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3rd Time Is Charmed

News Source · January 27, 2023 ·

In its third iteration, a small manufacturing building lets the light in.

In the late-1940s and early-1950s, a light suburban industrial area near Chicago’s O’Hare airport was developed and was dominated by masonry buildings. They tended to have low ceiling heights and had become old and obsolete. When the ceiling failed in one of those buildings, the previous owner constructed a metal building system over it like a tent, leavingthe lower walls in place. By 2019, though, that renovated building had fallen into disrepair.

Enter EJ Basler Co., a manufacturer of precision machined parts for the medical, automotive, plumbing, defense and other industries, which owned the facility next door. Instead of tearing down the old building, it called on Amstadter Architects. “The steel building had rigid bends with bar joists and splayed beams to create the trusses, covered with light-gauge metal siding,” says Marc Amstadter, principal at the Chicago-based firm. “The old roof had been torn off and you looked up through the old building into this building. If you can imagine someone plopping a steel building on top of and enveloping an old masonry building, that’s what it was.”

A RENOVATED RENOVATION

Since the steel structure was in good shape, Amstadter’s solution was to redo the metal building system, adding new cladding with insulated metal panels (IMPs). Both the metal building system and the IMPs were supplied by Ecosteel, Laguna Niguel, Calif., but the IMPs were manufactured by All Weather Insulated Panels, Vacaville, Calif.

That renovation caught the eyes of the Metal Architecture Design Award judges, and they honored the project with the award in the Renovation and Retrofit category. To determine the equipment used in the renovation, you can check that out here. Throughout the review, whenever a metal building system was discussed, the judges expressed the most enthusiasm for those projects that showed the metal building system as its own style, rather than a disguise of that style. The renovation of the EJ Basler facility definitely leaned into the idea of a metal building system. Award judge Mark Roddy, FAIA, says, “Looking at it from a systems perspective, the metal building system remained. It has new roofing, new skin. But the integrity of that system maintains.”

“Very frequently this is a project that architects have to deal with,” says Lee Calisti. “This is going to show up on my desk more than others might, and this project gives hope to the other ones out there that get skipped over or ignored. They took what was there and transformed the material.”

MORE THAN A RESKIN

The project did more than just reinforce and reskin an existing metal building. While the frame was in good condition, workers needed to replace girts and purlins. “All the cold-formed stuff needed replacing,” says Amstadter. “And it had to be reinforced against the wind. We couldn’t get enough diaphragm action out of the sandwich panels, so we had to add to the structure.”

The team poured a new slab over the existing slab of the 32,000-square-foot building and built an addition to the back to connect the building to EJ Basler’s existing production facility next door. It is also a metal building but on a different height, so the addition needed to be ramped to make theconnection.

A VIBRANT, EFFICIENT INTERIOR

The large clear spans (120 feet across) allowed for considerable flexibility in designing the shop floor and presented a freer movement of materials. Clerestory windows on the east and west walls provide plenty of natural light and the entire interior is painted white, giving it a fresh, clean, vibrant look. Amstadter points out that the lighting is set to 80% down.

The large curtain wall lets in the north-facing light, but EJ Basler also wanted it for marketing purposes. The company wanted its modern equipment to be visible from the street, showcasing its capabilities.

EJ Basler is part of the re-shoring of American manufacturing and has seen considerable growth over the last few years. Currently, it runs two to three shifts in its new, modern production facility and ships precision parts all over the world. It is such a hectic period that a major consideration for the renovation was making sure there was enough parking for employees.

Over the years, renovations account for about 30% of the construction market, but recently, the American Institute of Architects’ Architectural Billing Index had renovation activity at more than half of the market. As renovations become more constant, this type of project will become a regular occurrence.

“You get more bang for your buck,” says Calisti. “It’s less to work with and there’s quite a dramatic change.”

In renovation projects, the drama of the transformation is often exciting, and this transformation from a one-story masonry building to a dilapidated metal building system to a modern product facility has drama to spare.

Perhaps the highest praise though comes from Amstadter. “It’s a good, clean, honest building,” he says.

EJ Basler, Schiller Park, Ill.
Size: 32,000 square feet
Architect: Amstadter Architects, Chicago,
General contractor: Castelli Construction, Lombard, Ill.,
Metal building erector: Meco Steel Erection Inc., Morris, Ill.,
Insulated metal panels: All Weather Insulated Panels Inc., Vacaville, Calif.,
Metal building: Ecosteel, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
PHOTOS: PATSY MCENROE

Why Architects Love EcoSteel

dscott@ecosteel.com · November 4, 2022 ·

EcoSteel’s philosophy is to deliver a project that is more than just a steel structure, but an innovative concept for the future. We don’t believe in providing something off the shelf and expecting that it meets your needs. We work with you to engineer unique custom solutions tailored to fit goals, budgets, and timelines.

It’s nearly inevitable that a project requiring a metal building system will end up on the desk of an architect at some point in their life. Often, they are intimidated by the project because of their unfamiliarity.  Architects do not have curriculum related to metal buildings in their degree programs. Methods and materials are the closest subject, to learn more about the best materials to use just click here.  EcoSteel building systems provide unique solutions for architects and they come with extensive advantages. 

Leverage EcoSteel

Flexibility and customization; long-span, column-free spaces; speed of erection; and efficiency of the structure. Those advantages seem to be a common misunderstanding of metal building systems: that they are off-the-shelf solutions. In other words, the architect needs to design a one-story brew pub and puts in an order to a manufacturer who digs into its inventory and delivers the brew pub—with options of course. Pre-engineered buildings are not a product that is just sitting on a shelf.  EcoSteel buildings are completely custom and made for each project. Our buildings are custom solutions, and are ideal for anything from the simplest of structures to the most complex of designs. Metal buildings aren’t relegated to simple boxes anymore—they are versatile systems capable of the additions of stone, glass and architectural elements that make them suitable for high-end retail and office spaces. They are completely customizable to meet the requirements of any market. 

