cam magazine october special issue 2014

14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION141414SPECIAL ISSUESPECIAL ISSUESPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION

THE VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

OCTOBER 2014 Vol. 35 No. 10 $4.00

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4 CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2014 Voice Of The Construction Industry

10 Lowe Campbell Ewald Headquarters Contractor: Turner Construction Company

Architect: Neumann/Smith Architecture

18 Belle Isle Nature Zoo Contractor: KEO and Associates

Architect: Ehresman Associates

24 The Garden Theater Contractor: Construction Logistics

(Joint Venture between The Monahan Co.

and The Means Group, Inc.)

Architect: Quinn Evans Associates and

McIntosh Poris Associates

30 Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers Headquarters Contractor: Wieland-Davco Corporation

Architect: Hobbs+Black Architects

38 Gateway Marketplace Contractor: Dailey-Jenkins Joint Venture

Architect: Rogvoy Architects

44 the Z Contractor: Colasanti/Sachse Joint Venture

Architect: Neumann/Smith Architecture

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1814SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION

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Michigan Regional Councilof

Carpenters and Millwrights

Serving the CommunityBuilding a Stronger Michigan

Michael JacksonExecutive Secretary/Treasurer

Bart NickersonPresident

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52 Delta College Health & WellnessContractor: Spence Brothers

Architect: Wigen Tincknell Associates

Architects (WTA)

60 Detroit Public Safety Headquarters Building Contractor: Turner Construction Co.

White Construction Co.

Joint Venture

Architect: SmithGroupJJR

68 Resource & Crisis Center Contractor: George W. Auch Company

Architect: DiClemente Siegel Design, Inc.

74 Mary Idema Pew Library Learning andInformation Commons at Grand Valley StateUniversity

Contractor: Pioneer ConstructionArchitect: SHW/Stantec

84 Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church Contractor: McCarthy & Smith, Inc. Architect: Merritt Cieslak Design

92 Detroit Medical Center Harper UniversityHospital Surgical Renovation Project

Contractor: Roncelli MPS Joint VentureArchitect: HKS Architects,

Hamilton Anderson Associates

100 PROJECT SUBCONTRACTOR LISTS

For 19 years, CAM Magazine has been producingits Special Issue, honoring 12 outstandingconstruction projects that have been completedover the past year.

This year, its encouraging that over half ofthese honored projects took place within the cityof Detroit. Its truly a reflection of the continuingrebirth occurring within The D, and all arepositive indicators for its future.

Other honored projects span across the state ofMichigan, from Allendale to St. Johns, from Bay City to the Metro Detroit cities ofNorthville and Pontiac. With many new and forthcoming projects slated forconstruction throughout the state, we are pleased to say that construction is againalive in Michigan.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Special Issue 2014.

Amanda TackettEditor

FROM THE EDITOR

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14SPECIAL ISSUECONSTRUCTION

ABOUT THE AUTHORS...

Mary E. KremposkyMary Kremposky graduated from WayneState University with a Bachelor of Arts inEnglish. As associate editor, she hasbeen writing articles for CAM Magazinefor over 20 years. She appreciates theopportunity to tour wonderfully craftedand beautifully designed spaces, andfeels that learning about sustainability,urban restoration efforts and other vital trends is yet anotherbonus of working for the design and construction industry.

Caitlin WunderlichCaitlin Wunderlich currently works in theExhibitions Department at the DetroitInstitute of Arts and in the RegistrarsDepartment at Cranbrook Art Museum.She is a recent graduate of the Universityof Michigan Dearborn with a Bachelor ofArts in Art History-Museum Studies.Raised in the construction industry, she isthrilled to combine her passion for art and architecture with theknowledge and appreciation of the industry. For more information,she can be reached at [email protected].

Doug PawloskiDoug Pawloski is president of DigitalMarketing Production, Inc., a companyspecializing in Creative Marketing,Advertising, and Public RelationsServices. He is a graduate of IndianaUniversity's School of Business with aBachelor's Degree in Marketing andAdvertising. He has additional training inCorporate Communications from Wayne State University inDetroit and has more than 25 years of combined experience inthe fields of marketing, advertising and communications. DigitalMarketing is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. For moreinformation, call 248-538-7107 or [email protected].

PUBLISHER Kevin N. Koehler EDITOR Amanda M. Tackett

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mary E. Kremposky

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Matthew J. Austermann GRAPHIC DESIGN Noelle E. Scharer DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Gregg A. Montowski ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Cathy A. Jones

DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chairman Eric C. Steck Amalio Corporation Vice Chairman Todd W. Hill Ventcon, Inc. Vice Chairman Mary K. Marble Marble Mechanical, LLC Treasurer Larry S. Brinker, Jr. The Brinker Group President Kevin N. Koehler DIRECTORS Stephen J. Hohenshil Glasco Corporation

Brad Leidal Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Inc.

Giuseppe (Joe) S. Palazzolo Detroit Spectrum Painters, Inc.

John Raimondo Roncelli, Inc.

John W. Rieckhoff C.L. Rieckhoff Company, Inc.

Kevin F. Ryan Powerlink Facility Management Services

Preston Wallace Limbach Company, LLC

Donielle Wunderlich George W. Auch Company

CAM MAGAZINE EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE William L. Borch, Jr. Ironworkers Local Union 25 Gary Boyajian Division 8 Solutions, Inc. Stevan Bratic Bratic Enterprises, LLC Marty Burnstein Law Office of Marty Burnstein George Dobrowitsky Walbridge Daniel Englehart Peter Basso and Associates, Inc. Chris Hippler Capital Letters Dennis King DMKING Consulting, LLC Nancy Marshall Aluminum Supply Company Rick Rys Hi Def Color Sanford (Sandy) Sulkes International Building Products, Inc. James Vargo Capac Construction Company, Inc.

CAM Magazine (ISSN08837880) is published monthly by the Construction Association of Michigan, 43636 Woodward Ave., P.O. Box 3204, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302-3204 (248) 972-1000. $24.00 of annual membership dues is allocated to a subscription to CAM Magazine. Additional subscriptions $40.00 annually. Periodical postage paid at Bloomfield Hills, MI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: CAM MAGAZINE, 43636 WOODWARD AVE., BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302-3204.

For editorial comment or more information: [email protected] reprints or to sell CAM Magazine: 248-972-1000

Copyright 2013 Construction Association of Michigan. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. CAM Magazine is a registered trademark of the Construction Association of Michigan.

Interior Demolition SpecialistS

Commercial IndustrialExperienced Innovative Timely

13840 Intervale St. (313) 836-3366Detroit, MI. 48227 (313) 836-3367 fax

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DIAMOND BLADESWET & DRY

Imagine a corporate headquarters without acubicle farm or an office with the freedom to workbeyond the Desk. Need to brainstorm withcolleagues? Gather around a writable wallsurface or meet in a free-standing pod formed ofwood from salvaged doors. Need to concentrateand burrow into your own mind? Climb a shipsladder and enter an indoor tree house withcomputer outlets and a comfortable nest ofchairs. In this next-generation office, the CEOnot only has an open-door policy - his office hasan entirely open wall. You dont have to imaginesuch a corporate nirvana. Lowe Campbell Ewaldhas done it for you in its open, airy and light-filledcorporate headquarters in the former J.L.Hudson warehouse within Detroits Ford Field. Courtesy of Neumann/Smith Architecture andTurner Construction Company, Michigan Office,this flexible, collaborative and innovative office-scape is tailored to generate that mostephemeral of products: Ideas. As a full-service,fully integrated marketing communicationsagency, ideas are the lifeblood of Lowe CampbellEwalds business. Neumann/Smith brought itsown spirit of invention to the task of turning awarehouse into a workplace for this storiedagency. Simple materials used in inventive wayscomplement the raw, exposed structure of theoriginal warehouse. Pairing massive steel crossbracing with contemporary countertops createda series of inspired food counters in staff eateries.Adding to the industrial cachet, wood palletstopped with glass become tables and rows ofelectrical conduit become copy room walldividers and overhead ceiling planes. Basic materials are a nod to the buildingspast, but cutting-edge technologies catapult thiscompany into the future. A real-time marketinglab and a brand immersion space with a dual-useinteractive wall give Lowe Campbell Ewald theedge in monitoring and communicating a clientsbrand. Bringing the future into this 1920s vintagewarehouse, Turner threaded exposed ductwork,conduit and cable trays along open ceilings,working diligently to create an orderly flow ofinfrastructure throughout the 122,000-square-foot interior. Melding new glass and drywall tothe bones of the former warehouse, replete with

GOOD KARMA: OPEN SPACE, OPEN MIND

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD HEADQUARTERS

Associate Editor: Mary E. Kremposky

Photographer: Justin Maconochie, Maconochie Photography

tThe interior con tainsa row of tree housesthat can only bereached via a shipsladder located in thetwo-story ideationspace.

