Building principles vol 3

BUILDINGP R I N C I P L E SA publication of Edifice, Inc. www.edificeinc.com

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A publication of Edifice Inc.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: St. Mark Catholic Church

BUILDING PRINCIPLES

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on the cover12 PART 1: HUMBLE BEGINNINGSSt. Mark Catholic Church

14 PART 2: THE ARCHITECTURESources of Inspiration

feature stories 4 CONTRIBUTION HITS ITS MARK UNC Charlotte Schools of Architecture & Engineering Work Together - Receive $2 Million Grant

6 PERCEPTION VS. REALITYAvoiding Financial Gridlock on a Project

8 AN ECO-FRIENDLY SPACE New Addition to Growing Campus In Keep-ing with Environmental Goals.

in every issue 18 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTEach issue of Building Principles Magazine spotlights one of the local non-profit orga-nizations Edifice supports – helping to give them a platform to share what they do within the community.

In this issue, we are highighting the ALEXANDER YOUTH NETWORK for their crucial work they do to help children with serious emotional and behavioral needs.

BUILDING PRINCIPLES 3

They say you are known

by the company you keep

–now more than ever this

is true for those you hire.

Integrity, talent and drive

are just a few of the things

that have allowed us to

continue to grow and thrive

here at Edifice. Our culture

continues to promote

convergent thinkers and

cultivate a motivated team-

oriented approach to doing

business. Whether it’s

stewardship or our client’s

goals, our employees take

ownership and consistently exceed expectations. Taking the

time to appreciate our employees, allows them to reciprocate in

numerous ways. This key concept allows us to bring real value to

our friends and business partners time and time again. It is truly

our pleasure.

Viewpoint from the President

PRESIDENT/CEO N. Eric Laster

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Bryan Knupp

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONSGary Creed

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERTod Creech

PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICESAndy Aldridge, LEED® AP

Max Venuti, LEED® AP

PROJECT EXECUTIVESMike Carlisto, LEED AP

Brad EdwardsScott Fandel

Jeff Humbert, LEED APDavid Stanford

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTWiley BrownCharles Cole

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSVicki Barton

Caroline Floyd

1401 West Morehead StreetCharlotte, North Carolina

28208

704.332.0900www.edificeinc.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Wayne MorrisDave Andrews

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS

Vicki BartonCaroline Floyd

Heather A. Mitchell, AIABea Quirk

4 BUILDING PRINCIPLES

Edifice’s three-year, $30,000

gift to UNC Charlotte

has helped plant the

seeds to develop new

ways to educate engineering and

architecture students so they can

develop improved sustainable

buildings.

In addition, as a result of the

work made possible by the gift,

UNC Charlotte’s architecture and

engineering schools have leveraged

their partnership to create other

collaborative projects and qualify

for grants.

“The shared efforts required to get

this project off the ground serve

as an invaluable lesson for their

futures in the engineering or design

fields,” shared Mike Carlisto,

Project Executive for Edifice. “This

is exactly what we were hoping

would happen.”

The initial project was a carbon-

footprint analysis of several

buildings on the UNCC campus

and included the use of ‘smart’

energy meters and advanced

energy modeling. The goal was to

determine whether software can be

developed that reliably predicts a

structure’s carbon footprint.

The data was made available to

others through a web interface. This

kind of information can be used

to design and build more energy-

efficient buildings. Currently,

buildings account for 40% of

the energy consumed in the U.S.

and 75% of its electrical usage.

Consequently, such research can

help the U.S. reduce its energy

consumption and lessen the

emission of greenhouse gases into

the environment.

The work, conducted by graduate

students, was supervised by Prof.

Robert Cox in the Department

of Electrical and Computer

Engineering and Prof. Dale

Brentrup in the School of

Architecture.

“These monies brought us together

to collaborate, and it has born

fruit,” Cox says. “We’re now sitting

down at the table and talking

about how to jointly educate

students.” For example, a course

on sustainable site development for

architecture and civil engineering

students has been created.

The two fields have different degree

and certification requirements, but

Cox feels they can be overcome

to provide the kind of education

architects and engineers need in the

21st century.

“A sustainable building requires

efficient technology and effective

design,” Cox explains. “Addressing

that requires a change in mind

set – and it needs to begin with

educating our students.”

Cox and Prof. Thomas Gentry

from UNCC’s architecture school

have been awarded grants that

will benefit both their students and

society. In September, they received

a two-year, $2 million grant from

the U.S. Department of Energy’s

Weatherization Innovation Pilot

Program to develop streamlined

cost-effective ways to weatherize

the homes of low-income families.

