(October 3, 2018) ATLANTA, GA – Winter SPACES, a division of Winter Construction, will begin mobilization this month to renovate common areas at The Tower at Piedmont Center, Building 15, in Buckhead. The work will update about 8,000 square feet, and will add additional access to surrounding walkable amenities via a new pedestrian bridge connecting the building to Old Ivy Road.

Piedmont Center is a united, nine-building office campus connecting three diverse workplace neighborhoods — the Commons, the Fountains, and the Tower. The campus offers a natural progression for dynamic start-ups and established professionals to join a progressive workplace that nourishes creative interactions through active social spaces including a bocce ball court and outdoor work areas. Winter SPACES’ work at the Tower will update shared public areas, install a canopy at the building’s entrance, add a glass vestibule in the parking garage, and refresh the lobby.

Winter SPACES’ renovation at the Tower will be its fourth project at the Piedmont Center. In prior efforts, SPACES has installed outdoor shade structures at the Fountains, added accessibility ramps, and renovated the courtyard at the Commons. The current renovation is the continuation of a relationship between SPACES and the Ardent Companies, the local ownership team dedicated to unifying Piedmont Center as a newly connected community.

Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart is the architect of record for the project. The project is expected to be complete in about five months.

About Winter SPACES:

Winter SPACES, Winter’s interiors and special projects group, provides the expertise and resources of a large contractor, with the agility and scale of a smaller, specialized contractor for projects under $5 million. The Winter SPACES team estimates and manages projects from beginning through closeout and warranty, increasing speed to market and creating a true sense of partnership with the team. For more information visit /services/winter-spaces/

About Winter Construction:

Winter Construction is a privately owned and operated Atlanta based general contracting company. We provide construction services to clients in the hospitality, retail, government, education, senior living, and multi-family markets throughout the Southeast. For more information visit: http://www.winter-construction.com

Media Contact: Bryan Alexander, Marketing Coordinator, Winter Construction, 404-965-3357

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(July 23, 2018) EAST POINT, GA – Winter Johnson Group recently celebrated reaching the highest point, literally, of the new City of East Point City Hall in growing East Point, GA. At 31,700 square feet, the new multi-story City Hall will sit adjacent to the original historic building.

Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham, as well as representatives from East Point’s City Council and the City Manager’s Office, joined the Winter Johnson Group team at the project site on July 13, 2018, to enjoy a meal together and observe the progress of the new City Hall.

Mayor Ingraham emphasized the city’s vision for a new home for the City Hall being realized. “Working together as a community, we make dreams come true. This has been a dream for a while, and now we are actually going to be able to see the reality of this dream manifest and come to life. The new City Hall will be a community building for all to enjoy.”

Artis Johnson, Managing Member of the Winter Johnson Group, thanked all of the construction’s site personnel for their dedication and teamwork in keeping the project schedule on track, saying, “I appreciate all of the hard work everyone has given to this project in order to ensure the final product is a high-quality, attractive City Hall for the city of East Point and its community.”

The new City Hall will provide city offices, a multipurpose City Council Chamber, and an additional 2,400 square feet of shell space for future growth. Approximately 30,000 square feet of green space will provide an epicenter for public events, gatherings, and other recreation.

The architect is Sizemore Group of Atlanta, Georgia.

About Winter Johnson Group: Winter Johnson Group, a joint venture, is comprised of Winter Construction, a privately owned and operated Atlanta-based construction management and general contracting company and Johnson Construction Services, a minority-owned contracting company in Atlanta. Winter Johnson Group provides construction and environmental services to clients in the hospitality, retail, government, education, corporate/office, religious, healthcare, historic restoration, industrial, and multifamily markets in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. For more information, visit www.winterjohnsongroup.com.

About the City of East Point: Formed in 1870 by a citizenry of 16 families, the name East Point was derived from being located at the opposite end of the former Atlanta & West Point Railroad from West Point, Georgia. The City of East Point was charted in 1887 and is comprised of an ethnically diverse community. Between 2010 and 2014, the overall population grew 5.3%. With over 35,000 residents and more than 17,000 households, it is the fifth largest city in Fulton County. For more information, visit www.eastpointcity.org.

Media Contact: Bryan Alexander, Marketing Coordinator, Winter Construction, 404-965-3357

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Winter renovated multiple areas in 11 JC Penney department stores in three neighboring metropolitan areas in Virginia.

There are many reasons an owner might decide to renovate multiple physical locations or areas within a building: to meet new construction standards or building codes, to upgrade technology, or even to refresh the design. Whatever drives it, the decision to renovate seldom comes at a convenient time. Renovation presents a number of inherent challenges, but when it requires work in multiple locations, around occupied facilities, on a tight schedule, and with restricted hours and access, it becomes seemingly impossible for the inexperienced contractor.