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD HEADQUARTERS

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD

This 42 x 18-foot LED screen wall is found in noother corporate interior in Southeast Michigan.The LED screen wall is used for presentations,graphic displays, and as an enormous socialmedia feed.


out-of-plumb columns and other irregular details,was a collaborative effort of Turner andNeumann/Smith. The team worked togetherthroughout construction to make it happen andto make it happen on time, for this warehouse-to-workplace transformation was delivered in onlyfive months. The end result is the perfect environment forLowe Campbell Ewald to continue to create itsown brand of marketing magic for its clients.The team created a spirit in the building, saidLowe Campbell Ewald CEO Jim Palmer. Call itkarma, call it a feeling, but when people walk intothe building they dont want to leave. They saythings like, I want to work here. Can I have mynext meeting in the building? Can I bring myfriends down to see it? What building do youwalk into where people react in that way? Part of the buildings draw is the companysopen-minded energy and the unexpected use ofmaterials and space - the facility has the onlywall-less atrium in Detroit open from floor slab tofloor slab. The atrium, however, has another typeof wall: A 42 x 18-foot LED screen wall found inno other corporate interior in Southeast Michigan.The LED screen wall is used for presentations,graphic displays, and as an enormous socialmedia feed. The LED screen wall is aggregatingthe social conversation on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram and other social feeds regardinganything associated with our clients, said LoweCampbell Ewald Director, CorporateCommunications, Kelly Barnes. You can standin the atrium and not only see everybody working,but you can also see the client conversationgoing on at any given moment. The entire interior is a product of ideastreaming or brainstorming with a company inthe creative class. Not often do we have a clientwho is in the design world, said Neumann/SmithPartner Joel Smith, AIA. The client wasreceptive to ideas that were a little out-of-the-box, so it motivated us to keep designing to thatlevel. The Lowe Campbell Ewald staff is clearlypleased with the results of this synergy. Everytime I visit the facility I notice someone showingfriends and family around the building, saidSmith. If you are proud enough to bring yourfriends and family to see where you work, then Ithink that is a successful project.

ThE BEST anD BrighTEST This five-story headquarters marks the returnof Lowe Campbell Ewald to the Motor City after36 years. In 1911, the agency established itsfirst Detroit office in the Lightner Building at 54Lafayette Boulevard. In 1978, the firm built itsown 10-story office building in Warren. It wasalmost a 40-year-old facility, so we decided torelocate the company to a new area, said

Palmer. We looked at virtually every possibilityaround Detroit, including all the suburbanlocations. We then became very serious aboutDetroit, because we felt that it would be the placewhere we could attract the best and brightestcreative minds in the region. Detroit is becoming a magnet for a creativecadre of people who embrace the vitality of citylife. At its new Ford Field address, the firm is partof this vitality, both as a participant and as acatalyst for the citys resurgence. We are in themidst of realizing the hope we had, said Palmer.Detroit is becoming a vibrant place for people tolive and work. Lowe Campbell Ewald selected the J.L.Hudson warehouse for its new office after anexhaustive search of available city properties.The industrial feel of a historic warehouse in theheart of the Motor City spoke to a companylaunched in the very same era as the building,and to a firm with roots in the durable goods andautomotive market. The firms iconic adcampaigns include See the USA in YourChevrolet and the Like a Rock truckcommercials. The heritage of the company has been inadvertising and marketing for companies thatmake things - big things like cars, washingmachines and other durable goods, said Palmer.The idea that we could surround ourselves withmore of an industrial feel, which has been a verystrong backbone of our company, was veryintriguing to us. It seemed to settle right with ourculture, with our history and with our forwardvision of who we wanted to be. The bones of thebuilding seemed to almost speak to us in thatsense. The simple raw materials of the spacecomplement the agencys mindset. Another adagency may have a slick, high-end type ofmentality, said Palmer. We see ourselves moreas a workman-like, craftsman-like agency, andnot as a sort of spin shop, if you will. The strengthof the building reflects our approach to things:We want to generate long-lasting, durable ideas.The Michigan Difference ad campaign for theUniversity of Michigan and the agencys work forthe U.S. Navy fit this model perfectly. Lowe Campbell Ewald selected the idealbuilding for its agency and the optimal team forthe job. Why Neumann/Smith? Palmer simplystates, They are really good. Lowe CampbellEwald CFO Jari Auger, adds, We saw a lot oftheir buildings, and the work they had done inDetroit. Neumann/Smith is experienced in thetype of industrial spaces we were looking for asa company.

On FaMiLiar TErMS As Lowe Campbell Ewalds program manager,Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) participated in the

selection of both Neumann/Smith and Turner, aswell as in initial programming and budgeting. JLLhelped ensure that the dialogue andcommunication between all parties wasproductive and that decisions were made on atimely basis throughout the project. Theyassisted in ensuring that the project wasdelivered on time and within budget. Having builtBodman PLCs offices in Ford Field, Turnerunderstood the logistics of working in thisbustling sports and events center. We coulddeliver this fast-paced project quickly andefficiently, because we were familiar with thebuilding and familiar with the same Ford Fieldteam, said Turner Project Manager BrianCooper. The same Turner team built the Bodmanand the Lowe Campbell Ewald projects, includingCooper, Project Executive Robert D. Bowen,LEED AP and Project Superintendent MarkThom. As a licensed carpenter, Thom was aninvaluable aid in meeting the tight schedule for aproject with a substantial amount of new andreclaimed wood. Mark Thom has been inconstruction for well over 30 years, said Cooper.For many years, he ran our self-perform groupand managed all of our in-house carpentry crews.Because he is a carpenter, he could examine alot of the constructability issues, bounce ideas offof Neumann/Smith and come up with solutionsas opposed to just questions. Knowledge of the former warehouse wasanother important asset. Certain Turner personnelonce worked for JM Olson, construction managersfor the original Ford Field. Olson carved out a five-story vertical opening in the warehouse as a whitebox project in preparation for a proposedEmbassy Suites Hotel atrium. Neumann/Smithhad actually been involved in developing the hotelsdesign concept. We had a great deal of familiaritywith the warehouse based on our experience onthat project, said Neumann/Smith Senior ProjectManager Kathleen M. Buck, RA, LEED AP BD+C.Turner had also been involved in the proposedhotel project providing preconstruction andbudgeting services. This too augmented theirunderstanding of the space for Lowe CampbellEwald.

LETS DELivEr iT Turner joined the project in the early stagesand began budgeting from day one. As soon aswe signed off on the budget, said Smith, theattitude was Lets deliver it. Turner delivered$8.4 million dollars of construction in a little overfive months, launching the project at the end ofJuly 2013 and finishing in January 2014. Back in Warren, Lowe Campbell Ewald staffwatched the project unfold in living detail, thanksto a GoPro camera. Turner tackled the lightpolishing of concrete floors on five levels, all

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD

Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com CAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2014 13

before completion of final design details. It tooka week-and-a-half to two weeks per floor, saidCooper. TOp OF ThE LinE Switching from floor to ceiling, Turner tackledthe overhead installation of the dense web ofexposed infrastructure snaking along the openceilings of the five-story facility. Every data run,every conduit and every run of ductwork wasthought out and put into our drawings, saidSmith. It is thoroughly organized and prettyamazing. Turner meticulously followed the specificationsto create orderly lines and layers of overheadsystems in a corporate headquarters beginningon the third and reaching the seventh level of thebuilding. For proper points of attachment, Turnertook into account the buildings multiple structuralsystems. The warehouse was built as a series ofsuccessive additions, beginning in 1915 andending with the construction of the sixth andseventh floors in 2000. This is why the structureof the upper levels has steel beams and amodern composite floor system of metal deckingand poured-in-place concrete, said Buck. Thevintage sections have clay tiles that fill in thespaces between concrete beams, addedCooper. We had to affix the systems to theconcrete beams and avoid the structurallyunsupportive clay tiles. Turner coordinated their efforts closely withFord Field to protect sensitive ceiling-mountedelectrical panels and thick conduit piping on thetop floor. These systems feed into the rooftopsatellite systems that power televisiontransmission for all Detroit Lions home footballgames. Turner was careful not to disrupt serviceto one of the agencys own clients; LoweCampbell Ewald created the One Pride campaignfor the Detroit Lions. For the building systems, Turner quickened thepace of the schedule, beginning work on the toplevel and working its way down. Turner Logisticslowered the cost by procuring the light fixtures,along with KRAC units, dry coolers andgenerators, all at a substantial savings. MinD MELD The interior was a difficult puzzle whose piecesdidnt fit. Modern drywall and glass elements hadto be melded to the bones of a vintage buildingwith few, if any, perfectly straight columns andwalls. We have all of these glass walls in thebuilding, said Buck, but the edges of the glassabut columns that werent even straight. Neumann/Smith and Turner worked in acollaborative mind meld to resolve buildingdetails quickly. Very few details in the existingspace were exactly the same, said Cooper.Joel Smith and Kathy Buck spent a lot of time