Some 800 dwellings in North

Carolina will be weatherized as part

of the effort.

The two professors are also working

with the City of Charlotte to create

a plan for a demonstration home

as part of the city’s Community

Development Block Grant from

the DOE. The program will use the

energy meters and carbon footprint

methodology developed during the

initial work funded by Edifice.

Observes Cox, “The work performed

using the funding from Edifice has

been profoundly useful and has

led to new partnerships. Architects

and engineers are getting together

to figure out what technology

and what designs create the most

sustainable buildings.”

CONTRIBUTION HITS ITS MARKunc charlotte’s architecture & engineering schools receive $2 million grant

by Bea Quirk


Strategic Contribution

Prof. Robert Cox explains the custom monitoring system to UNC Charlotte

graduate student, Lalit Mandal.


I n today’s economic

environment, it’s more

important than ever to

thoroughly vet a contractor’s

financial strength and

stability.

The risk of financial failure

in the construction industry

is at “Code Red” levels.

Consequently, owners should

take extreme caution in

selecting and engaging

companies for contracting

services in this current

economic climate.

The severity and length

of the current decline in

construction activity has

made many companies

financially unstable. Both

general and specialty

contractors (subs) have cut

personnel, wages, benefits,

operating expenses and

anything else they can to salvage valuable operating

capital. As the downturn continues and construction

revenue shrinks, some companies have been forced

to use retained earnings (working capital) to fund

operating expenses.

That’s why a company’s bonding capacity is a

construction company’s most valuable and treasured

asset. It’s also why you need to understand why a

contractor’s bonding capacity is a key factor when

considering hiring one.

There is often confusion about the difference between

surety bonding and insurance. Explains Matt Varner,

senior vice president, Construction Practice, for the

avoiding financial gridlock on a project

PERCEPTIONREALITYby Bea Quirk


Willis Group in Charlotte:

“Surety, in the truest sense, is

credit. It is not a risk-sharing

device like insurance, but rather

a credit extension very similar

to the process banks use to

loan money. In lieu of loaning

money, the surety joins with the

contractor to assure an owner

that the contract obligation will

be successfully performed,

including completion of the

project and the payment of

all obligations associated

with it.”

Sureties grant significant

credit to only those contractors

that are well- managed

and possess strong balance

sheets. No surety would

ever issue a bond with the

notion it would actually be

used. If it were to be used,

it would be catastrophically

costly for the surety, so there

is no room for error in the

decisions an underwriter makes.

As a result, the investigation

of a construction company’s

performance record, payment

record, intellectual capital and

financial capital is extensive.

Bonding capacity is directly

proportional to the amount of

working capital a company has

retained. The loss of bonding

capacity further reduces the

number of opportunities to bid or

pursue work. Hence the financial

spiral toward bankruptcy.

As with all credit relationships,

there must be a mutual respect

between all the parties involved,

as well as open communication

to measure risk and active

participation to implement

proper risk mitigation strategies.

The ultimate goal is to achieve

a proper return on investment

while limiting the financial

downside of the risk. Open,

transparent communication with

contractors, agents and bonding

companies allow for greater

success and achievement of the

strategies and goals.

General contractors should

ask subs for recent financial

statements, as well as monthly

lien waivers from them and their

suppliers. They should also write

separate checks to subs and their

suppliers as much as possible to

avoid the risk – no matter how

strong the companies appear to be

– of placing a project in financial

gridlock.

There is a perception that this

economic climate is advantageous

to a project owner because

intense competitive bidding

results in lower bids. The reality

is that bid projects put general

contractors – and owners -- at

unprecedented risk. Extremely

low bids ore often indications

that a company is in desperate

need of work, so will bid jobs

at levels that provide them no

margin – or will knowingly even

take a loss.

This heightens the risk that

a general contractor or sub

will not be able to complete

the work or will not be able to

perform it to the specification

or quality required. This could

delay – or possibly prevent

completion of – a project, with

unpleasant and damaging

financial impacts for everyone

involved.

But with some effort and research

upfront and by understanding the

principles of bonding, clients can

avoid such calamities.

avoiding financial gridlock on a projectREALITY

“ Surety, in the truest

sense, is credit. It is not a

risk sharing device like in-

surance, but rather a cred-

it extension very similar

to the process banks use to

loan money. “


SPACE FOR EDUCATIONECO-FRIENDLY

““by Caroline Floyd

- WAKE TECH PRESIDENT , DR. STEPHEN SCOTT

Higher Education

It will allow us to serve the record number of students

who are turning to us for quality education and training

while helping us preserve precious resources and be good

environmental stewards. That’s the Wake Tech Way.

