An homage to the site's use as a former grey iron foundry, the project's name represents its history and former productivity, as well as its capacity to be molded into a reimagined form with a variety of viable and exciting uses.
The Foundry is a departure from typical office space models and includes an on-site dining option to create a collaborative, campus-like feeling amongst its residents.
The project involved the demolition of most of the interior of a two-story, 6,000-square-foot brick building that dated back to 1907. Interior demolition work was also done on an attached 47,000-square-foot, one-story former steel fabricating plant that dated back to the 1950s.
During the demolition process, all grey iron components were sent to a local recycling facility to reduce the amount of debris sent to landfill facilities.
To achieve the aesthetic Treystar desired, solar tubes and clerestory windows were installed to support an increase in daylighting throughout the building and to reduce the amount of electricity needed for lighting. Each light fixture also has its own daylight sensor, which allows it to self-adjust during daylight hours to reduce energy consumption.
Recycled paint and reclaimed lumber were used for interior finishes, reducing the carbon footprint of the building.
The value that CSM Group brought to our project began during the site selection process your expert team carefully examined the site from a constructability point of view, advising us - the owner - at each step along the way. From there, CSM Group intentionally inserted critical personnel into the design process, again assisting the owner and design team with making important decisions at the design level. We both know that this keeps the owner's costs down and helps minimize the inevitable "surprise" in the field. I think an unintended, yet very important, benefit of this process is the beginning of the development of a team with a unified vision of the end product.
Also, CSM Group's bidding process is second to none. The pre-bid activities and meetings with all invited bidders set the tone for the project as a whole. The end result was a very well-informed group of bidders, each of whom were able to articulate the expectations of their specific packages with great clarity.