Because of these reasons, in recent years, architects have embraced metal buildings and they are more widely accepted. There is no ideal situation for a metal building because they are so versatile, but they serve extremely well for buildings with large open space requirements. 

Evolution

We understand that Architects need support every step of the way of their design project, from idea to implementation. We can help you with all stages of the process, from your initial conversation through to detailing & construction documents. Our teams have strong expertise in engineering and design, so we can solve those problems along the way sharing our 3D Revit and AutoCad models.

Our understanding of the versatility of metal building systems has evolved over the last 10 years as metal building systems have become more customized solutions. As the construction industry has grown more sophisticated, so have pre-engineered metal buildings. EcoSteel has evolved to meet industry demands by adopting advanced tools, practices and products. Because of their capability to supply building solutions for all markets, from retail to warehouse, to distribution and manufacturing, the market for metal buildings has never been better. 

Overall size of metal buildings has increased because of advancements in engineering. The ability to have large clear spans has allowed metal buildings to expand into markets such as recreation and aviation, where structures must not be inhibited by interior columns. Engineering tools, aesthetic enhancements, products and design advancements have all contributed to a more complex and modern metal building industry.

Design Sense

It is that design sense that has also evolved with metal buildings. More often than not, metal buildings that win awards are chosen because they express themselves as metal buildings. They don’t hide what they are. 

As EcoSteel buildings have become more sophisticated in their design, they have ironically become more like metal buildings. Our architect partners try to express its lightness and to be honest and authentic with it. There are many ways to customize it without creating too much complexity. EcoSteel has refined metal building systems to a point where they’re economical, efficient and often truly beautiful. They really just capture all the different aspects of what a building should be.

Safe Haven for People without Homes

dscott@ecosteel.com · July 1, 2022 ·

2022 DESIGN AWARDS WINNER – ECOSTEEL (1 of 2 Projects Awarded to EcoSteel).

A metal building system provides security and dignity for an at-risk population

By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director, Metal Architecture

In October 2018, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a plan to build 1,000 shelter beds by 2020 to help combat the city’s endemic homelessness. A survey conducted by the city in 2019 estimated that there were more than 8,000 individuals experiencing homelessness and approximately 5,180 living unsheltered on any given night. Sheltering that at-risk population was an important, if not dire, initiative.

Problem/Solution

As one of its solutions to the long-term, ongoing homeless issue, the city developed Navigation Centers with the first one opening in March 2015 and the model has evolved to what are now called SAFE Navigation Centers, which provide far more resources than just a shelter, including unique services needed to help them exit homelessness including health care, benefits counseling, mental health care, substance use treatment, employment services and housing assistance.

In January 2021, the Bayview SAFE Navigation Center opened in the shadow of Interstate 280 amidst an industrial district on the bay side with warehouses, concrete yards and lumber yards. For this building, the designers in the city of San Francisco Bureau of Architecture specified a metal building system, which was provided by Ecosteel, Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Joss Hudson, president of Ecosteel suggests that metal buildings are ideal solutions for housing the homeless because you don’t need to finish the interior with drywall, so the backing of insulated metal panels provide the interior wall finish. They can be erected incredibly fast and very inexpensively. In fact, the Bayview center was erected within a month, according to Michael Bullman, AIA, LEED AP, an associate architect in the Office of Charles F. Bloszies, FAIA, San Francisco, which served as the architect of record. “A metal building provides big open spaces, says Bullman. “It’s kind of a big tent that can be subdivided into big dormitory spaces and other spaces pretty easily.”

Scale and Dignity

The 23,000-square-foot shelter provides approximately 200 beds as well as community spaces for residents to gather. “It’s important for there to be a central gathering space,” says Bullman. “Living on the street can be pretty dangerous and residents have a tendency to hide in their rooms. But it’s important to get people reengaged in the community so they needed a space for that.”

Among many details, it is that space that caught the judges’ eyes. “It surprised me,” says judge Rand Elliott, FAIA, president of Rand Elliott Architects, Oklahoma City. “Using metal building parts like they should be used. Taking the parts, rearranging them, using them for what they do best, which is simple volume, structural integrity and that sort of thing and making a space that is friendly. That’s human. This could be a brewery someplace. This could be a great restaurant someplace or any number of things, using a standard kit of parts and raising it to a whole other level. Even the paint color is soothing. It looks like a place you’d hang out with your friends.”

“I’ve never seen anything done like this with a courtyard,” says judge Mark Roddy, FAIA, principal of Mark Roddy Architects, Sacramento, Calif. “It’s a nice use of materials, durable. This building is unapologetic. It’s not pretending that it’s not a metal building.”

Judge Lee Calisti, AIA, principal, Lee CALISTI architecture+design, Greensburg, Pa., expands on that idea. “They didn’t modify it a lot. They didn’t run from what it is and how it normally manifests itself. They just arranged it in a way that the building itself almost becomes recessive to the spaces it creates. It’s a reflection of the users. It says, “We’re real people struggling with real issues and so is the building.’”

Human Scale

The courtyard caught much of the judges’ attention and the way the rooflines folded in to create a more human scale space was especially noteworthy. High walls with shed roofs would have felt restrictive, but the outdoor space, with its string of lights and small walk area for dogs, provides an environment that is respectful and invigorating, yet still secure. “This particular design was very perceptive,” says Bullman. “The enclosed space is protective. Calling it a brewpub space is a good way to think about it.”