SPACE FOR EDUCATIONECO-FRIENDLY

The new 80,000-square foot-

plus addition to Wake Technical

Community College’s Northern

Campus is a stellar one.

In addition to its 293-seat

state-of-the art lecture hall

and green rooftop terrace, the

building includes four floors,

five acoustically-isolated music

rooms and 27 classrooms and

labs, including customized areas

for training nursing assistants.

Edifice, Inc. is the general

contractor.

Located five miles south of

Raleigh, the Northern Campus

opened in 2007, and this newest

building – costing $22 million

to build -- is already the fourth

academic building on the fast-

growing 117-acre campus. All of

the buildings are LEED® certified.

Says Wake Tech President Dr.

Stephen Scott, “We are building in

response to the community. This

building will allow us to serve the

record number of students who are

turning to us for quality education

and training while helping us

preserve precious resources and

be good environmental stewards.

That’s the Wake Tech Way.”

When the Northern Campus

opened in fall 2010, it had 7,000

students, more than triple the


number enrolled when it opened three years earlier.

It is the first campus in the nation to be completely

LEED® certified. The

eco-friendly rooftop

terrace, designed to

absorb carbon dioxide

and generate oxygen,

is just one of the new

building’s components

that will help it achieve

LEED® Silver (or possibly

Gold) certification.

Other LEED® features

include daylight

harvesting, low-flow rest

room fixtures and no-

irrigation landscaping.

These features alone will

result in a more than

50% reduction in energy

use and as much as a

47% reduction in water

use.

The unique building is

designed by Charlotte-

based Clark Nexsen

Architecture &

Engineering. “Wake

Technical Community

College is a valuable

provider of high

caliber education in

our community and

state. We are thrilled

to be a part of this

bricks and mortar

project which will allow the college to raise the bar

even further,” says Neil Sauer, Clark Nexsen Senior

Architect. “Collaborating with the faculty and staff

has been a pleasure, and we look forward to seeing

the educational and sustainable design features of

the project design

become a reality.

Clark Nexsen is

very excited about

what this building

will mean as an

educational resource

to the citizens of

Wake County.”

Edifice is working

diligently

to complete

construction of

the building for

a January 2012

opening. “We are

honored and excited

to be working

with Wake Tech

as they expand

and strengthen

the academic

opportunities

available on

campus,” says

Edifice Project

Manager Tim Clark.

“We especially enjoy

the opportunity to

utilize our LEED®

accredited staff and

our background

in sustainable

construction to support Wake Tech’s efforts to create a

healthier environment.”

renderings compliments of clark nexsen

80,000 sQuare Feet

state oF the art lecture hall

green rooFtoP terrace

47% reDuction in Water use

293-seat lecture hall

50% reDuction in energY use

acousticallY-isolateD

music rooms

all leeD® certiFieD camPus

BUILDING PRINCIPLES 11renderings compliments of clark nexsen

Retail

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS


“ “Faith-Based

St. Mark Catholic Church by Caroline Floyd

In an era of big-box worship centers where the design is driven by

technology, it’s gratifying to build a church that exemplifies the grace

and beauty of traditional ecclesiastical architecture.

- BRYAN KNUPP, EDIFICE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

If ever a facility was needed, it was

a new place of worship for St. Mark

Catholic Church. The 26,000-square-

foot sanctuary in Huntersville can

now accommodate more than 1,500

people. The congregation has been

using the new sanctuary since the

fall of 2009.

Observing this new place of worship,

one would never

suspect the

church’s humble

beginnings.

St. Mark’s was

once dubbed

the “Lady of the

Lanes” because

mass was held

in a bowling

alley when it

was founded in

the late 1990s.

But the number

of worshippers

increased

markedly over

the years -- from

250 to 4,000

families in just a

little more than

a decade. That made it one of the

fastest-growing Roman Catholic

congregations in the area.

With this growth came an increased

need for space. Over the years, the

parish had worshipped in Protestant

churches, a nearby college and in

the school gymnasium. So when the

time came to build its own church,

they took great care in researching

its design.

The committee assigned this task

went through various designs before

finding the right inspirations. The

worship area is made up of exposed

trusses and various types of woods

with porcelain tiles and meticulously

detailed carpentry.

Ron Charbonneau, chair of the

Building Committee, describes the

church as “a mix of traditional and

contemporary. It’s shaped like a

cross, and there are Gothic arches

in the woodwork. But overall, the

internal flavor is contemporary…no

fancy pillars.”

