project began with a question: “How do we move forward smartly as an organization?” Heppner said.

Under the leadership of its former President and CEO, the late Kathleen Mullins, Ford House directed SmithGroup to prepare a master site plan in 2012 to help find the answer.

Part of the answer was to create a larger space specifically dedicated to visitors. Formerly, events were held in the Activity Center, a structure partially occupying the brick greenhouse and garden center buildings along Ford Cove. Having outgrown the

Activity Center as a place for effective educa tional and event programming, Ford House wanted to “dedicate space specifically for vis itors’ engagement, understanding, and inspi ration,” Heppner said. “We wanted to make sure visits to this national historic landmark were an all-encompassing experience. We wanted people to connect to the family, the history, the historic estate, and to our story.”

The other part: relocating staff offices from the historic home to a new building to lessen the daily wear-and-tear on the house and “to restore more areas back to their original usages by the family,” Heppner said. For the staff, contemporary offices promote collaboration, communication, and efficiency in a more comfortable space. In the historic home, the staff was dispersed and even lacked such basic amenities as air-conditioning.

SmithGroup’s master plan identified two important zones within the estate: the historic core of the main house and the more contem porary North Development Zone along Ford Cove, a place of less historical importance but possessing exceptional natural beauty. The cove was a natural as the site for the development of Ford House’s expansive new vision.

As a contemporary interpretation of the Cotswold style, the Visitor Center features a tall chimney, stone-cladding, and steep cross gables that bring the massing of the sizeable building down to a human scale. Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

A 21st Century Cotswold Village

After much discussion, SmithGroup designed two separate buildings in harmony with the concept of a Cotswold village. The design even amplifies the Cotswold village effect.

According to Heppner, a cloister connector (a small, enclosed corridor) links the main Administration Building to a smaller gabled structure, almost resembling a third, free standing building.

In a sense, each of the two buildings is a village. In a pedestrian-eye view, each build ing is broken down into several houseshaped or gabled projections; in an aerial view, the steep gable roofs actually intersect. These cross gables “bring the massing of the sizeable buildings down to a human scale,” Grobe said.

Overall, each building is made of both gabled sections and squarish sections with mansard roofs camouflaging the photovoltaic panels. It’s all in harmony with “the aerial images of Cotswold buildings and villages in England that show how each grew organically and were added onto as necessary,” said Ford House Project Manager Karl Koto.

The Cotswold style guided the site place ment of both buildings as well. “Part of the essence of the Cotswold style is the space in

between the buildings,” Grobe said. “In a series of studies, we overlaid aerial images of English Cotswold villages over our site plan to get a sense of how the scale and the spaces between the buildings would actually feel and be expressed.”

SmithGroup’s design team also drew inspiration from Albert Kahn’s and Jens Jensen’s vision of the original house and estate grounds as a Cotswold “village in the woods.” Nationally known for his naturalistic landscapes, Jensen designed the grounds as a series of “outdoor rooms,” including the meadow, the rose garden, and flower lane; the house itself has several outdoor stone patios.

For the contemporary buildings, “the massing and the space between the build ings creates a series of outdoor rooms,” Grobe said. “Stone-clad site walls help to reinforce the borders of these outdoor spaces.” Outdoor patios and seating areas abound, and one exterior nook of the Visitor Center even offers an outdoor double fire place. And unlike the now demolished Activity Center, the outdoor rooms offer a direct sightline to the cove and its peaceful waters tucked in the forested arm of Bird Island.

Distilled into its Purest Form

Each building brings the warmth of the Cotswold style to the shores of Ford Cove. Rather than being imitative, SmithGroup’s design is a contemporary distillation of the massing and materials of the Cotswold style. From slate roofs and masonry walls to copper downspouts and metal chimney caps, the original house and the new buildings share the same materials, but again differ in the detailing. The rusticated stone’s irregular jointing, varying from an inch to an inch-anda-half, becomes uniform on the contemporary buildings. “There is only a quarter-inch shadow line reveal between all the stone coursing,” Grobe said. “The modern detailing not only makes the visitor understand that the build ings were constructed at different times but alludes to the Ford Family’s connection to the automotive industry.”

As another telling example, the gables of all three buildings, historic and contemporary, have a rake edge, or a slight overhang. “In a rake edge, the gables daylight,” Grobe said, “but the main house’s mass masonry wall has a pronounced capstone of limestone, while the new buildings have a minimal shadow reveal between the slate roof and the mason ry. The reveal creates a thin dark shadow at the end of the gable, and what that does is

In the Visitor Center lobby, guests are greeted by portraits of Edsel and Eleanor Ford and a warm fireplace in the main seating area (left). The Cotswold style’s exterior form breaks into the interior: the steep gable roofs are revealed as open, peaked ceilings, and as part of detailing a modern wall assembly as mass masonry construction, openings, and window recesses, such as the dormer windows (top right), are deeply inset . Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

distill the character of the Cotswold style into its purest form.”

Simulating Mass Masonry Walls

The Cotswold style’s exterior form breaks into the interior. The steep gable roofs are revealed in the interior as open, peaked ceil ings within the lobby, the Cove pre-function space, and other areas. While mass masonry (a solid masonry wall) is a hallmark of the Cotswold style, modern buildings have a more layered wall assembly; in this case, exterior limestone, four inches of continuous insulation, and eight-inch-deep CMU. As part of detailing a modern wall assembly as mass masonry construction, window recesses, including the dormer windows in the lobby’s peaked ceiling, are deeply inset and almost appear to be carved into the wall.

The Cove’s design plays with the mass masonry concept. The Cove’s peaked ceiling “is white, and then we graze it with light to add brightness to the space,” Grobe said. “We painted the walls a dark gray, so while they are not made out of masonry, they feel heavy. In a sense, it recalls the Cotswold style’s dichotomy between the mass mason ry and the thatched roof. We’ve interpreted that in a modern way with the lighting and the architecture.”

One of many interior details – a feature wall in the lobby – evokes the Cotswold-style leaded glass windows of the original house and the family’s automotive industry connec tion. “The wall is a screen with a harlequin, or diamond-like pattern, set in a grid of machined steel, and backlit to add depth to the space,” Grobe said.

The Early Works Contract

FRS joined the project in November 2017, first resolving tariff-induced high steel prices before launching the early phases of this incredibly demanding project. FRS worked with Ford House and SmithGroup on a fastpaced value engineering effort, while simulta neously launching what was called the early works contract in January 2018. “They issued a small contract for selective tree clearing, some utility work, some electrical work, and demolition of existing buildings,” said FRS Senior Project Manager Gene Ferrera. “This allowed us to begin in January; we didn’t have to wait until May to put the shovel into the ground.”

Like the project itself, value engineering was a complex process. “We were trying to maintain everything from the sustainability components to the structure, but also pro

vide options,” said FRS Vice President and Project Executive Jason Rewold. “It was a hybrid web of what we were able to touch and what we knew we could not touch.”

FRS provided a list of 150 potential costcutting items. Replacing metal slats with wood under the shaded canopies and glasscovered walkways of the two buildings was particularly effective. “This alteration didn’t change the performance or appearance of the building, but saved a substantial amount of money,” Ferrera said.

Lakefront Construction

With the lake almost at its very doorstep, Ford House and the team had to manage both stormwater and groundwater. For stormwater management, SmithGroup first worked with the municipality to reduce the amount of on-site parking. “This reduces the impervious area immediately and increases the site’s filtration,” Grobe said.

Stormwater is filtered through bioswale vegetation in the parking area. According to Koto, this living “water filter” of plants and soil maximizes the amount of time the water is retained on site. Any remaining stormwater

is piped underground to a 30,000-gallon underground basin the size of three residential swimming pools. The under ground basin, seldom filled to capacity, “is sized to accommodate heavy stormwater surges, ensuring untreated water will not flow into Ford Cove during heavy rains,” Grobe added. “Any solids settle to the bottom of the basin. The water is pumped up throughout the day and released slowly into two ponds that support plant life capable of absorbing and removing nitrogen and phosphorus from the water before releasing it back into Ford Cove.”

For the foundation design, SmithGroup performed test borings to monitor groundwater levels over the course of an entire year. “We found that the groundwater actually got quite close to the surface throughout the year,” Grobe said.

SmithGroup designed a custom slab on grade system to protect the buildings from potential groundwater infiltration. “Basically, the design called for pouring a mud mat and laying down a waterproofing system, which is atypical for a slab on grade building,” Grobe said. “Even though the groundwater never

actually reached the surface, we took these protective measures knowing that these buildings are designed to be on the site for 50 to 100 years.”

Prior to foundation work, FRS removed and replaced the existing drainage system, tied it into the existing on-site storm pump that services the entire estate, created a parking lot and material laydown area, and then set about raising the building pad for both structures with fully compacted engi neered fill. “The Visitor Center now sits three feet higher than the original grade,” Hidinger said, “and parts of the Administration Building are actually about seven or eight feet above grade.”

The formed foundation wall, and even the foundation piers for the columns – some measuring 15 x 15 – were installed through the compacted engineered fill. “We were in engineered fill even at the base of every foundation pier,” Ferrera said. The compacted fill was tested frequently both prior to and during foundation placement.

Precision Steel Construction

Precision steel construction actually began with the accurate placement of foundation bolts. “We had the foundation bolts surveyed multiple times,” Hidinger said. “All of the anchor bolts that the steel is attached to have to be in place within a very tight tolerance.”

These and other measures were taken because even a slight inaccuracy in steel installation would ripple through the place ment of every other component, such as the building envelope and even the interior details. “This was the most complex steel project I have ever been involved with in my 32 years with Rewold,” Ferrera said.

The cross, or intersecting, gables made for a complex steel installation but for a beautiful Cotswold-style interior. “The structural steel system allows that Cotswold container – the gables and the mass masonry wall – to be expressed on the interior,” Grobe said.

For gable roofs with conventional flat ceil ings, “typically, horizontal ties span the interior of a gable to prevent the load of the gable from pushing outward,” Grobe said. For the open, peaked ceilings, “the structural design called for moment, or rigid, connections and built-up HSS steel members for the entire gable frame. The structural design makes all of those connections rigid to allow the gable form to be expressed on the interior and to create these wonderful spaces, such as the lobby.”

Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn

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Hills, was the structural steel installer of this intricate project. “The isometric drawing of the steel looks like a complicated residential wood-framed house, but it’s steel,” Hidinger said. “It would be one thing to frame that out of wood, but in steel it’s a different story. On the end of one piece of steel, there might be nine different connection points, or flanges, connecting to other members at different angles.”

The high number of moment connections compounded the level of difficulty. “Most projects have some moment connections, which is a particular type of welded connection, but there were literally hundreds of moment connections on this project, both on the roof system and other areas of the steel installa tion,” Hidinger said.

The moment connection welds were not only complicated to produce, but a thirdparty testing agency had to x-ray each weld. “As full-penetration welds, a surface visual inspection isn’t sufficient for moment con nections,” Hidinger said. “They need to be x-rayed to make sure the welds are correct.”

Given the complexity of the steel, FRS split the steel scope into several different pack ages to expedite shop drawing reviews and fabrication. “We were actually putting some steel in place while some of it hadn’t even been detailed for review yet,” Hidinger said. “If we submitted and reviewed all the steel at once, it would be a very long time before we could get started at all.”

The Story-High Mockup SmithGroup used an energy model to assist in designing a high-performance building envelope. “We wanted to understand the energy impact of every decision we were making,” Grobe said. “For the glass, triplepaned is an expense, but with energy mod eling, we were able to prove it actually has a payback for the client.” Energy modeling identified four inches of insulation as the optimal thickness for the walls and eight inches for the slate roof. “If we added more, our energy model found it had minimal impact,” Grobe said.

SmithGroup and FRS married the highperformance building envelope to the Cotswold style. Continuous insulation, placed outside of the structural system, is optimal for energy performance but not for a Cotswold-style application. Grobe explains: “For continuous insulation, a contemporary building typically will have a flat facade because the window plane must be in line with that insulation plane. For a Cotswold-

style building’s deep recesses, we had to actually compress, or thin, the building’s backup CMU wall structure at the window locations. The insulation is actually turning in to allow that mass reading of the exterior wall and still maintain that high-performing envelope.”

FRS built a freestanding, 8-by-12-foothigh, foundation-to-partial roof mockup of an entire building corner, including the recessed window detail and its four inches of steel cold-framed metal framing. “How the frame of that window tied into the wall and how it was flashed to the thermal break to make sure that break occurred were critical to the installation,” Ferrera said.

For quality control, “we had a testing and consulting firm and the manufacturer’s repre sentative of each component review the work to make sure that it was installed prop erly,” Ferrera continued. “The mockup became our benchmark for properly installing each system. When we actually built it, we still had the testing firm, the man ufacturer’s representative, and SmithGroup review it on site to make sure it was built properly and in accordance with the mock up.” While the building corner mockup was ultimately demolished, Hidinger added that innumerable other mockups were built and left in-place, becoming a part of the building after review and approval to proceed with further work.

Precision Masonry Construction

The limestone wall’s precision tuckpointing and bond pattern added yet another com plex component. “The stone had to be placed in a very specific bond pattern that

was extensively detailed on the drawings,” Hidinger said. “We certainly needed a highquality masonry contractor on this project.”

And that contractor was Brazen & Greer Masonry Inc., Livonia. The company drew the bond pattern on a series of templates, and as they worked, placed the drawings directly against the stone as a reference.

“There were probably four different heights of stone in a very specific pattern,” Hidinger said. “Each module with the same pattern was around 11 or 12 feet, and then it would repeat.” The mason had to hit the pattern precisely to achieve an accurate match as each stone module traveled around different corners and tied into various windows and terraces.

Once enclosed, the FRS team tackled the detailed interior finishes, including bookmatched wood panels and specialty feature walls. The lobby’s harlequin-patterned screen, set in a heavy-gauge steel grid, had to be connected to the building’s complex structural steel frame. “All the connection points of the building’s complicated structur al steel had to be in place and in a very tight tolerance,” Hidinger said, “so that by the time we built the steel feature wall toward the end of the project, all those connections were right where they need to be.”

Compounding the difficulty, FRS installed the steel close to the lobby’s peaked ceiling coated with a delicate acoustical plaster product. “These acoustic ceilings are beauti ful but fragile,” Hidinger said. “Imagine the challenge of doing something that is as bulky and heavy as installing structural steel within inches of a finished product that we didn’t want to damage.”

As the facility’s premier event space, the Lakeshore Room’s glass walls offer gorgeous views of Ford Cove, a refuge tucked in the forested arms of Bird Island, and of Lake St. Clair beyond. Bird-safe glass protects migra tory birds from deadly collisions with this well-windowed structure. Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

A Layered Approach to Net Zero Energy

The project didn’t contain a single standard element, and the mechanical and electrical systems were no exception. SmithGroup’s design team used a layered approach in its quest to achieve Net Zero Energy certifica tion, using the sun and the earth to heat and cool the Administration Building with the aid of all-electric, energy-efficient building sys tems. As an office building, the Administration Building has an inherently lower energy usage intensity than the Visitor Center with its restaurant kitchens and its humidification systems servicing the exhibit spaces. For this reason, both buildings are tracking LEED Gold, according to Grobe, while the Administration Building is tracking Net Zero Energy certification.

• The First Layer – Designing and con structing an energy-efficient building is the first layer. Using its energy model, SmithGroup first tested and optimized the building’s site orientation, fenestration, the insulation thickness of the exterior wall and roof, and other passive systems. “We wanted to optimize all of these passive systems even before we began to discuss what systems to bring to the building,” Grobe said.

As another measure, daylight harvesting systems were installed to reduce the build ings’ electrical usage. “We have four sensors on the roof, and they actually track the sun’s position in the sky throughout the day and automatically raise and lower the shades to reduce glare,” Grobe said. “As a result of these efforts, the Administration Building uses 56 percent less energy than a standard office building.”

About six percent of the building’s energy reduction is the result of changing office equipment and practices. According to Price, SmithGroup assisted Ford House in finding ways to minimize electrical consumption, including switching from desktop to laptop computers, segueing from personal to shared printers, and updating computers during the day versus leaving computers on throughout the night. “This creates phantom loads, so we worked with Ford House to change their IT procedures,” Price added.

• The Second Layer – As the second layer, “using a geothermal system sheds the load on the building’s (mechanical) equipment, so we do not have to use any gas-fired equip ment,” Fiema said. “At Ford House, sixteen 400-foot bores spaced 20 feet on center meet the 40-ton heating and cooling demand

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of the Administration Building. The system has two geo-circuits or eight bores per cir cuit.” (A geothermal system uses the stable 50-to-60-degree F temperature of the earth’s upper layers as a heating and cooling base line.)

“The water circulating in the geothermal loop is what we call condenser water, and that water feeds three water-source variable refrigerant flow (VRF) modules,” Fiema said.

“Pairing the closed-loop geothermal bore field with a water-source VRF system proved to be the most energy- and carbon-efficient design solution to mechanically heating and cooling the building.” (Carbon efficiency refers to a system that produces the mini mum amount of carbon emissions feasible for a given usage.)

The all-electric, energy-efficient VRF sys tem offers a sophisticated level of tempera ture control that can even simultaneously heat and cool different areas of the building.

“In the Administration Building, we have con ference spaces paired with individual offices, and this heat recovery system allows us to reject the heat in the normally warmer confer ence rooms and transfer it to the typically colder office spaces,” Fiema said. “The main VRF modules, called the outdoor units or the

water-source units, connect to branch selector boxes, which are the heat recovery part of the VRF system.”