The metal building design was not only perceptive but practical. “These centers get their fair share of abuse,” says Bullman, “and the metal panels can hold up to it.”

His firm picked up the design after schematics were completed by the city. It had worked on a couple of previous navigation centers so it was familiar with the city’s needs. “Programmatically, we tweaked the city’s design,” says Bullman. “We adjusted it based on furniture, etc., as well as did all the detailing such as coordinating the MEP work. We did things like adjust the window location to work with the furniture.”

Ecosteel provided the entire building including the insulated metal panels, manufactured by All Weather Insulated Panels Inc., Vacaville, Calif. Quality Erectors & Construction Inc., Benicia, Calif., erected it.

Third Time is Charmed for Metal Building System

dscott@ecosteel.com · July 1, 2022 ·

2022 DESIGN AWARDS WINNER – ECOSTEEL (2 of 2 Projects Awarded to EcoSteel).

In its third iteration, a small manufacturing building lets the light in

By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director, Metal Architecture

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a light suburban industrial area near Chicago’s O’Hare airport was developed and was dominated by masonry buildings. They tended to have low ceiling heights and had become old and obsolete. When the ceiling failed in one of those buildings, the previous owner constructed a metal building system over it like a tent, leaving the lower walls in place. By 2019, though, that renovated building had fallen into disrepair.

Enter EJ Basler Co., a manufacturer of precision machined parts for the medical, automotive, plumbing, defense and other industries, which owned the facility next door. Instead of tearing down the old building, it called on Amstadter Architects. “The steel building had rigid bends with bar joists and splayed beams to create the trusses, covered with light-gauge metal siding,” says Marc Amstadter, principal at the Chicago-based firm. “The old roof had been torn off and you looked up through the old building into this building. If you can imagine someone plopping a steel building on top of and enveloping an old masonry building, that’s what it was.”

A Renovated Renovation

Since the steel structure was in good shape, Amstadter’s solution was to redo the metal building system, adding new cladding with insulated metal panels and aluminum siding. Both the metal building system and the IMPs were supplied by Ecosteel, Laguna Niguel, Calif., but the IMPs were manufactured by All Weather Insulated Panels, Vacaville, Calif.

That renovation caught the eyes of the Metal Architecture Design Award judges, and they honored the project with the award in the Renovation and Retrofit category. When looking for new design ideas remember that Retractable awnings give you the flexibility of storing them away or putting them out for shelter from the weather.

Throughout the review, whenever a metal building system was discussed as well as a much needed addition of a heating system from newcastleairconditioning.co.uk. The judges expressed the most enthusiasm for those projects that showed the metal building system as its own style, rather than a disguise of that style. The renovation of the EJ Basler facility definitely leaned into the idea of a metal building system. Award judge Mark Roddy, FAIA, principal of Mark Roddy Architects, Sacramento, Calif., says, “Looking at it from a systems perspective, the metal building system remained. It has new roofing, new skin. But the integrity of that system maintains.” If you consider a similar remodel would be suitable for your business or home, Check out this site to find out how soon you should clean your roof again after installing a new one.

“Very frequently this is a project that architects have to deal with,” says Lee Calisti, AIA, principal, Lee CALISTI architecture+design, Greensburg, Pa. “This is going to show up on my desk more than others might, and this project gives hope to the other ones out there that get skipped over or ignored. They took what was there and transformed the material.”

More than a Reskin

The project did more than just reinforce and reskin an existing metal building. While the frame was in good condition, workers needed to replace girts and purlins. “All the cold-formed stuff needed replacing,” says Amstadter. “And it had to be reinforced against the wind. We couldn’t get enough diaphragm action out of the sandwich panels, so we had to add to the structure.”

The team poured a new slab over the existing slab of the 32,000-square-foot building and built an addition to the back to connect the building to EJ Basler’s existing production facility next door. It is also a metal building but on a different height, so the addition needed to be ramped to make the connection.

A Vibrant, Efficient Interior

The large clear spans (120 feet across) allowed for considerable flexibility in designing the shop floor and presented a freer movement of materials. Clerestory windows on the east and west walls finished by a local commercial plasterer provide plenty of natural light and the entire interior is painted white, giving it a fresh, clean, vibrant look. Amstadter points out that the lighting is set to 80% down.

The large curtainwall lets in the north-facing light, but EJ Basler also wanted it for marketing purposes. The company wanted its modern equipment to be visible from the street, showcasing its capabilities.

EJ Basler is part of the re-shoring of American manufacturing and has seen considerable growth over the last few years. Currently, it runs two to three shifts in its new, modern production facility and ships precision parts all over the world. It is such a hectic period that a major consideration for the renovation was making sure there was enough parking for employees for which they need a Repainting Car Park company.

Over the years, renovations account for about 30% of the construction market, but recently, the American Institute of Architects’ Architectural Billing Index had renovation activity at more than half of the market. As renovations become more constant, this type of project will become a regular occurrence.

“You get more bang for your buck,” says Calisti. “It’s less to work with and there’s quite a dramatic change.”

In renovation projects, the drama of the transformation is often exciting, and this transformation from a one-story masonry building to a dilapidated metal building system to a modern product facility has drama to spare.

Perhaps the highest praise though comes from Amstadter. “It’s a good, clean, honest building,” he says.

EcoSteel Helping Keep Real Estate Firm on the Grow

Caroline Stenze · February 28, 2022 ·

The Brody Broker Team with Keller Williams Olympic in Sequim, Wash. has grown by leaps and bounds. The surge in folks choosing to relocate to Washington State, coupled with an increase in staff to meet that demand, has convinced team owner-CEO Brody Broker to seek entirely new office space. For reasons ranging from energy efficiency to timing, he has chosen a steel building from EcoSteel to house his company’s offices.