From intricately carved wooden

pews to statues honoring the saints,

the entire church is filled with

symbolic details.

These details demanded a superior

quality finish. The team struck a

delicate balance to ensure that all

of the design details were expertly

completed while all the acoustical

and mechanical properties were

properly installed. It was also a

balance that could not compromise

the quality of the finish. This was

no easy feat, but the Edifice team

delivered it with outstanding results.

These results did

not go unnoticed

–the project

recently received

an Eagle award

for excellence

in construction

through the

Carolina’s

Chapter of

the Associated

Builders and

Contractors of

America (ABCC).

“In an era of

big-box worship

centers where

the design

is driven by

technology,

it’s gratifying

to build a church that exemplifies

the grace and beauty of traditional

ecclesiastical architecture,” says

Edifice Senior Vice President Bryan

Knupp. “This project brought out the

best of our skilled craftsmen.”

This much-needed sanctuary is a

true work of art, much treasured

and beloved by parish members.

Building it was an experience that

the Edifice team will cherish for

many years to come.

DEDICATION DAY AT ST. MARK: MEMBERS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS - (A FRATERNAL ORDER) LED THE PROCESSIONS WEARING CAPES

AND CARRYING CEREMONIAL SWORDS.


story of the architecture“ HE WAS ENVISIONING

EUROPEAN CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS WITH THEIR SOARING ARCHES

THAT DRAW YOUR EYE AND SPIRIT UPWARD TO HEAVEN. “

by Heather A. Mitchell, AIA


sources of inspiration story of the architectureThe inspiration began in fall 2004. I sat in the

gym among the parishioners of St. Mark, eagerly

taking notes in my sketchbook. I knew St. Mark

was a special congregation. With an uncommon

vision, they launched their Building Campaign

with a lecture series entitled ‘Domus Dei…Sacred

Architecture in the Modern World.’ They knew a

gym was not the appropriate setting to celebrate

mass.

Together, they sought to educate themselves about

the rich tradition of Roman Catholic architecture and

what it means to build a ‘house of God on earth.’

The new St. Mark Church now reflects both its age-old


Roman Catholic heritage and the

unique personality of the parish.

Monsignor Richard M Bellow, Pastor

of St. Mark , asked The Boudreaux

Group to design “something that

invites us to our faith.” He was

envisioning European churches and

cathedrals with their soaring arches

that draw

your eye and

spirit upward

to heaven.

He was seeing

timeless

materials that

create a sense

of reverence

and awe. He

was hearing

visitors’

hushed voices

as they feel

the presence

of God when

they pass

through

the arched

entry. He

was feeling

the warmth

of natural light dancing on the

walls. He was watching as all eyes

were focused on the altar during

celebration of the Eucharist. He and

his devoted Building Committee

trusted us at The Boudreaux Group

to create a transcendent place of

celebration and dignified beauty

that inspired spiritual growth.

The floor plan is organized as a

traditional cruciform – It is cross-

shaped so that all seats are focused

on the altar from both the nave

and transepts. Staying true to

tradition, the choir is located in a

loft at the rear of the church. The

Priest Sacristy, where the priests robe

and prepare for Mass, is behind the

sanctuary platform.

The tabernacle arch behind

the altar in which the blessed

sacrament is reserved, was inspired

by a stone archway Monsignor

Bellow discovered at a local tile

warehouse. It is the only Gothic,

or pointed, arch in the entire

church. This arch, along with the

rich stained wood trim, further

emphasizes the sacredness of the

space.

One of the most unique aspects of

St. Mark is the altar itself (seen in

the photo below); a bold bronze tree

of life sculpture that serves as the

base for an elegant marble slab.

The altar, along with other liturgical

furnishings, were generously

donated by the recently closed St.

Anthony on the Hudson Seminary

in Rensselaer, NY, which Msgr.

Bellow attended.

We at The

Boudreaux

Group sought

to harmonize

the

surrounding

finishes and

the shape of

the altar’s

platform

with the

contemporary

character of

the altar and

its companion

pieces. St.

Mark is

already

planning

to add

stained glass

windows. Our hope is that future

generations will continue to adorn

St. Mark so that it will continue to

uplift and inspire their faith.


You have heard about a child like

this from a friend or a neighbor or

from someone at church. Maybe

this child is part of your own

family. It’s a child who stands

out, not because of achievements

or honors, but because the child

seems to always be in conflict, is

the one no one can control, is the

one no one can help. Sadly, it’s

often a child

who has been

given up on.

