Commercial Development

Commercial Design Awards: 2009 Winners

May 1, 2009

View photos from the awards night here.

Project of the Year & Winner: Best New Development or Renovation - Mixed Use

Unversity Square

Owner/Developer: Executive Management, Inc.; Steve Brown Apartments; UW-Madison
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
Architects/Engineers: Potter Lawson; Brownhouse (interior)/Arnold & O’Sheridan (structural); KJWW Engineering Consultants
Completion Date: December 2008

Just as University Square – all 1.1 million square feet of it – towers over the heart of the UW-Madison campus, it also rose above some stiff competition to become our 2009 Project of the Year.

The $180 million University Square development stood out for its impressive stature and complexity, and not insignificantly because of the marked difference between this massive square block development and the eyesore (in the words of one judge) that was there before. “The transformation of Building A to Building B is phenomenal,” said another judge, who happens to be a UW alumnus.

Executive Management, Inc. and its public-private partners, Steve Brown Apartments and the university, have created a community onto itself. It is a community that houses university administrative offices, student organizations and housing, plus retail, a Food Court and restaurants, and public meeting space.

Greg Rice, EMI’s chief executive officer, has said the partners wanted to create a project that would stand the test of time, and our judges believe they succeeded with flying colors. “I like the rhythms – it’s kind of jazzy,” offered one judge. “Remember, the texture of the town got completely fragmented. Once you got away from State Street, there was a lot of junk that was being built, and it was big in the ‘60s and indifferent. When you build with that [University Square] level of a fussy quality, you’re rebuilding the old texture of the town.”

That’s in keeping with Madison’s emphasis on urban infill, but dense and diverse projects are more in vogue regardless. The fact that University Square is located near some of Madison’s most prominent government (State Capitol), business (downtown Madison), and cultural amenities (the Overture and Kohl Centers) just adds icing to the cake. “If you had a ‘Deal of the Year,’” added another judge, “it would be University Square, given the amount of money that it puts in the Madison economy and the huge number of uses and the difficulty in putting it together. It’s not easy to do a whole city block.”

Winner: Best New Development - Office

National Conference of Bar Examiners

Owner/Developer: National Conference of Bar Examiners
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
Architects: Potter Lawson, Inc.
Engineers: Arnold & O’Sheridan (structural); Ken Saiki Design (landscape)
Completion Date: January 2008

In selecting the Best New Development-Office, our judges doled out many compliments for two projects in particular, the National Conference of Bar Examiners facility on Bedford Street and the new Monona State Bank. While they gave Monona State Bank a tip of the hat for not looking like a typical bank, the Bar Examiners’ eye-catching design carried the day.

“It’s an edgier design,” opined one judge. “Certainly, much more of an attention getter.”

There was praise all around for the project’s entrance, facade, warm colors, and a superior job in controlling light on the inside – not always an easy thing to do when a building uses glass as extensively as this one does.

All in all, the Bar Examiners facility, which was completed in January of 2008, struck our judges as a very pleasant place to work, something they attached a lot of value to on this project and the trendy new Google Madison office.

“It’s a well-crafted architectural composition,” said another judge, evaluating the work done by Potter Lawson. “There is a consistency of design through the landscaping [done by Ken Saiki Design], to building elevation, and to the interior spaces.”

Concurring with his colleagues, another judge put it more succinctly. “It’s just a fine building,” he stated.

Winner: Best Renovation - Office

Google Madison Office

Owner/Developer: The Rifken Group
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
Architects: Architecture Network (base, core & shell); Kahler Slater (interior)
Engineers: KJWW Engineering Consultants
Completion Date: August 2008

“It’s a playpen for creative types.”

“And it’s a great example of the workplace of the future. It would be a good model for other workplaces around Madison.”

These statements pretty much sum up the attitudes of our judges toward the new Google Madison Office, winner in Best Renovation-Office.

In the spirit of urban infill and cultivating the creative class, not to mention better access to UW-Madison computer science acumen, the search engine pioneer has opened one of those “hip and happening” knowledge economy offices in downtown Madison.

The open-look office, is “cool and hip and Starbucks,” according to one judge, who appreciated the Third Ward quality to the office – a reference to the building renaissance going on in the Third Ward section of Milwaukee.

