Building Great Homes

The Houghton Housing Commission immediately contacted Moyle Construction when its apartment complex was destroyed by a fire.  Moyle performed disaster control and remediated the damages so the building could be renovated back to new condition.  For more information see the below link:

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?id=794512#.Up5CwdJDujE

Stephenson Engineering is in the process of providing building envelope consulting services related to the removal of the existing 120,000 square foot limestone façade and the design of a new cladding system that is to be incorporated along the lower five storeys of a new 58-storey mixed use high-rise building at 88 Scott Street. The work included the design of the structural support system, wall assembly, specifications, and construction methodologies. The building is currently designated a heritage site by the City of Toronto.

This project was funded through the Infrastructure/Ontario program. We were required to obtain a building permit 3 months from the time of the award to secure funding. We worked closely with the owner and the City of Kawartha Lakes in order to meet these deadlines. We were responsible for all aspects of approvals from the site plan approval stage to obtain building permits. The project had specific requirments for seniors and people with disabilities. We were able to incorporate many features in the design and construction of the building including fully accessible kitches and bathrooms as well as features for the visually and hearing impaired.

Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto and Ontario Realty Corporation are working with Toronto 2015 to develop a design for the Athletes’ Village that will house 8,000 athletes and officials, and is targeting LEED Gold certification. After the Games, the area will become a predominantly residential neighbourhood including affordable housing.

The clients of this stunning modern home hired r.o.i. Design to design the remodel of their existing 1970's ranch home. We created a completely new layout best suited to the clients' needs, while keeping the existing structure's foundation and shell. A small addition for the kitchen, dining and living rooms was added, along with a new garage. By remodelling, rather than building new, we were able to help keep the project within budget.

Work performed including adding a “family” room and modern kitchen addition to the Wieboldt mansion for Rom & Tina Schmidt. The two-story great hall is framed by heavy timber trusses. The kitchen was updated from a traditional gallery kitchen & pantry into a meeting and gathering space as well as a food preparation space. Through the use of limestone walls, the exterior of the addition was designed to blend seamlessly with the tudor-design of the original house, and a large outside terrace with a classic limestone rail was also added to blend the indoors with the outdoors.  

The small two-story house is an experiment in fragmentation and color theory. The angled red platform supports a sleeping loft which functions to the roof structure together. The colors were selected to change throughout the day.

This project involved the interior remodeling and redecorating of various areas within this North Shore residence to accommodate the family’s changing life-style. For such areas as the dining room, foyer, living room, and master bedroom and bath, Mekus Tanager selected new furniture and furnishings, as well as new lighting, interior window treatments, carpeting and architectural details.

This project was completed in two weeks.  The main focal point is the three-tiered water feature.  Two pumps send five thousand gallons of water an hour to three different falls.  This backyard getaway feels like a trip to the upper penisula’s streams and waterfalls.

Atlantic Terrace is an 80-unit, mixed-income home ownership development in the bustling Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY.

The project is Located on the redeveloped Brownfield site of a former gas station.A petroleum spill had occurred at the site. .  A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) was prepared for the property. The remedial methods included the removal of buried tanks, petroleum-impacted soil, Installation of a sub slab venting system, Installation of an engineered vapor barrier Application of an oxygenate to the underlying groundwater and Post remediation monitoring of groundwater.

The massing scale and articulation were designed to connect the low rise neighborhood on one side and the larger commercial scale of Atlantic Avenue and its converted loft buildings.  

The project is located in a commercial street with heavy vehicular traffic. The ground floor is designed entirely for neighborhood retail that is planned to serve the residents of the building and the neighborhood. The extra high ground floor elevates the residential floors above the street activity. The outdoor recreation space was located on the roof of the retail space on the quiet side of the building.

The rhombus shaped site presented an opportunity to create dramatic corners that anchor the building. Lighter metallic panels, on the upper floors act as accents on the facades to help reduce the scale of the building. Grouping the windows into larger expressions on the main façade echo the larger windows of the high floor loft building windows in the neighborhood.

The building is adjacent to a major transit hub, which with its access to public and alternate means of transportation is one of the major factors of the sustainability of the project. 

"Green" standards are incorporated into all aspects of the architectural design, construction, mechanical and electrical systems. The structure is a combination of concrete bearing walls and steel with hollowed core concrete plank slabs. The perimeter walls are all in concrete block with exterior brick and metal panels. The highly efficient HVAC system, combined with high-performance windows and a tightly constructed, well-insulated exterior wall, in addition to the high-albedo caps on the roof, creates an energy efficient and comfortable building.

