Findorff recently enjoyed taking part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Spark. Located just east of the Capitol Square, The Spark is one of many developments helping revitalize the Capitol East District. We are very excited for the project’s owner American Family Insurance and the impact The Spark will have in the Madison community.
Not only does The Spark house part of American Family’s collaborative and innovative staff, but it is also serving as a catalyst. Inside is the highly anticipated StartingBlock, which will serve as a hub for local entrepreneurs. American Family’s DreamBank also moved from its original location on the Capitol Square to The Spark’s first floor.
Construction of The Spark began March 2017 and completed September 2018. This nine-story, 158,000-square-foot facility was developed with innovative technology and sustainable principles. Specifically, The Spark is pursuing LEED® Certification and incorporated various WELL building standards. Such facilities take a holistic approach to health and wellness as they make building occupants a focus of sustainable design. In turn, such facilities can improve employee productivity, engagement, and retention. For example, The Spark will only use half the energy compared to a typical Midwest office facility. Additionally, its building systems utilize a variety of technologies to optimize air and water quality, as well as efficiency. Other sustainable features include:
- Intentional building materials
- Healthy building materials with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
- Purified air system
- Filtered water
- Direct access to the exterior on nearly every floor
- Indoor bike storage, showers, and locker room for tenants
- Focus on daylighting, even in the stairwells
- Flexible, movable walls
- Raised access flooring in all tenant spaces and electrical/data rooms
- Integrated sun shades that optimize energy and manage internal glare
- Onsite rainwater collection and reuse systems
We are proud to be part of such a revolutionary development that supports our environment and community.
The Spark is one of several Findorff projects currently pursuing LEED Certification. It is also the first Findorff project to incorporate WELL building standards.The project’s architect is Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc.
American Family Insurance says it plans to help solve the Madison area’s social problems — as well as foster entrepreneurship — in its new building, Spark, on the Near East Side. Spark, at 821 E. Washington Ave., has eight floors of offices and a ninth floor that houses the building’s mechanical systems. Its special features include a 10,000-gallon rooftop container that will be used to collect rainwater and use it to help heat and cool the building, and sun shades that raise and lower automatically, depending on the amount of sunlight.
Blog written by Findorff’s Christin Mlsna, Director of Education Market & Communication Services
September is such an exciting time of year. Although it is when we say goodbye to summer, September represents a fresh start with school back in session. Earlier this month, many of us likely experienced the hustle and bustle of back-to-school nights, class registrations, new school supplies, and more. At Findorff, we witnessed such excitement as we officially opened the doors to several newly constructed schools in our local communities. Occasions such as these remind me of how schools are the fabric of our society.
What do I mean by this? When I think of the schools Findorff has built, each represents how we are part of a bigger picture. We are more than construction managers. We live in the communities where we build. For example, we recently completed the construction of two elementary schools in the Sun Prairie Area School District, where over 30 Findorff employees live. These connections exemplify how rooted we are in our local schools and communities. This gives us additional ownership in the work we do. In turn, we are equally committed to building quality schools throughout Wisconsin. Each opportunity shapes the areas we proudly call home, plus those of other residents, families, and friends.
Regardless of where we reside, we care about kids from the ground up. This notion is a major driver in our work. For every project we build, we consider how it can be used as a learning opportunity for students. Recently in the McFarland School District, we participated in regular videos to answer student questions. These videos were shared with students, staff, and parents. We also consider how the learning environment can be impacted by construction. Often we take the extra time to work around school schedules to maximize times when kids are not in class so they can focus their attention on learning. Additionally, we strive to stay engrained in the education world. It keeps us informed of the latest trends, as well as makes us a better construction manager and community member. We are proud to share our experiences through local, regional, and national speaking opportunities.
If you’d like to learn more about Findorff’s school work, checkout our experience in both K-12 and Higher Education, as well as our Education Planning & Referendum services.
Project manager mastermind. Strategic planner. Experienced professional. Healthcare construction guru. These are just a few words to describe Findorff’s Tony Sullivan. They are also very deserving as we are proud to announce his recent promotion to Healthcare Group Lead.
“Tony has been an extremely valuable asset to Findorff’s Healthcare Team,” said Executive Vice President Jim Yehle. “We are very excited for his new position as he continues his involvement on various healthcare projects.” In this new role, Tony will be responsible for leading and aligning Findorff’s Healthcare Group with the Company’s overall strategic goals. He will manage various healthcare projects, oversee the development of people representing the Healthcare Group, as well as grow relationships with Findorff’s healthcare clients.
With 15 years of experience under his toolbelt, Tony has worked with a few healthcare institutions throughout Wisconsin, including SSM Health and Upland Hills Health. He will also be working in Illinois with Carle Foundation Hospital in his new role. While off the project site and away from the office, Tony enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He also enjoys a weekend away to go musky fishing.
From meticulous planning efforts to innovative prefabrication methods, we are in constant pursuit to construct quality buildings. We are also proud of the genuine relationships and roots we have established with each project. Our recent work at Marquette University emphasizes this and our commitment to craftsmanship as we continue to focus on our core values.