The choice of EcoSteel is very important for The Brody Broker Team. Its current growth, along with its potential for additional expansion in the coming years, demands a building flexible enough to grow right alongside the company. The Brody Broker Team is the number one team on the Olympic Peninsula, focusing not only upon Sequim, but on its neighboring cities of Port Angeles and Port Townsend. It has boomed not only because of its experience in all the options available to buyers in the North Olympic Peninsula — whether farmland, waterfront, lakefront, city living, mountain or valley living – but due to its leader’s own reputation as top-selling individual REALTOR® in Sequim since 2006.

“Our company is growing very quickly, and we’re out of space,” Broker recently reported. “So the quicker we can decide on a space, the more money we save by having a space we can expand into. What attracted me to EcoSteel in the first place was that the company was willing to work with us to create the design. And the company also was able to produce a cost estimate quicky . . . Within days of sending them our architect’s drawings, they’d given us a cost estimate.

“The process would have taken a month longer, had [a conventional builder] had to bid the construction project out to all individual subcontractors and get cost estimates from each of them for a viable project.”

The new building, as planned, will be a single-story retail structure encompassing about 9,200 square feet in size and featuring a single-pitch roof. Replicating the look of a frame building, the aesthetics will call for brick red and steel grey exterior colors, with a medley of dark accents incorporated. The project is still in the permitting stage, but ground is expected to be broken for construction in February or March of 2022.

“It’s definitely a better way to build,” Broker says. “It will be the first metal building we’ve done. We’ve done a lot of wood frame buildings but haven’t yet done metal.”

Choosing steel
The Brody Broker Team expects it and Keller Williams Olympic will occupy the center 6,000 square feet of the building. That will leave two end caps on either side. One of those sides will be occupied by a coffee shop, the other by a property management firm unaffiliated with Keller Williams. The center will be divided into four spaces, one filled by the Brody Broker Team, the others by Keller Williams Olympic. “There are no interior walls that are structural,” Broker says. “We will not need the entire space, and that will allow us to be very flexible, using as much space as we need when we need it . . . It’s just a really simple, clean, modern design focused on energy efficiency and flexibility.”

Broker’s choice of a steel building from EcoSteel rested on several key considerations.

Simplified construction
The efficiency of a steel building extends to the building process itself, which is uncomplicated and low cost, Broker says. Steel greatly simplifies construction because separate framers, roofers, insulators and painters needn’t be hired. “You save a ton of money on interior drywall,” Broker says. “You only build your interior partition walls, so you don’t have to invest in drywall as recommended by home builder Donvale contractors. The number of trades is greatly reduced due to the simplicity of the building. We will have a lifetime finish on our roof, a lifetime finish on our walls, and we believe that will save us money over the life of the building.”

Reduced maintenance
Companies and private individuals using EcoSteel have cited maintenance freedom as a key determinant in their choice. Because steel is an inorganic material, it is impervious to warping, rotting, splitting, cracking or infestation by termites. Like many others, Broker deemed low maintenance cost a deciding factor in his decision to build a steel office building. Extent of maintenance is reduced to little more than pressure washing the building and cleaning the gutters, he says, adding, “You don’t have to repaint or reroof. Your replacement cost of individual components is way lower over time as well.”

Natural disaster resistant
Mother Nature’s growing wrath has been more than evident in a spate of horrific natural disasters many have attributed to climate change. Steel structures have been proven to be less affected by natural disaster than traditional materials. “We don’t really experience wildfires here,” Broker commented. “But the earthquake protection is a consideration because metal buildings stand up better to earthquakes.”

Energy efficiency
The thermal insulated wall panels EcoSteel uses in its metal buildings contribute to the building’s energy efficiency, Broker says. “With the thermal insulated wall panel, you eliminate thermal bridging,” he observes. “That’s what you see when you look at a building in the winter, and you can see where the roof trusses are under the roof. Or you walk into a house and look at the walls with an infrared camera and can see each stud transmitting heat from the interior building to the outdoors. With a steel building, you eliminate thermal bridging by not having any structural members internal to wall panels.”

Looking ahead
The Brody Broker Team expects the new EcoSteel building will initially be the hub for 75 or 80 of its team members. The building’s flexibility will be critical in accommodating the team’s rapid expansion, which is anticipated to bring the team up to 100 employees within a year who have clear the pros and cons of wholesale real estate. What he’s seen of EcoSteel thus far has convinced him he will be using the company’s services to build additional structures in the near future.

“EcoSteel has been great,” he remarks. “I’m building some apartment buildings within the next 90 to 180 days, and actually looking at doing those buildings using EcoSteel, as well as also buying their steel components for my own home.”

SOURCE:
Brody Broker, owner and CEO
The Brody Broker Team
Keller Williams Olympic, Sequim, WA
360-477-9665
brody@brodybroker.com

Martire Family Arena | Sacred Heart University

Caroline Stenze · February 17, 2022 ·

A $70 million Sacred Heart University ice hockey and skating arena has commenced construction on the university’s West Campus in Fairfield, Conn. The arena is the future home of the Sacred Heart University Pioneers Division I men’s and women’s hockey teams, which are members of Atlantic Hockey. Also to serve the university’s men’s club team and figure skating team, the arena is slated for a first puck drop in January 2023. When looking to hire renovating contractors for project like this one, If you need custom roofing construction, give Greenway Roofing a call.

As supplier of the building’s all-important exterior steel panels, EcoSteel is playing a key role in making this dream come true for the Sacred Heart University (SHU) men’s and women’s pucksters, as well as other university ice sport participants. To bet on such athletes, you can head out to sites like 아리아카지노.