Interior finishes include both recycled and rapidly renewable materials, locally built cabinetry. Recycled glass and concrete countertops bamboo kitchen cabinets, concrete pavers, engineered concrete flooring. Other recycled products include the ceramic tile in the bathrooms, and carpet tiles. All interior spaces have access to ample natural day lighting and natural ventilation. All plumbing fixtures are low flow/dual flush, and a planted outdoor terrace at the second floor, has no permanent irrigation, and is planted with native/drought-tolerant plantings.

All paints, adhesives, sealants and primers were low/no-VOC. All composite woods are urea-formaldehyde free .All appliances and lighting, are Energy Star rated, All exterior lighting is full cut-off lighting.

The project is designed to achieve a LEED-Gold certification from the USGBC is participating in the NYSERDA New York Energy $mart New Construction Program, and Enterprise Green Communities.

Client:

Fifth Avenue Committee / Mega Contracting, Inc. / Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC

Architect

Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC

Project Team:

Magnus Magnusson AIA, LEED AP,

Fernando Villa AIA, LEED AP BD +C,

Omalawa Musa, LEED AP BD+C,

Shefali Sanghvi, LEED AP BD+C

Large basement / Theater using ICF's ; insulated concrete forms

Greenhill Contracting Inc. is building the first functional zero energy single family development in the USA that I have found. So far the community, since 2009, has produced more energy then it has consumed. Greenhill Contracting Inc. has one home that is almost complete and another half complete that are listed from 579,000 to 596,000. There are 18 more homes planned to be built in this subdivision out of a total of 25 with price ranges as low as 450,000. We have another two subdivisions in the surrounding town and neighboring town that will have homes available in the high 300,000s. The homes are built using ICFs (insulated Concrete Forms) from the foundation to the roof. They use geothermal HVAC systems and Solar PV to generate their power. The homes have all the creature comforts of any traditional home and those living in them have no sacrifices other then the enjoyment of paying utility bills. Greenhill Contracting Inc. has been able to demonstrate that homes can be built to consume zero net energy for a lower yearly cost to the home owner then a conventional home.

Greenhill Contracting Inc. is planning on offering soon deep energy retrofits of existing homes that hope to reduce energy needs by up to 80%.

6 Stories

91 Condominiums

Parking for 91 Vehicles

181,800 SF Total

FitzGerald Associates Architects designed the conversion of two industrial buildings into one full service residential condominium building. They offer sophisticated loft-style living amid the eclectic, small-town charm and big-time excitement of North Center.

The residents of the Lofts can take advantage of the roof top deck and patio areas which provide unobstructed Chicago skyline views. Other attractive features include on-site fitness room and private parking.

These desirable condominiums have expansive floor to ceiling windows, with soaring ceiling heights of up to 16 feet, exposed timber beams and concrete columns and solid oak hardwood floors as key design features.

561 Rental & For-Sale Condominiums

166 Townhomes

17.8 Acre Master Plan

Parkside of Old Town was the recipient of the 2009 Smart Growth Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The demolition of several large super-blocks of CHA high-rise construction presented the design team with the challenge of re-visioning Chicago's infamous Cabrini Green neighborhood.  Working alongside the local residents, the Chicago Housing Authority, city officials and local politicians, FitzGerald's team led a consortium of Cabrini stakeholders through the design evolution.  The rich dynamic and resulting process produced an award-winning solution establishing a site plan hierarchy situating larger buildings along busier public streets with smaller, more family-oriented buildings along smaller interior streets.

Located adjacent to an existing public park, an elementary charter school for the arts and multiple modes of public transportation, the establishment of a safe and walkable site was paramount.  A series of internal parks extends the residents' sightlines for eyes-on-the-street security and encourages safe public green spaces.  New public streets were tied into the adjacent thoroughfares, while traffic calming devices discourage fast-moving traffic and shortcuts through the site.  For residential considerations, Parkside's dwellings are comprised of a fully integrated collection of rental and for-sale CHA, Affordable and Market-Rate units.

The site design locates parking almost exclusively on the interior of the buildings accessed via private drives, minimizing the impact of garage doors and curbcuts on the street.  The larger perimeter buildings were designed to reduce scale by manipulating massing, finish and color, thus minimizing the visual impact of a large street wall.  The townhomes take strong cues from the existing neighborhoods to the south relative to scale and are designed to provide no distinguishing façade clues as to the various owner types.

In the end, the ultimate success of Parkside of Old Town will be determined by its residents.  But the effort of those who contributed their perspective and passion to this highly collaborative process has created a supportive environment where this success can be possible.