on site, popping by for walk-throughs andcollectively collaborating on a solution to keep theproject on schedule. Jari Auger and her teamfrom Lowe Campbell Ewald offered quickdecisions. We kept moving forward by workingtogether. Like untangling an extremely knotted rope, theproject team resolved each building detail,proceeding column by column and wall by wallwith a few floors thrown into the mix. Turnerinstalled wood flooring over an uneven concretefloor in one conference room. We were planningon evening out the concrete floors, but as weattempted to do so, we encountered thereinforcing right at the surface of the slab, saidBuck. As a solution, we built a raised woodfloor. LiMiTED accESS, LiMiTED TiME The entire team worked collaboratively to buildthis collaborative work environment with few fixedrooms and limited partitioning. Turner alsoworked closely with Ford Field to coordinatedeliveries and construction activities. Wecouldnt bring in deliveries or have any other typeof interference up to two days before an NFLgame, said Cooper. Material access was another collaborativeeffort. The only access point for materials is asingle loading dock, servicing all of Ford Field andhosting the only cluster of freight elevators in thebuilding. We had to coordinate with Ford Field,because we actually needed to travel through thefinished operating stadium to get into the LoweCampbell Ewald space, said Cooper. Turner met weekly with Ford Field to tacklethese concerns. We were in constantcommunication, said Cooper, but we knew howFord Field operates from our previous project,and Justin Turk and his team at Ford Fieldworked with us. Our subcontractors knew ofthese project parameters from the biddingdocuments, as well. raw anD high TEch The end result of this team effort is a wonderfulblend of spaces. Step into the lobby andbecome immersed in the companys chi orenergy. A mix of company history and high-technology, of new and vintage materials withinteractive walls, the lobby and reception areasets the tone for the entire building. A ceiling soffit is blanketed with the brassprinting plates of past ad campaigns. Theprinting plates were in storage piled up in boxes,said Neumann/Smith Project Designer JaimeNeher. We wanted to find a clever way ofreusing them. We decided to use them as moreof a construction material instead of in a display. In the hands of Neumann/Smith, simple,humble materials are used in surprising ways.

Can plywood be even remotely compelling? Youmay rethink your answer after viewing theplywood display wall resembling the contour lineson a topographic map. Its composed of aboutfour or five layers of laminated, furniture-gradebirch veneer plywood, said Buck. Our designteam designed a layout of the contours that theyfound appealing and then developed it in 3D. Using CNC equipment, MOD Interiors, IraTownship, converted a computer file of thedesign into the undulating surfaces of plywoodturned into an art form. Because this is the mainentrance to the space, we wanted to dosomething impactful, said Neumann/SmithProject Designer Matt Stowe. This wall offers aglimpse of what to expect from the entire space,because plywood is a material that will be seenthroughout the interior. A series of iPads are mounted to the plywoodwall, joining raw materials and technology intoone zone. The iPads can be programmedindividually to showcase a host of LoweCampbell Ewald clients or programmed in aplanned sequence to tell one clients story. This raw, high-tech duet fills the entire lobby.Raw materials straight out of the industrialheartland dominate the lobby, including theconcrete reception desk, the polished concretefloors and the furniture composed of stackedlayers of industrial felt with leather stitched to theseats and arm rests. As the high-tech counterpart, the brandimmersion space is visible through a glass lobbywall. This working lab has a state-of-the-art,dual-sided, multi-touch interactive video wall ableto bring clients directly into the conversationabout shaping their own marketing strategy andbrand identity. Since we are a brand that has been around along time, we are juxtaposing the new with theold by exposing the bones of the building andby respecting our own history by showing theprinter plates and our historical ads, said Palmer.With the high-technology, we are sling shottingto the future, because we are really a companythat develops things more on the cutting edge.People come to us because they want freshideas and new ways of doing things. EMBracE ThE UgLyThe entire interior follows the lobbysblend of the raw, contemporary andhigh-tech elements. Raw: Walk past the brand immersion space and

enter a facility whose original columns are laid barein all their raw, gritty glory. The rough edges of theconcrete floor slabs remain in their original statealong the entire height of the five-story atrium. Ourapproach was to embrace the ugly, said Buck.We didnt want to do anything to make the columnsor slabs pretty or to change what they were.

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD


Neumann/Smith applied a light hand in itsdesign, allowing the exposed structure of thewarehouse to fill the interior with a sense of howa thing is made. The design even accentuatesthe fasteners, the heft and the feel of the steelcolumns. We stripped the spray-on fireproofingfrom the columns and actually sprayed them withintumescent paint to allow people to see thedetails of the steel, said Stowe. We wanted toembrace the industrial. We wanted to dosomething that was authentic and sincere to thehistory of the space. We didnt want to concealit; we didnt want to overdesign it. Contemporary: Decorative, contemporaryelements offset the industrial rawness of thespace. A dual-colored, tubular light fixture arcsabove a conference room table; its ends glow abright red and help to counter the severity of therooms heavy steel cross bracing. The moredecorative light fixtures balance all that rawnessand give the interior a contemporary look, saidNeher. High-Tech: The seventh floor showcases twocutting-edge spaces. Our real-time marketinglab provides state-of-the-art monitoring of thesocial space, said Palmer. We have our handon the pulse of real-time conversations about ourentire portfolio of brands that we can monitor24/7. This covers blogs, tweets and other socialmedia. Whether sentiment of a brand is rising orfalling or whether there are discussions aboutcustomer service, product launches or product

satisfaction, this advanced technology lab allowsus to give a snapshot to our clients at any time.We can then take this real-time data and start torespond on the clients behalf. Lowe Campbell Ewald also has an all-digitalarchiving system. Anything we have everproduced is now in this digital library that isaccessible to everyone in the company, saidPalmer. The agency also has advanced audiostudios for the production of radio and voice-overwork. We can produce long-form content videoall with the latest technology available in ourindustry.

a cOLLaBOraTivE cOMpany More than a new - and truly unique - office, thefacility offers a new way to work. The work zonesare calibrated to offer different levels of privacyand public space, said Neher. The actual workstations are an open benching system with asingle, long rectangular flow of desk space withonly limited divisions between each station.Despite the close quarters, the buildings sheervolume and its variety of spaces accommodateall types of tasks from the collaborative to thecloistered. Each floor has a cluster of self-containedmeeting pods in three or four different designconfigurations. More than 25, 10 x 10 custommeeting pods are spread throughout thebuilding, said Buck. They were created from500 locally salvaged solid wood doors cut into

narrow bands and then stacked. As the ultimate in privacy, the building containsa row of wood-slatted tree houses that can onlybe reached via a ships ladder located in the two-story ideation space. We had thought perhapsthat perching tree houses on a series of columnswas a crazy idea, said Buck. But LoweCampbell Ewald embraced it, and gave uslatitude to explore different design opportunities. Neumann/Smith created over 100collaboration areas, some with writable, pin-ablewall surfaces and others equipped with large-screen televisions and Apple TV. Over 45monitors fill the collaboration areas of this fullywireless building. With mobile technology,workers need not be chained to their desks ortheir desktop computers. You are not in a cubicle, said Smith. This isa trend that we are finding in design. Manycompanies are trying to crowd source their ideasto gather more information. Everyone weighs in.Its a very collaborative way of working that wasconveyed to us as an objective of the design. People can even work on a sixth-floor outdoorpatio with a grand view of Comerica Park.Televisions, technology outlets and comfortable,colorful furniture complete this en plein aircubicle. A series of open-wall, indoor patios,facing the Ford Field atrium and flooded withnatural light, make for an ideal work zone on awinter day. On non-event days, staff can evenwork in the stadium bleachers on their laptop or

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD

pThe interior contains more than 25 custom meeting pods made from 500 locally salvaged solid wood doors cut into narrow bands and then stacked.


go for a jog around the stadium concourse. This great banquet of spaces alleviated staffconcerns about working in the close quarters ofan open bench system. The facilitys sheer sizealso offers some breathing room. The building isairy, and it has tall ceilings and windows with greatviews, as well as balconies and interesting places,said Palmer. When people moved in from the oldoffice, they said, Oh my gosh, this is better. An effective acoustical strategy eased auditorystress in this open environment of predominatelyhard surfaces. In fact, the five editing, broadcastproduction and video suites on the fourth floorare the only carpeted spaces in the facility. For acoustic control, Neumann/Smith addedtectum with sound-absorbing K-13 cellulose fiberinsulation on virtually every ceiling, courtesy ofStony Creek Services, Westland. Frequencybased sound masking devices are in place indifferent zones throughout the facility for acousticprivacy. I think people are quite surprised abouthow well the sound masking and the acousticsare done, said Barnes. When we are sitting atour desks, we really have to roll right next to theperson to talk.