“Google obviously, or somebody obviously spent a lot of money to make it look inviting,” interjected another judge. “I really like the color.”

The lack of spatial rigidity impressed a third judge. “It’s very worker friendly,” he stated. “You can just tell. If you look, there is really no typical office. It’s kind of like you go wherever you want to work.”

While Google was the clear winner in this category, Century 21 Affiliated (runner up) also earned plaudits for a creative interior renovation on a fairly modest budget.

Winner: Best New Development - Retail

Farm and Fleet of Verona

Owner/Developer: Blain Supply, Inc.
General Contractor: Design Structures, LLC
Architects: Potter Lawson; Farm and Fleet (interior)
Engineers: Strand Associates
Completion Date: August 2008

Several of the winners in this year’s CDA competition were credited with breaking the mold, and the winner in the Best New Development-Retail category is no exception.

The new Verona Farm and Fleet store was chosen as the winner over several other entries, in part because project architects Potter Lawson and Farm & Fleet (which architected the interior) departed some from the traditional Big Box look.

That is true of both the interior and exterior, which does not shout “Big Box retail!”

“I’m really glad Farm and Fleet got away from the boxed-shelf look,” commented one judge. “The exterior even has some features and got away from the square box, warehouse look.”

Our judges had only one qualm about the Verona Farm and Fleet, and that was that the store almost looked too clean. “My only comment was, where is the grease? Where is the dirt?” quipped one judge. “This is a Farm and Fleet!”

The relative lack of grease prompted one judge to wonder if this really was his grandfather’s Farm and Fleet.

“I used to go to Farm and Fleet with my grandfather, where he used to get the tubes of grease for his grease guns,” he said. “You have to pack in the products to get the revenue per square foot, but it looks spacious. It looks inviting – but you’ve got to get the grease stains in there.”

We’re certain they are working on it.

Winner: Best Renovation - Retail

American TV & Appliance: The Living Kitchen

Owner/Developer: American TV & Appliance of Madison, Inc.
General Contractor: Engineered Construction, Inc.
Architects: American TV & Appliance (Jill Marie Henze]; Zingg Design
Engineers: Hanson Engineering, LLC
Completion Date: November 2008

Another major retailer that got away from the Big Box look was American TV & Appliance, whose Living Kitchen addition took home the top prize in the category of Best Renovation-Retail.

In addition to the usual amenities, The Living Kitchen features multiple cook tops and ample space for cooks to maneuver. “One thing that struck me was, having gone into a Colders within the last four or five months, it’s tough to make it look like something other than a huge box where you put in a bunch of refrigerators and TVs and freezers,” noted one judge.

Another evaluator brought the personal experience of having renovated his own kitchen, and was impressed with what confronts remodeling-minded consumers at American. “I was going to go down that same route because I just redid my kitchen a little over a year ago,” he said. “We gutted the whole thing out.

“Going to showrooms in the area, and then just from the (CDA contest) photographs, I could get a lot better feel than what I was used to seeing in person. It’s not just a refrigerator and sink. I mean, they [American] have done a whole kitchen and they have done a whole room, and they tied the little things together so well that you don’t think of it. They really took it a step further with the design.”

Added another judge: “There is a thoroughness to the design.”

Winner: Best New Development - Residential (Multi-Unit)

Washington Rowhouses, Capitol Court Townhomes

Owner/Developer: The Alexander Company
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
Architects: The Alexander Co.
Engineers/Consultants: Arnold & O’Sheridan/JJR Landscape
Completion Date: June 2008

National quality architecture made Capitol West's Washington Rowhouses and Capitol Court Townhomes stand out to our judges in the category of Best New Development-Residential (multi-tenant).

More specifically, there is a Bay Area quality to the residential architecture of the residences. “They have a San Francisco quality of architecture,” marveled one judge. “It’s an expensive quality of finish. It’s got a very international, modernist flavor to it, and it works well with the parent [Capitol West] building.”

The observation touched off a conversation about whether the Alexander Co. has used a national architect to create such an impressive design, but Alexander Co is listed as the project architect. “I’m intrigued because that’s really national quality architecture,” remarked one judge.