Working Group Participants

• Business and Professional People for the Public Interest
• Cabrini Green Neighborhood Board
• Chicago Department of Transportation
• Chicago Housing Authority
• Chicago Housing Authority Legal Office
• City of Chicago Department of Environment
• City of Chicago Department of Housing
• City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
• City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development Finance Office
• City of Chicago Mayor's Office
• Edwin Mandel Legal Aid Center
• Habitat
• Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation
• Kimball Hill Urban Centers
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
• Local Area Council
• University of Illinois at Chicago

The Withers Creek Village conceptual proposal implements a restorative design approach to a stressed ecology while creating a healthy storm water system, a densification in urban development with green strategies, and an active+passive park system.  The park space integrates a diverse set of programs that begins by reconstituting the existing Withers Swash Park as an active space for disc golf.  Currently the qualitative woodland is inhabited by a diverse set of species but also by a segment of transient population that contributes to its underutilization.  The introduction of the disc golf course populates the woodland providing a sense of security at a minimal investment.  A saltwater marsh is also introduced with numerous indigenous species and the introduction of bioremediation to the existing storm water system.  A boardwalk, bike trails, picnic space, short field, basketball court, and picnic space complete the program of the park space.

The Garland Street study, and the ensuing renovation, is illustrative of the nation’s renewed interest in urban living and the many benefits these types of projects can bring to our quality of life.  This study yields tremendous potentials but not without many of the challenges facing so many urban renewal plans, primarily cost. Important aspects considered in the evaluation of this study are the identification of it as a catalyst project and as recognition of the context around it.

The development of a proposed conceptual site plan is an important step in evaluating the feasibility of how this collection of structures and space can operate as a cohesively planned unit development.  Given the interstitial nature of the site situated between residential, commercial and educational, a mixed-use project with a diverse set of typologies is the most appropriate solution programmatically.

The Berridge Place building is the anchor of the project.  It provides more density and the most essential mix of program of any of the proposed renovated structures within the study. The existing exterior boasts a wonderful architectural quality, yet the interior requires a complete transformation.  This renovation although extensive provides an excellent opportunity for diverse residential units appealing to a broad range of prospective residents.  The mix of retail at the lower level addresses a very public corner and provides an opportunity for much-needed, convenient market-type store to the area.

A single room addition to a private residence presents an investigative approach to a dichotomous program in a wooded suburban setting.  A married couple interested in a more contemporary lifestyle favored a space that “seemed like you were outside, with all the comforts of interior space”.  However, their desire was to consider this space as a home theatre as well.

Nestled into a pocket of open space within its wooded confines, the addition creates a courtyard between the existing and new with a grouping of trees at its center.  The result is an experiential commentary on the sylvan environment.  During the processional sequence through the bridge from the existing house, a slender aperture emphasizes the verticality of a single tree.  A horizontal slot illustrates the repetition of the grouping, and one then emerges into the main space experiencing the totality of the woods through the transparent envelope.  The morphology of the project is predicated by deep overhangs and projected wall surfaces, providing a shaded quality of ambient natural light.  Spaces between objects are rendered transparent, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior space.  The thick opaque arc, extending beyond the glass walls, shields the entertainment center from the southern sun.    The entertainment system itself is dualistic in nature.  Predominantly, it is perceived as an elegant library/storage wall.  Through a transformative process of sliding panels the speakers emerge and a screen slips down through a slotted enclosure to provide a Lucas approved SDDS theatre system.  Slotted niches in the arced wall beyond recognize the surround speakers and projector locations.  The custom designed furnishings include the entertainment system, built-in couch, side table and elevated dog bed.

-Photography by Beth Singer

P     Public  houses project is a project contains 2000              residential   one  story  family units.

This project is located at Madina Munwarah in Saudi Arabia. The project was built by Saudi government for  Saudi citizen  , and it was given to  them as along term loan for 25 years free of interest . Even though these houses has  been  built one story , but the original  design had been considered for two story family houses for future expansion , the area of ground floor for  each unit  is  ( 225)  m2 ( 2420 )ft2.