Measuring 122,158 square feet, with an NHL-standard 85-by-200-foot rink, the new arena incorporates cutting-edge ice management technology. State-of-the-art locker rooms and top shelf strength and conditioning amenities are featured, as are a hydrotherapy suite, rapid-shot puck room designed for off-ice training and spaces for film study, meetings and relaxing. The university’s acclaimed figure skating team will leverage a pro-motion training harness and locker room of Olympic quality.

The arena will also serve as learning laboratory of sorts for those pursuing educational internships and graduate assistantships in the well-regarded SHU academic disciplines of sports management and marketing, sports communication and media and hospitality.

Concerts and guest lectures will be held in the facility, and hours of open skating will be reserved for students, professors, administrators and members of the community.

Distinctive look sought

When it came to choosing a company to fabricate the steel building materials used in the structure’s exterior, the architect of record chose EcoSteel from a number of other steel panel manufacturers and suppliers to provide the 16,000 square feet of metal panels featured in the exterior cladding of the arena. The building’s exterior includes an extensive elevation of aluminum curtain wall and glazing. Wherever those materials are not featured, EcoSteel panels are being installed.

“We have not worked with EcoSteel in the past,” says Matthew Buechele, with
Advanced Performance Glass, Inc., the project manager.

“EcoSteel typically does structures, but on this particular project, EcoSteel is only
providing the panels. These are three-inch insulated metal wall panels with a one inch reveal. The design team was adamant that there be a one-inch reveal in between the panels, and EcoSteel was the one company that could provide that.”

Asked why a one-inch reveal was needed, Buechele did not hesitate. “A lot of times architects just want a certain look. And I think this is going to look very cool. Typically, you have an eighth-inch reveal, and with a one-inch reveal it will have a distinctive look.”

Aside from EcoSteel’s involvement, the project has not been without obstacles. As they have been throughout the recent past, material lead times have proven challenging. The project team has been forced to proactively order materials ahead of a typical schedule.

And because the parcel on which the arena will be built is a smaller job site, staging of construction materials and supplies hasn’t been easy. “The space is limited. The West Campus is very close to the Main Campus, and it’s on a hillside,” Buechele says.

Very responsive

The installation of the EcoSteel wall panels, which stood at about a 25 percent completion mark when Buechele granted an interview, has proven a welcome respite from other headwinds often associated with construction projects. “I haven’t heard any complaints from the installers about quality or installation ease,” Buechele says.

“The installation of the EcoSteel is going very well. I’ve been dealing with [EcoSteel’s] David Scott, who’s been very responsive. EcoSteel has been very good to work with.”

The arena development and construction has involved a collaboration of several
partners in addition to EcoSteel. That collaboration features JLG Architects, the SLAM Collaborative, Dimensional Innovations and Consigli Construction.

When the inaugural first pucks get dropped on Saturday, January 14, 2023, two
nationally recognized and iconic collegiate hockey programs, Boston College and Sacred Heart University, will battle for dominance. And EcoSteel will be there as a proud part of a facility serving as a testament to the host university’s commitment to ice hockey, figure skating and indeed all ice sports – now and for decades to come.

Decision on How to Build ADU as Easy as A-B-C

News Source · January 19, 2022 ·

Craig Conway isn’t yet quite sure how he and his wife Alena will utilize the Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (ADU) they’re about to build on their property in Vista, Calif. They may use it as a guest house for relatives when they come to visit. They might rent the microhome to a tenant. Another possibility could find them living in the home themselves.

But while they’re not positive about the eventual use of the ADU, they are certain about the material they will use to build the structure. The ADU will be constructed of steel from EcoSteel, a decision both Conway and the contractor he selected heartily endorse.

“I’ve always been interested in steel construction myself,” Conway says. “My last home, in Washington [State], had all-metal siding and a metal roof recently remodeled with help from experts you can also hire at https://alfredsroofingwa.com/services/roof-repair/. It was a great way to go. Steel is a very clean way to build. You don’t have to paint it as often. The maintenance needed is much less, especially on the roof. It just made more sense to me.”

As designed, the home Conway will have built early in 2022 will measure about 800 square feet in size. Upon entering the home, visitors will step into an entrance hallway, and from there into a kind of miniature “great room” featuring the living room, kitchen and kitchen preparation island, Conway says. Two bedrooms will be placed on either side of the kitchen area, with the master bedroom to the left and guest bedroom to the right. The home will feature two bathrooms, including one for the master bedroom.

As might be expected of a home in sunny Southern California, the design will offer huge windows expressly intended to flood the interior of the residence with abundant natural light. The living room will benefit from sweeps of sunshine beaming in through sliding glass doors that divide the interior from the inviting concrete front deck outside.

Because the ADU will be constructed on a slope, Conway and his builder faced some engineering challenges in designing the home. A concrete base with a seven- to eight- foot-tall retaining wall is part of the home support. The final touch is a garage with a workshop and sealed by one of the Bi Fold Doors. Detached from the ADU, the garage will be constructed of concrete.

After thoroughgoing consideration, the colors of the residence have been chosen. The home’s exterior will be of a light gray, with a darker gray accent on the framing of the house, we will just have to hire local services like Premier Property Maintenance to keep it clear during winter. The interiors will be what Conway calls ”basic sheetrock white.” A light-colored roof will reflect the intense Southern California sunlight to help keep the home cool.

The size of the ADU was chosen with particular attention to California building codes. “It’s very tough building in California right now, due to the pandemic,” Conway explains. “Any home you build has to go through permitting and all the administrative process of getting the building approved. But it can be easier with ADUs. There are ADUs at certain square footage levels that are almost pre-permitted or can be permitted very quickly. They have to be less than 1,200 square feet. That is the current law.”