Other compliments pertained to a great use of the site and an
attractive materials palette.

“They are taking advantage of the fact that it is on the side of the hill, where West Washington slopes way down,” noted the same judge. “I like the way they address that.”

“Good contextual fit with its grown-up neighbor,” added another judge. “High quality use of materials. Slick, modernist.”

Winner: Best New Development or Renovation: Education

Goodman Community Center

Owner/Developer: Goodman Community Center, Madison
General Contractor: Vogel Brothers Building Co.
Architects: Eppstein Uhen Architects
Engineers: BT Squared (environmental); KJWW Eng. (structural/electrical)
Completion Date: July 2008

Of all the entries in this year’s Commercial Design Awards competition, perhaps none received as much praise for the creative use of a site as the Goodman Community Center.

The Center, which was built on an old industrial site that was home to four manufacturing companies over the past century, opened in
September 2008. Our judges were impressed with how Eppstein Uhen Architects and Vogel Brothers Building Co. combined to take the old industrial frame and create something consequential.

Certainly it was consequential enough to incorporate what one judge called “funky, energetic interior spaces” that are used for everything from art rooms to a food pantry. In general, our judges appreciated the project’s high level of respect for the pre-existing site. “They honored the building for what it was,” said one admiring judge. “They didn’t try to make it something that it wasn’t in order to mask that it was an industrial building.”

“It’s innovative,” chimed in another. “It celebrates the industrial heritage of the site, and allows kids to learn from that through play.”

The Center, made possible by a $2 million gift from the philanthropic duo known as the Goodman Brothers (Robert and Irwin), and a $12.4 million capital campaign, also won plaudits for its use of materials and its emphasis on green building, which includes the use of solar collectors for exterior lighting.

Winner: Best New Development or Renovation - Restaurant

HuHot Mongolian Grill

Owner/Developer: Dave Lindenstruth, Appleton, Wis.
General Contractor/Architect: Northstar Contracting/Blue Design Group and Collaborative Design (interiors).
Engineers/Consultants: Blue Design Group/Larson Engineering of Wis.; High Country Design & Consulting
Completion Date: December 2008

Atmospherics galore, a mish-mash of colors and shapes, and a “funky palette” that stimulates diners’ interest helped propel the aptly named HuHot Mongolian Grill to become, in the view of our judges, the Best New Development or Renovation-Restaurant.

HuHot is part of a growing national restaurant chain that claims – like 13th century Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan – to take no prisoners in the conquest of competitors.

“Just on the name alone, that should get an award,” cracked one judge.

But as the judges evaluated each restaurant entry, they discovered that HuHot was more than just a unique name. Unlike hotels, architects can achieve a little more design diversity with restaurant chains, and HuHot is about as diverse as they come.

The darkly lit interior is illuminated by the fire of an open grill that is designed to help HuHot break away from the typical restaurant experience. The flames have been known to crackle loudly as patrons enjoy their meals. “It’s an almost surreal interior,” added a second judge. “Imagine that, with the flames shooting up from the grill.” (In fact, the high flames once triggered the fire alarm).

Of the exterior, “Some might think it’s tacky, but if you’re driving around looking for the HuHot restaurant, you’ve got the landmark right there,” noted a third judge.

“Striking entrance sequence,” remarked another judge, taken by HuHot’s cylindrical entry.

Winner: Best Green-Built Project

Mentor Biologics Lyophilizer Facility

Owner/Developer: Mentor Biologics
General Contractor: Vogel Brothers Building Co.
Architects/Engineers: Strang, Inc.
Consultants: Arnold & O’Sheridan; Ken Saiki; JSD Professional Svcs.
Completion Date: October 2008

The entries for Best Green-Built Project all had something in common besides environmental consciousness. Unlike last year’s runaway winner – the green-to-the-hilt headquarters of Epic Systems – this time the entries emphasized green without trying to look green.

Our judges appreciated that, selecting the Mentor Biologics Lyophilizer Facility over three other projects, judging it to be a “seamless blending of sustainable principles with signature architecture.”

