The Butler Square building was once a 1,800-seat athletic venue for the Minneapolis Millers and the St. Paul Saints. A century later, this nine-story historic landmark in Downtown Minneapolis is better known as the home to corporate offices for companies like AIMIA. After an extensive renovation, INSTALL Warranty contractor Sonus Interiors was thorough with the new flooring installation, creating zoned workspaces that are welcoming to both clients and employees.
Project: AIMIA Corporate Office
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Contractor: Sonus Interiors
Design Overview
Relocating AIMIA’s U.S. corporate headquarters to the historic Butler Square building in downtown Minneapolis was an opportunity for architect MSR Design to help the company redefine its workplace culture. Gone were traditional cubicles, and in entered expansive collaborative workspaces, meeting tables and lounge-type furniture that provide choice and flexibility for employees. Three different color-coded neighborhoods provide differentiation and facilitate wayfinding throughout the office.
Installation Challenges
Faced with a limited budget, MSR selected cost-effective finishes and furniture to be used in innovative ways. While these decisions ultimately saved money, the flooring installation process was complex and time constraints meant that there was zero room for error.
INSTALL Warranty Contractor Sonus Interiors was selected to head up the flooring installation based on a preexisting relationship with the property management team. They were entrusted with the renovation, and immediately got to work with the architect to plan and install the intricate zoned design.
Incorporating twenty four different types of carpet, this project was no ordinary retrofit. In fact, the interior architect’s design was so complex that one journeyman was devoted to navigating the pattern, while the other journeyman completed the installation.
The pattern wasn’t the only challenge. During the initial tear-out of the existing office space, the floors were so sticky from previous glue that you could literally get stuck in it. Having construction debris ground into the glue would have been a nightmare, so Sonus Interiors used a primer to seal the existing floors. If they had not done this, the time spent to scrape the floors of construction debris would have been exhausting, and it would have been a hazard to the other trades working in the space.
Results
While the project proved complicated, with unexpected finds and a tight timeline, there was no delay when it came to the flooring installation. Thanks to Sonus Interiors’ INSTALL training and certification, the team was able to ensure the integrity of the intricate design and provide a vibrant and contemporary new home for AIMIA. The resulting installation offers a seamless, bright and playful space that employees will enjoy for many years to come.
INSTALL understands the importance of quality installation. You can renovate with confidence and exceed expectations with INSTALL as your flooring insurance. We provide our certified flooring installers with the training and expertise to deliver the floor as you designed it.
Contact: John McGrath
Phone: 215-582-4108
Email: install@carpenters.org
Website: INSTALLfloors.org
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2011
Revamped hotel-turned-condominium building holds on to historic style
The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living.
| Dec 17, 2010
Sam Houston State arts programs expand into new performance center
Theater, music, and dance programs at Sam Houston State University have a new venue in the 101,945-sf, $38.5 million James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center. WHR Architects, Houston, designed the new center to connect two existing buildings at the Huntsville, Texas, campus.
| Dec 7, 2010
Product of the Week: Petersen Aluminum’s column covers used in IBM’S new offices
IBM’s new offices at Dulles Station West in Herndon, Va., utilized Petersen’s PAC-1000 F Flush Series column covers. The columns are within the office’s Mobility Area, which is designed for a mobile workforce looking for quick in-and-out work space. The majority of workspaces in the office are unassigned and intended to be used on a temporary basis.
| Dec 2, 2010
GKV Architects wins best guest room design award for Park Hyatt Istanbul
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, PC won the prestigious Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design for best guest room, Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey. Park Hyatt Maçka Palace marries historic and exotic elements with modern and luxurious, creating a unique space perpetuating Istanbul’s current culture. In addition to the façade restoration, GKV Architects designed 85 guestrooms, five penthouse suites, an ultra-hip rooftop bar, and a first-of-its-kind for Istanbul – a steakhouse, for the luxury hotel.
| Nov 16, 2010
CityCenter’s new Harmon Hotel targeted for demolition
MGM Resorts officials want to demolish the unopened 27-story Harmon Hotel—one of the main components of its brand new $8.5 billion CityCenter development in Las Vegas. In 2008, inspectors found structural work on the Harmon didn’t match building plans submitted to the county, with construction issues focused on improperly placed steel reinforcing bar. In January 2009, MGM scrapped the building’s 200 condo units on the upper floors and stopped the tower at 27 stories, focusing on the Harmon having just 400 hotel rooms. With the Lord Norman Foster-designed building mired in litigation, construction has since been halted on the interior, and the blue-glass tower is essentially a 27-story empty shell.
| Nov 9, 2010
Designing a library? Don’t focus on books
How do you design a library when print books are no longer its core business? Turn them into massive study halls. That’s what designers did at the University of Amsterdam, where they transformed the existing 27,000-sf library into a study center—without any visible books. About 2,000 students visit the facility daily and encounter workspaces instead of stacks.
| Nov 2, 2010
11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces
A slowdown in new construction has firms focusing on office reconstruction and interior renovations. Three experts from Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors offer 11 tips for office renovation success. Tip #1: Check the landscaping.
| Nov 2, 2010
Cypress Siding Helps Nature Center Look its Part
The Trinity River Audubon Center, which sits within a 6,000-acre forest just outside Dallas, utilizes sustainable materials that help the $12.5 million nature center fit its wooded setting and put it on a path to earning LEED Gold.
