September 04, 2007 Progress Report
If we thought July was a busy month (to date, it had been the busiest month), it paled in comparison to the month of August. As seen in the ‘before-and-after’ photos, quite a lot was accomplished. Thankfully, all was done without injuries, major mistakes or major hang-ups, so keep knocking on wood, praying, crossing your fingers … whatever it is, it’s working!
Framing
July was only a hint of the kind of progress GT Builders can make. We ended July with the walls in place on Buildings A and B, and the month of August saw the near-completion of both roof structures.
In addition to regular framing, Gabe Thomas also employs some very skilled craftsmen for timber work. Structural trusses in Building B and decorative trusses and rafters all over Building A are already giving Bear Dance its first hints of character.
Specialty beams is a company in Noxon, MT, and they are keeping up with our fervent orders for material. As fast as we can get it, GT Builders gets it put in place.
Concrete
A long process to provide foundations and concrete work for Bear Dance is entering its fifth and final month (at least until we pour the driveways). Rod Gembala has been cooperative and flexible to stay ahead of GT Builders and also work alongside on an already-crowded jobsite. Usually the concrete contractor has the place to himself until completion, then the framing begins; but in the interest of keeping our progress going, all the contractors have worked very well together.
During the month of August, Gembala Concrete has poured the grade beams for the west side of the 5-plex, the slab for the east side of the 5-plex, and both walls surrounding the parking garages and storage areas (east and west).
Gembala Concrete also worked on short notice to quickly pour structural columns and walls for Buildings A and B when they were needed for GT Builders to continue with their progress, again assisting in a timely manner to keep the schedule flowing smoothly.
Plumbing
Touris Plumbing has installed the radiant heat tubing for the slab on the east side of the 5-plex, as well as all the radon piping and rough-in plumbing for both sides of the 5-plex.
In spite of the challenges faced with having an entire condominium that isn’t even connected to the ground (Gallatin), all contingencies and possibilities have been anticipated, and the plumbing for the Gallatin Unit should also go smoothly.
Excavating
With the completion of the 10" wall surrounding the storage/boiler room on the east side of the 5-plex, Zavala Excavating has been available to backfill and prepare the site to give more space for parking and material staging. Not to mention the fact that the work is crucial for making the overall appearance of the site much more pleasing to neighbors and passers-by. Even though we’re on a construction site, it’s a continual effort to keep the place looking as neat and organized as possible, as this reflects on everyone from owners to the individual contractors. But perhaps more importantly, this type of job site keeps each worker happy about coming to work and proud of where they’re working, as reflected in the general attitudes of everyone on site.
Planning / designing
Roofing
Yes, we’re already at that stage (nearly). Meetings on site with the roofing contractor have helped foresee any potential problem areas or make decisions at a stage of construction where costs are much lower. Having the roofing contractor consult prior to his visit gives us a direction for final framing loose-ends and gutter/drainage planning so everything is ready for him when he shows up.
Meetings with the roofing contractor have also helped give some ideas of how to best shed and direct water and snow and ice on some challenging rooftop designs. For example, a timber-framed trellis will be the flat roof over the entryway of the Boulder Unit, mimicking the timber work inside the great room while also drawing the eye to the entry in a difficult location.
Carol Nelson Design
Carol and her assistants have been on site each of the last two Thursdays to transition our thinking to less of a “look at plans” approach and more of a field decision approach. Each visit has been very productive for making on-site decisions and ironing out design and detail issues. Again, having these decisions made at this early stage will only streamline the process down the road and ultimately make for better efficiency with both time and money.
A few items of note:
The Yellowstone Unit has large decorative columns around the flat roof of the garage and tying into the main entryway. Those columns will be wrapped in stone and originally were designed to have large timber rails between them, but to keep from over-doing it with the timbers, we’re changing to a wrought-iron rail between the columns.
We’ve come up with a specific detail for each of the ceilings in the bedrooms of Building B, how they’ll be treated, how they’ll follow with the theme, etc. These meetings are where we developed the idea and design for the entryway of the Boulder Unit.
The kitchen of Yellowstone will no longer have a designated pantry with its own door as drawn on the plans. The layout was too small and cramped, and since the kitchen itself is lacking somewhat for storage and cabinet space, we decided to continue the kitchen on the curved wall all the way through into the current location for the pantry. This area will still be used as pantry space, but instead of open shelves, there will be custom floor-to-ceiling cabinets for cupboards. The sharply curved wall that is shared with the foyer will remain, but it will simply curve around and create an ending for the cupboards.
Engineering
Continual work and dialogue is occurring between A2Z, the steel fabricators, and Keith Beck to ensure all the steel designs are ready when the time comes to assemble the steel for the 5-plex.
Reclaimed timbers and materials
We’ve found a potential supplier of reclaimed materials who is local and has a great inventory. Everything from reclaimed wood flooring to reclaimed timbers to even reclaimed logs are available. They also have reclaimed stone with some of the old mortar and lichen and moss still growing on the stone, which will fit in perfectly with the look we’re going for.
Real Estate
Had our first showing of the site to a potential buyer, a contact made through Ron and referred to John Pearson. After a few minutes of walking through Building B with John Pearson, John Mark stopped over to answer questions, and essentially ended up giving John Olson’s favorite ‘nickel tour.’ They seemed quite impressed and especially excited about the Boulder Unit. Stay tuned for more updates on this front.
Also have a potential tour lined up through a contact of John Mark’s to the CEO of Waste Management Systems; we’ll keep you posted on the schedule for that one.