Explained one judge: “I must say these projects didn’t come across as sustainable. I mean, last year Epic was a slam dunk. I went back and looked through because the first project, Mentor Biologics, does not look like a green project. They did a very good job of integrating.”

Incorporating green elements seamlessly into building design appears to be a trend. “We’re seeing more designs going to incorporate, whereas in the past it was more of, ‘We’re going green and look at our building,’” said another judge. “What we’re seeing now is a little bit of a fallback to where it’s just not as obvious.”

In addition to not flaunting green, what really impressed our judges about the Mentor Biologics facility is that it is LEED Certified, which is not easy to achieve in a commercial building. “It’s very expensive to build with LEED’s upfront costs,” noted a third judge. “They were able to do that with the interior architecture, and some of the lighting schemes and the interior build out.”

Winner: Best New Development or Renovation - Hotel

Sheraton Madison Hotel

Owner/Developer: WM Madison, LLC; Waterton Associates, Chicago
General Contractor: Tri-North Builders, Inc.
Architects: Natalie Sheedy Interiors, Chicago (interior design)
Completion Date: April 2008

In a category – Best New Development or Renovation-Hotel – where the judges have to cut entries some slack due to the limiting influence of hotel chains, our judges cast their ballot for the Sheraton Madison Hotel renovation.

“Now, this is a full-service hotel,” noted a judge who was particularly impressed. “Ballroom, swimming pools, the dining facilities, the meeting rooms, and the level of finishes is very appropriate for that. It’s a high level of finishes.”

“It looks to be high quality,” the discussion continued. “The facade, there is not a whole lot you can do about that because it’s a 1972 building. The fact that this is a renovation, they did a nice job.”

Confirmed another: “The level of quality in the Sheraton was the highest.”

The Sheraton renovation, they added, does not just look like part of the “brand.” Our judges say it’s very difficult to build or renovate hotels in a unique fashion because of the emphasis on consistent, almost cookie-cutter branding.

“They are not boxes, but they’ve lost any ingenuity,” offered one judge.

“It’s hard,” added another, “because these guys probably have a budget of $60 per square foot for base, core, and shell, maybe $50 for all the interior build outs, and you’ve got to make it look kind of flashy because that’s what hotels are. It’s tough.”

But not too tough for the Sheraton.

Winner: Best New Development or Renovation - Industrial

PIKE Technologies

Owner/Developer: PIKE Technologies
General Contractor: Tri-North Builders
Architects: Eppstein Uhen Architects; Carol Birch (interior design)
Engineers: Arnold & O’Sheridan
Completion Date: June 2008

After sampling several compelling photographs, our judges could not get over the fact that the PIKE Technologies facility is an industrial building. At first glance, they thought it was occupied by a high-end computer company.

Simple functionality is the theme on the inside, but the outside is marked by a beautiful, color-rich facade on top of unfinished maple, and superb building integration with site landscaping (which also takes advantage of nearby woods).

Simply put, these elements left judges in awe.

“It’s a shock to remember that it’s a factory because it’s such an attractive building,” said one judge.

Much like the Goodman Community Center, the PIKE Technologies building was lauded for outstanding use of the site. “Great integration within the site,” raved one judge. “Extraordinarily high aspirations for an industrial building. Good use of budget to minimize cost on the interior, while making sure the exterior blends well with its environment. Fabulous use of views. Sensitively designed to promote good views but shield sunlight.”

“The fact that it was an industrial building and that it was that good in the environment is really impressive,” praised another. “It wasn’t ‘flatten the Earth, knock down the trees, put a building on it, and get the parking as close as possible.’ Given the cost per square foot on that, which couldn’t have been budgeted that high, it was deeply respectful of the site.”

Winner: Best New Development or Renovation - Health Care

Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute

Owner/Developer: Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute
General Contractor: Ideal Builders
Architects: Potter Lawson
Engineers/Consultants: Pierce Engineers; Target Commercial Interiors
Completion Date: December 2008

To say that the beautiful Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute left our expert panel impressed would be an understatement. As the winner in the category of Best New Development or Renovation-Health Care, the institute had our judges raving on a variety of levels.

A quick sampling of their comments:

“It’s not your average workplace, is it? Sumptuous.”