Aesthetically pleasing

Much like other builders and end users who choose steel buildings from EcoSteel,
Conway identified one advantage after another provided by the company’s steel. The beautiful aesthetics available today in steel structures represent the first such benefit. “Everybody here does the adobe look,” Conway says, referring to the San Diego area, of which Vista is a part. “And I can’t stand the adobe look. EcoSteel has done a great job with the side paneling and their roofing, to give it a nice, modern, home-like look.”

While EcoSteel is chosen to construct a great many industrial buildings, when it comes to residences, the company is able to deliver homes with a look anything but industrial in appearance, Conway adds. “They have three different levels of texture, and I want a little bit of texture to hide any scratches,” he remarks. “This just fits the bill.”

Superior value

Value proved another factor Conway took into consideration when deciding on a steel building. “Unfortunately, materials right now are a big issue” in building, he says. “When you build a house of wood, you have all sorts of scrap during the building process. But when you build a steel house, everything is built to measure in advance. You don’t have wasted materials. We don’t anticipate waste on our EcoSteel home.”

Also worth considering is the cost of wood, which is anything but low at current prices. “Wood is not cheap, and steel is not cheap,” Conway says philosophically. “But if you weigh the choice at current prices, steel is closer to wood than ever.”

Built-in durability

Yet another consideration in Conway’s choice of EcoSteel was resistance to natural
disasters, of which California has had more than its share in recent years. In Vista,
situated about 45 miles north of San Diego, homes and buildings are vulnerable to
winds from the east that can swiftly carry wildfires, Conway says. “I’ve heard from
neighbors that about 6 or 8 years ago, there was a fire in the valley next to us,” he adds.

“Besides fire, there are earthquakes down here. With steel you’re ahead of the game in maintaining your structure when an earthquake strikes. Wood breaks. Steel does not. If steel breaks, we’re all in trouble.” EcoSteel’s well-known resistance to the rot, mold, warping and splitting that plagues many wood structures was another consideration. “In terms of maintenance, we come out ahead,” Conway says.

Asked when he believed his new EcoSteel Auxiliary Dwelling Unit will be completed, Conway answers with a laugh, “I’d like to be in the home tomorrow.” More realistically he is optimistic about obtaining building permits by the first week of 2022. He doesn’t believe construction of the microhome will take any longer than four to six months. That means the residence should be ready for occupancy by early summer.

“At age 70, this is the last home I intend to build, especially in the ADU style,” Conway says. “There are lots of ADU makers. But steel like this in an ADU is really new. I think it will really catch on well, and I think EcoSteel is on the right path.”

Mission Vision

News Source · July 4, 2021 ·

EcoSteel was recently featured in FF Journal as the cover showcase article.

From homeless shelters to mixed-use spaces, prefab steel microhomes are changing how Americans live and work.

From homeless shelters to residential communities, eco-friendly, prefab steel is changing the face of an industry with attractive, affordable housing

In the U.S., San Francisco is the undisputed king of tech IPOs with startups securing more than $31 billion in early stage venture capital funding between 2010 and 2020. Last year, the city was also recognized by the Wealth-X report as the third city in the world with the most billionaires—77 to be exact. Iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, along with Chinatown, the San Francisco Giants, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Maritime National Historic Park make the Bay Area an eclectic mix of cultural, entertainment and commercial attractions. The city is also a dichotomy of the rich and homeless.

The Bay Area Council Homelessness 2019 Report identified San Francisco’s homeless crisis as one of the worst in the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the Bay Area to conduct a biannual Point-in-Time Count Report of those experiencing homelessness. San Francisco’s 2019 “blitz count” totaled 8,035 people, up 17 percent from 2017.

Due to COVID-19 conditions, HUD was exempted from providing a 2021 head count. Job loss, alcohol and drug use, and mental health issues are some of the contributing factors to homelessness but lack of affordable housing remains at the top of the list. It’s a situation that Joss Hudson, owner of Laguna Niguel, California-based EcoSteel Building Systems, is all too familiar with. Jeff Kositsky, director of San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, told the Bay Area Council that “Homelessness in San Francisco will never be solved as long as the city is surrounded by 15,000 unsheltered people in the neighboring counties.”

STEEL AND SKIN
Fixing a multifaceted problem like homelessness is complicated at best. EcoSteel’s pre-engineered commercial-grade steel structures proved an ideal choice for San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) when the agency launched plans to build the Bayview Safe Navigation Center. The project was plagued by poor soil conditions, minimal electrical infrastructure, a small budget and a short delivery window. The shelter also needed cosmetic appeal that fit the zone-approved industrial space. The location put the structure a few hundred feet away from a major highway overpass, which dictated requirements for sound deadening material. EcoSteel’s panelized construction featured an insulated roof and wall panel system capable of shutting out traffic noise. The panels and frame were fabricated simultaneously with construction of the foundation for quick assembly and installation. Building and labor costs were reduced. The durable, energy-efficient 25,000-sq.-ft. center opened in March 2021 and can house up to 203 individuals.


Unlike traditional stick-built construction, the company’s value-added “steel-and-skin” building systems and software-driven fabrication is carving a new niche in economical residential housing and giving local fabricators and steel contractors access to the market for the first time.

Hudson’s affinity for the iron and carbon alloy and his understanding of the unique benefits steel buildings offer was forged at a young age. “My family was in real estate and development in Delaware,” he says. “As a result, I was educated in all aspects of site planning, roads, sewers, construction, sales and building rentals. My family also owned a mobile home park. I learned a lot about modular construction during new mobile home setups.”

