With spring arriving now is a great time to consider some exterior and energy improvements to your home or commercial property. Contact us for help evaluating your existing conditions and preparing a budget for improvements.

We have moved inside on the trenching project. All Flex uses all sorts of processing materials that they pipe from area to area. With installation of some new equipment they needed the existing concrete floor cut out and a concrete trench constructed. We’ve removed the floor and poured the base of the new trench and are ready to install the sides.

It really struck me how nice and light the home is. Even with cloudy skies and drizzle yesterday the house had a very warm feeling. Some areas, such as the staircase, are flooded with light creating an interplay of shadows and designs on the balusters. Other areas, such as the eating nook, create a real cozy feeling.

The kitchen incorporates honed black granite countertop work areas. Most of the granite countertops we install is polished. This honed surface doesn’t reflect light and creates a softer appearance. The honed dark granite creates a nice contrast with the lighter bamboo countertop used on the island.

The fireplace is a three-sided gas unit. It was not embellished with extra materials, just wrapped with oak to match the bookcases that surround the unit. Being able to view the fire from three sides is a nice feature.

We completely finished one elevator that we have been working on at Carleton College. The project involved a complete modernization of the existing elevator including a new car,hydraulic cylinder, controllers, equipment, doors, etc. The existing elevator had been a freight elevator only. These projects involve an incredible amount of work and coordination of trade partners and state elevator inspectors working with us. The end product looks great and will allow students and staff to use the elevator as a passenger elevator. Our work included locating and installing glazed clay tile blocks to match the existing work in some locations. The end product looks great and should serve the college well for decades.

But the new buildings do have some wonderful architecture. I especially liked the Marriott Marquis with a fantastic atrium. When you look up from the main level it is an absolutely spectacular sight. The undulating lines of the floor levels are beautiful. It has a very organic feel to it. The elevators operate on the ‘spine’ in this photograph.

The High Museum of Art has an atrium that creates a multitude of geometric designs. The glass roof on the structural supports allows the light to filter through to people sitting or walking below it.

The Westin hotel is another building with a lovely atrium area. The structural supports, while not transparent like the Marriott, create a truly breathtaking appearance with ambient lighting playing against the columns.

We did enjoy visiting the historic Fox theater. This is a 1920’s era movie house that was constructed using a Moorish theme common to theaters at that time. It is still in use as a theater hosting a wide range of productions.

I thought the ticket booth just off the front sidewalk was striking in its design and function, allowing easy access to all sides.

When we travel I always like to look at architecture. Atlanta is full of interesting buildings. Many of the large downtown buildings were designed by John Portman, a local architect. Portman has a legacy of buildings including several hotels. He has done a fabulous job making these big structures feel in scale for humans.  The Westin Hotel features an elevator on the exterior of the building. In 2008 Atlanta was hit by 130 mile per hour winds which damaged a lot of glass in the Westin Hotel. The exterior elevator was not in operation while the glass is being replaced. What an enormous task! The Westin also features an excellent restaurant at the top floor. It rotates slowly so you get a full panorama of Atlanta as you enjoy your meal. Ellen and I took at 6:00PM seating so we could watch the lights of Atlanta come on.

We spent a good chunk of time in the state capitol building. Their capitol has a large gold dome that can be seen for miles and miles when the sun shines on it. The interior of the building has a lot of Georgia marble and other stone and is quite lovely. The legislature was not in session, which gave me a chance to look over their House and Senate chambers. I had a wonderful chat with the House Sergeant at Arms. At 180 members the Georgia House is quite a bit larger than the Minnesota House, but their Senate is only 56 members.

One day we went to the Atlanta History Center. There is a 1850’s farmstead there that gives a real feeling of what life was like at that time and location. The corner detailing on the log walls was exceptional and appears to be in excellent condition after many decades of exposure.

We did most of our traveling by the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority…or MARTA. The underground trains were fast, clean and on time. We used the MARTA bus on the surface street for connecting links. One of the central downtown MARTA stations is fairly deep underground with a long escalator to take you up and down.

In a related elevator comment, Ellen and I were in downtown Minneapolis earlier this week. We stopped by to look at the Hennepin Central Library. I had not seen the building before and wanted to look at it. One of the impressive features is the two elevators that run up an interior courtyard. The elevators are all glass so you can watch things as you go up and down.

I also saw a lovely wooden arch that I believe was removed from an earlier library and relocated into this new building. The caring on the entry arch is remarkable.

The granite countertops were installed last week. An undermount stainless steel sink was incorporated into the granite countertops. Granite makes a wonderful countertop material. It tough, doesn’t scratch easily, and doesn’t absorb most liquids. I like the natural look of cut stone.

The owner selected cherry finished hardwood for the doors and trim in the condominiums. We installed a 15 light glass French door between the living room and the study. This allows light to pass through but keeps out sound when closed.

The bathroom in the unit incorporates a wall hung water closet. This is a very nice feature in that it makes cleaning the floor much easier. As in the other areas, the vanity is has a cherry finish.