“The thing that I like is that with their dark colors and their undulating shapes, if you think about it as a heart patient and you’re going into it with a certain amount of anxiety, this has a very calming effect.”

“Very warm and inviting.”

High praise also was offered for the skillful use of recessed lighting, which helped to remove any institutional feel. “I think for health [care] to be going in that direction sends a very, very good message, that there is a sense of consideration about people’s emotions in those places, whether they are going in because of a short sickness or longevity,” said one judge. “There is kind of a sense of ‘let’s make this a very special place,’ and there is a sense of dignity.”

The fact that the institute, which is part of the Arbor Gate development, is helping to revitalize a formerly distressed area also impressed our judges. “Buildings should transform an area,” opined another judge. “They should be a catalyst for better things in the neighborhood.”

Merit Award: Best New Development - Office

Monona State Bank

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Monona State Bank/Bauer & Raether Builders, Inc.
Architect/Engineer: Strang, Inc.
Interior Design Architect: Devenish Associates, Inc.
Completion Date: November 2008

The new Monona State Bank earned praise for departing from the typical, staid look of a bank building.

“It’s a very unique bank building compared to what I’m used to,” noted one judge. “Every bank looks exactly the same, whether it’s Chase or whatever.

“Very rarely do we have a smaller, hometown type bank that can be unique and can actually get some design into it.”

According to other judges, that design included exceptional light control and featured quality building materials on what was a more modest budget than other entries.

“Give the bank kudos for exceptional value for the money they spent,” observed one judge.

Merit Award: Best Renovation - Office

Century 21 Affiliated

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Century 21 Affiliated/W Squared, LLC
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Brink, Kolberg & Associates; Lerdahl Business Interiors
Engineer: Bear Valley Engineering
Consultants: Creative Solutions (flooring)
Completion Date: November 2008

Another project that worked wonders on a comparatively modest budget, according to our judges, was the renovated office of
Century 21 Affiliated.

“Architecturally, it’s not too significant on the outside, but that internal space is really good,” said one expert.

“Give a lot of credit to Century 21 in terms of value for the buck,” added another. “That was phenomenal, the environment they created.

“Again, you can imagine yourself working here and thinking, ‘Wow, this is really a cool place,’ and you’ve created some excellent spaces within the building.”

Merit Award: Best New Development - Retail

Live Wire LLC

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Livesey Co./KSW Construction Corp. of Madison.
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Martinson Architects.
Engineer: D’onofrio Kottke and Associated, Inc.
Completion Date: October 2008

While Verona Farm & Fleet took home the top prize in this category, Live Wire was a close next with a unique design look by Martinson Architects (Green Bay).

In what was mostly an exterior focus, the home of a local Verizon Wireless store was another project that won points by avoiding the square box look – this time, with the use of tower-like structures, the tallest of which is placed at the entrance and contains the Verizon Wireless signage.

With its attractive, Earth-toned facade factored into the exterior evaluation, the Live Wire development also earned kudos for doing something more creative than the norm, which is in keeping with the technological nature of the business that occupies the building.

Merit Award: Best Renovation - Retail

Hillside Centre

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Sara Investment Real Estate, LLC/ TJK Design Build, Inc.
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Dorschner Associates, Inc.
Engineer: Pierce Engineers, Inc.
Completion Date: June 2008

In another exterior-dominated presentation (interior design work is done by the tenants according to their business needs), the work done on the Hillside Centre caught the eyes of our expert panel of judges.

Although the judges did not have much of a feel for what was on the inside of Hillside Centre – again, tenants are encouraged to design their own interiors based on business need – our judges liked what they saw of the designers’ work on the outside.

In fact, they saw just enough to favorably judge this retail book by its cover. “In terms of redecorating the box, they have done a very nice job,” offered one judge. “It’s really quite a well-crafted remodel.

“They have freshened it up very nicely.”

Merit Award: Best New Development - Residential (Multi-Unit)

Lucky

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Steve Brown Apartments/J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Potter Lawson; Brownhouse (interior architect & interior design)
Engineer: Arnold & O’Sheridan (structural); KJWW Engineering Consultants (MEP engineer)
Completion Date: August 2008

For those of us who remember our (quite substandard) student housing, Lucky is quite a revelation. Starting on the third level of University Square and occupying the next 10 stories, the well-appointed Lucky units had our judges snapping off salutes. “I like the rich colors and the extensive use of glass,” opined one judge. “I mean, you’re in an urban area. Let people enjoy the urban views.”