His concept of steel buildings as houses began to take shape in the late 1990s. “I dabbled in research and development for 1,000-sq.-ft. to 1,200-sq.-ft. eco-cottages to test the small building market,” he continues. “One of the biggest problems was labor. You still have to meet all of the same code standards you would have to comply with if you were building a 5,000-sq.-ft. multimillion-dollar home. You can’t cut out the contractor if you want your certificate of occupancy.

Ideas for a modern Sears home kit assembled by the property owner were evaluated and discarded. Hudson established EcoSteel in 2004 and developed a 10-step Prefab Sequence to bring his metal MicroHomes to market.

SANCTUARY
“The goal is to shelter people with high-quality, sustainable housing that can withstand termites, rot and extreme weather,” he says. “The question I had to answer was how to make steel housing affordable to the masses. To reduce construction and labor costs, we created smaller structures. We made our tiny homes more energy efficient and identified ways to minimize maintenance.”

EcoSteel aligned itself with architects to pilot a path through permitting requirements and the administrative details associated with design and construction. The company developed a nationwide network of manufacturing locations and commercial steel contractors. It also built a library of certified components that can be assembled with standard tools, very much “like an Erector set.”

While sustainability and quick installation are key priorities, the MicroHomes with a minimalist flair don’t skimp on performance, versatility or aesthetics. The company combines proven steel construction methods with 3D engineering and modeling using Building Information Management (BIM). The platform employs structured, multidisciplinary data to create and manage information for a built asset from planning and design to construction.

“Our clear-span curtain wall structure eliminates the need for load bearing interior walls,” says Hudson. “The technique frees up space and makes creative, cutting-edge designs possible with interesting metal building details.” Using steel made from more than 75 percent recycled materials, MicroHomes can move from concept to occupancy in as little as 90 days. Construction begins with pre-cut, predrilled I-beams for rapid, on-site assembly. Fire resistant and able to withstand winds up
to 150 miles per hour, the small structures or accessory dwelling units (ADU) can be tailored to myriad uses.

In 2019, five bills were signed into law making ADUs more accessible to homeowners and renters in the state of California. “Every property has room for an accessory dwelling,” says Hudson. “It can be a he- or she-shed, an alternative to assisted living for an elder, a guest house, private space for college kids that come home to visit, or it can provide a potential income opportunity as a rental.” California regulators think ADUs offer one solution to the state’s housing crisis.

AFFORDABLE
Hudson believes the affordable housing initiative can help break open a new market for steel fabricators. “Residential housing is a huge market that steel contractors have not been able to access before,” he says.

The Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu said in a year-end webinar that he believed that the U.S. economy will “come back hard in 2021.” The U.S. Census Bureau and HUD reported new residential construction statistics for April 2021. Building permits were posted at 1,760,000, up 0.3 percent from March 2021 and 60.9 percent above April 2020’s rate of 1,094,000. Privately owned housing starts in April were listed at 1,569,000, 67.3 percent above the April 2020 rate of 938,000. Housing completions were recorded at a rate of 1,449,000, 21.7 percent higher than the April 2020 rate of 1,191,000.

Michelle Meisels, Deloitte’s engineering and construction practice leader, also forecasts pent-up demand for 2021. Deloitte reported trends that point to the market becoming more competitive for subcontractors. General contractors are expected to bring more work in house that would previously have been farmed out.

Today EcoSteel’s iconic construction systems are being used for commercial, residential, multifamily and mixed-use projects across the country. Whether a MicroHome, a coffee shop, a custom steel and glass office building, a prefab steel farmhouse, observatory, or prefab steel loft apartments, the versatility of EcoSteel’s signature methodology is poised to help subcontractors and general contractors pursue nontraditional growth paths.

“Landscape contractors are also underserved,” says Hudson. “They are already performing light construction. With some education and training, this group of professionals could install a MicroHome on a landscape contract just like the Marietta landscaping company.”

NEW AVENUES
Education is the next natural evolutionary step for EcoSteel. The company’s hot rolled steel primary frames and cold rolled secondary frames are either laser cut or waterjet sliced and fabricated on roll formers. Wall and roof panels are filled with non-CFC polyisocyanurate foam and manufactured with a uniform pressure lamination process that bonds metal facings to procured insulating rigid foam cores. Once the cores pass inspection, they are cut to tolerance with a laser-guided saw. Interlocking wall and roof panels easily adapt to different design themes. Metal building trim and interlocking exterior panels eliminate thermal gaps and provide a dry, lockable shell for finish contractors.

“Very few high schools and colleges are focused on the skill sets required for building and construction,” says Hudson. “We are unrolling plans to establish an EcoSteel University that can educate landscape and building contractors to fabricate at a local level. Then we want to take a free online education program to the high schools where we’ll teach participants how to design, engineer and install a steel micro unit.”

A webcam-supported Zoom platform allows EcoSteel to connect with project partners and clients across the nation. “Today’s building projects need the perfect combination of energy efficiency, creative versatility and reduced construction cost,” says Hudson. “But a solid construction team and the right relationships are just as important, whether we’re partnering with a customer, training contractors or helping equip young kids to breathe new life and fresh ideas into an important trade.”

Reprinted from FFJournal® July 2021
Copyright Trend Publishing Inc.

View the pdf here

Couple fulfills dream with Café ZunZun opening in Cypress, CA

News Source · June 10, 2021 ·

The architect designed the building to simulate the wings of a ZunZun or the zunzuncito hummingbird with a gutter that protrudes from the roof like the bill of the bird.



Joel Castellanos and Pascale Petronin have taken their love of coffee from their kitchen at home to their own cafe in Cypress on 12716 Telge Road beside Creekwood Grill. It was that same love for the cup of joe that united the couple some 30 years ago in marital bliss and while the two are from different countries, their introduction came from java.