The buildings are literally a breath of fresh air, thanks to the pairing of the geothermal system with Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS) units. “DOAS provides ventilation and brings in 100 percent fresh, outside air that is

Mansard roofs camouflage a 129.6 kW photovoltaic system. As part of the quest for Net Zero Energy Certification, the PV system produces more energy than the Administration Building (left) consumes on an annual basis. In the summer, the system feeds surplus power to the estate’s buildings upstream – first the Visitor Center, then the original house, and sometimes the power grid.

Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

tempered by the water in the geothermal loops,” Fiema explained. “This is an energysaving strategy because we are tempering through water, which is a more efficient ther mal conductor than air. We also have a total energy wheel for the purpose of recovering any rejected heat.”

DOAS boosts the health of the building

The Administration Building houses staff offices and phenomenal conference, meeting, and event spaces, along with outdoor spaces that take full advantage of the site’s lush landscaping as shown in the canopy area in the center of the above photo. Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

occupants as well. The DOAS units reduce airborne illness based on enhanced filtration and zero reliance on recirculated air. “It is a healthier approach to mechanical ventilation,” Fiema said. “We are also humidifying the interior, because hospital studies have shown that humidifying a space to 35 percent relative humidity reduces the spread of respiratory infections.”

• The Third Layer – After making a building as energy efficient as possible and shedding equipment load with a geothermal system, the third layer – the photovoltaic system – is able to power the all-electric Administration Building. “On an annual basis, the 129.6 kW photovoltaic system produces more energy than the Administration Building consumes,” Price said. While energy usage and production are not balanced in the winter, in the summer, the system even feeds surplus power to the estate’s buildings upstream – first the Visitor Center, then the original house, and some times the power grid.

SmithGroup’s energy model paved the way for the photovoltaic system. “In our energy modeling software, we modeled the trees to understand the shading that would occur on the photovoltaic system when those trees are fully leaved,” Price added. Given the heavily treed site, the common

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The opening exhibit, Driven by Design, on display in the Visitor Center’s changing exhibit area in 2022. The exhibit tells the story of Edsel Ford’s role in bringing elegant automotive design to the Ford Motor Company. The exhibit features three rare vehicles that have never been showcased together – the world’s only surviving 1939 Lincoln Continental prototype, the 1932 Ford Model 18 Speedster, and the 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster.

Photo Credit: Justin Maconochie

reaction would be to consider a photovoltaic installation impossible. “We were able to prove that concept out and to show that we could produce energy on the site,” Grobe added.

Tree Conservation

The project’s end is rooted in the beginning. In the winter of 2012, SmithGroup conducted a tree survey that ultimately assisted the design team in siting the buildings and con serving mature trees. SmithGroup tagged every tree on site over eight inches in diame ter. “The data was put into GPS and CAD, and once design started, we knew the exact location, size, and health status of every tree,” Koto said. “We used this information to save as many trees as possible on the site. We even moved a number of trees that we determined were of substantial size and con dition, and we held them in our nursery away from the construction zone.”

Near the end of construction, these nursery-held trees were replanted on the site; select estate trees were introduced as well. “There was a commitment to reuse some of the existing trees on site and to introduce other large caliper trees to create a better sense of scale between the massive build ings and the size of the trees,” Koto said.

According to Koto, removed trees were repurposed as the tabletops in The Continental restaurant, another was cut into slabs to form the beautiful millwork in the Visitor Center’s retail shop, and lower-quality wood was utilized as mulch on the site.

A Family Affair

A building about an American family and for families was built with the same sense of partnership and collaboration. “I couldn’t imagine a better partner than SmithGroup,” Heppner said. “Rewold was absolutely the right people for this job. They became very much like our own family.”

Jason Rewold is proud of the project and of all the FRS team: “Gene (Ferrera) has spearheaded much of our historical work for years, and it was his rapport with Ford House that helped us secure the project.” The now retired Ferrera credits FRS Vice President Mike Gagnon for his estimating expertise, Nick Jones as the second project superin tendent, and Bill Hidinger as lead superin tendent for helping to successfully deliver this demanding project. “We had many important construction team members, but, without Bill, we wouldn’t have the end result we are all so proud of,” Ferrera said.

Together, Ford House, SmithGroup, and FRS created a place for the community to connect with the story of the Ford family, with the natural world, and with each other whether dining in The Continental or enjoying lunch on one of many outdoor patios, cour tesy of the grab-and-go Speedster.

The Ford House Visitor Center and Administration Building is becoming an increasingly popular local and national desti

nation. “It’s changed us forever,” Heppner said. “These buildings have created not only a physical transformation but more importantly a cultural transformation for our organization. We will continue to leverage what SmithGroup and FRS have created that has forever changed our future.” In pioneer ing sustainability, Ford House, SmithGroup, and FRS are helping to change our collective future for the better.

The Hawk That’s Part Phoenix: Closed High School Becomes Thriving

Farmington Hills Community Center

By Dennis Burck

It’s summer at The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills, and the word bustling doesn’t do it justice. Music from a live jazz band echoes through an expansive atrium as children boast about taking the first plunge down the water slide. Climbing the atrium stairs up a flight, students from an after-school program partake in art classes, maker spaces, music lessons, and woodshop. Down the hall, a spin class enters the hill climb phase as the instructor encourages the cyclists to push hard for the incline. Across from them, weight trainers heave out another set of reps in the free weight room.

For all The Hawk’s cacophony of activity, the space doesn’t feel cramped due in part to the 245,000-square-foot footprint as well as the project team’s smart design choices.

What the innovative facility is today would

not be possible without the collaboration between architect Integrated Design Solutions (IDS), construction manager Colasanti Construction Services, Inc., and the city of Farmington Hills. Plante Moran Cresa served the city as its owner’s representative.

Battling through the pandemic and the challenges it brought, the Hawk officially opened in June 2021. The facility is a Swiss army knife of amenities spanning visual and performing arts, aquatics, fitness, and athletics. Outdoors, the facility sprawls eastward with 45 acres of outdoor recreation spaces including tennis courts, pickleball courts, a football field, running track, softball field, and a soccer field.

At the helm of The Hawk is Farmington Hills Facilities Supervisor Ellen Shnackel, who crisscrosses the many halls of the center daily. “A day like this is my favorite to walk

around. To hear kids laughing and people coming in. To see education and enrichment. It is a service, but I believe in how important parks and recreation are for families and communities,” Shnackel said.

Throughout the challenges brought with supply chain issues and pandemic delays, the project team strove to finish the community center on budget. For Shnackel, opening up during the pandemic brought about a year of gradual training for her staff until the rush of 2022.

However, today’s triumphant story of The Hawk was much different six years ago when Harrison High School was set to close.

The End of an Era

The news came as a shock to some in the Farmington Hills community in 2016 — Harrison High School would be forced to

All photos courtesy of Christopher Lark

close due to a lack of enrollment and an annual $10 million loss in school revenue for the district.

“When it all first came up, there were some white hairs … but there were a lot of reasons why, with the infrastructure here, as well as location,” Schnackel said. After the announcement, Farmington School Board Vice President Sheilah Clay told the Detroit Free Press, “There hasn’t been a question put in front of me that is more personal than the one before me now. The vote is a pierce in my heart.”

The school, built in 1970, graduated some 13,000 students in 98 semesters. Harrison’s first principal Louis Shulman told the Farmington Observer upon the school’s opening, “There certainly has been no shortage of spirit, goodwill, and pride. This type of approach is what will build our school.”

Harrison’s most well-known legacy was its football team. The formidable Harrison Hawks won 13 state championships in the team’s lifespan. Instrumental to these wins was football coach John Herrington, the state record holder for most wins as a coach with a record of 443-112-1. Herrington was Harrison High School’s one and only football coach, spending 49 years with the team. The project team later preserved Herrington’s legacy with keeping the turf field logos and what is called Herrington Plaza near the stadium.

Many Detroit Lions players hailed from Harrison. Former Lions' tight-end Devin Funchess graduated from the school in 2011. Drew Stanton, a former Lions quarterback, also called Harrison home. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press regarding Harrison’s closure, Stanton said,

“It’s where I went to high school. It’s where I met my wife. It’s where I made all of these lifelong memories.”

Interest grew in the building after the city of Farmington Hills purchased it in 2018 for $500,000. An investment of $25 million brought the project to where it is today. Public input was critical to the design process for the city.

The building had an official sendoff in 2019, when a bell was rung 49 times for every year the school was open. At the event, De Shaun Knight (class of 2017) said, “This school has not just educated us, but it has become its own culture — a culture of individuals, trailblazers, and creators. Yes, it’s time to move on, and the clock is running out; however, our final Hawks can leave proud, with our heads held high.”

Utilizing the former high school towers, new signage guides guests to The Hawk’s many community activity departments.

project team reoriented the main entrance to The Hawk to the east side, demolishing half of the second-floor cafeteria and constructing a new lobby with natural lighting.

In the early stages of redevelopment, it was paramount to take a sensitive approach, emphasizing that the city can actually preserve the legacy of the high school, according to Schnackel. “Rather than tear it down or sell it, we were looking to give the most bang for your buck to the community. The city had been looking for years for a new community center. How this came together was great. We had a lot of public input and

immediately got an architect on board.”

Hometown Architect Leads Design

The Hawk wasn’t just another project for Vice President of IDS and Project Lead Mark Reaves. As a Farmington Hills resident, he had stake in the game. “For me, it was not just a recreational sports facility, it is my community center. I am now a member of The Hawk. I wanted to make an impact in my

community and believe it was successful,” Reaves said.

Reaves, who also is IDS’s director of sports and athletics, said the project team considered Harrison’s legacy. “I have friends and neighbors on my street who attended and reminded us to keep the legacy alive,” Reaves said. “It was an important part of the design on day one to keep developing options and always earmark places in the building for remembrance of Harrison High School.”

But not all parts of the school needed to be remembered. The old pool leaked, the air conditioning system needed an update, and the lighting did not meet the standards for daily public use.

Old School Woes to New Center Amenities

Lighting was one of the first issues IDS sought to tackle, Reaves said. There were 48 classrooms void of any windows within the old high school. “From a design standpoint as an architect, it was very poor decision to design a building where students had limited access to natural light. But this comes with the territory of schools built in the ‘60s and ‘70s.”

Also, the layout of the school was a little confusing. Shnackel said that, upon first entering, the building felt like a maze of corridors. “It was not open and welcoming. It is a huge facility, and it was too easy to get turned around.” Colasanti Project Superintendent Dominic Pizzo said stepping into the building was like reliving freshman year, agreeing that “It was easy to get turned around.”

To undo the labyrinth, a new entrance was required and space needed to be created in place of corridors. “Our biggest challenge was taking a part of the building that didn’t look inviting or look like a front entrance and making it that,” Reaves said. The answer was to reorient the entrance to the east side of the building, demo half of the former second-floor cafeteria, and design a series of exterior and interior windows to allow light to flow into the center of the building.

“Once we get into a project with this extent of demolition, we take safety into every aspect of what we do,” Pizzo said. “We had to create larger openings and still maintain the structural integrity of headers to avoid collapsing areas to remain. The integrity of the walls and concrete flooring had to be kept in place so there was extensive shoring and reshoring used throughout the process. We applied necessary practices to assure a successful demolition.”

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A challenge for Colasanti on the new entrance was to utilize sets of existing drawings, originals and an addition, to maintain structural stability. “We had to put those together to figure out how to do the demolition in a safe manner.”

When demolition and renovations were finished, Livonia-based Edwards Glass Company got to work on the two-story wall of new windows, shining light on areas in the building that never saw a glimmer of sunlight in its 50-year history. “Now when you come in, it clearly feels like a public community space,” Reaves said.

“We want to be welcoming and inviting, where parents can feel confident to leave their kids to go to a class and leave to do something else. A welcoming center like this builds trust, and it is a place you want to be,” Shnackel said.

There were good features in the school that IDS only had to touch up to repurpose, according to Reaves. The high school band room became a new community black box theater. A fitness and dance studio came from repurposing rooms that supported the old gymnasium. Garage-style doors now provide privacy to the fitness and cycling classes.

Another component that Reaves stressed was to create a lobby with free hangout spaces, where immediately upon entry

Waterslides and rock climbing walls entertain kids and adults alike at the new aquatics facility by Baruzzini Aquatics. The room formerly held a standard lap pool.

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One of many fitness areas within the building, the cycling room features garage doors that close when a class is in session.

residents didn’t feel pressured to pay to use services. Modular furniture and a long winding cushion bench outfit the lobby with ample room for attendees to relax.

“Features like the pool and fitness center sit behind a paywall, but we knew the community center had to be more than the amenities that cost money to enjoy. There are large monitors to watch TV in the lobby, a grand staircase to sit at, a view into the pool with concessions, and access to an art gallery all for free.”

Aquatics from the Ground Down

One of the largest and most complex components of the renovation was replacing a massive aging pool. Harrison High School had a six-lane, 25-yard pool that needed to be torn down to earth and replaced. “It really wasn't what the community needed as an aquatics facility,” Reaves said. “We wanted this new pool to be more of a recreation-style center.”

Starting from scratch on the pool entailed a whole new aspect of mechanical complexity. Although the aquatics center today looks like one cohesive pool area, the design team mechanically had to account for

two pools filling the space instead of one due to the aquatic features of a lazy river, zerodepth entry, and lap swim area within the same room. “It is not just two separate bodies of water, but there are completely separate mechanical and filtration systems,” Reaves said. “These are in massive rooms in the bowels of the building that people rarely get to see.”

For Colasanti, the pool construction saw challenges above and below ground. The existing pool had a lay-in grid ceiling. Upon demolition of the ceiling, Colasanti discovered a rusting steel infrastructure due to the chlorine and other chemicals used to treat the pools. “With any type of rebuild or renovation, you discover grapevines and things that may have not been discovered in as-built drawings,” Pizzo said. “It was another issue to solve, with collaboration with IDS and the Farmington Hills Team, we applied the approved paint products to minimize future rusting.”

Below, another surprise awaited. “We discovered at the deep end of the pool, we were running the risk of undermining the existing walls and footings,” Pizzo said. “We had to go back to the drawing board to

minimize this risk. We were able to keep the existing wall at the deep end intact to maintain structural integrity and minimize added cost to the community.” The change only reduced the poolside a few feet.

With structural issues addressed and the space ready for a new aquatics center, Baruzzini Aquatics took the lead on the massive pool project. “Baruzzini is one of the premier pool contractors in Michigan, if not the Midwest,” Colasanti Vice President of Operations Scott Meredith said. “They are very good at what they do. We got them involved early on in the design phase to assist in constructability reviews to point out construction details that may be troublesome or provide costs savings ideas. Their design efforts helped make it a much smoother transition.”

The aquatics facility born out of the high school swimming pool of old features a winding water slide, climbing wall, kids’ water fountains, a lazy river, zero-depth entry, and lap swim area. Prominently featured on the center’s back wall is a new 40-foot-long colorful, contemporary mural. Three ADAaccessible locker rooms adjoin the pool area.

Future Plans

The third floor of The Hawk is largely the same as it was at Harrison High School. Lockers line the hallways, and classrooms

are still intact. Spanning 100,000 feet and three stories tall, the city of Detroit skyline is visible from its windows. For Shnackel and the city, the upper-level space provides

extra room to grow The Hawk to the needs of the community.

“There are a lot of opportunities up here. There has been a discussion of a business incubator [community space for entrepreneurs and startups]. We are trying to develop that now,” Shnackel said.

The Farmington Hills Police and Fire Departments have also expressed interest in converting some of the space into a training facility. Shnackel is awaiting a citycommissioned report on programming from a sports-based researcher to analyze what the facility needs next. “It is an exciting time, and we expect the report back in the fall.” she said.

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The new facade is clad in glass, allowing natural lighting to reach parts of the building that didn’t see the light of the sun in over 50 years.

Lasting Legacy

Nestled in the center of the building’s atrium is an iron art piece created by former Harrison High School art teacher Scott Brazeau titled “Hawks in Flight.” The lifesized sculpture charts the journey of a hawk in flight along with a timeline of historical Harrison and Hawk events.

Above the art is a touch screen that commemorates the school with a database of all graduating classes and lasting milestones of Harrison High School. “We still have returning students and people coming in that are awestruck. This is one of the first things people come to check out,” Shnackel said.

Through the past and into the future, the project team and manager of the Hawk built a true center for the community out of what could’ve been another vacant school building on the chopping block or sitting idle for redevelopment. “It’s amazing to offer all of the diverse programs we have here for everyone in the community. IDS really captured what we wanted to have here, and Mark Reaves especially made us feel listened to,” Shnackel said.

Mark Reaves said that the opportunity to work on a project right in your own backyard is rare. “Seeing it used is wonderful. Of course, there was added stress with friends telling us they wanted this or that featured. But in the end, I believe that pressure helped to make sure we got the facility we have today.”

“It was great to be a part of a project like this for the community to utilize for years to come,” said Scott Meredith. “Harrison was a fixture in the community for many years, and its legacy is still living on.”

Dominic Pizzo knew the project was special the first day on the job site. “We were proud to be a part of it, and to work with IDS and Farmington Hills to see the vision become reality is something to be very proud of.”

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters Reflects Michigan Site and Brand’s Global Status

By Heidi Bitsoli

Mercedes-Benz has an eye trained on innovation, tradition, and sustainable luxury.