“It’s a rich palette of materials and finishes,” another judge chimed in. “Good interface between inside and outside spaces.”

“On the facade,” noted a third judge, “there is visual interest, but it’s not trying too hard.”

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Education

UW-Madison Grainger Hall Addition

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: State of Wis./Miron Construction Co.
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Zimmerman Architectural Studios
Engineer: Harwood Engineering Consultants
Completion Date: June 2008

UW-Madison’s Grainger Hall addition impressed our judges with its handsome, spacious learning environment.

“It’s high quality, predictable academic architecture,” remarked one judge. “It’s certainly very contextual with the rest of the building in terms of its level of quality and materials.”

“They got away from the typical academic building of double loaded corridors with the tables and chairs arranged in nice, neat little rows,” praised another. “It’s a place you’d actually want to be in for two or three hours while someone is lecturing.”

Perhaps that has to do with superior lighting and its impact on the learning environment?

“Somebody went to a lot of trouble designing this to control the lighting,” confirmed a judge.

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Restaurant

Scatz Sports Bar & Night Club

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: GarrGanntuan Ventures, LLC; Jeff N. Simon, Performance Coaching, LLC
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Russ Kowalski, GMK Architecture; Amber Ziltner, Auburn Ridge, and Madison Design Center (interior)
Completion Date: November 2008

Scatz Sports Bar and Night Club became a sentimental favorite of the judges as they reviewed entries in the restaurant category. They were taken by the flash of design and the cost effectiveness achieved by the “less-is-more” approach of GMK Architecture and the interior designers. “It’s kind of a dumb box with a little bit of flash that transformed it, which I thought was quite clever,” stated one judge. “It’s sort of a bang-for-your-buck proposition.”

“I like what they did with the box,” agreed another judge. “They re-racked the box.”

“Just a very playful facade,” admired a third judge. “It’s difficult to make a box look good, but these guys did it very effectively through the use of color.”

Merit Award: Best Green-Built Project

Paul J. Olson Elementary School

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Madison Metropolitan School District/Miron Construction
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Zimmerman Architectural Studios
Engineer: Harwood Engineering Consultants
Completion Date: July 2008

About the only criticism our judges had of the Paul J. Olson Elementary School was the amount of concrete used on the site. Otherwise, they offered several compliments about the school’s design:

“It does not look like an elementary school.”

“Lots of solar knick-knacks built in.”

“These were non-institutional scale of facades, with good integration of active and passive solar systems, and quality materials.”

Another judge opined on the value of green education: “I think it’s important that our kids grow up thinking it’s normal to be green, to be sustainable. It’s not something that’s, ‘Oh gosh, extra and it’s hard to reach.’ This is what it should be. I like that statement to the kids and the families that will go through this building.”

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Industrial

Covance Cafeteria

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Covance/Kraemer Brothers
Architect/Interior Design Architect/Engineer: Strang, Inc.
Completion Date: May 2008

In the view of our judges, those who designed the spacious cafeteria at Covance did an outstanding job deinstitutionalizing this facility.

At Covance, patients participate in clinical trials on an in-patient basis, so the judges appreciated the cheery atmosphere and what one judge called the “funky pieces.”

As another judge noted, the patients here are testing drugs that have shown clinical promise in animals to make sure there are no serious side effects in people, so it’s nice to have an attractive
dining space to get away to.

“Very clever use of color and lighting to provide a multiple range of dining experiences,” noted another judge. “They seem to have done a decent job of deinstitutionalizing an institutional cafeteria.”

“It’s an inviting place,” added a third judge.

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Hotel

Hampton Inn and Suites

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: The Raymond Group, the North Central Group/Kraemer Brothers, LLC
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Gary Brink & Associates, Inc.; Brownhouse; Ken Saiki Design (landscape)
Engineers: Pierce Engineers, Inc. (structural); Calkins Engineering (civil); Excel Engineering (MEP Designer)
Completion Date: June 2008

With the Hampton Inn and Suites, our judges were very impressed with the designers’ ability to overcome limitations due to hotel branding, and they quite liked its warm interior and well-crafted public spaces. “They did a nice job on the inside, but from the outside, that’s just part of the brand,” said one judge. “If you’ve seen one, you’ve probably seen them all.”