We come from two cultures that socialize a lot around food,” Petronin said. “We’ve always been attracted by how we could keep this culture going. When we moved to the U.S. 20 years ago, that was the one thing we were missing the most.”

In 2015 they put a down payment on their dream with the purchase of some land on Telge Road. With their land bought, they researched a company that would help them build a sustainable building and fulfill their wishes for a uniquely designed space.

Our building was designed and built by a company based in California called EcoSteel. We are one of their pet projects and probably one of their first for a small commercial space,” she added.

Read the article here >

San Francisco Homeless Find Shelter, Thanks to EcoSteel

News Source · March 10, 2021 ·

SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel

San Francisco, like a number of major urban areas across the country, faces a serious and growing homeless crisis. Precisely 8,035 homeless people were counted during a 2019 “point-in-time” street and shelter count. This represented an increase of more than 14 percent from a similar count of the city’s homeless in 2017.

This situation calls for more shelters for unhoused San Franciscans. Those shelters must be constructed affordably and quickly, and must feature quality construction. For all those reasons, the natural choice for the city’s newest shelter was EcoSteel.

The Bayview Safe Navigation Center, located at 1925 Evans Ave. in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, is owned by the city and county of San Francisco. A navigation center differs from a homeless shelter in that it is a short-term stay center, says Baris Lostuvalli, the Pankow Builders project executive. The name refers to helping people try to navigate life. Those entering the center can bring in their three Ps: Pets, partner and possessions. And they can stay up to three months, Lostuvalli says.

This center is operated and managed by the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). The department works through San Francisco Public Works to design and construct capital projects, reports Rachel Alonso, owner’s representative and project manager for the San Francisco Department of Public Works.

Officially unveiled in February, the one-story Bayview Safe Navigation Center measures almost 25,000 square feet in size. It is designed to accommodate 203 unhoused individuals at any one time. But due to current COVID-19 social distancing protocols, the shelter will initially limit occupancy to 115 people. The building of the center is one component of a larger initiative announced in 2019 by San Francisco Mayor London Breed. That plan called for the creation of 1,000 new shelter beds by end of 2020.

Prior to the shelter’s construction, the site on which it was built served as a surface parking lot within a highly industrial city neighborhood. The owner, the California Department of Transportation, also known as CalTrans, had leased it to a private company, which used the land parcel to provide prearranged private parking

Challenges aplenty

San Francisco, California

The building of the navigation center required the construction team to overcome several challenges. Not the least of those hurdles was meeting the expedited schedule and tight budget parameters imposed on such projects by the city, Alonso says.

“Site conditions were also very challenging,” she adds. “The poor quality of the soil forced us to be creative with the foundation of the site. Failing to be creative would accelerate sinking of the structure. There was also minimal electrical infrastructure in place, which meant we had to trench all the way a block up Evans Ave., and half a block down Toland St. to connect our building to a power pole.”

From the perspective of EcoSteel founder Joss Hudson, the biggest hurdle presented by the project was creating an attractive-looking building that at its core had to ultimately be utilitarian in nature. “We had a very low budget, a high demand and it had to be completed quickly,” he remembers. “The challenge was creating a low-cost, attractive building that could provide decades of use and be delivered quickly.”

“The challenge was creating a low-cost, attractive building that could provide decades of use and be delivered quickly.”

Two other obstacles appeared somewhat at odds with one another. Because it would be part of an industrial zone, it had to fit that aesthetic. However, that location placed the building within a couple hundred feet of a major highway overpass, which happened to be an overpass under which homeless people lived. That necessitated sound deadening building materials. The panelized construction, featuring insulated roof and wall panels, allowed the building to mitigate overhead traffic sounds, Hudson explains.

Benefits of steel

SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel

Especially when compared to new construction, steel construction from EcoSteel “was definitely at the right price point,” Alonso says. “And we were able to erect the building quickly. The panels and frame could be fabricated while the site work was going on and we were building the foundation, which allowed the schedule to be expedited.”

“was definitely at the right price point,” Alonso says. “And we were able to erect the building quickly.

Alonso adds the EcoSteel structure is very durable and provides a level of quality, she says, that “you don’t always see in earlier shelter construction. It doesn’t seem like it will fall apart or deteriorate. The building will take a lot of wear and tear, so it was important we built a shelter that would withstand that kind of wear and tear.”

Lostuvalli was also highly impressed with the benefits. “EcoSteel provided something really interesting, which was the pre-engineered system,” he says. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel; it was ready to go. Having a partner like EcoSteel allowed us to go fast. Because EcoSteel provided both the structural steel and the exterior cladding system, we were able to finalize a very big percentage of the building with one vendor. Most steel systems provide just the structure. EcoSteel provides both, a big plus.”

Another key participant, architect Mike Bullman, also liked that aspect of the work. “It was a benefit to have EcoSteel handle the structure and envelope,” says Bullman, AIA, an associate in the firm of Charles F. Bloszies in San Francisco. “It’s about making something simple and nice looking, but also conserving cost and time . . . EcoSteel handled all the details, which benefitted the schedule.”

EcoSteel handled all the details, which benefitted the schedule.”

Matching solution

Lostuvalli reports he “would absolutely recommend EcoSteel,” and is actually doing so as he begins work on a future project. “EcoSteel is a completely integrated steel-and- skin solution,” he adds. “You don’t have to get steel from one side and skin from another side, and then find they don’t match. These do match because you get them from one vendor. All those coordination problems you have in other buildings? We didn’t have that here. That’s a big gain. And the EcoSteel solution is very price competitive. 

“Let me put it this way. For us, it was an optimal solution, one that optimized the cost-effectiveness, schedule and performance. That was EcoSteel.”

  • SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel
  • SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel
  • SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel
  • SF Navigation Center for EcoSteel
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