Those factors are evident not only in the brand, but also in the new Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters. The move to this newly constructed building may not have been far in distance – the site is literally up the road from its previous location, remaining firmly nestled in the same Farmington Hills zip code – but its upscaled and innovative design reflects the company to a T.

Previously, the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA headquarters was situated

near 12 Mile Road and Halsted. By mid2021, the company’s new 200,000square-foot, three-story Class-A office building was unveiled on a 35-acre parcel of land at 12 Mile Road and Drake Road, evolving from greenfield to the site of an internationally recognized brand.

The result is a sleek and modern headquarters that reflects a prestigious global brand as well as its Michigan location. Wellness was a primary driver for the project. The spaces were designed to be airy and spacious and promote a sense of tranquility typical of Michigan lake culture.

From the Ground Up Building the new Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters was a massive undertaking. The building and lots were constructed from the ground up. It also faced challenges like COVID-19 hurdles. With some proactive steps, the project was completed on time … in less time, actually, considering those COVID-19 slowdowns. What’s more, the project was completed below budget.

Olympia Development of Michigan is the site owner and developer, and KIRCO MANIX was chosen to serve as general contractor and construction manager.

All photos courtesy of Jason Keen.

The lobby of the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters features living walls, slatted ceilings, and colors and textures that reflect Michigan’s nature.

The classic three-pronged logo greets employees and visitors alike to the new Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters in Farmington Hills.

Wellness was a primary driver for the new Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA HQ. The spaces were designed to be airy and spacious and promote a sense of tranquility typical of Michigan lake culture.

Gensler was brought on as the designer of the project.

“The building has a new construction (from the) ground up, of approximately 200,000 square feet. It has a great landscape perfectly selected by Olympia Development and Mercedes-Benz for the atmosphere and the culture they wanted to create for their new workplace,” according to Lily Diego, Design Director of Gensler Detroit. “Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA was very interested in providing a place that would support a new way of working, that was a lot more collaborative, and a balanced building that had amenities as well as all of the support and resources that a workplace is evolving into.”

The three-pronged star logo of MercedesBenz is recognizable the world over, and that simple yet powerful image influenced the design of the company’s new headquarters, with the trio representing a connection to nature that is reflected both inside and out.

The finished headquarters houses employees of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA and affiliated company Mercedes-Benz North America Corporation, which were previously located at the companies’ former office space. The building is designed to support a hybrid

The headquarters features a large central gathering area, with several seating options for presentations, meetings, and company-wide events. Media walls display information on the latest employee engagement activities and serve as calendar notices for important cultural celebrations.

work model, where all employees spend 50 percent of their time working remotely and 50 percent of their time working in the office. The new headquarters building is visible from I-696, but the developers set it back far enough to permit for future outlot development and potential tenants.

Sleek, Modern Design

The new headquarters features a modern

design, with dark colors and full-height glass windows that face the site’s southern border, providing a great deal of natural light and giving employees and visitors a view of the trees that carry over from the original landscape.

“The design intent was to really take in the brand of Mercedes-Benz, which is that triintersecting emblem and using it within Michigan’s landscape – so land, air, and

water,” Diego said. “Around the building you’re going to see a lot of Michigan’s expressions in a subtle way, through color, through texture, blending the exterior into the interior so there’s a lot of glass – it’s a 360-degree glass building. All of the interior finishes allude to being in a part of nature –Michigan’s nature.”

The interior’s chrome and blackened steel textures and finishes pay tribute to both the Michigan region as well as to the MercedesBenz’s image of luxury and edge. Nature-inspired colors serve as the palette for the headquarters, with blue-grays, warm browns, and forest greens appearing throughout in lush green walls, wooden slatted ceilings and accents, and tiled walls in cobalt blues, crisp whites, and jade greens. The palette brings to mind the forests, lakes, and beaches of Michigan. It's an expansive space at 200,000 square feet, yet the design retains an intimate feel.

A Gathering Space

Angular and circular motifs are visually engaging, and they also reinforce the commitment to collaboration, culture, and community. “(The client) loves how much light and openness (the new site) has, and how much collaboration space they have versus before,” says Ashley Hathaway, Project Architect at Gensler. “On the inside, the ground floor acts mainly as an amenities space, featuring an atrium that serves as a refuge for employee connection.” Because of its height and expansiveness, the atrium also serves as a corporate town hall space.

The new Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA headquarters has an open feel to it. The goal is to encourage collaboration and communication, and the amenities reinforce that. Employees can make use of a full gym with showers and locker rooms, a kitchen, dining area, game room, employee tech stop, coffee bar, and a large open gathering area. Media walls display information on the latest employee engagement activities and commemorate important cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Right along with that is the town hall space. According to Gensler, this was designed as a gathering space for the entire office to sit in on presentations, attend firmwide meetings, and connect globally to other locations. It’s situated in the center of the space, offering a variety of seating options, including a lounge

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and terrace. These areas are strategically placed so the space can be used for a variety of meeting purposes.

Nods to Legacy and Location

The project built on the brand's history and connected it to the Michigan location, and the design celebrates local natural elements and thoughtfully engineered details. Gensler designed the building as an ecosystem and a connection to the surrounding landscape. Nature is featured as its primary amenity, with all of the natural elements found on site seamlessly flowing from the exterior to the building’s interior.

Just outside of the main entrance, visitors are treated to the cornerstone of the Mercedes-Benz brand: a space to showcase the latest Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs. Cycled on regular intervals, employees have a chance to connect directly with the company’s products, and better understand what keeps customers coming back to this storied brand.

The building’s placement and connection to nature are derived from Mercedes-Benz’s three-pronged star representing land, sea, and air. The design tells the story of the unique blending of natural elements versus the beautifully engineered brand. The color palette is inspired by the locality of Michigan and pulls from the woods, lakes, and horizon, featuring colors like greens, earthy browns, and burnt orange. To offer contrast, the design also incorporates materials, including chrome and blackened steel, that

reflect the quality the world has come to expect of the Mercedes-Benz family of brands.

The application of finishes is very intentional and what makes the project

unique. The designers thoroughly considered where different finishes would make the most impact. The custom woodslatted ceiling with the Mercedes-Benz logo, for example, serves as a contrast of

Work areas feature small gathering and meeting spots, exposed ductwork, and clean, sleek lines that reinforce the global Mercedes brand. Ample lighting keeps the space bright and adds an element of cheer.

the brand with the natural Michigan landscape, a concept that can be observed throughout the project.

The outdoor amenities include a winding walking path through a forest preserve and wildflower meadow, a retention pond, a nomow lawn, outdoor lounging, and more. The goal was to create a true indoor/outdoor experience where the human link to nature is prioritized.

Wellness Part of the Design Plan

Sustainability was a key focus of the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA development. The building is LEED-certified. Many of the original site features – including the outdoor social areas and a walking path –were preserved for tenants. The design makes the building feel more like a natural extension of the site rather than competing with or being at odds with the land and its features. To

support the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, employees have access to 10 complimentary EV charging stations.

The connection to nature is not only seen from within the space through the 360degree full-height glass exterior, but it is also captured within the fully integrated outdoor trellis that leads employees and visitors on a relaxing walking path through the woodlands, wildflower meadow, and around the pond. There’s also a water feature with lighted fountains and an outdoor gathering area to encourage social interaction. The outdoor spaces provide a nice escape for workers to take a breather.

The foliage found within the building was incorporated into the design to further emphasize the human connection to nature. Planters around the grand staircase in the town hall space feature plants native to Michigan. These elements enhance a sense of well-being. According to the American Psychological Association, time spent in nature or even around natural elements improves both cognitive function and mood.

COVID-19 and Other Challenges

The project was originally scheduled to take 20 months to complete. There were some roadblocks, however. A city ordinance change resulted in one hurdle. Specifically, no building could be taller than 35 feet. The city of Farmington Hills was aware of the challenge, and agreed to change the ordinance to allow for the building’s designed height of 45 feet. This enabled the project to be completed as intended, although it did tighten the schedule by four months and took some additional planning and manpower to overcome.

A two-month COVID-19 shutdown was another delay, and one cloaked in uncertainty. “We started this project probably at the worst time, right before COVID hit in March of 2020,” said Doug Manix, president of KIRCO MANIX. “We were able to recover from that by being very innovative with our process and procedures. We worked the steel company 18 straight days with three cranes and erected over 200,000 square feet of steel – in record time. We got storage containers and stored all the materials on site so we weren’t waiting on materials, which would then delay the project.”

That narrowing of the schedule made it possible to hold to the original completion

date. To ensure the project went as planned and that workers were kept safe, health and cleaning measures were factored in. The team even installed bipolar ionization units to the building HVAC units to kill viruses and bacteria before they could potentially spread.

The KIRCO MANIX team also developed subcontractor solutions to save costs without sacrificing efficiency. Facial recognition software allowed for seamless integration between subcontractors, saving time. KIRCO MANIX’s safety department used OSHA and MIOSHA guidelines to develop an enhanced COVID-19 personal protective equipment and subcontractor tracking program to reduce additional delays. This also helped keep track of manpower locations, and daily inspections helped identify any potential COVID-19 issues.

KIRCO MANIX didn’t stop there when it came to ensuring safety during the pandemic. To maintain enhanced COVID-19 protocols, they also hired a cleaning company. Hand sanitizer stations were installed, surfaces were routinely disinfected, and airborne dust was minimized. Despite extra pandemic-related costs in the form of safety equipment and efforts, overtime, and expedited scheduling, the project was completed safely, on time, and below budget.

Besides delays due to the pandemic, the team also faced challenges with stormwater retention issues. KIRCO MANIX’s experienced project manager foresaw potential problems with the retention pond – the growth of algae would result in a foul odor – and worked to resolve them proactively. The team engaged the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to secure a maintenance agreement between MDOT and Olympia Development, allowing the overflow from the retention pond to be released into the I-696 drain. Fountains were installed for aeration — also enhancing the appearance of the grounds — and a maintenance agreement was secured with a pond company for water treatment. Ultimately this remedy benefited the client, saving the project $3 million worth of storm retention work.

Core/shell and tenant improvement (TI) work was combined with negotiated subcontractors for key trades like mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP)

and carpentry. This overlapping of subcontracted projects helped to keep everything on schedule and within budget.

Collaboration and Expedition

The Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA Headquarters was ready in June 2021, on schedule while under incredible odds. The certificate of occupancy was granted on time – made possible by hiring additional manpower and subcontractors to concurrently build both the core and shell and tenant work.

By using three different subcontractors, three stories of structural steel were erected in just 18 working days. Also, as mentioned, KIRCO MANIX sought approval from Olympia Development and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA to allow materials to be stored on and off site to avoid material delays during pandemic factory shutdowns.

“We worked closely with the city of Farmington Hills on the inspection process, and we hand-picked our subs and suppliers to ensure we would have a great team,” Doug Manix explained. “This project was one of our top five projects in the history of the company, and we’re very proud to be associated with it, as well as with our partners Olympia Development, Plante Moran Cresa, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA, and Gensler. We all worked as a team together to accomplish this feat. We were proud to meet the challenges of this project.”

Olympia Development of Michigan was pleased with the result as well. “This collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA was particularly rewarding,” said Stefan Stration, Vice President of Development for Olympia Development of Michigan. “It allowed Olympia Development to deliver value, during a particularly challenging time, through its key strengths: First, our deep understanding of how to help organizations tangibly express their values through innovative workplaces that inspire people, connect community, and sustain environment, and secondly, through our abilities as nimble, creative, and flexible client-oriented service and solution partners.”

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Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing

A Building to Help Re-Build Health

By Lisa M. Briggs

Surgical

caps are off to SmithGroup and Granger Construction, who gifted any current or future cancer patient with a sophisticated, human- and nature-centric place to go for treatment and healing – Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing.

Imagine this: A doctor with kind eyes walks into a physician-patient consultation room. The professional in white announces, “You have cancer. The biopsy shows cancer. You’re going to need cancer treatment.” There’s a long pause before the next words are whispered … “I’m so sorry. You’re absolutely in the right place, though. Our

new, world-class Karmanos Cancer Center team will be with you on this journey from start to finish. We will begin to restore your health.”

The above scenario is real – 67,000 Michigan residents were diagnosed with cancer or cancer-related conditions in 2020, and 20,000 were projected to die, according to Michigan.gov. The Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) at McLaren Greater Lansing opened in March 2022 in hopes of changing those statistics. The new facility provides innovative urgent care by oncology-trained nurses and providers.

When architect-designers from integrated design firm SmithGroup joined

forces with Granger Construction, they set out to create a comprehensive, cohesive health care complex. The new $68 million facility, located on the southern edge of the Michigan State University campus, was purposefully situated aside the new McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital. The hospital was erected by a different contractor at the same time, on the same site. While the new parking deck was also built by Granger Construction, Kramer Management Group was brought on to serve as Owner’s Representative, and was the thread between the projects.

Although construction on the replacement hospital started first, McLaren leadership decided that the Karmanos

Cancer Institute needed to be complete before the hospital because it supported the training of the doctors and medical staff. The Karmanos Cancer Institute’s shared lower level provides behind-thescenes services needed to support both facilities, as well as houses a robust graduate medical education program for students and staff.

Healing Health in a Natural Environment

A new horizon of health and well-being at Lansing’s Karmanos Cancer Institute provides hope to patients even before entering the building. The facility’s courtyard conveys sereneness with lush landscaping and picturesque greenery

strategically installed in one’s line of vision – all intended to help settle anxiety about visiting the doctor. Every patient who steps foot into the three-story, plus lower level, 170,000-square-foot medical services complex, situated on a 53-acre parcel in the prime of Lansing, can expect to receive reputable care. Credit for that goes to the creators who wanted an environment to purposefully promote quality, holistic health, and a sense of peace.

Since humanity has an innate attraction to creation, plants, water, scenery, sunlight, and art, SmithGroup configured all into the project. The modern structure of steel and glass offers the first bits of healing, and the professionals working inside the high-tech

health complex deliver the best in oncology care, utilizing technologically advanced medical equipment and compassionate service.

Upon entering, a light-filled atrium features a prominent, preserved, vegetated wall. Undoubtedly, this is a positive indication of what is happening on the inside – life, a spirit of vibrancy, and a welcoming place to heal. The space makes guests feel as though they are outside –enjoying a nature walk – yet they are most likely on their way to an oncology, mammography, or surgery appointment.

“It’s the most up-to-date health care facility offering the most up-to-date treatment,” said Darin Daguanno, Design

The beautifully lit, mostly glass exterior of McLaren Greater Lansing Outpatient Care Center and Karmanos Cancer Institute reveals its unique design. Photos courtesy of John D’Angelo / Jason Keen

For patients, guests, and faculty seeking solitude to pray, contemplate, and meditate on health challenges or decisions, McLaren's sacred space is the ideal environment.

Principal at SmithGroup. “From the outside as you approach the building, the idea was to provide a clean, timeless expression, and at the same time, have it forwardlooking. When you enter the interior where you’re really engaging with the building on a personal scale, there’s a warmth to it. There’s an inviting and welcoming feeling that really calms the nerves.”

Health Care Space Designed Specifically for Patients & Those Who Serve Them

The medical space was designed in an organized method – with the staff and patients at the forefront of every decision. “We coordinated to facilitate services across two buildings. On the second floor, there is a cardiology physician group that can walk across the bridge to the heart center in the hospital,” said Ed Pocock, Medical Planning Principal at SmithGroup. “The patients and staff can go back and forth. The surgery component of surgery care is in the hospital, so having the two buildings connected helps facilitate treating the whole patient, getting all of their services in one location and making it convenient for both staff and patients.”

Granger Construction Vice President and Project Director Glenn Simon offers an overarching belief about the project. “Our team did an internal, shared purpose exercise midway through the project,” he said. “The results of that were reflective of the overall team with all the stakeholders. We really boiled it down to three things: Who, why, and how. Who is this for? To give us some kind of driving purpose, the ‘who’ is for the future patients and their families. When you put it in that context, it makes our work that much more important. The ‘why’ was we wanted to build to make a difference. Finally, the ‘how’ is reflective of how the team operated. It was excellence through collaboration and accountability. It was very collaborative with open dialogue. We said the things that needed to be said to each other, and it was always professional. There was a fun-loving attitude that fostered the approach we took in our work, and in working with each other. That doesn’t always happen on projects, and it was a concerted effort to have that kind of relationship on this project.”

The importance and caliber of the construction of the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing will

have a lasting effect on patients for years to come. Its distinction in raising expectations and changing the environment of health care kept everyone conscious of how the medical industry was evolving. “There are lots of rich details and finishes that we don’t typically use,” said Ryan Snellenberger, Granger General Superintendent. “Lots of natural woods, glass, the living wall – all concepts to promote nature.”

Daguanno added that “Granger did a really good job of supporting the nature concept, which was pervasive throughout the building, even into the lighting design. The light fixtures were designed to promote an ambient light effect as you walk down the corridor, rather than the monotony that is typical in a health care environment. The lighting shifts and sort of dances as you move through the corridor. Installation

wasn’t easy. Granger brought their team to the table and figured out how to make it work. They brought it in on budget as well.”

Long before a patient receives an unwelcomed diagnosis, health care architects like SmithGroup’s Kristina Glusac, Senior Project Manager; Ed Pocock, Medical Planning Principal; and Darin Daguanno, Design Principal, consider all current and future patients, as well as users of the hospital. They design medical care space with the idea of treating patients like their own family.