The good news is that it can be done, but only by a general contractor that understands that the keys to success for this kind of renovation include site logistics planning, communicating, and properly staffing the project in order to ensure it’s done safely, on time, and within budget.

1. Proper Logistics Planning

A renovation project that requires work in multiple locations (whether in the same building or geographically separated) also requires multiple logistics plans. Considerations such as site-specific traffic patterns, noise ordinances, neighbors’ concerns, and preferred delivery routes for materials are paramount. It’s also important to realize that the logistics plans must be flexible – what worked in one location might not work at another, and what worked last week might not work this week.

Additionally, you need to plan for laydown and staging, parking, and safety for all locations. When possible, activities should be sequenced in such a way that will minimize redundancy on other sites and maximize efficiency across the project as a whole. Leveraging lean construction principles such as pull-planning, just-in-time deliveries, and prefabrication helps to achieve a good experience for everyone involved.

Example: Noise Insulation Program Task Orders

The scope for the City of Atlanta’s Noise Insulation Program Task Orders 1 and 2 involved replacing the doors and windows in 652 apartment units, two smaller duplexes, and eight single-family homes. Winter worked simultaneously in 20 units between two fully occupied apartment complexes, in addition to the single-family homes, within strict work hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Adding to the challenge, we had to modify the logistics plan around school schedules, Federal and State holidays, individual work schedules, and many other considerations. Every minute of every day was occupied by a specifically engineered sequence of trade work. Due to carefully decided logistics planning, Winter successfully left each unit and home fully watertight at the end of each day and finished the largest apartment complex two months ahead of schedule.

2. Communicating and Coordinating

During Winter’s Noise Insulation Program construction for the City of Atlanta, Winter left each home fully watertight at the end of each day.

Keeping operations open is not as simple as putting up a temporary wall and commencing construction work as usual. Contractors need to know when to limit noisy construction activities, when to permit materials deliveries, and when to start and stop construction activities, in order to truly keep the facility operational. When there are multiple facilities or areas under construction, the coordination become even more complicated. The key is constant, consistent, and clear communication among every team member and stakeholder: the construction team, owner, architect, tenants, staff, and visitors.

Example: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Concession Build-Outs

In 2012 and 2013, Winter completed 19 concession space build-outs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a high-security facility that is open 24/7. Between three and six projects were active at the same time across multiple terminals, and each project averaged two months in duration. In order to work in the airport, each worker must meet strict security requirements, and all construction activities must be communicated and coordinated with airport officials. Some of the work was limited to certain hours, and Winter had to plan around those restrictions. Winter’s team utilized multiple communication tools, such as daily huddles, weekly photo reports, and weekly meetings, to discuss upcoming construction activities and associated safety precautions, expectations of airport officials, and needs of neighboring tenants at each location.

3. Adequate Staffing

Regardless of how many areas require construction work, each jobsite needs to have appropriate supervision onsite 100% of the time. This can get expensive for a construction manager to staff such a project, but by fostering a culture of empowerment, CMs can sufficiently staff renovations in multiple locations at a reasonable cost. A general superintendent should ultimately run the project, but he doesn’t need to be onsite all the time to ensure the project is being run safely and efficiently. Instead, the CM should utilize a tiered structure, assigning at least one field representative to each location (depending on size and scope), who reports to an assistant superintendent in charge of a couple locations, and so on. This facilitates accountability and clear lines of communication to ensure each project goes as planned.

Example: JC Penney Renovations

Winter renovated multiple areas in 11 JC Penney department stores in three neighboring metropolitan areas in Virginia. The stores were grouped according to proximity and sequenced into three phases, each of which was completed within six weeks. The scope of work for each location included the demolition and build-back of four areas within the store, including new finishes, display features, and floor polish and carpet. For security purposes, work was restricted to business hours, and the malls remained open and operational for the entire duration of the fast-tracked project. To isolate the customers and staff from the jobsite, Winter installed temporary barricades. Each mall was staffed with an onsite foreman and a superintendent overseeing the entire project. This allowed the team to drive the schedule forward while guaranteeing a safe environment for customers and staff at each of the stores.

4. Skilled Fast-Tracking

Winter completed 19 concession space build-outs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, including the Atlanta ChopHouse.

The decision to perform simultaneous renovations in multiple locations often comes along with the desire to finish the projects quickly, or “fast-track” them. If the projects are in schools, it’s necessary to work quickly and quietly in order to avoid disruptions to the school environment and school activities.