“It’s hard, especially with [hotel] chains. It’s hard to give it uniqueness,” noted another judge.

Our judges felt that Hampton Inn and Suites’ architects met those challenges better than most, calling it “quite impressive.”

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Health Care

All Saints Assisted Living

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: All Saints Assisted Living Center, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Madison/Horizon Construction Group
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Architecture 2000, LLC/Interior Investments of Madison
Engineer: Calkins Engineering, LLC
Completion Date: July 2008

All Saints Assisted Living was characterized by one judge as the “outlier” in its category, but in truth the judges admired many of the same qualities as the winner, the Wisconsin Heart and Vascular Institute. “I thought this had a nice resort-like quality to it, which was rather nice to be permanently on holiday,” said one judge. “It didn’t have a kind of a mean, institutional quality.”

A judge also said, “For an assisted living facility, I thought there was a lot of dignity to this.”

Another judge, who liked All Saints’ facade and finishes, said it passed his personal test. “For me, the acid test is, would I put my mother in a facility like this? And the answer is yes,” he said.

Merit Award: Best New Development or Renovation - Mixed Use

Sequoya Commons Phase 1

Owner/Dev. & Gen. Contractor: Midvale Plaza Joint Venture, LLP/Krupp General Contractors
Architect/Interior Design Architect: Bruce Simonson, with SGN+A; Colin Godding (interior design)
Engineer: Burse Surveying & Engineering, Inc.; Pierce Engineers (structural)
Completion Date: November 2008

After viewing photographs of the beautiful Sequoya Commons, judges remarked that Madison has been blessed with several attractive projects. “Nicely done,” marveled one judge. “These are good projects for Madison. They really are. Good quality.”

A great use of materials and ample natural light also marked the well-proportioned Sequoya Commons, and judges gave every
impression that they would not mind residing there.

“That’s just a cool project,” remarked one admiring judge. “It’s one of those things where you look at it and say, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’”

Our Judges

Mark C. Fenton
Vice President,
Leopardo Companies, Inc., Chicago

With 20 years of construction experience, Fenton is one of the top executives in Leopardo’s Interiors Group, a Chicago-based firm which completes 200 renovations, restorations, and build outs per year for all types of clients – office, hospitality, education, retail, multifamily residential, etc.

Leopardo Construction was named the 2008 “Interior Contractor of the Year” at the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards, a prestigious honor that the firm has won four times in recent years. Nationally, Leopardo is ranked by the Engineering News-Record as one of the nation’s 225 largest architects and it is regularly recognized throughout the Midwest and Chicagoland as the “Best of the Best.”

Bob Greenstreet
Dean, School of Architecture & Urban Planning,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee

Dr. Greenstreet is an architect in the United Kingdom as well as the U.S., a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a practicing arbitrator and mediator recognized in the U.S. and Europe.

The former Planning Director for the City of Milwaukee (thanks for the art museum!) also is author or co-author of several books and hundreds of articles. Also, Greenstreet won the national ACSA Distinguished Professor Award.

Greenstreet has served as president of the board of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, and he has served as deputy chancellor for Campus and Urban Design. He also serves on the boards of the Wisconsin Architectural Foundation and the Wisconsin Architectural Archives.

Geoffrey F. Hurtado
Senior Vice President, Irgens Development Partners, Milwaukee

Hurtado, a Madison East High School graduate, holds a bachelor of science degree in architecture, a master’s degree in urban planning, and an MBA – all from UWM.

He has been with Irgens since 2005, where he serves as an owner’s representative. As such,
Hurtado tries to keep building projects on track and manages all aspects of a project, including design, construction, and budget and schedule management.

Among the projects he has been associated with are the Metropolitan Place Condominiums in Madison, the Forest County Potawatomi casino expansions in Crandon and Milwaukee, and the Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee (Cherry Court).

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