The “Forest in a BMW” Theme: A Challenge Becomes Reality

Since putting people first is a priority of Lean-minded designing, SmithGroup and Granger were brought in early by owners, McLaren, and their owner’s representative, Kramer Management Group, to hear all the wishes and requests for the project, and something else: to create “a forest in a BMW.” This wasn’t just a brick-and-mortar job. The owners put a challenge to the designers and builders to “provide an experience.”

The “forest in a BMW” concept became the team’s inside motto for creating an outdoor-like experience – the forest – inside a technologically advanced medical complex – the BMW – the ultimate luxury automobile. “We literally tried to bring nature into the building,” said Pocock. “That’s bringing the forest and nature inside the high-tech environment.” The team integrated natural elements into a skillfully designed space to make medical visits less clinical and more relaxed and tranquil. As trees come into space where people are, and people interact with the “forest,” there is, perhaps, much more inner rejoicing happening than anyone can know. Inner mindfulness. Inner acceptance. Inner healing. All part of the design objective.

Stickers with a logo of a BMW placed within a forest were shared with architects, construction crews, and all associates, who enthusiastically adorned their laptops or workspaces with them. It was everyone’s reminder and inspiration to remain true to the values of the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing.

A Pandemic Brings New Ways to Work

That inspiration came in handy when a global pandemic halted the construction

work just as it began. The enthusiasm created early among the architectural and construction teams didn’t go to waste when, after breaking ground and starting excavation in early 2020, the job was shut down for three weeks due to COVID-19. Since health care was deemed essential, the entire campus project proceeded as much as possible.

Brad Hesche, Pre-construction Project Director at Granger, believes a clearer picture and goals of the client were better known because of early collaboration. This was beneficial after COVID hit. “The client has the end program they are looking for. Our role is to provide the ‘how.’ The wishes and requests of the owners were being framed by the SmithGroup design team, and we began costing, scheduling, and the constructability commentary. We operated in a design-build fashion and our partnership supported SmithGroup’s vision, but we were also helping to provide alternate solutions to achieve the same thing in the areas of budget, scheduling, and constructability.”

Providing the “how” changed as the world digested COVID and evaluated how to work while not being at work. Something good began to bloom, and well before the green wall was erected. “We designed the entire building over Microsoft Teams essentially, because we were forced to,” said McLaren Director of Corporate Construction Management Austin Holcomb.

In the beginning, there was reluctance to switch to virtual meetings. “The remote meetings were more collaborative,” said Senior Project Manager Kristina Glusac. “It wasn’t just SmithGroup talking. The end users had an opportunity to share what they thought of the design that led to final decisions from the executive team.”

Glusac also praised PEA Group, the civil engineers, who offered a consistent voice from the inception of the project all the way through. There were many preliminary budget considerations that impacted the site and foundation systems. “We couldn’t stretch the building so far to the north because that would have negative impact on cost.” Holcomb explained. “There were

utilities in place on the northern boundary that couldn’t be relocated. We were hemmed in and had some constraints, but the team was able to work within those constraints and give us a seamless-looking campus since the two buildings come together and touch one another.”

Contributing to that uninterrupted feel of the campus was McLaren’s wisdom in utilizing the same civil engineers and interior designers, Pace Howe Design, for both the replacement hospital and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. “There’s a consistent thread from hospital to the Cancer Institute, both on the outside and on the inside,” said Daguanno.

Holcomb’s leadership as McLaren’s Director demanded something new from the designers and contractors. “Everyone needed to think and operate outside of their comfort zone,” he said. As health care architects, Glusac, Pocock, and Daguanno listened to what clients wanted and made adjustments in the design. After COVID, their work style changed and became less complicated.

“When you would do it on paper in front of them, sometimes you would come back a couple days later and they’d say, ‘Oh, that’s not what I meant,’” said Pocock. “By working on Microsoft Teams, we were able to make big decisions and concurrently by being remote. We could show them design

changes immediately online in front of them, answer their questions, and get them information quickly. It was much more efficient.”

The new way of working remotely actually saved time. Other unforeseen COVID delays needed addressing,

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MCLAREN

The lobby's natural sunlight and brightness help lift everyone's mood and offers the first dose of healing to everyone walking through.

however. A shortage in scheduling, factory stoppages, materials, and manpower slowed things down across the entire industry, as well as on this project. For example, all the raw glass plants were shut down, and this caused a delay in shipment of the curtain wall glass.

“SmithGroup worked with us on changing vendors,” said Snellenberger. “How were we going to get products, materials, and manufacturers that we can actually source and have availability to meet our schedule? They assisted us. But some things we were stuck with.”

The Budget Really Does Matter

What made the difference, Snellenberger admits, is how the team handled it. “Everybody was very quick to make decisions, and we lived with any decision we made. We had to be very flexible. Things that we wouldn’t typically use, we used. Things that we wouldn’t typically do, we did.”

Knowing that the owner wrestled with trying to meet the budget, one of the design options discussed was the atrium. Should it be a one-, two-, or three-story atrium? Others thought of discarding the atrium altogether. As this idea spread, Snellenberger countered it with a “save the atrium” campaign. Hard hat decals started showing up. Moods and priorities were uplifted.

“It added to the camaraderie of the team and supported the collaboration,” said Daguanno. “Austin set the priorities early: patient experience, staff experience, and facilitating a good health care delivery. We wanted a solid building. It had to function. We needed to make sure it did what it needed to do, but we weren’t going to spend money on things that were not going to support the priorities set out in the beginning. If a decision didn’t meet those priorities, we went in a different direction. I think that setting the benchmark early and sticking to it was important.”

That boost in cooperation helped when gritty decisions had to be made and communicated to designers and contractors. “There were some design concepts presented that proved to be costprohibitive. I’m sure they were great, but as an owner I had to make some decisions,” said Holcomb. “There were some things we couldn’t afford.”

Another matter that screamed impossible was when Holcomb walked into the inner sanctum, or central planning hub, of the project and did something completely unexpected. “They had a schedule built,” he said. “I walked into their conference room and took a red pen and drew a line and moved it back two months. ‘Here’s your new schedule guys! Figure it out.’ That’s the three-legged stool

with the owner, contractor, and architect – we accomplished an amazing project with a lot of challenges, and at the end of the day we’re still talking to each other.”

Trusting the Team

“There’s more to a project than just building a building, if you’ve got the right team,” said Holcomb. His vision filtered into the resilient team he hired. Designers and

contractors have to trust each other’s knowledge. A balance of vision, trust, collaboration, and productivity continually moved the project in a better direction.

A new approach and perspective evolved, and decisions were handled one at a time. “We don’t need to decide on the brick veneer right now,” said Snellenberger. “We need to decide whether we are going to prefabricate and panelize exterior wall sections. We’ll worry if we can afford the brick veneer in two more months. We kind of took it in chunks. We had the end date in mind, but we were really dealing with what things needed to be decided on and procured for the next quarter.”

Exterior Panelization Supports Engineering & Saves Money

Granger’s alternative solutions mentality led the influence to push panelization – one of the decisions that provided maximum time and cost benefits. “The vision for the exterior had a lot of artistic ribbon windows,” said Hesche. “There are rows or series of windows at each level across the facade. It’s the stagger framing and headers that create a unique window look. The vertical part of each window doesn’t line up above, so the loading of the masonry is staggered.”

Also, the weight of the masonry wouldn’t carry itself properly from the ground up –the structural load is being passed to the header below. “All of that masonry loading is now bearing down on that window below in lieu of just going straight down,” said Hesche. “This presented an engineering challenge.”

Hesche said the answer was the panelization of the exterior. “It took a lot of workshopping – between the owners, the Granger team, SmithGroup team, and our subcontractor vendor,” he said. “The design-architecture is going for a certain aesthetic. Building that in a traditional fashion is fairly straightforward. However, Granger was really pushing the panelization of prefabricated wall panels due to the schedule benefits – and we had to figure out a way to make the two work together. We wanted to prefabricate this because by the time we’d be enclosing the building, we’d be bumping up against winter conditions. We wanted it to go very quickly.”

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The concrete was poured, and the team remarkably enclosed the entire building in 31 days. Making things work together is what seems to elevate this project’s achievement in so many aspects.

Everyone Had a Seat at the Table

“Besides the designers and contractors, the design-assist partners were onboarded well before COVID and heavily engaged in figuring out solutions with the design team to strategize and streamline whatever the challenge was that came up,” said Glusac. “They were always at the table as we went through all the Lean exercises early in the project.”

Although Hesche, Snellenberger, and Simon all agreed that applying Lean practices was a significant achievement, something fundamental came to the surface mid-pandemic. “It wasn’t so much the Lean practices everyone’s been talking about for the past two years,” said Snellenberger. “It was more that we know we can’t get things, so let’s buy in mass quantity so we have them to be prepared

to do the work when the work is ready. So we were kind of morphing some of the Lean practices to fit the day and age we were living in order to get things done.”

Ongoing Mindset: Constructing a Health Care Complex for the Benefit of Patients

Anyone who has faced a serious health diagnosis knows that it can be overwhelming. Yet two entities in the fields of architecture and construction conspired to provide a passage of comfort in such times. The team carefully considered current and future patients and created a medical complex melding nature and technology – the two greatest assets a patient could want as they mend their way to better health.

“To be able to build this together and come up with the really successful campus we have here is a testament to all the designers and constructors to be able to work together,” said Holcomb.

Choosing medical or cancer treatments, surgery, procedures, recovery, and other

options can all be handled under one complex. “All of the departments are located in the most efficient and wellorganized way,” said Pocock. “That really was the secret to the success of the kind of design and construction connection we had.”

Ed Pocock is right. It was the secret to the masterful facility constructed by McLaren, SmithGroup, and Granger, three entities that came together with patients in mind, and merged their talents to build a healing refuge for individuals urgently in need of health restoration. Even better, it’s a place that can give one hope for a new title, from cancer patient to cancer survivor.

It’s the launchpad for General Motor’s multi-brand electric vehicle strategy. Initially built in 1985 and known as Detroit-Hamtramck, GM’s new Factory ZERO was designed and constructed to manufacture the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the GMC Sierra Denali EV, and the Cruise Origin – an electric, self-driving, shared vehicle.

Construction on the design-build project began in April 2020. The scope included renovations on more than 3 million square feet, with additions of more than 863,000 square feet. Walbridge worked with design partners Ghafari Associates and SSOE Group on the general assembly, body shop, and additions while working alongside

Gallagher-Kaiser (GK) Corporation on the paint side of the Factory ZERO facility.

The seamless teamwork between the organizations allowed the massive-scale project to be delivered on schedule for GM. The facility, which sits in both Hamtramck and Detroit, is an exciting endeavor in the future of electric vehicles, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing. The name Factory ZERO reflects the significance of this facility in advancing GM’s zero-crashes, zeroemissions, and zero-congestion future.

Updates to the facility included:

Renovating and retooling the general

area

Constructing a brand-new automated

the

for

and

to the

and

The full scope of work was done in two

The Paint Shop received a complete renovation. Substantial completion was met in October 2021 for Phase I, and the team continues to work on several additions. A critical step in GM’s commitment to using 100 percent renewable energy is the factory utilizing solar carports and a 516-kilowatt groundmounted solar panel array. Other sustainability highlights include:

• Reuse or recycle almost every material that came out of the facility during conversion, including crushed concrete from the old plant floor, which was repurposed for temporary roads around the facility

• Stormwater will be recycled to reduce discharge costs and offset the cost of potable water

• Treated stormwater will be used in cooling towers and the plant’s fire suppression system

• The site features a 30-kW solar carport and a 516-kW ground-mounted photovoltaic solar array from DTE Energy

• Factory ZERO’s site has a 12-acre wildlife habitat home to monarchs, foxes, and turkeys

A Unified Team

With more than 3.5 million square feet of space to renovate and add, a unified approach from the team was a must. Walbridge, GK, Ghafari, and SSOE understood the importance of this project not just in the short-term for GM but also as a vision for the future of their electric vehicles.

Walbridge oversaw the entire project as design-builder for GM and GK. Ghafari Associates led the design of the 3.5 million-square-foot Battery Electric Truck (BET) facility to minimize its environmental

The name Factory ZERO reflects the significance of this facility in advancing GM’s zero-crashes, zero-emissions, and zero-congestion future.

impact. The project included several expansions and renovations to the existing body shop and general assembly areas. Ghafari was instrumental in maintaining the expectations of General Motors while continuing to design the fluid continuation of new building space with interior renovations. The new GM Factory ZERO paint shop by GK began with demolition of all the building interior, two

new building additions, and all-new turnkey paint shop process equipment.

During the demolition phase of the existing paint shop, the project team removed 18,380 tons of scrap, recycling 17,660 tons of that total. The paint shop is also one of the first in the United States to utilize GK’s patented Kaiser Compact Eliminator (KCe), the most effective wet spray booth scrubber available today. The

KCe helps keep the facility’s air clean by collecting the overspray paint particles with a 99.9 percent capture efficiency.

The new paint shop project completed more than 2 million hours without a losttime incident. The new paint shop project achieved a Recordable Incident Rate (RIR) of 0.36 and a DART rate of 0.

SSOE provided architectural and engineering services for the complete interior demolition and renovation of the paint shop. SSOE also served as the architect of record for this renovation, performing a code study and support to the design-build team.

Challenges and Solutions

The entire design-build team understood the project’s dramatic impact in metro Detroit, for GM and the entire automotive realm. For them, each challenge became an opportunity for an innovative solution.

COVID-19 was a challenge for every construction job across the country. When the pandemic started, the safety teams for Walbridge and GK worked in unison with GM to make the Factory ZERO worksite safe. A drive-thru COVID screening tent was added to the construction entrance of the job, where healthy temperatures were verified and members filled out surveys, which expedited entry into the site, kept safety front of mind, and avoided lost time.

Electric contact tracing badges were utilized for trades and those on-site as an additional safety method. This system recorded the length of time workers were within six feet of one another, helping ensure that if anyone developed

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The project team and subcontractors assembled for a safety huddle in February 2021.

symptoms, the team could know who they had been in contact with and support preventing an outbreak on the jobsite. It also notified those on site when they were walking into high-risk areas, including steel erection areas, to help ensure safety for all on the job.

In May 2021, GM, Walbridge, and GK worked with the Michigan Building & Construction Trades Council and the City of Detroit to establish the nation’s first vaccination event for all contract workers on an active construction job site. The teams worked to inform them of the benefits of vaccination efforts while leaving the decision to them. Nearly 365 people received their two vaccine doses through the event.

As the supply chain issues started to develop, Walbridge’s procurement team shifted into high gear, contacting suppliers weekly to get updates on current lead times of materials. This information was passed along to GM to support their decision-making and planning. Separately, teams met with subcontractors to track all delivery dates weekly, which allowed Walbridge and subcontractors to search for alternative solutions. In the case of roofing material, with the lead time approaching at least six months, Walbridge investigated several temporary solutions for roofing to get the building weathertight to continue with construction. Finding and utilizing these temporary solutions helped keep the schedule and maintain the building turnover to GM.

-Content courtesy of Walbridge

KLA Corporation, a Silicon Valleybased Fortune 500 tech leader, recently celebrated the completion of its new Research & Development Center in Ann Arbor. The new 230,000square-foot, $200 million second U.S. headquarters is home to several technical programs including KLA’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence, where machine learning applications help advance semicon ductor manufacturing, along with the global base of several corporate functions. It is one of the multinational company’s largest locations.

Situated on a natural woodland site in Ann Arbor Technology Park off Woodridge Avenue and Dixboro Road, just a few miles from the main campus of the

University of Michigan, the new ultramodern facility is dedicated to cutting-edge research and development and one that KLA expects to be a continued magnet for graduates of the region’s top engineering schools.

On site is a large clean room, one of the largest in Michigan, to support the R&D of KLA’s semiconductor manufacturing equipment used around the world.

Corporate functions, including supply chain, procurement, IT, finance, legal and human resources, are also operated out of this campus.

Assembling the Right Team

Designed by SmithGroup, and with construction work led by Barton Malow Builders, this high-tech, environmentally

sustainable campus was designed not just to be a leading research facility in the country, but also a highly desirable workplace that has been attracting worldclass talent since before it opened in November of 2021.

As one of the preeminent integrated design firms with 1,300 experts committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery, SmithGroup was selected by KLA to lead the design efforts and sensitive site planning coordination with Ann Arbor Township and other local jurisdictions. SmithGroup was able to scale the project team’s efforts and build on the firm’s holistic approach to provide forward-looking design that maximizes opportunities and minimizes risk.

Photos courtesy of Barton Malow Builders

“The initial eight weeks’ concept design strategy, which helped establish the final project scope, budget, and design, was instrumental in securing the project win by SmithGroup. It also jump-started this complex project and created confidence for the entire project team moving forward,” said Marta Gazda-Auskalnis, SmithGroup’s Project Manager.

As the largest construction management firm in Michigan, Barton Malow brought its nearly 100 years of experience to the project. Barton Malow’s long history in the Ann Arbor market, along with the ability to self-perform several key critical path activities, made Barton Malow the right contractor for this

project. “KLA’s second U.S. headquarters in Ann Arbor Township represented a great opportunity for Barton Malow to leverage our extensive self-perform capabilities and local market knowledge to execute this aggressive schedule, while navigating the unexpected challenges resulting from the global pandemic,” said Rob Rankin, Barton Malow Project Executive.

Choosing the Right Site

electronics industries, the company was looking to bring a start-up mindset to its new campus, providing employees with a desirable and amenity-rich environment while keeping a distinctly Ann Arbor culture.