ThE cOMpany in crOSS SEcTiOn The ultimate collaboration zone is the five-storyatrium slicing through the heart of the facility. Insync with the karma of the building,Neumann/Smith left this vertical opening in itsunfinished form. The concrete and clay tile floorslabs are exposed and retain their unrefinedappearance. In harmony with the companys open modusoperandi, the atrium has no walls - all five levelsare open on all four sides of the square to thecentral core. This includes Palmers own office,perched at the top level, outlined in black andprojecting slightly into this grand open space.People often wave to Palmer in his wall-lessperch; he even occasionally finds a tossed Nerfball on his floor. The atrium is a conduit for all the buzz andenergy of this successful agency. The atrium isan enormous open square, said Palmer. Itsalmost like cutting a body open and seeing all theparts working and the heart beating. People canlook across the atrium and see others designingand working. Its like a cross-section of thecompany all at work at the same time. The atrium floor is host to company-wide townhall meetings. Plywood stadium bleachers riseto the bottom of the multi-story LED screen wall a perfect arrangement for large presentations.This space allows us to actually bring the entirecompany together in one space, said Palmer.Businesses are going towards a morecommunicative, open and transparent-to-the-business approach with their employees. In the before version of this picture, company-

wide meetings were held in the parking lot of thecompanys Warren office. The 10-story buildingsconventional layout blocked collaboration andeven basic knowledge of other colleagues.People would meet in the elevator and have toask, Are you a guest or do you work here? saidPalmer. This unique atrium is the place to congregateas a company or work in small groups. Steppedbench seating, computer outlets and movable

ottomans create another flexible, mobile workspace. A small sidewalk-inspired cafcompletes this people-friendly gathering place.

ThE BUiLDing in crOSS SEcTiOn The atrium not only captures the cross currentsof the company but also a cross section of theactual building. Columns segue from square steelto round bell and back to square again from oneside o rd-formed concrete share the interior with

Jack Russell, SecretaryArt Hug Jr.

Dan DamicoPatrick LandryChuck Raeder

Brett G. Jordan

Website: www.realapprenticeship.com

STRENGTH THROUGHKNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD


the modern composite floor above. Turner inserted two steel staircases into theatrium, cutting through the buildings multiplestructural systems and again grappling withirregular details to mount the staircases into thedifferent floor levels. We even had the atrium 3Dscanned, because it was impossible to figure outthe connections and details, said Neher. Using an alleyway for access, Turner hoistedthe stairway steel into the building through aremoved window, said Cooper. Additional steelsupports were installed in the atrium for the LEDscreen wall. Turner used a spider lift a piece ofequipment capable of fitting through a standarddoor and equipped with multiple arms to paintthe perimeter and clean the glass of the existingatrium skylight located 73 feet above the floor, aswell as to install new glass walls for upper-levelconference rooms. Lowe Campbell Ewald then used the spider liftto direct installation of the dozens of differentscreen panels composing the LED screen wall.Subcontractors made good use of the spider lift,including Stony Creek Services, thesubcontractor responsible for spraying K-13

and within budget, meeting at least twice a weekto solve the unusual details of the space. wELcOME hOME The new offices of Lowe Campbell Ewald wereofficially unveiled on Jan. 21, 2014. As peoplebrought in their personal belongings on the veryfirst day in this new office, a choir of middleschool students from the Detroit Academy of theArts and Sciences officially welcomed the 500-person staff to their new home in the Motor City.Beginning a new era with song eased anytransplant tension and inspired the staff, some ofwhom had worked in the Warren facility for manyyears. Standing on the atriums stadium bleachers,students sang with heart, filling the interior withthe music of Motown, Michael Jackson, AliciaKeyes and Pharrell Williams. They even sang aDetroit rendition of the song Empire State of Mind a contemporary version of the classic songNew York, New York. Without any notice to thestaff, these kids just started singing, said Palmer.People literally started crying, because of thewonderful way they were greeted on the first dayin a new place, and the sense people had thatthis space was right for us. People loved it. This talented choir of primarily economicallydisadvantaged youth has since appeared onAmericas Got Talent and the Ellen Show. PharrellWilliams himself appeared on the Ellen Show,listening to this choir of Detroit school childrensing via video. Pharrells international hit Happyaptly describes Lowe Campbell Ewalds reactionto their amazing new corporate home, deliveredcourtesy of Neumann/Smith Architecture andTurner Construction Company.

acoustic insulation to boost the atriums soundcontrol. In addition to acoustics, the atrium and openenvironment demanded a different approach tofire safety. We added 323 smoke detectors,because we didnt have the traditional means ofseparating the floors with glass, said Cooper.All of the detectors are tied in with a veryintricate sequence of operations for alertingoccupants. The city had to grant a variance andwe had to go through a very detailed inspectionprocess. Neumann/Smith and Turner worked togetherto obtain the variance. The City of Detroit wasa real team player in the process, as well, saidBuck. We all had to make sure that everybodywas comfortable with it, because life safety isparamount. It worked out very well. At peak, over 123 tradespeople worked tobuild this unconventional office in Ford Field.Working in unison, Neumann/Smith and Turnerdelivered another gem to Detroit, helping acompany return to its roots and bringing anotherstoried space back to life. The team was great,said Auger. They delivered the project on time

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD

pThe facility has the only wall-less atrium in Detroit open from floor slab to floor slab. in sync with the rest of the building, the rough edges of the floor slabs were left in their original state along the entire height of this corporate town square.uThe agencys main lobby uses simple materials in inventive ways: The coffee table isformed of wood pallets topped with glass, the furniture is made of stacked layers of industrial felt with leather stitched to the seats and arm rests, and a contoured plywooddisplay wall turns this basic material into an art form.


SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS AT LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD

Variable air volume mechanical system with fan-powered perimeterboxes, allowing efficiencies to be gained from the variable speedfan, heat generated from the fan-powered boxes and the ability toturn off the system when the space is unoccupied

LED lighting with energy efficient controls and dimming Reclaimed barnwood from Michigan and East Coast Partitions made from salvaged wooden doors collected from the

Detroit area Oversized work counters made of recycled palettes and concrete Carpet made with 20 percent pre-consumer/11 percent post-

consumer recycled content Carpet cushion manufactured with Underscore, environmentally

sustainable backing with 31 percent pre-consumer recycled content Tectum panels meet various LEED credits and use wood that is

FSC and SFI certified Workstations made with 13.13 percent post-consumer/47.7

percent post-industrial recycled content, recycled steel andaluminum, recovered particleboard and VOC-free adhesives

Eco-friendly chairs made with recycled content and environmental fabrics

LOWE CAMPBELL EWALD


THE HOT NEW MEETING SPOT

BELLE ISLE NATURE ZOO

Associate Editor: Doug Pawloski

Photographer: Curt Clayton Clayton Studios

pThe Belle Isle Nature Zoo has an attractive entrance and refreshed exterior that now blends into its environment.Endangered plant species were saved while invasive plants were replaced by native plantings that will endure the climate.

pOutdoor classrooms, such as the one pictured here, are located outside the rear exit. Childrenlearn more about Belle Isles environment from instructors and staff in this relaxing and natural setting.