These children

are unable

to function

in normal

social settings

and are often

incapable of

forming normal

relationships

with friends

and family.

Often no one

has the means

to help. The

diagnosis can be

as common as Attention Deficit

Disorder or as severe as psychosis.

The causes run the gamut from

abuse and neglect to genetic

predisposition.

Yet there is hope -- an organization

that provides comprehensive help

for children with serious emotional

and behavioral needs. And it’s the

largest children’s behavioral health

organization in North Carolina:

the Alexander Youth Network.

Headquartered in Charlotte, it

served more than 3,700 children

in 2010, with service locations

throughout Piedmont and Western

North Carolina.

“The demand for Alexander

treatment services has seen a

shocking 63% increase within the

last two years,” observes President

and CEO Craig Bass. “These are

children in our classrooms and

communities that are failing and

living at risk. We have a treatment

program that offers them solutions.

Our ability to put these solutions to

work in our community is limited

only by our resources.”

In providing services to troubled

youth, the Alexander Youth

Network takes all aspects into

consideration to assist them and

their families. By offering many

unique and hands-on treatment

programs, Alexander’s approach

to therapy

encourages

positive

change to

take root. The

approach of

combining

multiple

programs

operating

under one

umbrella

creates

steadier

progress and

an increased

likelihood

of successful

outcomes.

“We are first looking at each child

individually, asking the question,

‘What would it take?’ and then

designing a therapeutic program

that meets their specific needs,”

says Alexander Clinical Director

Dr. Dawn O’Malley. “Some of

the children in our care are

DYNAMIC THERAPY PROVIDES EXTRAORDINARY HEALING

by Caroline Floyd

overcoming traumatic childhood

experiences. Others have grown up

in caring families who are learning

how to manage mental health

struggles so their children can be

successful in life. In all cases, our

treatment program is an integrated

array of experiential therapies,

best practice models, and licensed

professional staff members that

are committed to unlocking the

potential for each child.”

This approach includes

incorporating the ground breaking

findings of the Neurosequential

Model of Therapeutics (NMT). NMT

is based on the work of Dr. Bruce

Perry, a world-renowned child

psychiatrist who has studied the

effects of abuse and neglect on the

developing brains of children. His

research shows that children who

have experienced early childhood

trauma need experiential activities

that stimulate healthy brain

development.

Current offerings under this

umbrella of therapy include

drumming, yoga, play therapy and

working with clay. Creative artwork

of any kind assists the development

of abstract cognitive functions and

the integration of right- and left-

brain activity.

For example, the process of

shaping clay by hand provides a

safe outlet for emotions. Working

with clay also helps improve

fine motor skills and hand-eye

coordination, plus promotes

healthy brain development.

Drumming is another commonly-

used therapy. The rhythms can

strengthen the immune system,

producing endorphins and

releasing emotional trauma while

creating a state of wellness. It is

being used with great success at

Alexander Youth Network.

Edifice annually sponsors a fund

raising luncheon for Alexander

in Charlotte that features student

drumming performances.

Company representatives are

honored with front row seats,

enabling them to experience the

children’s talent and charisma

firsthand.

Contrary to what you might think,

I don’t see patients in therapy

when I attend this luncheon.

Instead, I see focused musicians

drumming with purpose and

obvious displays of relentless

practice. At first glance, it is hard

to imagine these children suffer

from mental depression, abuse

or neglect. It makes Alexander’s

comprehensive program of

treatment even more amazing.

What attendees see is children

seated behind beautiful

drums, banging out amazing

energetic rhythms. They create a

transcending beat people feel from

the tips of their toes to the crowns

of their heads. It leaves the room

virtually speechless.

From art therapy to African drums

and from a hands-on healing

garden to water therapy – the tools

Alexander staff use to heal these

youth are considerable. Not only

are they holistic in nature, but they

are backed up by trained staff,

licensed professionals and board-

certified psychiatrists.

Although these children have

endured so many traumas,

Alexander Youth Network

endeavors to ensure that their

problems don’t define them.

They ensure they are given the

opportunity to redirect those

experiences through therapy,

thereby planting the seeds for a

happy and healthy adulthood.

DYNAMIC THERAPY PROVIDES EXTRAORDINARY HEALING

Alexander Youth Network

6220 Thermal Road

Charlotte NC 28211

Phone: 704.366.8712

Fax: 704.362.8464

[email protected]

www.alexanderyouthnetwork.org

Portfolio samples of our recently completed projects.

www.edificeinc.com

1401 West Morehead StreetCharlotte, North Carolina

28208

Building principles vol 3

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