Case Studies December 2017

While government projects are coveted in the construction industry because of their big price tags, the work comes with extensive contracts, strict safety standards and quality assurance, not to mention mounds of background checks. Retired Col. Ronald “David” McNeil understood the importance of these high expectations, and figured his experience in the army more than […]

“Never start a home that you can’t afford to finish,” John Grubb told his brother Jerry in 1957, when the latter returned from the Korean War and decided to found Jerry’s Homes, a one-man development and homebuilding company. John was likely talking financials when he extended the advice, but Jerry didn’t solely see the company […]

To a lot of folks in southeast Springfield, Missouri, it’s more than just another library. Known as the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library, it’s located in a residential neighborhood rather than on a busy urban street. For decades it has been where countless children have discovered and sustained the joy of reading, and where their parents […]

Starting a new business, in any industry, requires striking a balance between the size of the company and the volume of work it handles. Increasing the staff too quickly, without sales to support it, can sap profits, while taking on too much work can overwhelm the staff. Matt Genzale, the founder and owner of MRG […]

As happens, St. Louis Community College recently decided to replace its extensive system of 50-year-old heating and domestic hot water distribution systems connecting all of the campus’ buildings—with additional areas for electrical service issues included in the scope. The Missouri institution decided on a local engineering firm that handles both mechanical and electrical work. Those […]

The prospect of designing a building comes with infinite possibilities, and while this is what makes Paul Felder’s job fun, he believes it can also be a trap. “As an architect, you must know when to stop designing,” he says. “I’m not looking to push people out of their comfort zone or attempting to see […]

Uptown has often been classified as Dallas, Texas’ most walkable neighborhood. Boutiques, bistros, biking, vintage shopping—all are accessible in an afternoon’s stroll. It’s an eclectic community that Stoneleigh Companies had its eyes on, so much so that in 2013, the Barrington, Illinois-based developer with Texas connections, made Uptown the location of what it’s calling its […]

If, just a little over three years ago, you had taken a walk to 300 Second Street SE in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you would have been struck by an eyesore not unlike many that pockmark former mill cities. A two-story building of smudged, light-colored brick, drooping on one side with widespread mold and rust, windows boarded […]

There’s more than a smattering of early 1970s idealism that’s sustained in Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg, and it’s a mindset that can cut across all political, ethnic and demographic lines. After all, most any constituency would favor an already desirable downtown becoming an even more livable and exciting place. And that has been the […]

Brackish waters, tidal creeks and marshy banks are staples to coastal Charleston, South Carolina. Without the famous waterways that flow along its banks, this historic city would not have risen and flourished to the charming destination it is today. The Ashley River is one of many waterways that have contributed to Charleston’s continuous growth, and […]