Fast-track is more than just hurrying – it’s a completely different mindset and approach to the goal of the project. Sometimes fast-tracking involves the contractor being involved in project planning while the architect is designing the renovation. This allows construction to begin sooner and to proceed at a faster pace. Sometimes fast-tracking involves moving forward with early phases of construction before the design is completely developed.

Some of the tools that are available in fast-track projects include compressing critical path activities, adding additional project supervision, and working extended work weeks. Some activities must be performed early, for example, obtaining hazardous material reports and, if necessary, work with remediation experts.

Example: Fulton County Schools CBI Classroom Renovations

At the time this article is published, Winter is performing renovations and upgrades to the Community Based Instruction facilities at five different high schools spread out in the Fulton County Schools system. Winter is upgrading classrooms and building new accessible restroom facilities. After receiving a Notice of Intent to Award in May, Winter will complete the five locations during summer break. Winter pre-ordered long lead items such as the wheelchair lift systems and door hardware for each school. Winter is also using concrete with a moisture vapor reduction admixture in order to accelerate the start of flooring installation, and therefore speed up project completion.

General contractors will incorporate all of these considerations into the schedule and sequencing, ultimately resulting in a successful project.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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While the academic community debates whether or not books have any future in light of the rapid development of digital information technology, libraries are getting ready for the future by making changes to the very buildings they call home. Atlanta’s newly built Metropolitan Library, which is a southside branch library of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, includes a raised access floor as part of its innovative design.

Raised Floor Basics

What does a raised floor have to do with getting ready for the digital revolution? A raised access floor is an elevated structural floor above the solid substrate that creates space for mechanical and electrical systems. The Metropolitan Library’s raised floor is 18 inches high, and consists of a flat steel top and a profiled steel base, which are welded together to form a shell and filled with a cementitious core material.

Winter Johnson Group used building information modeling to assist in the preparation and installation of the Library’s raised floor.

Located in the space created below the raised floor, mechanical and electrical systems can perform efficiently.The mechanical system is highly accessible by the building’s users, who can reach and control conditioning vents to improve occupant comfort. The Metropolitan Library’s interior has a very open floor plan, a type of space that creates large, stratified air distributions. Warm air rises and collects near the ceiling, while cool air sinks and collects near the floor, closer to where the occupants are. By locating the air system under the floor, the design takes advantage of air stratification. When warm air is needed, the air system supplies warm air directly to where the occupants are. When cool air is needed, less propulsion of the air is needed to reach the occupants and replenish the cooled area.

Advancing the Library’s Mission

So how does the Metropolitan Library’s raised access floor help to advance the Library’s mission to keep up with ongoing digital innovations? According to the Library’s designer, Smith Dalia Architects, the library program specifically required a plan for accommodating a 10 percent user-growth factor in the new branch library. The best solution for growth was to capitalize on the technological innovations related to library services. Library planners predict that over time, less and less floor space will be allocated for books and paper-based media.

The Library’s design takes advantage of the open space around the ceiling, since conduit and electrical elements are below the floor.

The floor space that is opened up by the transition to a paperless environment can accommodate more users who will utilize “virtual” library collections. In order to maximize the impact of this trend, the raised access flooring (in combination with a very open floor plan) allows for endless reconfiguration of library program elements. The library can easily move furniture and change the placement of library casework. There is no need to move vents or ducts as the library changes its layout. By removing a few floor tiles, certain sections of the floor are accessible and air flow can be redirected to accommodate any area.

Smith Dalia naturally took advantage of the open space around the ceiling at Metropolitan Library, since conduit and electrical elements are located below the floor. The interior feels spacious and full of natural light, with joyful points of color in the pendant light fixtures. The raised access flooring system also provides designers with great flexibility in floor coverings, since it can accommodate a broad range of options, including carpet, laminate, and wood. For the Metropolitan Library, the designers used carpet for the majority of the public areas to create a quiet environment.

Innovations and Problem-Solving

During Winter Johnson Group’s construction of Metropolitan Library, the raised access flooring system presented concern because, once the mechanical system was installed under the floor, its position there made it vulnerable to the dust created by the constant travel of trade workers in and out of the building. The intensely dusty environment could have jeopardized the functioning of the HVAC and could have thereby delayed dry-in. Winter sought solutions for reducing the dust, and, among other things, decided to prioritize the pouring of the entrance slab. Once hardening of the entrance was complete, Winter required all foot traffic to enter the building by that main entrance.

When Winter Johnson Group completed construction, Fulton County, and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System could justifiably claim that their new and innovative branch library would be the envy of other branch libraries everywhere.

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