Top Project Honors for Walsh Bishop
Finance and Commerce recently awarded “Top Project” honors to two Walsh Bishop projects: Norman Pointe II and CW Lofts. According to Finance and Commerce Editor Michael Krieger, these awards are the first in what is planned to be an annual tradition of honors for MInnesota’s most innovative developers, contractors and architects.
Norman Pointe II is a class “A” speculative multi-tenant office building and the first in Minnesota to achieve LEED Core and Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building is a ten-story, 322,000 square foot building constructed with a precast and clear glass curtain wall. In fact, one of the design priorities was to allow plenty of natural light to reach the interior of each floor. This serves the dual purpose of providing energy conservation along with more pleasant work areas. Other factors that resulted in the LEED certification include recycling rooms on each floor and wood materials that meet Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines.
This next generation office building has been designed to be more energy efficient and provide healthier work environments with leading edge technology. Each tenant and guest enters the building through an indoor park that includes a five-story waterfall. The park’s amenties include seating areas complete with WI-FI and flat screen TVs intended to allow business meetings to be held in more comfortable environments. The indoor park is directly connected to the walking trails that traverse the entire development.
When the Cream of Wheat headquarters and manufacturing plant in northeast Minneapolis packed up in 2002, it left an empty building that quickly fell into disrepair. This turned around when an enterprising renovation team set out to transform the aging landmark into stylish, contemporary condominiums that are now known as the CW Lofts.
This historic four-story building and 135-foot tower was built initially in 1927. The rehabilitated site preserves and enhances a historic resource and creates a sustainable urban environment while retaining it’s unique character. The site now provides 124 condominiums, common spaces, offices and parking. The highly detailed lobby and office spaces in the existing building have been restored and include a gallery dedicated to the story of the site and company. This redevelopment and renovation maintains the Cream of Wheat legacy and creates a dynamic community through the use of spaces in the building that could never be replicated with new construction.
Schematic Design Moving Quickly!
To maintain a fast-paced schedule, Walsh Bishop has already started the schematic design phase of our new building. Dennis Walsh, Troy Goetz and Stephen Knowles are leading a team that is currently working through three significant issues that will have design and other project implications.
They are:
1. Finalizing plans for the new elevator
2. Determining new windows and daylighting options
3. Exploring geothermal/mechanical systems and needs.
In addition, Andrea Hammel Wollak is leading our sustainable design efforts as we excitedly pursue LEED Core and Shell certification at a platinum-level!
Walsh Bishop is committed to using this space as a standard for what we do and how we live, create and connect. Continue to watch this space for regular updates on our progress!
WBA’s New Office: Designing a Simple + Bold Environment
Walsh Bishop is thrilled to announce that we are now the proud new owners of an office building in Minneapolis’ warehouse district. The property will be built out to accommodate not only Walsh Bishop’s offices, but also other tenants who will be attracted to what is planned to be a simple, elegant and bold environment that allows us to fully practice what we preach.
Walsh Bishop will be moving out of what has been a fairly traditional corporate environment to one that will speak directly to our identity and present an innovative, sustainable and creative environment that supports and promotes the work we do for our clients. The warehouse district of Minneapolis is a hip, design-forward neighborhood full of trendy restaurants, shops and galleries. The building and space we plan to create is not just one with appropriately high standards and performance expectations… it is the type of building environment that should BE the standard, a role model that showcases how the environments we create are designed in connection with the community surrounding it, and as a result of the people who will inhabit the space.
We invite you to watch this space for regular updates as we continue to move forward with this exciting development!
Turtle Creek Casino Grand Opening!
Walsh Bishop and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are proud to showcase Michigan’s newest hotel-casino facility, Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel!
The all new, 360,000-square-foot Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel in Williamsburg, Michigan, is bringing casino gaming in the Midwest to an entirely new level of sophistication, convenience, and comfort. And the unique facility’s striking modern design incorporates many environmentally responsible elements: LEED certified building materials, state-of-the-art under floor ventilation system, large skylights providing daylight to the gaming floor, energy efficient lighting, and areas of green roof. Turtle Creek is one of the first casinos designed to such a high environmental and aesthetic standard.
Turtle Creek’s Grand Opening was on June 24th, so make your reservations now. Get ready to relax in one of the hotel’s elegant suites before checking out an impressive variety of gaming options on the 52,000-square-foot gaming floor. Cruise by the cascading water wall, through the high stakes lounge, sample the distinct dining choices, enjoy the color changing lights from one of the many vistas overlooking the gaming floor, and finally enjoy some great live music in the night club before calling it a day. It will take more than one day to enjoy everything Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel has to offer.
Check out this past Sunday’s article on Turtle Creek Casino on Michigan’s mlive.com!
http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2008/07/_the_turtle_risesall_new.html