Findorff strives to be the industry’s best. Our superior, innovative, and safe construction practices drive what we do every day. Because of our technical expertise and meaningful community ties, Findorff’s talented staff is genuinely invested in the construction projects we build throughout the Midwest. The new Commons at Marquette University is no exception.
Situated along the northwest side of campus, The Commons is a co-ed residence hall and spans over 292,000 square feet with 890 beds. Strategically built through careful planning and advanced construction practices, we are pleased to say Marquette alumni were part of the Findorff team. “I’m proud to be working with fellow alumni who began their professional pursuits at this school years ago,” says Findorff Project Manager and Marquette Civil Engineering graduate Mike Stern. “It’s exciting to know that our work here will affect many students and provide a creative, comforting home away from home.”
Token Springs, 1435 N. Thompson Road, and Meadow View Elementary School, 200 N. Grand Ave., were built to resolve pressing space problems. Because the Sun Prairie Area School District had grown by more than 2,400 students in the past 10 years, six of the district’s seven elementary schools were over capacity before this year.
Blog written by Chad Eschler, Findorff Business Development
There are so many innovative products and talented scientists working to improve human life. It is astounding that I get to play a part in that progress. As a nearly 130-year-old construction company, Findorff is quietly becoming a game changer for many Midwest companies in the science and technology industry.
For some people it can be difficult to understand why Findorff is a sponsor or an active member at various technology-focused events. That’s fair. Do scientists and builders have much in common? What people don’t realize is that the ideas, challenges, and successes of those ingrained in the world of research and science inspire us to be better at our jobs. Specifically, we want to build better spaces for them to conduct their work and help them be successful, which in turn improves lives.
Findorff is pretty innovative in its own right. In the last decade, we were the first in the nation to use a new technology called BubbleDeck. This allows more stability and less of an environmental impact on large areas of concrete floors. We were also the first in the nation to present a project in virtual reality for city approval. We were also the first in Wisconsin to use a Semi-Autonomous-Mason, a brick-laying robot, for efficiency on large concrete block walls.
We have also performed other advanced construction practices. Our licensed pilots use drones that connect to thermal imaging cameras to help find anything from roof leaks to failing caulk joints. Additionally, our Virtual Construction team was asked to provide content for the REVIT software manual. If that doesn’t speak innovation, I don’t know what does! We are even using augmented reality to show clients their projects before we put a shovel in the ground.
Why is all of this so important to us? Findorff’s dedicated Science & Technology team works with clients that work to cure cancer, develop medicine to reduce illness, develop genomic advances that will prevent disease and dozens of other ideas that impact human life. We are proud to play a supportive role in these endeavors and work hard to help our clients get their products to market as fast as possible.
On August 14, leaders from the company and from University Research Park (URP) in Madison broke ground on a new, 138,000-sq.-ft. building named Innovation One that will serve as Exact Sciences’ corporate headquarters. When complete in early 2020, the building will unite team members and departments currently dispersed across multiple sites in the Madison area.
Findorff is excited to celebrate major project milestones! Hub on Campus Minneapolis, as well as Columbia County’s Administration and Health & Human Services buildings were recently completed. Additionally, Exact Sciences broke ground for its new headquarters at University Research Park.
Hub on Campus Minneapolis is a new 26-story, 429,000-square-foot mixed-use apartment tower near the University of Minnesota. It celebrated its completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 15. The $70 million project provides the Minneapolis community with 407 units, 707 beds, and retail space covering a quarter block. It took 22 months to build the project and was recognized a MNSHARP worksite for its outstanding safety record. This is Findorff’s third major student-housing project with the Hub developer Core Spaces.
Over 250 people were in attendance on August 18 for the grand opening of Columbia County‘s new Administration Building, the new Health and Human Services Building, as well as the unveiling of the renovated Courthouse. The new buildings and renovated courthouse total over 160,400 square feet. The building site straddles the canal between the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers and connects with a pedestrian bridge. The project provides Columbia County’s staff with new office space, conference rooms, exam rooms, courtrooms, and improved AV technology.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by many government officials, Columbia County staff, and community members. “Your buildings are solid and competently executed…They will last for generations,” said Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a guest speaker at the dedication. The projects initially broke ground February 2016, taking 30 months to complete.
On August 14, Exact Sciences broke ground on Innovation One. This is a new five-story, 138,000-square-foot headquarters that will house team members and departments that are currently spread across multiple offices in the Madison area. Design with environmentally friendly building features, the Innovation One will be LEED® certified, promote collaboration, and more vibrant workspaces.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences remarked, “From our headquarters, Exact Sciences will continue to lead the war on cancer through early detection. Our product pipeline is strong and we expect this site to be home to new breakthroughs in cancer screening and diagnostics that will better the lives of people around the world.
“Completion of Innovation One is scheduled for early 2020. The project’s architect is Valerio Dewalt Train Associates.
The Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) is celebrating the grand opening of two new elementary schools just before the start of the 2018-19 school year. Token Springs Elementary and Meadow View Elementary Schools will officially be open for “learning” on Aug. 28 and 29.