For years, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors (K&L), based in Highland, IL, has been a customer of Vermeer Midwest, a leading distributor of heavy construction and agricultural equipment with locations across five states. Those roles were reversed when Vermeer Midwest selected K&L as the general contractor for its new facility in Collinsville, IL.
When the project was announced, Chad Soelen, Vermeer Midwest’s general manager of sales and service, said the new facility would support the company’s mission “to keep customers’ machines up and running and keep them productive and profitable.” Key features include a full-service shop, a six-bay service area equipped with overhead cranes, and expanded parts storage.
“There was an appreciation for seeing customer service from both sides,” said John Whitworth, vice president of K&L. “We were providing it to Vermeer, and Vermeer was providing it to its customers through this new building.”
The long, narrow urban lot, measuring 20′ wide by 60′ deep, helped to define the shape of the
Fox Way Residence.
The flooring material is maple hardwood, salvaged from a former
gymnasium.
We chose metal to create the contemporary industrial aesthetic of the exterior. Beyond aesthetics, the exposed fastener metal panel system provided an economical solution, and the material is basically maintenance free. After maintaining a large 1950’s era suburban home for 14 years, we were ready to spend less time on exterior maintenance and more time enjoying the benefits of living in a city neighborhood.
Building a contemporary home in an urban neighborhood of mostly 100+ year old houses presented challenges, but we never second guessed the selection of metal for the exterior, as the material pays homage to the industrial history of the South Side neighborhood, and to the historic role and influence of the steel industry in the Pittsburgh region.
Our friends refer to our home as the upside down house. The first floor is a two-car tandem garage, along with the entrance foyer, utility room, and ample storage. A small outdoor courtyard entered from the rear of the garage provides space for the dogs, along with a small garden. The second floor contains the private areas of the home, with the master bedroom suite at the rear and the studio/guest bedroom at the front. The third floor is designed as an open loft space and includes the kitchen, living area with fireplace, dining area, and powder room, along with access to the outdoor roof terrace with views of downtown Pittsburgh.
The open plan has an airy vacation home feel, thanks to the sloping ceiling that extends from 8′ up to 14′. Throughout the second and third floors, the flooring material is maple hardwood, salvaged from a former gymnasium, and refinished with a low luster urethane for a natural appearance.
One of the most humbling compliments that I receive regarding this design is when someone asks me how long it took to renovate my home. For me, that means this newly constructed home, with its contemporary metal skin, still manages to fit into the fabric of the historic neighborhood as much as a home that had always been there.
Architect
CORE Architects, LLC
360 Lincoln Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202
www.corepgh.com
Project Team
Structural Engineer
McKim & Creed
300 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Mechanical Engineer
Fortier Engineering
5889 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
General Contractor
Archer Developments LLC
1808 Harcum Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Project General Description
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date Bid: Mar 2014
Construction Period: May 2014 to Dec 2014
Total Square Feet: 2,472
Site: 0.0275 acres
Number of Buildings: One
Building Sizes: First floor garage, 828; second floor, 930; third
floor, 714; total, 2,472 square feet
Building Height: First floor garage, 9′; second floor, 10′; third
floor, 14′; total, 33′
Basic Construction Type: New/Wood Frame
Foundation: Cast-in-place, pier & grade beam, slab-on-grade
Exterior Walls: Wood studs, metal.
Roof: Metal
Floors: Wood
Interior Walls: Wood stud drywall
BNi ACCESS™ Square Foot Case Number RS260938
To access the project cost data in BNi ACCESS™ Square Foot, enter “RS260938” into the search field on your main dashboard.