KLA’s new 230,000-square-foot, $200 million second U.S. headquarters includes an AI Center of Excellence, where the company uses machine learning applications to improve the manufacturing of semiconductors.

KLA’s decision to build a new location was founded on a need to meet a growing demand from its global customer base, while expanding the company’s footprint in North America. Ann Arbor specifically beat out hundreds of North American locations that were in the running to serve as home to the company’s second U.S. headquarters and new R&D center. A provider of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related nano-

“Rich in culture, filled with natural beauty, and home to the longest coastline of any state in the continental U.S., Michigan offers a little of everything – a high quality of life and natural beauty wherever you turn,” according to KLA. “The Detroit Metro Airport is nearby, with direct connections to critical international gateways across Europe and Asia. The company has a deep relationship with the University of Michigan and is actively building partnerships across the southeastern Michigan ecosystem.”

“We’re confident that we can continue to create and deliver impactful technologies that ultimately help enrich the human experience,” said Rick Wallace, KLA’s Chief Executive Officer and

U-M alum. “Our expansion into Michigan will help us realize our vision.”

The project was conceived in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund. “Automotive companies purchase $21.8 million worth of semiconductors from Michigan-based companies,” according to the MEDC. With the development of mobility and autonomous vehicles, semiconductor demand is increasing rapidly. “As Michigan continues leading the mobility industry in the development of autonomous vehicles, demand for tech companies like KLA is expected to skyrocket over the coming years.”

Attracting & Retaining Top Talent

KLA knows that choosing the right location can be integral to a company’s success. “There is not just demand for KLA’s products; there is also an attractive

talent pool available in the area to fill the highly technical and specialized positions it needs,” according to KLA. “Michigan has the highest concentration of engineers in the nation, and the engineering program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is ranked among the top 10 in the United States.” Within the first year of opening the Ann Arbor office, KLA had planned on hiring more than 300 employees, including engineers, physicists, data scientists, and other “problem-solvers,” as the company calls them. It’s expected that the staff at this location will reach its expanded hiring goals of around 600 by 2023.

The company is serious about hiring and retaining its top engineering talent and skilled workforce. “That means keeping our employees healthy and happy, nurturing an ethical, inclusive and diverse culture, strengthening our communities, and ensuring that we

uphold human rights and safe working conditions across our supply chain,” according to the company.

Building a new second headquarters gave KLA the opportunity to prioritize inclusion and diversity from the beginning when hiring its new staff and building a diverse workforce at all levels. Its progress made to date shows that it’s on track to meet it. A key component of KLA’s inclusion and diversity strategy are employee resource groups (ERGs) – a collective of employees who come together with common diversity interests to foster awareness, respect, and inclusion. KLA’s ERGs include WISE (Women In STEM Empowered), Konexión, BELIEVE (Black Employees Leading Excellence, Inclusion, Values, and Education), and PRISM (where Pride, Respect, Inclusion and Solidarity Meet).

“KLA, like society, benefits when we are able to work with diverse teams to

Sustainable features include a series of green roofs, electric vehicle charging stations, and an integral shade structure that helps mitigate unwanted solar gain and glare to the interior.

harness varying perspectives and talents in the furtherance of humanity,” said Wallace. “By providing an inclusive workplace that fosters kindness and respect among colleagues, I believe we can play a role in driving to be better.”

The company’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities is also strong, a commitment that the project design firm, SmithGroup, also holds in the highest regard. KLA has built out its long-term ESG strategy with an eye toward “further reducing our climate impact, increasing disclosure and deepening the positive impact we deliver through our business and community engagement.” KLA has set a goal to use 100 percent renewable electricity across its global operations by the year 2030.

Designing with a Low-Impact Development Approach

Due to the sensitive nature and complex work that KLA staff members do, a focused workspace was desired. As one

of the last undeveloped sites within the Ann Arbor Tech Campus, the project is situated within an old-growth highland forest. Along with a dense tree canopy, the site’s severe topographic changes, intermittent stream bed on the north, existing wetland zone on the south, and residential properties to the east posed a series of physical constraints that called for a thoughtful siting approach and method of construction.

By zoning rights, the site could have been mostly cleared, eliminating the existing nature and biodiverse setting of this characteristically Michigan site. Instead, SmithGroup’s methodology utilized a series of strategies that categorized the project as a Low-Impact Development approach, and in the end, they were able to reduce the overall impact by more than 44 percent compared to a standard development strategy.

The clean room portion of the facility is where much of KLA’s R&D takes place, so the building’s unique footprint has been

organized to provide both access to information and barriers to contamination. By far, the collective team’s largest challenge was focused on keeping the heavily forested site and natural surroundings as uninterrupted as possible, according to Jordon Gearhart and Cheryl Zuellig at SmithGroup. Some of the key strategies that allowed this to happen were a combination of vertical massing, embedded programmatic elements within the natural topography, right-sized parking requirements, and colocated utility lines.

The main office portion of the campus is arranged in a narrow and vertical manner, hugging the natural east/west grade changes, allowing cut and fill to be minimized. This narrow footprint also allows those working in the open office and larger amenities to situate closer to the existing forest edge while maximizing natural daylight and increasing setbacks from lot lines and adjacent neighbors.

In a similar fashion, the parking is housed in a partially below-grade

structure instead of via sprawling surface lots that would have taken up more real estate. This half-buried condition posed some construction and shoring challenges for the structure itself but allows the parking to become subservient to the building itself, disguised within the existing topography while keeping most of it as close to the building as possible.

Another critical step for parking was working with the Ann Arbor Township to right-size the required number of spaces based on the population of building, not just on square footage.

Additional steps were taken to minimize the footprint of the campus, even outboard of the buildings themselves. All main utilities are located strategically beneath pavement to lessen the impact on perimeter tree canopies. Directional boring was utilized for main utility connections to negate the tree removal required for traditional trenching methods.

Storm water detention was also located below grade in order to minimize overall surface area footprints required for similar volumes for detention.

A unique strategy was implemented to minimize the visual impact of mechanical systems on the roof tops. Dedicated outside air units were placed between the low-slung mass of the clean room and the vertical office tower, rather than on the high roof. This tactical location allows the tower to be simultaneously feed up and down in building section, offering higher efficiencies and limited duct runs.

“One of these strategies by themselves has impact, but together as a collective, the project serves as a demonstration on how smart planning and conscious decisionmaking can heighten the experience for the users involved while supporting local habitats, unique vegetation, and transient wildlife of our Michigan ecology,” explained Cheryl Zuellig from SmithGroup.

Designed for a High-Tech Team

Throughout its 46-year history, KLA has been a part of some of the most significant technological breakthroughs. The company has provided advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards, and flat panel displays. Virtually no laptop, smartphone, or smart car could be made without KLA technology, according to the company.

Almost every single chip produced passes through a KLA machine, and many thousands of its tools are in use worldwide.

KLA’s new headquarters includes an AI Center of Excellence, where the company uses machine learning applications to improve the manufacturing of semiconductors. With a monumental atrium anchoring the Ann Arbor campus, the six-story facility also features a

The main office portion of KLA’s Ann Arbor campus is arranged in a narrow and vertical manner, hugging the natural east/west grade changes, allowing cut and fill to be minimized. This narrow footprint also allows those working in the open office to situate close to the existing forest edge while maximizing natural daylight and increasing setbacks from lot lines and adjacent neighbors.

51,000-square-foot clean room that is used to support the research and development of KLA’s semiconductor manufacturing tools.

Close adjacency between the clean room and office space is critical for daily functionality and efficiency. As engineers frequently move between the most controlled environments of the clean room and the office space, the ease of doing so was a driving factor for planning purposes. “Additional tinkering spaces, dedicated labs, and collaboration zones are positioned directly between these two larger functions, which creates increased opportunity for chance encounters and cross-pollination of ideas,” said Gearhart from SmithGroup.

The overall design blends a highly flexible open office space with many unique collaboration spaces and contemporary amenities. Sustainable features include a series of green roofs, electric vehicle charging stations, and an integral shade structure that helps mitigate unwanted solar gain and glare to the interior. Amenities include a dining center and all-hands venue looking out into the woods, a dedicated coffee bar,

and expansive fitness center.

Long-term flexibility plays a strong role within the interior. Large, open office spaces are column-free and allow for furniture arrangements to change over time without significant rework of the base building components. This planning offers resilience to the building and KLA departmental organizations. Similarly, lab spaces are planned as uninterrupted banks of space and infrastructure, allowing for partitioning to move as business needs shift with technology.

A large communicating stair floats within the main lobby atrium space, connecting multiple levels and heightening staff’s ability to be more active within the larger social volume. This cantilevered switch back stair required very in-depth coordination between all trades. From the structural framework down to the accent light and finish millwork details, it serves as a testament to the constant communication between team members.

KLA has been a part of some of the most significant technological breakthroughs.

Virtually no laptop, smartphone, or smart car could be made without KLA technology.

From Inception to Completion

In 2018, KLA secured an initial $1.5 million performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which was later increased to a total of $2.5 million. Less than a year

later, the company held a ribbon cutting for its temporary office space and broke ground on its permanent building. In November 2021, KLA celebrated the grand opening of its permanent second headquarters in Ann Arbor, a demonstration of the company’s

continued commitment to Michigan and further boosting the state’s leadership position in semiconductor manufacturing and development.

"Our partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has been instrumental in enabling KLA to serve our global customer base from the new headquarters and benefit from the impressive engineering talent and business culture that Michigan offers,” said Wallace. “As we continue our journey at the forefront of semiconductor technology, we’re thrilled that Ann Arbor and the state of Michigan are now part of our story.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended the grand opening alongside KLA executives from the corporation’s Milpitas, California, headquarters, officials from the University of Michigan, and other local industry leaders. "With the opening of its new facility, KLA is helping us build Michigan's future," said Gov. Whitmer. "The next generation of technology and innovation are happening right here in Ann Arbor, thanks to KLA and partners including the Michigan Economic Development Committee and University of Michigan.”

“KLA's investment in Michigan is a clear example of how high-tech companies are finding opportunities to grow in the state and are playing a key role in the ongoing economic recovery efforts," said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of the MEDC and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund Board. "KLA has been a great corporate partner helping to demonstrate the pure opportunity for businesses here in Michigan, and we look forward to working with the company as it continues to grow and add jobs here."

“I think we’re an amazing company that’s done some incredible things because of the talent that we have,” said KLA President and CEO Rick Wallace. “This is a milestone, but it is not the end. This is the beginning.”

It’s just the beginning indeed. The company landed a spot on the Fortune 500 list starting in 2021 and, shortly thereafter was named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine.

“The Voice of The Construction

The overall design of KLA’s new headquarters in Ann Arbor blends a highly flexible open office space with many unique collaboration spaces and contemporary amenities, including a dining center and all-hands venue looking out into the woods, a dedicated coffee bar, and expansive fitness center.

With almost

years

Industry leading quality. Where high expectation is the key to everything.

KLA Research & Development Center - Ann Arbor, Michigan

DTE POWERS TOWARD A NET ZERO CARBON FUTURE WITH ITS NEW BLUE WATER ENERGY CENTER

BY PATRICK CROWLEY

This year marks a milestone for Michigan and DTE Energy with the opening of the Blue Water Energy Center, the state’s first new power plant since the 1980s. The United States is clearly in the midst of a major transition to cleaner energy production. In Michigan, this effort is being charged by the new Blue Water Energy Center (BWEC). The facility is set to be the most fuel-efficient power plant in Michigan and is slated to replace three coal plants.

The BWEC is a 1,146-megawatt natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant located along the shores of the St. Clair River in East China, about 50 miles northeast of downtown Detroit. To put things into perspective, 1 megawatt can power 4,000 computers or 300 standard air conditioning units. It is estimated that the BWEC will be able to provide affordable and reliable power for some 850,000 homes.

The plant provides a balanced energy mix that provides a 24/7 “always available” power generation. The notion of “always available” power refers to the required power generation when the wind and solar sources cannot produce electricity due to their limiting conditions. The BWEC’s ultra-efficiency results from its function of running on natural gas and using combined-cycle technology, which captures the wasted heat energy to produce even more electricity.

“As DTE moves away from coal-fired power plants and continues to invest in renewable energy such as wind and solar, there will still be a need for dispatchable 24/7 power resources,” said Scott Sobas, Senior Project Manager with DTE’s Major Enterprise Projects Group. “BWEC will

TOP: Bird’s-eye view of DTE’s Blue Water Energy Center, the state’s first new power plant since the 1980s.

BOTTOM: Water treatment enclosure at the Blue Water Energy Center in East China. Commercial Contracting Corp. furnished and installed a total of four pre-engineered metal buildings, including mechanical and elec trical components.

generate 1,146 megawatts of electrical power that produces 70 percent less CO2 emissions and 99 percent lower ozone and acid gasses than coal-fired units, while being 60 percent more efficient. This is due to the two-on-one configuration of the combustion generating turbines and the steam turbine generator.”

But this is not just a singular development. DTE's mission is to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 – and incremental CO2 reductions will steadily meet that goal.The planned reduction rate is as follows: 32 percent by 2023, 50 percent by 2028, 80 percent by 2040, and net zero by 2050. By that year, DTE’s official Net Zero Plan aims to reduce carbon emissions by 6 million metric tons per year – the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road, according to the company. This is, of course, a lofty goal – but an important one. DTE’s dedication to carbon emission reduction hopes to set a standard for the future.

Building the Right Team

“DTE began conceptual studies as far back as 2008 as market technologies emerged, and updated siting studies were performed in 2015 and 2016 for site determinations,” explained Dennis Decator, MEP Platform Manager with DTE. In 2017, the company contracted Kiewit Corporation to engineer, procure, and construct its new $1 billion natural gas-fueled power plant on a St. Clair County site that occupied approximately 30 acres adjacent to the existing coal- and natural gas-fired Belle River Power Plant. DTE plans to retire Belle River no later than 2028.

Kiewit Corporation and DTE selected Commercial Contracting Corporation (CCC) to provide general contracting services for 12 of the buildings on the site through three different contracts. With Kiewit, DTE, and CCC working together, everything fell into place.

“This was the first large combined-cycle facility Kiewit had built for DTE and the first plant of its kind in DTE’s fleet,” said Jon Campbell, Project Manager with Kiewit. “Kiewit originally awarded CCC the major metal buildings on site. Still, our

relationship with them has grown to lean heavily on them for an array of other subcontract scopes on Blue Water.”

“The energy market is moving away from coal-fired power plants and moving to more environmentally friendly ways of producing energy,” said Kevin Foucher, CCC’s Vice President of Construction Operations. “Natural gas combined-cycle plants are one of those avenues, along with solar and wind. We have seen wind investments the past 15 years in our region and some solar. We are closely tracking the solar market as we feel this is a growing submarket within the energy sector.”

of a steam turbine generator, auxiliary boiler building, and two boiler feed buildings. Kiewit performed the concrete and structural steel with their trades and CCC followed by constructing the siding, roofing, lightning protection, piping, HVAC, electrical lighting and building power, building controls, overhead doors, and man doors.

Lifting to New Heights

CCC’s final scope involved rigging and installing prefabricated enclosures for two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs). Each enclosure was lifted more than 100 feet up to their final locations at the top of the complex. This scope of work was perhaps the most impressive feat and one of the most unique aspects of the construction of the Blue Water Energy Center. CCC built eight enclosures in sections, each varying in size and weighing between 40,000-60,000 lbs. The buildings are 155’ long X 80’ wide X 33’ tall. A team effort between Kiewit’s structural engineers and CCC took place in order to conduct the safest yet most productive way to erect these buildings.

The first of three of CCC’s contracts entailed constructing two warehouse buildings where CCC performed the entire scope. This included concrete, preengineered metal building erection, building insulation, roofing, siding, man doors, and overhead doors. For the second contract, CCC furnished and installed four pre-engineered metal buildings, including mechanical and electrical components. This included an administration/warehouse building, water treatment enclosure and cooling tower, as well as a chemical feed enclosure and an ammonia storage canopy.

The third contract was for four structural steel buildings, which consisted

Cory Malburg, Project Manager for CCC, noted that the two buildings built on top of the HRSGs were “by far the most unique and coordinated work that CCC executed on this project.” Kiewit approached CCC to erect these preengineered buildings nearly 115 feet above ground level. Together, Kiewit Engineering and CCC formulated an engineered erection/support plan. It took nearly four months, a site visit to Pennsylvania, and the help of Iron Workers Local 25 to get the job done.

When the day of the lifts came, the plans came to fruition with gusto. It took the mighty power of three separate cranes: two 90T rough terrain cranes would lift the sections of the legs in the air, and one 330T crawler crane would lift the roof section. The ironworkers then connected the roof to the legs.

“This process was well thought out and planned for multiple reasons, but the most important was the safety aspect,” said Malburg. “There were hundreds of workers on site at the time of getting these buildings in place. When the all call

DTE’s Net Zero Plan aims to reduce carbon emissions by 6 million metric tons per year by the year 2050 –that’s the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road, according to the company.

came out on the radios, many workers evacuated the areas, while others on the team did a walk-through of the lift area for verification of evacuation. Something this heavy being lifted at these heights was extremely risky.”