               These houses had been built using precast concrete wall and slab panels . When people received there houses immediately they started thinking of the expansion of the second floor. Madinah municipality was approving only expansion by precast concrete panels similar to the ground floor . The construction cost of the expansion of second floor using precast concrete  panels is costing  SR (170,000 ) $(46,000 ) . This higher cost of expansion of second floor  was the main reason for  slow down the expansion process of these houses ,  even though the expansion was very necessarily due to big number of Saudi family (average family size 5-6 members ) . Due to this I decided to submit a proposal to Madinah municipality to use load bearing wall construction system for the expansion of second floor and using joist slabs precast concrete ribs with hollow brick for ceiling . I have used none facing load bearing brick for wall (150mm x 200mm x 400mm)    (6 in x 8 in x 16 in ) (width x height x length ). The compressive strength of these brick is 150 kg\cm2 (2134 psi). The construction cost of my proposal is SR (90,000)$(24,000) which is about 50 % less than the previous  approved proposal using precast concrete panels . This proposals had been approved by municipality on September 2006 , and from that time until now 500 units had been added the second floor.

                 I feel I had done very good job in term of reducing 50 % the cost and given a thinking of other design proposal using the technique   of value engineering study for this very important project. I would like to share this experience with Realestate organization and Housing development companies in Saudi Arabia and arabian Gulf countries for reducing construction cost and achieving competitve price  , and hoping that my project will win the prize of being project of the         year 2008 .                                                           

                                                                                           Kamal H. Algobli

Saudi Arabia

Madinah Munwarah

algobali@gmail.com

Amenities galore! First floor Master Suite w/ 4 additional spacious bedrooms, an Indoor Pool and Spa and a second floor Lounge that overlooks the pool are just a few of the special features of this home. The hearth area on the main floor connects the kitchen to the breakfast area as the double sided fireplace flows into the great room. This magnificent home has 5 Full Fireplaces, two of which are double sided. This one of a kind estate also features 5 Full Baths and 3 powder rooms making it ideal for entertaining in a grand style. One of the bedrooms is a Full Suite above the 8-car heated garage and includes a Kitchen, Bedroom, Family Room and a Bathroom. The 10 foot finished Walkout Basement includes a Bar w/ a Pizza Oven, Billiards, Wine Cellar, Theatre, Family Room w/ a Fireplace and a Game area. This palatial estate is on an All Sports Lake with over 150 foot of lake frontage.  Includes a Patio, Deck, Porch, BBQ Grill and a Sprinkler system. The Great room is  23’ x 18’ and adjoins the entry. Home includes a Home Warranty and High Speed Internet is available. Don’t let this exquisite 13,000 + Sq. Ft. Custom Home pass you by. Call Us Today:   David Compo  248-640-1488    

Greystone constructed two (2) new duplex housing units and one (1) single family unit designed by David Linner Architects for Greentree Development Corp. in Jordan, Minnesota. Each of the three buildings is on a separate lot. Each unit features:  

-        Maintenance free siding

-        Maintenance free deck & railings

-        Lawn irrigation system

-        Gypcrete floor topping

-        FEMA storm shelter room

Greystone completed the finish carpentry work on all three units with its own workforce.

The project was a general construction project and was completed in 4 months.

Summit Landscape was the landscape and irrigation contractor on this project. We worked with Spoelstra Pool and Sport Court during this project.  The block retaining walls on this project still rank near the largest that we've installed on a residential site.  This project is a good example of what Summit can provide our residential customer.  We started with a pile of dirt and formed it into a highly usuable recreational site.

Summit Landscape was contracted by the homeowner to completely renovate the landscape on the front side of the home.  Summit began this process by meeting with the homeowner to discuss the types of changes they would like to see. After this initial meeting we initiated the landscape design process and followed that up with a design review meeting.  Once the final design was determined we started the renovation. Summit also made adjustments to the irrigation system during this project.

Located on Big Manistique Lake, a newly constructed 30 lake view cottages offer the seclusion and charm of yesterday combined with the luxury of amenities and technology of today! Please visit the website for more details. Summit Landscape was contracted for both the landscape and irrigation installation on this project.

www.pinebluffresort.com

With its individual condominium homes lining just two exceptionally private cul-de-sacs, Gables on the Green is a wonderful neighborhood tucked within the greater Thousand Oaks community. Due to careful planning, every one of the sites has million-dollar views of the award-winning golf course or wooded landscape. Each home is situated strategically to maximize privacy and take advantage of the outstanding natural beauty of the land.

At Gables on the Green, homeowners have their choice of three different floorplans with either daylight or walkout lower levels that can be customized to meet their particular taste and lifestyle. Anticipate specialty built-ins, custom trim, and upgraded features and finishes. Homebuyers are encouraged to add their unique ideas to the drawing board. Ledger Builders bring the custom home experience to condominium living.

Summit Landscape is contracted by Ledger Builders as the landscape and irrigation contractor for the project.