In the early 1700s, when the Detroit area was buta trading post settled by Antoine de la MotheCadillac, a heavily wooded island in the middle ofthe river called Ile aux Cochons - or Hog Island -offered a safe haven for the settlers to keep theirpigs safe from the wolves. Later, it was used tokeep a large garden to supply a garrison. After apeace treaty was signed in 1783 between thecolonies and Britain, the land that included theisland was formally assigned to the United Statesas part of a Northwest Territory bounded by theOhio and Mississippi Rivers and the Great Lakesto the north. Designated as a Fort and flying the AmericanFlag in 1796, Detroit was on a path to becoming acity and eventually incorporated in 1802. Duringthe Michigan Territory governorship of Lewis Cass(1813-1831), the island had come to be known asBelle Isle in honor of Isabella Cass, the Governorsdaughter. The land acquisition of Belle Isle byDetroit came about in 1879 when most majorcities in the country began establishing plans toset aside and develop large intercity parks as aplace of refuge for the urban dwellers who wereflooding into the big cities. These developmentswere spurred, in part, by the City Beautifulmovement that attempted to apply order andaesthetics to the madness caused by the rapidand haphazard growth of large urban andindustrial centers. Couple that with a new senseof scientific exploration and health of the naturalenvironment which was fostered by technologicaland scientific advancements, and you begin tounderstand what led Detroiters to establish BelleIsle as a municipal park for its citizens. At 982 acres, Belle Isle is 16 percent larger thanNew York Citys Central Park and is the largestisland park in the country. It has served many uses,undergone many transformations, and enduredfrequent struggles with expansion, maintenanceand closures over time. At the height of itspopularity, between 1920-1950, park amenitiesincluded a ferry dock and pavilion; a casino; theMichigan Yacht Clubhouse and Detroit BoatClubhouse; a greenhouse; a music pavilion; apolice station and stables; a bathhouse; barns andworkshops; a skating pavilion; an aquarium; ahorticultural center; a zoo; and numerous canals,walkways, paths, lakes, beaches, monuments,memorials and fountains. Sadly, some of this isnow just a distant memory for most Detroiters, yetmuch of it still exists. Through the efforts of the Cityof Detroit, private enterprise, non-profitassociations, and personal donations, elements onthe Island are being restored, remodeled orrepurposed. The former Nature Center, nowknown as the Belle Isle Nature Zoo (BINZ), hasundergone a $1.88 million, 10,000-square-footrenovation that was completed in July 2013. Situated on three acres of protected forest andwetlands on the eastern end of the island, theBINZ is host to numerous animal exhibits, a bird

and wildlife observation window, outdoorclassrooms, a butterfly garden, a European FallowDeer enclosure (the deer once roamed free here),and an eighth-of-a-mile Blue Heron Lagoon naturewalk - all free for visitors. The BINZ also offersSummer Nature Camps so young students canlearn more about the natural ecosystem on the Islethat is just a stones throw away from the city andtheir own backyards. Campers now enjoy all theimprovements envisioned by the City of Detroit andthe Detroit Zoological Society, and a build teamdedicated to making their vision a reality.

takIng the exhIBItS lIVe Formerly a Nature Center that primarilydisplayed taxidermy, the BINZ had plans thatincluded live animals to enrich the visitorsexperiences, but would require considerableupgrades and modifications to sustain them. Wehad several issues that needed to be addressed,said Michael Reed, manager, BINZ. We wantedto expose visitors to live animals, but the buildingsclimate control system was not that good. Theanimal exhibits were designed to display taxidermybut needed to become functioning habitats for liveanimals. Also, because the BINZ is located in themiddle of the Detroit River on wetlands, there isalways a high degree of humidity that requires theexterior to be painted fairly often to protect thestructure and keep it looking presentable. Anotherproblem was that the large multi-purpose room inthe middle of the facility, used for community andchildrens workshops, teacher development andpresentations, was no longer functional ortechnologically adequate. The Detroit Zoological Society approached thecity about the capital improvement investmentrequired to transform the BINZ into a more usefuland meaningful facility. Although the State ofMichigan now leases the Island from the City, theDetroit Building Authority (DBA) managed theproject as a city-owned asset that predated thenew agreement. This project was prior to thestates controlling of Belle Isle, and according tothe lease agreement, the State of Michigan wouldbe responsible for capital improvements. So goingforward, it would be the Detroit Zoological Societyworking with the state, said Tyrone Clifton, Jr.,construction project manager, DBA. After issuing a Request for Quote and reviewingthe proposals, the Detroit Zoological Societyselected the architectural firm of EhresmanAssociates, Inc., Troy, to provide the necessarydesign and engineering services. Theirresponsibilities would include designing a newfaade, a new HVAC system with improvedcontrols, replacing the outdated and inefficientwindows, adding higher efficiency lighting insideand out, creating a new reception desk, andupgrading the restroom facilities. The scope of theproject expanded to include additional safety andsecurity improvements, such as a new security

camera, fire alarm system and increasedemergency exits to bring the building up to code.Additionally, improvements were made to theparking lot to improve traffic flow. It Started WIth a VISIon Once the BINZ and Ehresman developed theirvision for remodeling, the DBA needed to select aconstruction company to perform the work.Typically, we like to hire our constructionmanagers during preconstruction so they can havea voice in the construction and programmingstages, said Clifton. That way, everyone knowswhat they are getting into and can maintain thebudget schedule. KEO & Associates, Inc., aDetroit-based construction management firm, wasbrought in early in the process. The benefit of thatis we have an opportunity to engage in valueengineering, said Chris Onwuzurike, presidentand CEO for KEO & Associates, Inc. Oftentimes,the owners desires and wishes exceed theavailable budget, so we can - with schematics andworking sessions - work to achieve the samegoals, but at a very cost effective level. Though the budget for the project had been set,the scope was still changing; so KEO &Associates, Inc. worked diligently with the DBAand Ehresman to finalize the scope and alsoestablish a finalized budget. The project was set on a fast-track schedulewith the upgrade to the HVAC as the primary task,to ensure animal climate control for the weathertransition from summer and fall to winter. Theinterior demolition and architectural and electricalwork were performed during the winter and springmonths in close coordination with the BINZ staffso they could maintain complete buildingoccupancy at all times. The exterior siding, parkinglot re-pavement, exterior lighting, and landscapingwork were performed during spring and summerwith minimal disturbance to the public and staff.

BrIng on the ChallengeS Topping the list of challenges from anarchitectural standpoint was replacing the large,curved windows encircling the perimeter of thebuilding. The windows were Plexiglas in aluminumangle frames with no insulating value at all, thathad clouded and yellowed over time, saidElizabeth Muzyk, AIA, project architect forEhresman. They made the interior space lookdreary because no natural light was gettingthrough them. Youre in here with all these livingthings and you have no sunlight. This became one of the most important andinteresting challenges for Muzyk. She foundTubelite, Inc., a Michigan manufacturing companythat designed a rotational mullion to work with thecurve of the building, but could accept straightglass segments. You would have to see thebefore and after to visualize what a hugedifference it really makes, said Michelangelo




Cereghino, general manager, KEO & Associates,Inc. Its like a whole new space. Adding an emergency exit presented anotherchallenge that was also complicated by thebuildings round shape. There was a single egressdoor that had been converted to access a storageroom added to the building years ago. A specialcurved lintel was fabricated for the opening thatwould work with the buildings curved masonryexterior wall. The storage area was eliminated andthe opening was expanded to accommodate twodoors that provided the needed emergency exitingcapacity for city code. We improved the life andsafety of this building tremendously, saidCereghino. We added the emergency exit and anew fire alarm system that the building didnt havebefore. the hot neW meetIng Spot Several changes were made to the multi-purpose room to improve its functionality andcomfort. The round room created echoes andfluttering sound effects, especially for those seatedin the middle of the space. For a room intendedfor lectures and presentations, that was anenormous problem and prevented the BINZ facilityfrom reaching its full potential as a meeting placeand a learning center. To eliminate this problem,they added storage space to the front of the roomthat provided several benefits. First, it addedflexibility to the room because it can now storetables and chairs nearby to accommodate theneeds of different groups. But it also provided aflat surface for video projection and televisionpresentations that improved the sound quality ofthe space by changing its acoustical dynamics. Adjusting the space, with the storage room, theacoustic panels, the carpet all of those piecestogether made it a much more useable room, saidMuzyk. The improvements did not go unnoticedby the friends of the BINZ. I dont think I would bestretching it to say that weve quickly moved up tothe hot new meeting spot on the Island, saidReed. The use of the space went up at least 50percent. The groups that associate with the BINZalso communicate frequently with each other, andword-of-mouth has spread that the multi-purposeroom is The Place to hold meetings.