Malburg further explained that “rigging was chosen strictly for this type of lift and was inspected before and after each use, so we were certain to be ready for the next big lift. Also, before lifting the pieces into position, there had to be work done to the platform steel to make up for elevation

differences that would have put the steel out of plumb,” he explained. “Our superintendent and layout personnel spent a diligent amount of time surveying the existing platform steel in order to come up with proper shims to weld down to the platform to make it within 1/8 of an inch and be within tolerances. If this was not done (and done correctly), the ironworkers would struggle significantly to get the building plumb and level and would have caused serious quality issues with installing wall and roof panels on the building.”

The most strategic benefit of building these sections of steel on the ground as much as possible was to mitigate as much work as possible up on top of the units. Once the steel was set in place, the workers were nearly 150 feet in the air working over top of new equipment and other workers. “This was simply a way of putting as much of the building together on the ground making few picks with the crane to erect the buildings up top,” said Malburg. “Lights, conduits, and other equipment were even attached to do this

Voice of The

The exterior panels of the steam turbine generator building were installed after the equipment had been placed and the structure was erected. Workers took extreme caution not to damage the equipment already within the structure when multiple wall and roof penetrations were applied.

same operation. Another benefit to doing this was it left the issue of not having unsupported steel on top of the HRSG units.” This portion of the project was successfully finished within schedule and without any injuries.

A Tight and Sensitive Site

Another serious consideration was the construction site’s tight space relative to the large footprint of the buildings and the need for numerous pieces of heavy equipment. A total of seven cranes and 16 lifts were on the site at times, for instance. Daily communication and coordination were needed between CCC, Kiewit, and others to successfully and safely manage the work within these confines.

Constructing around existing equipment also took careful teamwork and skill. At the steam turbine generator building, CCC installed the exterior panels after the equipment had been placed and the structure was erected. Workers took extreme caution not to

damage the equipment already within the structure when multiple wall and roof penetrations were applied.

“For all of the building penetrations, CCC pre-built at ground level as much of the penetrations before sending the pieces in the air,” said Malburg. “This was the goal for these buildings – pre-build as much as we possibly can at ground level to mitigate everything we can at over 100 feet in the air. The panels were also precut on the ground for the penetrations so we did not have to handle the cut pieces of insulated metal wall panel in the air,” he said. “The measurements were taken, sent to the ground via radios, cut on the ground, then lifted and secured in place immediately.”

During the construction of the Blue Water Energy Center, the many hurdles were overcome with skill, passion, and teamwork. “As a general contractor, Kiewit brought an arsenal of experience and knowledge in the construction of power-generating facilities,” said Dave Mason, Manager of Construction for DTE.

CCC’s Self-Perform Trades Controlled Quality, Schedule & Labor

Bringing in Commercial Contracting Corporation also proved to be a smart decision. “CCC was one of the tools that Kiewit utilized to get the project completed,” said Malburg. In addition to their onsite work, CCC was able to utilize its company-owned steel fabrication shop to quickly remedy an issue with third-party supplied steel knee plates for the HRSG penthouse enclosures. The materials were transported to CCC’s shop in Auburn Hills.

“The DTE inspector, along with Kiewit and third-party steel/welding inspectors, were on site full time during the process in order to mitigate any re-inspections and delaying the project,” said Malburg. “This work was completed on a handful of 12to 16-hour shifts of cutting and welding so we could turn the steel back around and get them back on the BWEC site. CCC self-performed all fabrication and welding on this fix with their own certified welders.” Once the process was

complete, the fixed knee plates were shipped back to the site and erected while maintaining the original schedule.

In addition to rigging, aligning, and installing the HRSG penthouse enclosures, CCC self-performed the concrete foundations, structural steel, concrete slabs on grade, concrete slabs on decks, and carpentry, including installation of exterior pre-fabricated panels, metal studs, drywall, doors, and associated hardware and millwork. The company’s self-perform trades provided

CCC with greater schedule, quality control, and access to high-performing tradespeople.

The Use of Innovative Technology

In every project of this magnitude, there is an opportunity to innovate, particularly when having three companies considered titans in their field collaborating and working harmoniously together. Each hit their notes and worked to impress and get the job done to the best of their abilities.

The use of 3D BIM technology was used to enhance the coordination amongst trades. 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a process in which digital representations of physical places are computer-generated and can be managed throughout the stages of development. This can be advantageous in many ways, including aiding visualization, problem-solving, and collaboration between trade contractors. The technology provided a good view into areas with a high concentration of MEP

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The lifting of two heat recovery steam generators more than 100 feet up to their final locations was perhaps one of the most impressive feats of the con struction of the Blue Water Energy Center. It took the mighty power of three separate cranes: two 90T rough terrain cranes would lift the sections of the legs in the air, and one 330T crawler crane would lift the roof section. The ironworkers then connected the roof to the legs.

utilities, such as ceiling space and corridors.

According to Decator, “Design in 3D is no longer a model construct for reference; it is the very tool used in design. With that knowledge, reviewing interferences to accessways, designing in constructability to maintainability enabled great first-time quality and ease of operation upon completion,” he said. “For system isolation, we could design what craft was where during planning, improving worker productivity, and maximizing safety when performing horizontal and vertical slices of work planning.”

Taking Extra Safety Measures

Safety is always of the utmost importance, and the Blue Water Energy Center project team took extra steps in this regard. A special epoxy was applied to steel at an offsite location. This improved quality and safety as paint fumes containing VOCs were kept away from workers and limited to a controlled environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic also required extra measures to be put into place. CCC applied its industry-leading safety program, which yielded exceptional results. All tradespeople had been educated before starting work to maintain the highest level of safety.

An additional advantage was achieved when all parties entered into a partner alliance with MIOSHA to ensure that everything was up to the highest safety standards. The alliance promoted ongoing training, site inspection, and use of MIOSHA’s Consultation, Education, and Training (CET) resources to encourage and support continued safety awareness with the intent to reduce the potential for injuries on the job site.

“The largest precaution was making safety positive and personal,” explained Decator. “Why do we work safe, why do we want our friends to be safe, and what is the impact on our families and friends when an accident occurs? With that mindset, focusing on the work and adjusting the precautions as each phase

advanced from site preparation to subgrade, from subgrade to going vertical, each phase was accompanied by specific training such as excavation safety to tie-off protection,” he said. “That mindset and awareness was instrumental in keeping people safe.”

All of this — including complications related to COVID-19 safety protocols and the challenges brought on by design changes, unforeseen conditions, and the weather — was part of the accomplishments of the project management team. To ensure productivity, all superintendents attended a 1:30 p.m. “plan of the day” coordination meeting to discuss topics such as crane locations, major work areas, and safety protocols. These daily meetings kept everyone on the same page and ensured that there was no miscommunication.

Building for a Cleaner Future

The Blue Water Energy Center is a step toward the future of DTE’s energy goals. The exterior itself is fundamental in its

appearance, but that’s made up for in functionality.

The contribution of Kiewit and CCC on this project was not one of just occupational obligation but one of dedication to teamwork and support of DTE’s vision for the future of energy. The amount of time, skill, hard work, and passion that went into the planning, creation, and now operation of the BWEC will not only help Michigan in the short term by providing needed energy to hundreds of thousands of homes across the state, but it also puts the state of Michigan on a forward-thinking path to meet DTE’s goal of net zero. This goal is not just a passion for DTE but a necessity for the state of Michigan.

“The Voice of The Construction

The Blue Water Energy Center is a step toward the future of DTE’s energy goals. The exterior itself is fundamental in its appearance, but that’s made up for in functionality.

Livonia

Medical

Center Brings

to

By Lisa M. Briggs

A once-vacant, grassy lot on the Livonia campus of Schoolcraft College now hosts a sleek, fourstory glass, brick, and aluminum healthcare facility, officially known as the Livonia Medical Center (LMC). This attractive building commands attention and easily catches the eye of students, healthcare professionals, patients, and even drivers traveling along I-275.

A new air of vitality fills the academic campus since the building opened in February 2021 and people first walked through its unique, revolving glass and stainless-steel doors. The campus also has much more foot and vehicle traffic since both students and area residents began taking full advantage of the college’s crowning achievement in the health care arena.

Schoolcraft nursing and bio-medical students have swift access to the LMC – it is just a few hundred steps away from their classrooms, courtesy of Lindhout Associates Architects and AUCH Construction.

The new Livonia Medical Center, located alongside I-275 on the northeast quadrant of Schoolcraft College’s campus, brings together leading health care providers and services to offer a continuum of state-of-the-art care under one roof.

Photos courtesy of AUCH Construction

Floors two, three, and four of the Livonia Medical Center offer comfortable seating and an expansive reception and registration area where patients are greeted.

A medical assistant newly employed at the facility walks into work every day with a smile. “I absolutely love this building,” she said. “Working here is unlike anywhere else. There is so much natural sunlight everywhere – there are windows from any workstation I'm at, and the brightness flows all around.”

LMC Is a Well-Rounded, Medical Smorgasbord Designed to Offer

Everything a Patient Needs in One Place

The $41 million, multi-medical complex is part of a group that was recently named as one of six high-performing Michigan hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, features every facet of health care one could need. There's no red carpet, but it feels like there is. Patients and guests are greeted by

a gorgeous, drive-under canopy supported by six white column-like pillars that lead to a sophisticated, highly talked about revolving door system.

On the ground level, specialized services offered by Trinity Health and Integrated Health Associates, Inc. (IHA) include an imaging center, pediatrics, pharmacy, registration, lab, surgery center, and urgent care. The LMC’s first floor is bustling with guests, patients, and staff who appreciate the convenience of Joe's Java, a coffee shop and cafe, before an appointment or work shift begins. Elevators or stairs can be used to reach the second, third, and fourth floors. Eye-catching artwork in various mediums –oil paintings, abstract glass collages, and wall sculptures – are positioned throughout the space. Modern, circular, suspended LED light fixtures give each floor an artistic vibe, rather than the traditional sterile, clinical feel of older hospitals.

The second floor of the facility houses primary care, nurse midwives, and obstetrics and gynecology; the third floor includes colon and rectal surgery, endocrinology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, urology, vascular and endovascular surgery; the fourth floor encompasses brain and spine surgery, hand surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, podiatry, probility physical therapy, sports medicine, and rheumatology.

Working with a Triage Mindset Crosses into the Construction Zone

In the medical industry, doctors and nurses understand the term “triage,” and refer to it frequently. It's associated with determining the urgency and order of treatment for those in need. In a similar way, AUCH and Lindhout worked with and served a trio of stakeholders – Schoolcraft College, Trinity Health, and Universal Properties, a private developer – to provide a collaborative and efficient delivery process for the 124,000square-foot medical hub that broke ground in October 2019.

“There were three ownership heads we collaborated and partnered with,” said Mike Tobis, a Senior Project Manager at AUCH. “In preconstruction, we navigated topics to make sure we addressed everyone's needs in regards to what the building looked like, budget, bidding, buying, and the contents of the building to make sure they had what they needed to make the project successful.”

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Lindhout designed it and AUCH constructed it. “It was collaborative between the end users and the architect at first, and then evolved to figuring out the details with the construction manager,” said John Eckstein, President of Lindhout Associates, Architects.

The Exterior Has a Designer Look with a History All Its Own Looking at the LMC building from the south, north, west, or east gives observers something different to view from each angle. An array of textures, colors, and materials lend to the aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Various exclusive sections of the building feature brown, white, or dark gray brick. These brick selections are paired with other contrasting colors and materials. Interspersed with the tones of brick are aluminum-composite panels, which have been selected in three shades as well: white, gray, and a pale yellow. The building's stylish color palette takes a bold stroke with a rich, mustard-color exhibited in a faux wood product that serves as “accent eyebrows,” since they arch above windows and other geometrical borders.

“We always stick to the philosophy of 'it's a medical facility, but you don't want it to feel clinical.' So, then with that concept, we like to introduce the softer materials – such as the faux wood,” said Eckstein. “The 'eyebrows' installed around various portions of the building help bump out the accent color and give it character,” said Eckstein. “It's not wood at all. It looks like wood, but it's extruded metal. It's designed to look like wood – it's more durable, maintenance-free, and will last forever as compared to wood.”

LMC's Expressive Look Is a Combination of Concepts

Lindhout has designed numerous projects for Trinity Health over the years. As they were designing a new medical office building in Norton Shores, the nearby Trinity Hospital in Muskegon was finishing up construction on a new state-of-the-art wing in their existing hospital. This addition used a series of colors of aluminum composite panels to bring variety and interest to the windowless facade. As design work began on the Livonia Medical Center, Trinity asked Lindhout to integrate similar panels into this project. Lindhout combined the tricolor panels with various brick and faux wood materials to create a building that gives a nod to the new hospital wing, while allowing the Livonia Medical Center to have its own identity as well.

“Trinity had asked for windowless exam rooms and thus the tri-color panels were used to block out these areas of the program,” said Eckstein. “We were working on the massing, and there was another talented, licensed architect from Trinity who, with AUCH, came to us and suggested relocating the physical therapy up to the fourth floor and construct a band of windows so patients could look out. Typically you don't want any windows in an exam room, so we designed it so a person in physical therapy on a treadmill or arm bar has natural light and something to look at – some scenery and a view. That was a great suggestion, and we incorporated it.”

LMC Showcases Team-Based Care

The software and technological advancements that Lindhout uses when designing a modern medical building truly made their debut within the LMC. The entire building uses team-based care, a rising and preferred design trend in health care construction projects.

It's a medical building, with a few key differences. “None of the physicians have offices anymore,” said Eckstein. “The back of the

LMC suite, which is facing south on the building has a lot of glass – this area is conference-style space where the doctors come together with their physician assistants, nurse assistants, and whoever makes up their team. It's where they collaborate in a large room. Then, each doctor has their own pod, which is usually two to three exam rooms. They go back

and forth from exam room pods to collaborative space with their team.”

Reduced Man Hours Thanks to Technology

“Honestly, when we first start a project, there are so many items and choices up in the air,” said Eckstein. “Between the diverse floor plans for all the different medical practices, there is much to define.”

Lindhout and the team developed a program for each individual practice and its unique needs. “Then we start massing this thing out,” said Eckstein. “The design software programs that we have today, even more so than just 10 years ago, allow us to visualize the building quickly. We have so many talented people, we can start the design process, and if the client doesn't like a certain direction it's going, or they realize something else, we can change it out.”

One change that Lindhout handled centered on how the site was tapering. “We had the building mirrored, but then we realized the site tapered the other way, and it made more sense to put the MRI on the other side of the building,” explained Eckstein. “We had to mirror the building. With today's technology, that was a piece of cake. Back in the days when we were drawing it out, it was a longer process and a lot more man hours.”

Patient Satisfaction Trumps It All at LMC Schoolcraft College students get practical training at a gorgeously distinct educational setting, but the patients who choose to utilize LMC get something even better. “It's patient-driven care,” said Eckstein. “There should be no questions for a patient walking into the building from the time they arrive at the canopy, which designates the entry space with the revolving door, to the time they visit their caregiver. There are multiple practices, but you have one reception desk on each floor where everything is handled. A patient just needs to tell the receptionist who they're there to see, and from there the patient is escorted to where they need to go.”

The Well-Conceived Design Builds Patient Loyalty

A patient named Loretta likes to sit in the outdoor courtyard adjacent to the canopied entryway. There are 15 seats arranged among beautifully landscaped plants and flowers, and she occupies one as she waits for her medical transportation ride to pick her up. “I like the revolving doors,” she said. “The whole place is beautiful. My insurance company recommended I come here. I visit the second floor – the women's center. I'll be coming here a long time.”

The high-end rotating door definitely garners compliments. It was a tremendously wise decision that curtails any complaints because temperature

Voice of The Construction

change is basically eliminated. “If it was just a regular door, you'd have a wind tunnel,” said Eckstein. “Typically, anyone working off the lobby or a patient in the waiting room would get hit with gusts of cold air, but this door has a slider in front of it, which helps keep temperatures equalized. Especially since the entry is facing west, and in the wintertime that's where the prevailing, cold wind would force its way in.”

Smooth Progress Until the Pandemic Demanded Something Different

The “construction triage” dramatically changed due to COVID-19. “This project started out like a normal project in 2019,” said Tobis. “Everything was going as planned, we had a great schedule, then February 2020 hit, and the world stopped. Literally, the world stopped! The project was put on hold for days due to the executive order. The day of the shutdown, no one came to work at the job site. Soon, because it was a health care facility, it was deemed essential, and then the real, hard work had to happen.”

Some Trade Contractors Were Eager to Get Back to Work, Others Were Not. “We didn't have any grounds to force them to work, so we had to reshuffle the schedule and order of activities to make sure we could be productive with the people who

wanted to work, while we worked closely with the people who didn't want to work out of fear. We then tried to quell their fears,” said Tobis.

The AUCH team found themselves doing things they'd never done before. Tobis coached and met with safety directors from many subcontractor companies. Zoom meetings and socially distanced parking lot meetings became the acceptable manner of communication.

“We began developing new protocols as we learned how to handle things to keep people safe,” said Tobis, who in his threedecade career never managed during a global pandemic. However, having a father who worked at Pfizer and a wife who is a nurse brought a natural sense of calm to his approach in dealing with crews and colleagues.

Some of those fears in subcontractors began to subside. AUCH’s quick response in limiting exposure risks resulted in more subs returning to the job.

“We installed a portable hand-washing station,” Tobis said. “We installed mini stations throughout the building. We mandated if people could work independently and safely, that they did so, while wearing masks. If tasks needed two people, we assigned a buddy system, and those two people never mixed with others.

Natural sunlight and modern, circular LED lighting keeps the Livonia Medical Center bright and airy, a nice departure from the traditional, clinical feel at older hospitals.

We also developed a QR code system to check in – getting into the job site and getting to your workstation dramatically changed,” he said. “In the old days, you just pulled in, parked, walked in, and worked. Now, there was a screening process. Workers had to make sure their buddy was there, and you had to work away from people as much as possible. We had to adapt the schedule accordingly to be productive and consider project deliverability. The pressure really came to us to still deliver for the client, and make sure that people could work.”

Early Analysis Before COVID Created $1 Million in Savings. Initially, the owner wanted AUCH to come back 12 to 18 months after Phase One of the project, which included

“The Voice of The Construction Industry®”

This angular view highlights the faux wood and aluminum composite panels featured on the exterior of the Livonia Medical Center.

constructing the 90,000-square-foot fourstory building, and later to begin working on Phase Two, which included the 34,000square-foot ambulatory surgical center.

“This was originally going to be a twophase project,” said Tobis. “Start Phase One, finish it, wait a year or year-and-a-half,

come back, and put the addition on. In preconstruction discussions, we did all the scheduling and cost models for the owner and proved to them that they could save well over a million dollars long-term if they moved Phase Two up and did construction concurrently. It wasn't 100 percent

Modern light fixtures and unique art installations, such as this colored glass collage, invites the gaze from viewers of all ages visiting the Livonia Medical Center.

concurrent, because we turned them over at separate times, but we were still able to save time and money by accelerating Phase Two.”

Tobis further explained that the owner's cost model indicated that more time was needed to prove the necessity for the operating rooms and surgical center. “We'd much rather build it all at once,” said Tobis. “We can be more efficient that way. If we come back a year later to put an addition on, that means parking is interrupted for all the current patients in the original building, and there are substantial noise and safety factors.”

AUCH and Lindhout provided details on how not delaying Phase Two was economically advantageous. “Imagine if you have to build a four-sided building, you have to have brick and windows on all sides,” Tobis said. “Then when you come to build the addition, you now have to tear down the exterior facade to put the addition on so you can connect the two buildings. All that money invested in making it pretty you're now ripping out. Sometimes clients don't have the financial resources to do it

all at once. We've seen all kinds of scenarios through the years.”

AUCH's innovative and forward-thinking strategy to build concurrently was presented to the owners, who went back and looked at their model. They agreed to get the process going. “The money they saved would, and did, benefit everyone,” Tobis said.

Built Tough in Tough Times

During the steel erection phase of construction, Ford Motor Company used the LMC site as a backdrop for the filming of one of its F-Series truck commercials. Obviously, the strong and sturdy construction project inspired Ford marketing creatives. Everyone recognizes the automotive giant's “Built Ford Tough” slogan, and somehow it would foreshadow what happened on the LMC construction site as tough decisions were made in the middle of a global health crisis. It turns out that the unexpected pandemic gave birth to new, more efficient ways of building and getting things done.

After combining an originally two-phased

project planned a year apart with different opening dates and budgets, AUCH and Lindhout miraculously completed LMC back to back in a condensed construction timeframe, which created more than $1 million worth of savings.

If Alive, Henry Schoolcraft Would Be Impressed

Schoolcraft College, originally named to honor nineteenth-century explorer and scholar of Native Americans Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, is a progressively innovative educational institution that has come a long way since its first set of blueprints were drawn in 1963.

Over the past five decades, previous structural projects such as Schoolcraft’s main college campus, Newman Center, bookstore, and sports and fitness center enhanced student experiences. But it would be Lindhout's design and AUCH Construction's making of the Livonia Medical Center that has elevated the campus to being a critical force in the merging of academic and medical communities in the twenty-first century.

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“In the ‘90s, we were drawing in CAD and the 3D capabilities were really limited, and it took a while,” said Eckstein. “Today, we've got guys that can create a model in a day, whereas before that could have taken three months.”

Technology and a Pandemic Ultimately Bring New Light to LMC

The natural light designed to infuse this entire medical center is a reminder of how enduring the ups and downs of a project together as professionals sheds new light on the effective delivery of a design and construction project. “We're definitely more efficient,” said Eckstein. “We can take multiple looks at an individual building. We can give options for the owner and give them something they can react to. We never present something we don't like – that's the number-one rule. We can give them two options, and ask them what they're thinking. A lot of times, they'll like a few elements from this model and a few other elements from a different model. So then we can combine them – that's what we did for LMC.”

In light of a global outbreak, the legacy everyone remembers is pulling together to achieve a remarkable addition to Schoolcraft's campus. For years to come, students can learn the circumstances of how the building was built in a tough time –but gave the community this beacon of hope in the arena of health and medical care.

“In my 30-year career, every project has its own unique challenges and complications that we have to work through for the benefit of all parties,” said Tobis. “This pandemic made us realize things nobody could have forecasted, planned for, or needed to adapt to – and we literally had to adapt on the fly day by day, then week by week, and month by month, to make sure we could keep people working, keep the project moving in a positive direction, and still maintain the owner's schedule, budget, and quality. We did that. Every bit of it.”

SPECIAL ISSUE SUBCONTRACTORS LISTS

Consultants, Grand Rapids

• Food Service Equipment – Merchandise Equipment & Supply, Grand Rapids

• General Trades and Site Concrete –Christman Constructors, Inc., Lansing

• HVAC Controls – Trane Co., Lansing

• Interior Glass – Vos Glass, Grand Rapids

• Landscaping & Irrigation – Irrigation Systems, Inc., Lansing

Auto-Owners Insurance Group’s South Campus Expansion

Owner: Auto-Owners Insurance Group, Lansing

Architect: Gensler, Detroit Construction Manager: The Christman Company, Lansing

MEP Engineer: SmithGroup, Lansing

Structural Engineer: Ruby + Associates, Bingham Farms

Civil Engineer: Ziemnick Foster Engineering, Grand Ledge Commissioning Agent: Diekema Hamann Architecture & Engineering, Kalamazoo

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Asphalt Paving – Michigan Paving & Materials Co., Lansing

• Audio/Visual – TEL Systems, Ann Arbor

• Carpet & Resilient Flooring – Seelye Group, Lansing

• Cleaning – Clean Team USA, Lansing

• Curtain Wall & Metal Panels – Architectural Glass & Metals, Inc., Byron Center

• Earthwork & Site Utilities – Site Development, Inc., Madison Heights

• Elevator – Otis Elevator, Grand Rapids

• Electrical and Fire Alarm – Summit Contractors Inc., Haslett

• Fire Protection – Shambaugh & Son, Southfield

• Food Service Consultant – JRA Food Service

• Low-Voltage Electrical – F.D. Hayes Electric Co., Inc., Lansing

• Masonry – Schiffer Mason Contractors, Inc., Holt

• Mechanical & Plumbing – John E. Green Co., East Lansing

• Metal Studs/Drywall/Ceilings – William Reichenbach Co., Okemos

• Painting & Wall Covering - Murray Painting Co., Freeland

• Rooftop Solar Array – The Green Panel, Brighton

• Roofing – McDonald Roofing, Jackson

• Security System – EPS Security Systems, Grand Rapids

• Sheet Metal – S & Z Sheetmetal, Flint

• Signage – Universal Sign Inc., Grand Rapids

• Site Electrical – Superior Electric of Lansing, Inc., Lansing

• Sound Masking & Paging System –Conference Technologies, Inc., Maryland Heights, MO

• Structural & Misc. Steel – Ideal Contracting, LLC, Detroit

• Structural Concrete – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights

• Testing and Inspection – Soil & Materials Engineers, Inc., Lansing

• Tile & Terrazzo – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton

• Traffic Gates – Fence Consultants of West Michigan, Grand Rapids

Owner: Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie

Architect and Engineer: SmithGroup, Detroit Construction Manager: Spence Brothers, Traverse City

Program Manager: State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB), State Facilities Administration, Design and Construction Division.

Consultants and Trade Contractors:

• AV – Parkway Electric and Communications LLC, Holland

• AV & IT – Master Electric, Inc., Gladwin

• Air Barrier Testing – Soil & Materials Engineers, Detroit

• Aluminum Assemblies – Northern Michigan Glass, Traverse City

• Concrete, General Trades – Spence Brothers, Traverse City

• Consultants to LSSU, Administration of EGLE Brownfield Grant and Loan – Otwell Mawby, P.C., Traverse City; TriMedia Environmental & Engineering, Marquette

• Deep Foundations – Hardman Construction, Ludington

• Electrical – S & T Electrical International, Inc., Sault Ste. Marie

• Elevator Equipment – Otis Elevator Co., Farmington Hills

Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education

• Fire Suppression – AFP Specialties, Inc., Rapid City

• Flooring, Interiors – Bouma Corp., Traverse City

• Lab Casework/Equipment – Detroit Technical Equipment Co., Troy

• Masonry – Maleport Construction, Inc., Sault Ste. Marie

• Mechanical – Dresseler Mechanical, Inc., Marquette

• Mesocosm (Controls and VFD) – Johnson Controls, Inc., Greenville, WI

• Mesocosm Equipment – Integrated Aqua Systems, Inc., Vista, CA

• Metal Panel Siding – TFC Canopy – A Division of Centurion Industries, Inc., Garrett, IN

• Painting – Murray Painting Co., Inc., Freeland

• Roofing – Great Lakes Roofing and Insulation Systems, Inc., Sault Ste Marie

• Site Work – Burton Excavating, Inc., Sault Ste. Marie

• Structural Steel – Structural Steel Services, Inc., Marion, IN

• Surveying Services – Alpine Engineering, Inc., Pickford

• Testing Services – Soils and Structures, Traverse City

• Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System – S&H Waterproofing/Construction, Piedmont, AL

• Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System, Design Assistance – Land Science, San Clemente, CA

• 3rd Party Geotechnical Testing Engineers –G2 Consulting Group, Troy

• Access Flooring – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc, Bloomfield Twp.

• Acoustic Consulting – Soundscape Engineering, Plymouth

• Asphalt Paving & Site Concrete – Asphalt Specialists, Inc., Pontiac

• Automated Materials Handling – Tech-Logic Corp., Oak Dale, MN

• Building Concrete Infilling – CI Contracting, Brighton

• Building Foundations – Baruzzini Contracting LLC, Brighton

• Building Slab Concrete – McCarthy Construction Co., Commerce Twp.

• Carpentry and General Trades – Wally Kosorski & Co., Clinton Twp.

• Carpet & Resilient Flooring – Library Design Associates Inc., Plymouth

• Crane Contractor – Capital City Group, Brownstown Charter Twp.

• Decorative Steel – I.F. Metalworks, Roseville

• Doors, Frames, and Hardware – Rayhaven Group, Livonia

• Earthwork & Site Utilities – Simone Contracting Corp., Shelby Twp.

• Electrical – Electrex Co., Inc., Harrison Twp.

• Exterior Pergola – Structureworks, Fredericksburg, VA

• Fire Suppression – Absolute Fire Protection, Inc., Mt. Clemens

• Furniture & Artwork – Burgeon Group, Phoeniz, AZ

• Geothermal System – Midwest Geothermal, Kentwood

• Glass & Glazing – Daniels Glass, Inc., Detroit

• Hard Tile – Eldorado Tile & Marble, Sterling Heights

• HVAC – Contrast Mechanical, Inc., Macomb

• Landscaping – Marino’s Landscape, Washington

Clinton-Macomb Library North Branch

Owner: Clinton-Macomb Public Library, Macomb Twp.

Architect: Quinn Evans Architects, Detroit

Landscape Architect and Civil Engineers: Beckett & Raeder, Inc., Ann Arbor

Structural Engineer: SDI Structures, Ann Arbor Mechanical and Electrical Engineers: Peter Basso Associates, Inc., Troy

Contractor: McCarthy & Smith, Inc., Farmington Hills

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• 3rd Party Commissioning Agent – Osborn Engineering, Bingham Farms

• Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia

• Metal Stud & Drywall – Ann Arbor Ceiling & Partition Co., Ypsilanti

• Outdoor Instruments – Percussion Play, London, UK

• Painting & Wall Treatment – Seven Brothers Painting, Inc., Shelby Twp.

• Plumbing – Mills Mechanical, LLC, Ortonville

• Roofing – WM Molnar Roofing Co., Inc., Brownstown Twp.

• Structural Steel – Zak Welding & Custom Work LLC, Detroit

• Structural Steel Dome – McCarty Domes, Tucson, AZ

• Surveying Services – Spalding DeDecker, Rochester Hills

McLaren Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital

Owner: McLaren Greater Lansing, Lansing

Architect: HED, Southfield, and Gresham Smith, Chicago, IL

Contractor: Barton Malow/Christman, A Joint Venture

Civil Engineer: PEA Group, Auburn Hills

Structural/MEP Engineer: HED, Southfield

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Asphalt – Rieth-Riley, Lansing

• Ceilings – Turner Brooks, Madison Heights

• Concrete – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights

• Curtainwall – Contract Glaziers, Windsor, Ontario

• Drywall – Acoustic Ceiling and Partition, Ann Arbor

• Drywall/Flooring – William Reichenbach Co., Okemos

• Electrical – Shaw Electric, Southfield

• Elevators – Schindler, Lansing

• Excavation – Hoffman Brothers Inc., Battle Creek

• Fire Suppression – Shambaugh & Sons, Southfield

• Fireproofing – Integrity, Lansing

• Flooring – Shock Brothers, Roseville

• General Trades/Millwork – Barton Malow, Southfield

• General Trades/Millwork – Christman Constructors, Inc., Lansing

• Hardware – LaForce, Troy

• HVAC – Dee Cramer, Holly

• Interior Glass – Lansing Glass Co., Lansing

• Kitchen Equipment – Stafford Smith, Kalamazoo

• Lab Casework – Detroit Technical Equipment, Auburn Hills

• Landscaping – WH Canon, Romulus

• Masonry – Davenport Masonry, Holt

• Metal Panels – CL Rieckhoff Co., Taylor

• Monumental Stair – Couturier, Comstock Park

• Painting – Murray Painting, Freeland

• Plumbing – Gunthorpe Plumbing, East Lansing

• Plumbing and Mechanical – Limbach, Lansing

Terrazzo Flooring – Artisan Tile Inc., Brighton

• Pneumatic Tube – Swisslog, Broomfield, CO

• Precast – International Precast Services, River Rouge

• Roofing – CEI, Inc., Whitmore Lake

• Site Concrete – Fessler-Bowman, Flushing

• Structural Steel – Casadei, Sterling Heights

• Tile – Artisan Tile, Brighton

• Fire Suppression – Shambaugh & Son, LP, Southfield

• Food Service Equipment – Stafford-Smith, Inc., Madison Heights

• Foundations – CI Contracting, Inc., Brighton

• Geothermal Systems – Midwest Geothermal LLC, Grand Rapids

• Glazing – Edwards Glass, Livonia

• Horizontal Folding Partitions – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc., Bloomfield Twp.

• HVAC – Bumler Mechanical, Sterling Heights

• Landscaping – KLM Landscape, Armada

• Masonry – Brazen & Greer Masonry, Inc., Livonia

• Museum Exhibit Spaces – Luci Creative, Lincolnwood, IL

• Overhead Door – Overhead Door West, Waterford

Consultants and Trade Contractors:

• Canopy Roofs & Metal Wall Panels – TF Beck Co., Rochester Hills

• Carpentry – North American Construction Enterprises, St. Clair Shores

• Caulking – RAM Construction Services, Livonia

• Cleaning – Pro Image Facility Services, Redford

• Demolition – Adamo Group Inc., Detroit

• Earthwork – Cortis Brothers, Marine City

• Elevator – KONE Inc., Livonia

• Exterior Electric – Rauhorn Electric Inc., Bruce Twp.

• Fencing – Industrial Fence & Landscaping, Detroit

• Fire Suppression – Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP., Farmington Hills

Ford House Visitor Center and Administration Building

Owner: Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores Architect, Landscape Architect, Structural Engineering, MEP Engineering, Interior Designer, Lighting Designer, Facade Consultant, Sustainability Consultant: SmithGroup, Detroit Construction Manager: Frank Rewold & Sons (FRS), Rochester

Trade Contractors and Consultants:

• Acoustical Plaster Ceilings – Skyline Plastering, Carol Stream, IL

• Asphalt Paving & Curbs – Asphalt Specialists, Inc., Pontiac

• Carpentry – Huron Acoustic Tile Co., Macomb Twp.

• Carpet, Resinous Floors – Master Craft Carpet Services, Inc., Plymouth

• Ceramic Tile – Michielutti Brothers, Inc., Eastpointe

• Concrete Flatwork, Structural Steel –Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn Hills

• Construction Fence – Nationwide Construction Group, Richmond

• Decorative Metals – Iron Fetish Metalworks, Roseville

• Demolition – Blue Star, Inc. Warren

• Earthwork & Site Utilities – Verdeterre Contracting, Inc., Belleville

• Electrical & Controls – Advantage Electric & Controls, Shelby Twp.

• Elevators – Thyssen Krupp Elevator Co., Livonia

• Finish Carpentry & Millwork – George Landry, Inc., Milford

• Fireplaces – FireClass, Wixom

• Fireproofing – Russell Plastering Co., Ferndale

• Painting – J.W. Painting & Decorating, Inc., Clinton Twp.