keepIng It natural The design of the entrance and reception areawas another change that really improved the lookand flow of the interior. The tall booth that wasanchored in the center of the entry was removed,which opened the space and exposed theopposite wall that had once displayed aquariums.This space is now highlighted by a restoredreception desk that is covered with a productmade from oak tree impressions, giving it a rusticand natural feel that looks great with the stone on

the walls in that same area. The thing we saidmost during the construction was, Keep in mind,we are a nature facility. Ehresman made sure toincorporate that into the process, said Reed. Ithink they did a great job with that. Additionally,the new windows that extend above the lobbybring in more light, making it much more inviting. Things were changing on the outside of thebuilding that gave the remodeled BINZ a new lookand represented one of the biggest logisticalchallenges for the build team. Installation of themetal exterior siding was complicated and slowedby the conditions on site. Extensive vegetation,rough terrain, endangered trees, and a bee habitatwere among the obstacles that the team neededto address. The BINZ staff went around thebuilding tagging trees and other elements thatneeded to be protected. Using a Sky Track, an all-terrain type vehicle with a boom would have beenthe most efficient way to install the siding.However, a Pumpkin Ash, an endangered speciesof tree, was directly in the booms path. You canteven get near the trees (with heavy equipment),because if you get near them, you compact theroot system and you kill the trees, said Reed.They did it the old fashion way, using scaffoldingand ladders, they were very creative, saidCereghino. The bee exhibit, which is an observationwindow on the interior of the building, has anexposed entrance for the bees on the outside. Thisbecame another time-sensitive issue for thebuilders because the bees had to be temporarilyrelocated or the crew would not have been able toperform their jobs. Also, the staff wanted the beesreturned to their original location as soon aspossible, so the contractors had to work quickly.But the hive could only be moved six to 12 feetaway from the original location to prevent the beesfrom becoming disoriented and possibly abandontheir hive altogether.

ControllIng the ClImate The HVAC system was one of the more criticalaspects of construction because climate control,especially in the middle of winter, was critical forthe resident animals. That is where KEO &Associates, Inc. focused their efforts early in theprocess to assure the needs of the animals wouldbe met before they moved on to other areas.Special care was taken to minimize the effect ofconstruction on the live animals. The Mud Puppyis a fish-like species whose 150-gallon aquariumhabitat requires considerable monitoring and care.Other facilities have had difficulty keeping theirMud Puppies alive, but the BINZ has done atremendous job with them. We are a researchfacility for the Mud Puppy and they are a Keystoneindicator of water quality for the Great Lakes, saidReed. For this reason, the Mud Puppy exhibit is



the only one on site that has its own generatorsystem to sustain the habitat should the BINZ losepower. Besides the obstacles of dealing with live animalexhibits and endangered landscaping, the BINZmaintained regular business hours throughout theentire construction process. KEO & Associates,Inc. needed to work closely with the BINZ staff tocoordinate each phase of the job in order tominimize disruption. This is an area where webring our expertise. Being able to work with theowner, and understanding that running theirprogram without interruption, and the safety issuesassociated with us working in this type ofenvironment, is key, said Onwuzurike. Mechanical upgrades included a newtransformer that was installed to replace the olddeficient unit, and two substantially more efficientrooftop HVAC units were installed to replace theolder models. New LED lighting was installedinside, outside, and in the parking lot, usingphotocell and timer controls to improved efficiencyand reduce costs. The restrooms were upgradedwith new tile on the floor and walls, high velocityhand dryers, efficient plumbing fixtures withautomatic faucets and flush valves, new waterfountains with integrated bottle fillers, and the oldvinyl flooring was replaced with a natural linoleumthat is more durable and maintenance-friendly. Onthe outside, the existing native plants were pruned,new native varieties were planted, and non-nativeor invasive species were removed. made In mIChIgan A strong effort was made by the project teamto utilize as many Michigan-manufacturedproducts as possible, said Muzyk. There was anemphasis placed on materials that perform welland are more efficient and more sustainable. UltraSeam, the exterior metal siding selected for itsdurability, recycled content and Energy Star colorrating, was manufactured in Detroit. The linoleumflooring was selected for its natural materials,durability and simple maintenance procedures.Through his state conservation connections, Reedprocured a tree bark material that was used towrap the front desk, the support columns, andsome walls within the facility. It is apparent that the teamwork between theBINZ staff, KEO & Associates, Inc. and Ehresmanwas critical to the successful delivery of this

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tThis nature observation area features largewindows that provide visitors with a greatview of the birds and other plants and wildlifethat are common on Belle Isle. The new windows above the space feature rotationalmullions that follow the curvature of thebuilding but accept straight glass, a solutionthe designers were most proud of on this project. The original windows were failing and cloudy and held back natural light.

project. The groups ability to maintain dailycommunication and coordinate the workflowprevented problems from occurring and directlysolved many issues before they could becomeproblems. It was definitely a plus that these groupshad worked together prior to this project. The groupas a whole has done a lot of work with the DetroitZoological Society and, of course, Mike Reed, whowas here day-to-day and very involved in this project.said Clifton. The Detroit Zoological Society memberswho were involved include Chief Operating OfficerGerry VanAcker; Facilities Superintendent MelindaOstrander; and the Director of Park Operations JohnAnderson. Clifton also credits DBAs former DirectorC. Beth DunCombe for her leadership and support. When asked about the most rewarding aspect ofthis project as a construction manager, Onwuzurikereplied, Coming in to a project where the owner andarchitect have already met and have a vision of whatthey want to accomplish, and we were able to comein here and facilitate and enable and bring that visionto reality. KEO & Associates, Inc. and Ehresman hadmuch to be happy about when you consider the factthat the work was accomplished without any serious

interruptions to the BINZ schedule or programs, theowners were extremely satisfied with the results, andeven the animals seem to be enjoying their newsurroundings.

keep up the good Work The responses from visitors to the BINZ have beenoverwhelmingly positive. They are happy to see all theimprovements to the facility. But more importantly,from the BINZs perspective, is that they notice all thethings that were done to improve the animalshabitats. Reed sometimes feels guilty when patronscredit him for the improvements that have taken place,simply because of the number of people involved thathelped make it happen. But it shows them that wehave the community at heart, said Reed. Concludinga tour of the facility just outside of the main entrance,a visitor felt compelled to interject his thoughts thatseemed to confirm Reeds words. He said, It lookslike you people have something to do with the workgoing on here. Keep it up; its a really good thing! Likeso many others, he seemed to understand the Islandshistory and potential. No doubt there are many morepeople that share those exact sentiments.


I dont think I would be

stretching it to say that weve

quickly moved up to the hot new

meeting spot on the Island



pThe lobby was transformed into a light and airy gathering space complete with new lighting and windows, natural stone walls, wood flooring, and a front reception desk coveredin a simulated oak tree bark material that adds to the rooms rustic ambiance.

pRedesigning the acoustically challenged, round multi-purpose room in the center of thenature zoo was interesting project for the design team. Adding flat walls, acoustic panels, and carpet reduced the echo chamber effects. Add in the updated audio and video capabilities and you have a space that is now the hot spot for meetings for municipalemployees and other groups.


REVITALIZING HISTORIC DETROIT

THE GARDEN THEATER

Associate Editor: Caitlin Wunderlich


Detroiters have witnessed the recent economicdownturn that left a path of vacant buildings in itswake. As the city emerges and recovers, many ofthese buildings are left in a decrepit state, oftensubject to vandalism and fire; they then becomedangerous and the surrounding community ralliesto tear them down. These structures are constantreminders of the hard times felt by many. Luckily for Detroit, its individuals appreciate andfight to preserve unique architectural gems.Detroits industrial reputation is known worldwide- but Detroit was also the pinnacle of design andinnovation. In fact, some of the leading early 20thCentury and Mid-Century architects hailed fromthe city. Built in 1912, the Garden Theater was an earlyproject of C. Howard Crane, an architect whobegan his career in Detroit before becoming oneof the most prolific theater architects in thecountry. Crane designed many Detroit icons likethe Fillmore Detroit in 1925 (or State Theater, asmany still call it), the Detroit Opera House (orCapitol Theater, in the early 1920s), and arguablyhis most famous, the Fox Theater in 1928. In 1949 the Garden Theater closed its doorsonly to reopen as a series of nightclubs and adulttheaters. Its degeneration quickly infected theentire block, until finally the theater wasabandoned and left to decay.