• Plumbing – De-Cal, Inc., Warren

• Roller Shades – Creative Windows, Inc., Ann Arbor

• Roofing & Metal Siding – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Lake Orion

• Security – Guardian Alarm, Southfield

• Solar Panels – The Green Panel, Inc., Brighton

• Vertical Folding Partitions – Bravura Interior Specialist Ltd., Ontario, Canada

• Waterproofing & Sealants – RAM Construction Services, Livonia

• Wood Floors – Star Flooring Corp, Grand Rapids

• Flatwork – DPS Contractors Inc., Novi

• Flooring – Turner Brooks, Madison Heights

• Glazing – Edwards Glass Co., Livonia

• HVAC- Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn

• Interior Electric – Serve Electric, Sterling Heights

• Landscaping – WH Canon Inc., Romulus

• Lockers – Steel Equipment Co., Pontiac

• Mason – HMC Mason Contractors, Shelby

• Mechanical – W.J. O’Neil Co., Livonia

• Overhead & Horizontal Sliding Doors – KVN Door System Inc., Clinton Twp.

• Painting – EL Painting Co., Northville

• Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Novi

• Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical, Clinton Twp.

• Roofing – Royal Roofing Co., Orion

• Structural Steel & Precast Stairs – Sav’s Welding Service Inc., Detroit

• Swimming Pool – Baruzzini Aquatics, Brighton

• Technology – Gabes Construction Co., Monroe

• Tiling – Empire Tile & Marble Co., Eastpointe

The Hawk: Farmington Hills Community Center

Owner: City of Farmington Hills

Architect: Integrated Design Solutions, Troy

Landscape Architect: Grissim Metz Andriese, Plymouth

Aquatics Design Consultant: CounsilmanHunsaker, St. Louis, MO

Civil Engineering: Spalding DeDecker, Rochester Hills

Structural Engineer: Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, West Bloomfield

Contractor: Colasanti Construction Services, Inc., Detroit

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA HQ

Owner/Developer/Property Manager:

Olympia Development of Michigan, Farmington Hills

Architect/Designer: Gensler, Detroit

Contractor/Construction Manager: KIRCO MANIX, Troy

Voice of The Construction

Subcontractors:

• Asphalt Parking Lots – Asphalt Specialists, Inc., Pontiac

• Audio/Visual System – Audio Visual Innovations, Tampa, FL

• Broker – Cushman & Wakefield, Tampa, FL

• Carpentry – Jasman Construction, Plymouth

• Carpeting – Shock Brothers Floorcovering, Inc., Roseville

• Civil Engineer – Nowak & Fraus, PLLC, Pontiac

• Concrete Polish Flooring – Michigan Specialty Coatings, St. Clair

• Concrete Site and Building – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Inc., Livonia

• Countertops – Booms Stone Co., Redford

• Development Management – Plante Moran Cresa, Detroit

• Doors and Hardware – LaForce, Inc., Troy

• Electric – Advantage Electric & Controls, Shelby Twp.

• Electrical Engineer – Strategic Energy Solutions, Berkeley

• Elevators – Kone, Inc., Birmingham, AL

• Exterior Metal Panels – Liberty Sheet Metal, Ray

• Fire Curtains – KVM Door Systems, Inc., Clinton Twp.

• Fireproofing – Saylor’s Inc., Ottawa Lake

• Fire Suppression System – TriStar Fire Protection, Inc., Plymouth

• Flag Poles – Rocket Enterprise, Warren

• Folding Partitions – Gardiner C. Vose, Inc., Bloomfield Hills

• Foundations – North Channel Construction, Lexington

• Glass and Glazing – Curtis Glass Co., Troy

• Insulation/K13 Ceiling Spray – Stony Creek Services, Westland

• Interior Plants and Flowers – Planterra, West Bloomfield

• Kitchen Equipment – Great Lakes Hotel Supply Co., Southfield

• Landscaping – WH Canon Co., Romulus

• Low-Voltage Cabling – Shaw Systems & Integration, Southfield

• Masonry – Connolly Masonry, Clarkston

• Mechanical Systems – Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn

• Millwork – GI Millworks, Plymouth

• Millwork – Sobania, Inc., Detroit

• Painting – Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc., Warren

• Planning/Zoning – City of Farmington Hills

• Plumbing – Solomon Plumbing, New Hudson

• Roofing – Lutz Roofing Co., Inc., Shelby Twp.

• Security Systems – Knight Watch Inc., Troy

• Site Work – Carnwath Excavating Co., Clarkston

• Steel – Service Iron Works, Inc., South Lyon

• Structural Engineer – Desai Nasr Consulting Engineers, West Bloomfield

• Surveyor – Environmental Engineers, Inc., Southfield

• Terrazzo Flooring – Boston Tile & Terrazzo Co., Detroit

• Tile Work – East Side Tile & Marble Co., Inc., Sterling Heights

• Toilet and Bath Accessories – Rayhaven Group, Inc., Livonia

• Waterproofing – D.C. Byers Co., Troy

• Window Treatments – The Sheer Shop, Shelby Twp.

• Fire Suppression – John E. Green, East Lansing

• Geotechnical – SME, Lansing

• Interior Tile – Lansing Tile & Mosaic, Lansing

• Landscape – WH Canon Landscape Co., Romulus

• Masonry – Davenport Masonry, Holt

• Mechanical – Dee Cramer, Holly

• Medical Equipment & Technology – IMEG, Naperville, IL

• Metal Panel – C.L. Rieckhoff Co., Inc., Taylor

• Painting – B&J Painting, Lansing

• Panelization/Cold Form Framing – Centerline Prefab, Grand Rapids

• Plumbing – Gunthorpe Plumbing & Heating, East Lansing

• Pneumatic Tubing – Swisslog, Rolling Meadows, IL

• Prefabrication Installer – Integrity Interiors, Inc., Lansing

• Roofing – CEI Group LLC, Hamburg

• Structural Steel – Casadei Steel, Sterling Heights

• Terrazzo – Michielutti Bros. Inc., Eastpointe

Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing

Owner: McLaren Health Care, Grand Blanc

Owner's Representative: Kramer Management Group, Lansing

Construction Manager: Granger Construction, Lansing

Architect/Structural Engineer/MEP Engineer: SmithGroup, Ann Arbor

Civil Engineer: PEA Group, Lansing

Interior Design: Pace Howe Design, Lansing

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Acoustic Ceiling & Partition – ACP, Ann Arbor

• Atrium Smoke Control Commissioning –Performance Based Fire Protection, Pittsboro, NC

• Commissioning Agent – Synergy Engineers, Belmont

• Concrete – Amalio Corp., Sterling Heights

• Curtainwall – Lansing Glass Co., Lansing

• Door Hardware – Jenosky Consulting Inc., Novi

• Door Security – ADT, Novi

• Electrical & Fire Alarm – Shaw Electric, Southfield

• Elevator – Thyssen Krupp Elevator Co., Livonia

• Enclosure Commissioning Agent – dbHMS, Chicago, IL

• Excavation & Earthwork – Hoffman Bros. Inc., Battle Creek

• Fireproofing – William Reichenbach Co, Okemos

• Unistrut Support – Strut Tech Systems, Clarkston

General Motors Factory ZERO

Owner: General Motors, Detroit

Design-Builder: Walbridge, Detroit

Design Partner: Ghafari Associates LLC, Dearborn

General Motors Factory ZERO Paint Shop

Paint Shop Design-Builder: Gallagher-Kaiser Corp., Troy

Design Partner: SSOE, Toledo, OH

Design Partner: Gala & Associates, Inc., Beverly Hills

Paint Shop Facility Renovation: Walbridge, Detroit

Designers, Consultants, Trade Contractors, Suppliers:

• ASRS Code Study – Jensen Hughes, Inc., Baltimore, MD

• AV Equipment – Carousel Industries of North America LLC, Exeter, RI

• Admin HVAC/ASH Refurbishment –

McShane Mechanical Contracting, Commerce Charter Twp.

• BIM and Drone – Walbridge Technologies LLC

• Blinds – The Sheer Shop, Inc., Shelby Twp.

• Bus Duct and Switchgear Supply – Siemens Industry Inc., Germany

• Caissons – Rohrscheib Sons Caissons, Inc., New Hudson

• Carpentry/Drywall – Denn-Co Construction, Inc., Detroit

• Carpentry – Regis Construction, Ann Arbor

• Chiller – Affiliated Construction Services, Inc, DBA ACS, Verona, WI

• Commissioning – Horizon Engineering Associates LLP, New York, NY

• Computer Room Refurbish – Power Techniques, Inc., Berkley

• Concrete – Devon Industrial Group LLC, Detroit

• Controls – Leidos Engineering LLC, VA

• CUC (Central Utility Complex) Caissons –Toledo Caissons, Ottawa Lake

• CUC Fire Protection – Progressive Mechanical, Clawson

• CUC Joint Sealants – DC Byers, Detroit

• CUC Roofing – CEI Michigan, LLC, Hamburg

• CUC Steel – Vertex Steel, Milford

• Deep Clean – Industrial Alliance LLC, Thibodaux, LA

• Demolition – 21st Century Salvage, Inc., Ypsilanti

• Design – Arcadis U.S. Inc., Detroit

• Design – NTH Consultants Ltd., Northville

• Design – Orion Engineering Co., Inc., Jackson

• Design – SmithGroup, Inc., Detroit

• Doors, Hardware – LaForce, Troy

• Draining – MPS Group, Inc., Farmington

• Electric – Center Line Electric, Inc., Center Line

• Electric – Motor City Electric Co., Detroit

• Electrical – Superior Electric Great Lakes Co., Troy

• Elevator – TK Elevator Corp., Atlanta, GA

• Epoxy Flooring – Hoover & Wells, Inc., Toledo, OH

• Equipment – Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Hazel Park

• Equipment – Monroe Environmental Corp., Monroe

• Equipment – NOV Process & Flow Technologies US, Inc., Houston, TX

• Equipment – OneH2, Inc., Hickory, NC

• Excavation – Eagle Excavation, Inc., Flint

• Fire Protection – John E. Green Co., Highland Park

• Fire Signage – Fire Safety Displays Co., Dearborn Heights

• Floor Base – Master Craft Carpet Service, Inc., Plymouth

• Furniture – Balco Interiors dba Interior Environments, Novi

• Furniture – MarxModa, Detroit

• Geotechnical Studies – Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME), Plymouth

• Glazing/Curtain Walls – Roseville Glass Co. LLC, Warren

• HVAC Systems – Gallagher-Kaiser Corp., Troy

• Hydrogen Dispenser Equipment – Plug Power, Latham, NY

• Joint Sealants – RAM Construction Services, Livonia

• Landscaping – Heritage and Company, Oxford

• Markerboards/Tackboards – Integrated Interiors, Inc., Warren

• Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia

• Material Testing – Testing Engineers & Consultants, Inc., Troy

• Mechanical Piping – Universal Piping Industries LLC, Troy

• Millwork – Nelson Mill Co., Southfield

• Modular Weld Water Chiller Building –Epsilon Industries, Ontario, Canada

• Overhead Doors/Dock Equipment – Rite Hite Co., LLC, Milwaukee, WI

• Painting – Eugenio Painting Co., Grosse Pointe Woods

• Painting – Madias Brothers, Inc., Detroit

• Painting – Seaway Painting LLC, Livonia

• Plumbing – Guideline Mechanical, Clinton Twp.

• Process Equipment – Walbridge Industrial Process LLC, Detroit

• Refurb Review – Innovate LLC, Dexter

• Roofing – Paragon Roofing Technology, Inc., Troy

• Roofing – Royal Roofing Co., Inc., Lake Orion

• Roofing – The Fred Christen & Sons Co., Toledo, OH

• Screen Equipment – Greensprings Group, Inc., dba Process Engineered Water Equipment, Vancouver, WA

• Shelters/Pre-Fab Offices – Porta King, Earth City, MO

• Siding – Universal Wall Systems, Inc., Grand Rapids

• Signage Study – Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Livonia

• Sitework – Angelo Iafrate Construction Co., Warren

• Spark Arrestors – Miller Industries LLC, Fenton

• Steel Erection – Wolverine Steel Erectors, Inc., Washtenaw County

• Structural Steel – Ideal Contracting LLC, Detroit

• Tank Inspections – Team Industrial Services, Inc., Canton

• Tile – Michielutti Bros. Inc., Eastpointe

• Toilet Partitions and Accessories –Rayhaven, Livonia

• Various Signage – Fairmont Sign Co., Inc, Detroit

• WWTP and Fire Water Tank – Pittsburg Tank and Tower Maintenance Co., Inc., Henderson, KY

KLA Corporation Second U.S. Headquarters and Research & Development Center, Ann Arbor

Owner: KLA Corporation, Ann Arbor

Architect: SmithGroup, Ann Arbor

Contractor: Barton Malow Builders, Southfield

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Audio Visual – TEL Systems, Ann Arbor

• Building Envelope – National Enclosure Co., Ypsilanti

• Concrete/Structural Steel – Barton Malow Co., Southfield

• Clean Room – Performance Contracting Inc, Kansas City, MO

• Earthwork/Site Utilities – Barton Malow Co., Southfield

• Electrical – Shaw Electric, Ann Arbor

• Elevator – KONE, Inc. Carol Stream, IL

• Exterior Improvements – Krull Construction, Ann Arbor

• Fire Protection – Shambaugh & Sons, Fort Wayne, IN

• Fire Proofing – Saylors, Ottawa Lake

• Flooring – Turner Brooks, Madison Heights

• Food Service – Great Lakes Hotel Supply Co., Southfield

• Hard Tile – Artisan Tile, Inc., Brighton

• HVAC – Dee Cramer, Holly

• Interior Framing/Carpentry – Barton Malow Co., Southfield

• Interior Glazing – Madison Glass, Inc., Ferndale

• IT/Data – Shaw Systems and Integration, Southfield

• Landscaping – WH Canon, Romulus

• Millwork – Trend Millwork, Lincoln Park

• Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia

• Painting – Madias Brothers Inc., Detroit

• Plumbing – John E. Green., Highland Park

• Roofing – CEI Group LLC, Hamburg

• Site Improvements – Krull Construction Co. Inc., Ann Arbor

• Temperature Controls – Trane, Inc, Chicago, IL

• Terrazzo – Michielutti Bros. Inc., Eastpointe

• Roller Shades – Sheer Shop, Shelby Twp.

• Roofing & Siding – API Construction, New Brighton, MN

• Roofing & Siding – Royal Roofing, Orion Twp.

• Structural Steel – Bristol Steel, Davidson

• Wire Mesh Partitions – Acme Wire & Iron Works, Detroit

• Painting – Accurate Painting Co., Warren

• Resilient Flooring – Shock Bros Floor Covering Inc., Roseville

• Roofing – JD Candler Roofing, Livonia

• Site Demo and Earth Work – Angelo Iafrate Construction Co., Warren

• Structural Steel – B & A Structural Steel LLC, Chesterfield

DTE Blue Water Energy Center

Owner: DTE Energy, Detroit

Architect/Engineer: Kiewit Power Constructors, Omaha, NE

Contractor: Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn Hills

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Access Flooring – Gardiner Vose, Inc., Bloomfield Twp.

• Carpet & Base – NBS Commercial Interiors, Troy

• Ceramic/Glass/Stone Tile – National Tile, Royal Oak

• Cold-Formed Metal Framing – ClarkDietrich, West Chester, OH

• Concrete – Protocon, Sterling Heights

• Corner Guards – The Eisen Group, Wixom

• Door Canopies – Metallic Products, Houston, TX

• Electrical – Doublejack Electric, Royal Oak

• Epoxy Flooring/Paint – Mid Michigan Painting, Flint

• Frames/Hardware/Access Doors – Rayhaven Group, Inc., Livonia

• Glass/Glazing – Glasco Corp., Detroit

• HVAC/Mechanical/Controls – Great Lakes Mechanical, Dearborn

• Masonry – HMC Mason Contractors, Shelby Twp.

• Millwork – Welker Cabinetry, Livonia

• Overhead Doors – Applied Handling, Dearborn

• PEMB – Butler, Kansas City, MO

• PEMB Steel Prep/Paint – Ojibway Inc., Ecorse

• Plumbing – Goyette Mechanical, Flint

• Resteel/Concrete Accessories – Hymmco, Saginaw

Livonia Medical Center

Owner: Schoolcraft College and Trinity Health, Livonia

Architect: Lindhout Associates Architects, Brighton Contractor: AUCH Construction, Pontiac

Civil/Structural Engineer: Zeimet Wozniak & Associate, New Hudson

MEP Engineer: IMEG, Ann Arbor

Trade Contractors and Vendors:

• Ceramic Tile – Artisan Tile Inc., Brighton

• Controls – Johnson Controls, Auburn Hills

• Electrical – Center Line Electric, Center Line

• Elevators – Thyssen Krupp Elevator Co., Livonia

• Exterior Paving – Nagle Paving Co., Novi

• Finish Carpentry – Nelson Mill Co., Southfield

• Fire Suppression – Professional Sprinkler Inc., Wixom

• Flatwork – Albanelli Cement Contractors, Livonia

• Foundations – Novi Wall Inc., Novi

• Glazing – Edwards Glass Co., Livonia

• Gypsum Assemblies/Ceilings – Acoustic Ceiling & Partition Co. Inc., Ann Arbor

• HVAC and Plumbing – Macomb Mechanical Inc., Sterling Heights

• Landscaping – WH Canon Co., Romulus

• Masonry – Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Livonia

• Metal Lockers – Steel Equipment Co., Pontiac

• Metal Panels – Custom Architectural Sheet, Detroit

• Overhead Doors – Overhead Door West, Waterford

This compilation of contractors, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and vendors has been provided by each project team. The Publisher is not responsible for omissions or errors.

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