TheaTer Becomes a BlockProjecT Over 10 years ago, three Detroit businessmenlaunched Woodward SA-PK, LLC, Detroit, adevelopment group targeting blighted areas in thecity. Partners George Stewart, Michael Byrd andWilliam Mosely set their sights on the historicGarden Theater on the 3900 block of WoodwardAvenue. Situated between Alexandrine andSelden, the Woodward Garden BlockDevelopment project grew out of the desire tosave an architectural gem overwhelmed by the

surrounding blight and decay. Woodward SA-PKaimed to create an entertainment district aroundthe historic Garden Theater, closer to the growingMidtown area. This was the only blighted block betweenWarren and Mack, explained Stewart, who hadgrown up in Detroit and remembered the hustleand bustle that once surrounded the area, butnow it was empty. It had at least two fires andwas quite decaying. In order to achieve their vision for anentertainment district centered on the GardenTheater, the team realized they needed to tacklethe entire block. The first few years ofdevelopment focused on acquiring theneighboring properties and building the right teamto manage the subsequent four separate phasesof construction. Unfortunately, because of theeconomic conditions in Detroit at the time, thismeant postponing construction on the theater inorder to prioritize and finance the grand vision. Woodward SA-PK contracted Quinn EvansArchitects, Ann Arbor, as the master architect forthe entire block. Quinn Evans prepared acomprehensive plan for the individual constructionphases of the block that would span more thanfive years. A firm with ample experience in historicpreservation, Quinn Evans was also contracted asthe architects of record for the historicpreservation of the two historic structures on theblock: the Blue Moon building (1886) on thecorner, and the Garden Theater (1912) in thecenter. McIntosh Poris Associates, Birmingham, wasalso brought on board as the design architect forthe interior of the Garden Theater and theindividual build-outs on the block. ConstructionLogistics, LLC, Detroit, a joint venture betweenthe Monahan Company and the Means Group,were the general contractors for the rehabilitationof the Garden Theater in addition to the laterphases of the block development.

THE GARDEN THEATER

THE GARDEN THEATER

pThe renovated interior of the theater, as

shown from the bar. Photo by Jeff Garland

pPictured is the detail of the restored plaster-work on the ceiling of the Garden Theater.Photo by Jeff Garland


Early phases of the Woodward Garden BlockDevelopment project involved constructing aparking structure, renovating the historic cornerbuilding, and adding new office space. Currently,that section of the block is home to Great LakesCoffee Roasting Co., Midtown Detroit, Inc., TheKresge Foundation, and office space for WayneState University. These businesses have drawnmore traffic and energy to the block, and havecreated the type of lively environment the theaterneeds in order to become a vital entity in theneighborhood once more.

Progress Underway on Thegarden TheaTer In 2012 the decaying state of the GardenTheater was finally addressed. While the exteriorfaade facing Woodward Avenue remained intact,much of its original character was hidden underlayers of paint and grime, and the vestiges of pastowners. Structurally, the building appeared to bein good shape from the street.

However, years of being vacant and damagefrom fires destroyed entire sections of the interior.The site, originally divided into two independentstructures by an open-air atrium, was completelycrumbling in some sections. The three-storybuilding facing Woodward served as a receptionor lobby area for the theater behind. This buildinghad suffered the most damage; an entire wallseparating the lobby area from the atrium hadcollapsed exposing the three levels to the negativeimpact of the elements. The loss of this wall alsodrastically affected the structural integrity of thebuilding - entire sections of the building were toodangerous to enter. In addition, the original plansfor the building were not found. Until the buildingcould be properly braced, architects were forcedto design areas of the space without actuallywalking through them. On the other side of the open-air atrium, theactual theater space remained in better shape.Structurally, all four walls remained standing, butthe interior was in need of extreme clean up and

demolition. Years of abandonment had alloweddebris to build up. Once that was removed, layersof old renovations to the theater could bedemolished leaving an open, clean space for theteam to address problem areas and begin therestoration. Undoubtedly, the state of the building haddeterred many investors, but the economic stateof the city also had a great impact. As Detroit felldeeper and deeper into recession, this building,and many others, sat vacant. Once WoodwardSA-PK launched their plans to buy this propertyand bring it back to life, there were no more largebanks loaning money for this kind ofredevelopment in the city. The team needed tofind more unconventional sources of funding. According to Stewart, it took more than twoyears and the help of many supportingorganizations to pull together the financing for theGarden Theater portion of the project. SusanMosey, president of Midtown Detroit, Inc., was abig advocate for the Woodward Garden BlockDevelopment project. Because of the two historicbuildings that were saved on the site, Moseyhelped incorporate the entire block as a HistoricDistrict within Midtown. This Historic designationopened the door to several tax credits, whichconsisted of about 20 percent of constructioncosts. Woodward SA-PK also received theMichigan Business tax credit, as well as other taxincentives for removing blight in the city. The plan for the final phase of construction onthe Woodward Garden Block Developmentincluded a new five-story housing developmentnext to the Garden Theater that could fill thehousing demand in Midtown. This additionenabled the team to secure a federal loan underU.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) program. Stewart describedother grants and loans the block project receivedincluding from the State of Michigan, DetroitEconomic Growth, and other local companies:

p An image of the exterior of the Garden Theater after years of being abandoned. Photo by McIntosh Poris Associates

p The restored faade and new retail spaces facing Woodward Avenue. Photo by Jeff Garland


Detroit Edison had come out with several plansabout energy efficiency, so we were able to applyfor an energy grant, which we received. Probably seven or eight different layers offunding went into this particular project,continued Stewart. And thats because youcouldnt just go to a bank, added Michael Poris,co-founder of McIntosh Poris Associates. Thisfinancing package allowed the developer,Woodward SA-PK, to invest in the entire block;but more importantly, by creating this package,they could finance the restoration of an iconicDetroit building despite the condition it was left in.Had the team been limited to a narrower scopeof financing, the costs of preserving this buildingcould have overwhelmed and stopped theproject. I think the synergy of the team that workedtogether in Detroit always looked for solutionsinstead of dwelling on problems, explainedStewart. Once the Garden Theater wasrecognized as a historic site, the architecturalteam needed to work with both the State ofMichigans Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)and the National Park Service (NPS) to receivefunding and their approval. Elisabeth Knibbe,architect of record for Quinn Evans Architects, andJennifer Henricksen, project architect,spearheaded much of this process. Henriksen explained the in-depth process inthree simple phases: first, they needed to provethat this building was significant; second, theyneeded to demonstrate the severity of the existingconditions and how they were going to proceed;and finally, they needed to confirm that theyfulfilled their mission to earn their final approval. We did need to meet the standards of theSecretary of the Interiors Standards forRehabilitation, continued Henriksen, and thatwas part of the way the project was funded.Anything we did in the building was reviewed bythe State Historic Preservation Office and thenalso the National Park Service. They want to meetthe 10 standards that are set up by the Secretaryof Interior for Historic Properties. The designneeded to fall within those guidelines in order tobe approved. This approval process involved a lot of give-and-take in the design, and concessions weremade because of the state the structure. Forexample, some of the walls in the lobby wereoriginally covered in plaster, which was destroyedin the fire; so when they redesigned the spacethey didnt need to re-plaster the walls. But inareas where the plaster was still intact, the designneeded to include drywall over the brick to mirrorthe plaster walls. Originally, the building came in at $2.5 millionover budget. Working within strict financialconstraints, the team had to figure out how toincorporate the necessary guidelines of bothSHPO and the NPS and bring the costs of

construction back in budget in order to make iteven plausible. Lis Knibbe was really instrumentalin going through the drawings and taking charge,and allowing this project to take place, explainedEric Means of Construction Logistics. shore IT UP Had it gone through another hard winter, itwould have been lost, explained Stewart. Bycoming in and bracing and shoring it up, I think

we saved the outer faade. At one time I was veryworried that the outer faade was going to spillover into Woodward Avenue. Thanks to a lot ofingenuity from the architectural team and thestructural engineers, we were able to preserve it. The peeling brown paint has been removedfrom the faade revealing beautiful terracottacolored brick. Pieces of crumbling limestone werereplaced with metal panel, and new storefrontsand canopies were added. Some elements, like

THE GARDEN THEATER

the original Beaux Arts cornice across the top ofthe faade, were removed at an earlier point in thebuildings history, and therefore left off. Thearchitects did not want to simply recreate the lookof the theater; instead they chose to retainelements of its past life in the city. While they were able to rescue much of thefaade, the majority of the interior lobby andtheater had to be completely gutted andretrofitted. About 95 percent of the floor joists,which gave stability to the structural walls, wererotted out, burned, or otherwise destroyed. Wehad to replace them. As we started taking themout, the building started to become less stable,explained W. Daniel Monahan, project managerfor Construction Logistics. We had one instance where the building

started falling and shores bent, continuedMonahan. Then we needed more shores, and weneeded to re-brace the building. It was allhandwork; we couldnt get a crane to it. We hada forklift and a scissor jack to handle materials,but everything else was basically three or fourcarpenters and half a dozen laborers picking updebris. For about six months, the constructionteam tenuously worked to reframe the building. Itwas a race between the structural installationsand the effect of gravity on the existing masonry. One of the unique challenges Monahantouched on was the accessibility issue with thissite. On one side of the theater was the newlyconstructed office space and parking deck, andon the other side was the site for the newapartment buildings - a project that, because of

the funding package from HUD, could no longerbe postponed. HUD, which financed the apartment building,has an interest in getting it done quickly andgetting the final financing in place, explainedMonahan. We had to ask for a three or fourmonth delay to start the apartment building justso we could get the heavy lifting done on this sitefirst. We were able to hold off the apartmentbuilding for a few months and get the equipmenton the roof, the steel set, all the carpentry done,masonry, pour concrete, and we finally reached apoint where we didnt need quite that muchaccess.

InTegrITy Preserved Throughout the theaters history, many ownershad cut corners in renovations to incorporatemodern technology into the building. HVACequipment, for example, was once cheaplyinstalled inside the theater with all of the ductworkhidden above a drop ceiling. However, their cost-cutting strategiespreserved and protected remarkable details of theoriginal structure that probably would have beendestroyed at some point. As the team removedthe drop ceiling from the theater, they wereamazed to discover the beautifully preservedplaster ceiling, moldings and medallions. We hadan idea that there wasnt much left, and in the endI think we were surprised at some of the thingswe found, explained Henriksen. This discovery enhanced the architects visionfor the space, bringing back the charm andcharacter of Cranes original design. While themajority of the plasterwork on the ceiling was infairly good shape, they decided to do a littlepatching up and a fresh coat of paint to give it anew life.

THE GARDEN THEATER

Shown here is the original plasterwork discovered above the drop ceiling in the theater. Photo byMcIntosh Poris Associates

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Years of neglect and fire damage caused a partial collapse in the atrium betweenthe theater and lobby. Photo by McIntosh Poris Associates

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New technology was then smartly added to thebuilding. HVAC equipment was moved to the roofwith horizontal runs across the roof and droppingdown into the space. New plumbing and electricalsystems were incorporated. With the grant fromDTE Energy, everything is now cutting edgeequipment and energy efficient, said Monahan. McIntosh Poris were responsible for much ofthe interior design of the theater, specificallyfocusing on how to integrate the necessary newtechnology for an entertainment venue with therich history afforded by the remaining building. Theacoustic panels, for instance, are necessary for atheater to create the right balance between liveand dead space. With strict budget constraints,the team designed an efficient and relatively cheapacoustic panel using laser cut plywood overinsulation, and positioning them in such a way thatthey do not completely block off the plasterceiling. In fact, in some cases, they were able tomove the panels over damaged portions of theceiling to hide some of the imperfections. The State Historic Preservation Office and theNational Park Service both approved of the mix ofmodern and historic elements in the design which,as Michael Poris explains, Creates a lot ofcontrast so you can see the difference betweenwhat has been added and what is original. Thejuxtaposition of old and new breathes new life intothe venue. At about 32,000 square feet andaccommodating around 1,200 people, plans forthe space include entertainment groups,banquets, weddings, and other business events.The two structures have been joined with anenclosed atrium featuring an ornately carved steelwall and large bank of skylights, both of whichharken back to the theaters original open-airatrium. A brand new restaurant and bar nowoccupy a portion of the first floor facingWoodward, while office space and conferencerooms are on the second and third floors. Thetheater portion has been upgraded to a state-of-the-art auditorium with a upper level bar and VIPbalcony. Recently, the Garden Theater hosted the JPMorgan Chase Investment event celebrating thecompanys move back into the City of Detroit.That is the first time a major bank expressedinterest in investing money in the City of Detroitsince we went through the recession; probablyaround 2008, explained Stewart. As property values remain low in sections ofDetroit because of the presence of abandonedstructures, developers are flocking to the city.Unfortunately, many of these developers are quickto pronounce a building unsalvageable becausethe cost of rehabilitating a historic structure faroutweighs demolishing and building a newmodern structure. These developers opt for new,rather than investing in the historic buildings thatrepresent Detroits history. However, the Garden

Theater team tackled what many deemedimpossible. As with any project, There is a lot that goesuntold. But after the fact, when you stand onthe curb and look at it, you can say, Well, itwasnt that bad, explained Means. The teamwas able to accomplish what they set out to do.They saved an iconic Detroit building that wason the verge of collapse.

A lot of people would have just torn thetheater down. Most people would have lookedat it and thought there was no way to save it,and probably many did, explained Poris. Butnow look at the quality that has beenmaintained. Indeed, the Garden Theatre was aburnt out building, a relic of a once greattheater lost in a blighted block and it wassaved.

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THE GARDEN THEATER


Due west of St. Johns, a broad sweep of farmfields stretches to the horizon in a 360 degreeview of sky, corn and soybeans. The farmcountry on the fringes of this modest city incentral Michigan is the ideal place for a liquidfertilizer company to put down its corporateroots. In fact, a windswept corn field growsdirectly next door to the incredible newheadquarters of Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers,an innovative and environmentally responsiblecompany that treats its neighbors well bothplant and farmer. A pioneering company with the ultimate greenthumb, AgroLiquid operates the largest plantnutrition research farm in the United States. Thealmost 1,000-acre North Central Research Farmis located only seven miles from the firmsinventive new corporate facility, courtesy of theLansing design/build team of the Wieland-DavcoCorporation and Hobbs + Black Architects, Inc.Part barn, part contemporary office building inappearance, the new facility pays homage to theagrarian traditions of the Midwest and to thesophisticated backbone of scientific research andmodern agricultural technology needed to feed adinner party of seven billion people. With a fieldstone base, a barn red rain screensystem and a rolling half-arc of a roof, the westhalf of the building has the profile andappearance of a country barn. The east half isa contemporary arc of glass curtain wall with anagrarian twist. A glass silo rises almost 40 feetthrough the faade and roof. This contemporaryversion of a traditional silo is set in a grid of metalslats resembling corn cribbing, but rather thancorn, this silo stores a stock of AgroLiquidmemorabilia in a decidedly unconventional giftshop. On the interior, the Farm meets the 21stCentury in an inspired re-invention of rural formsand materials. Within this 57,000-square-footfacility, a fieldstone-clad elevator shaft resemblesan interior silo, 10 antique tractor wheels becomeceiling accents, and reclaimed barn wood servesas a series of tables and sections of wallcladding. The buildings quality is undisputed; the designis inspired. The project team turned timber,fieldstone and corrugated metal into a polishedand sophisticated corporate headquarters. Thishybrid interior of country and corporate living hasa certain whimsical charm, including light fixturesin the shape of inverted milk bottles over thecoffee bar. Give a fertilizer company a great idea andwatch the project grow. AgroLiquid addedsignificant scope, but Wieland-Davco still met theoriginal schedule. Wieland-Davco jumpedthrough a lot of hoops and all the hoops wereon fire but the company still delivered thebuilding in time for AgroLiquids 30th Anniversary

DOWN ON THE FARM IN THE 21ST CENTURY

AGRO-CULTURE LIQUID FERTILIZERS

Associate Editor: Mary E. Kremposky

Photographer: Curt ClaytonClayton Studios

p With a fieldstone base, a barn red rain screen system and a rolling half-arc of a roof, thewest half of the building honors the agrarian traditions of the Midwest.

q This polished, contemporary interior has a beautiful flow of materials with a rustic twist asshown by the strong use of wood and the corn-like pattern in the flooring.


celebration in June 2013. There was scopecreep without schedule creep, said AgroLiquidVice President of Operations Nicholas T.Bancroft. Creative in design and in execution, thebuilding inspires blue-sky thinking. This isdefinitely a building where people can thinkoutside the box, said Bancroft.

seeDs of ChAnGe The facilitys uniqueness is the perfectexpression of a company continually blossomingwith bright ideas. In fact, AgroLiquid is on theleading edge of a culture shift in fertilizer productscommitted to safeguarding plant health,protecting the environment, and prospering

cam magazine october special issue 2014

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