“We see it every day, but when an employee is recognized by industry peers for his superior work and commitment to excellence, it really highlights the quality of people we have around here.  Adam and Jeff are great examples for all of us, and we’re all very proud of them”, said Mike Kolakowski, President and CEO of KBE Building Corporation.

ACG-CT’s criteria for the awards include:

• ·         A high level of leadership;
• ·         An understanding of construction principles and theory;
• ·         A record of professional and personal accomplishment;
• ·         A high skill level, developed through education and job experience;
• ·         The experience, discipline and focus to bring good judgment and skill together in various types of construction projects; and
• ·         An adherence to fair and responsible business practices.

As KBE’s Safety Director, Adam is responsible for ensuring optimal safety performance on all projects managed by KBE’s Northeast and Mid-Atlantic offices. He is a 20-year construction industry professional. He joined KBE in 1999, working in the Safety Department for 10 years before being promoted to Corporate Safety Director in 2010. Under his leadership, KBE’s safety program has been recognized by several national organizations. Adam currently sits on the safety committees of the ABC-Connecticut as well as the Associated General Contractors-Connecticut. Engineering News Record recently invited Adam to serve on the awards jury for its annual Best Projects of the Year awards program, where he judged the safety awards component of the program.

Jeffrey Guilbeault, KBE Project Superintendent has worked in the construction industry since 1983 and joined KBE in 1997. A strong and proactive on-site leader with exceptional communication skills, Jeff has completed some of KBE’s largest projects, including the $70 million renovation of the University of Connecticut’s Student Union, which won the national Construction Management Association of America award. His other projects include the 200,000 sf Norwich Technical High School, and the Patapsco Hall, LEED Silver addition and renovation at University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He is currently the lead Superintendent on the $50 million, 185,000 sf renovation and addition to the occupied Harvard Ellis Technical High School in Danielson, which is currently 9 months ahead of schedule.

Ken Siconolfi, of AP Construction emphasizes that “having only one material which would supply a three hour fire rating was critical”.

“Oldcastle Precast Building Systems brings schedule, cost and maintenance advantage by integrating precast concrete with wood structures”, writes Nesil Normile, Business Development with Oldcastle Precast.

Due to the increased demand for services and the high quality of its programs, Opportunity Works has grown dramatically both in the numbers of people served and in the scope of the programs provided.  Today, nearly 210 people from across the Merrimack Valley and beyond take part in a diverse selection of support programs offered by the agency.  Opportunity Works has maintained a satellite facility at 209R Summer Street in Haverhill for fourteen years.

Jane Harris-Fale, a lifelong Haverhill resident and the Executive Director of the agency, explained the pressing need to expand with a new facility.  “Our Haverhill site is at capacity, serving many people with more involved needs, which requires more space”, she said.  “In 2004, our Haverhill site served 19 individuals with 5 staff.  The site now serves 42 people with 15 staff.  The expansion is projected to allow us to serve nearly 100 people with some 35 staff by 2017.  This major project makes me even prouder that Opportunity Works is recognized as one of the premier human service agencies in New England.”

Mayor Fiorentini stated that the city has strongly supported the new building project and will continue to do so.  “We fully understand that Haverhill residents will be better served by this initiative by Opportunity Works.  We also welcome the individuals from throughout the Merrimack Valley and beyond who will attend this new building, as well as their families and the dedicated professionals who serve within.  This project will also contribute to Haverhill’s economic development with the addition of at least 20 new, well-paying positions over the next five years.”

Rep. Dempsey, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said that he has supported the work of Opportunity Works for years.  “With this essential new facility, Opportunity Works remains on the cutting edge of serving the growing numbers of our friends and neighbors who deserve our support every single day.  The Commonwealth is grateful for non-profit agencies like Opportunity Works that work so hard to fulfill that need.  Future partnership opportunities between the agency and the college will also be of tremendous mutual benefit to the city and the entire region.”

Diane Fasulo, whose son attends Opportunity Works and a long-time advocate for people with disabilities, said the new facility fills a vital need in the area.  “The need to support individuals with disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury grows each year”, she said.  “My admiration goes out to the Opportunity Works staff for their dedication.  It’s a top-rate program and I’m pleased to be part of it.  This is like a dream come true!  The new facility in Haverhill is a great project, a great opportunity.”

To make a gift or to view more information about the project, you may visit www.opportunityworksinhaverhill.org

“The wood framing is underway for the hotel and we continue to cast concrete slabs for the residential apartments,” stated the project manager for Pro Con Inc. “The installation of the hotel’s grade level granite veneer is complete and the installation is continuing for the apartments. Construction is progressing as planned and we expect the hotel to be completed in spring 2014.”

Cathartes, XSS, and Pro Con Inc have designed the hotel and mixed-use apartment building to achieve LEED certification. PCI is using regional & recycled materials in construction and has incorporated environmentally friendly design elements such as a white roof, over-sized windows, low-flow plumbing fixtures and LED lighting throughout the common areas and parking garage.

The Hampton Inn & Suites hotel will offer 96 guest rooms and 24 guest suites with living areas and kitchenettes. The 72,000-sf hotel will feature a large common room, bar and lounge area, breakfast room, indoor pool & fitness room, meeting room, and business center.   The building’s first floor will house the hotel’s lobby, common areas, and retail space for future tenant fit-up. Floors 2 thru 5 will house the hotel’s guest rooms. An enclosed surface deck parking area and below grade parking garage with an entrance off Portwalk Place will offer parking for 240 vehicles.

The 152,000-sf luxury residential apartment complex will consist of a 5-story mixed-use building. The building will offer a variety of residential floor plans including studio, one, two and three bedroom units with an assortment of design configurations. The 113 apartments, located on floors 2-5, will each offer a fully equipped kitchen with wood cabinetry and granite counters, Energy Star stainless steel appliances, laundry area, living/dining room or great room, and master bedroom suite with granite vanity counter and marble shower surround, walk-in closet, and over-sized windows. Some floor plans include a raised ceiling and sliding terrace doors, offering scenic views of the City of Portsmouth and the skyline. The ground floor of the building will offer future retail tenant space and a private entrance, club room, lobby and elevator for the residences.  A fitness center will be located on the second floor.

The exterior design of both the hotel and the apartment building will feature granite, pre-cast concrete, brick veneer, fiber cement panels and fiberglass cornice molding. The hotel entrance on Portwalk Place will feature a curved canopy with metal panels and double sliding glass doors.

Portwalk is a phased development that features luxury residences, a Residence Inn by Marriott hotel and the Harbor Events and Conference Center, retail and restaurant space. When completed, Portwalk will include four buildings located between Deer, Hanover and Maplewood streets in downtown Portsmouth. Phase I; the Residence Inn by Marriott and the Harbor Events and Conference Center, was completed in June 2010. Phase II; The Residences at Portwalk, was completed in the fall of 2011. Phase III; The Hampton Inn hotel is expected to be completed in April 2014 and the mixed use retail space and residential apartments are scheduled to be completed in August 2014. The four buildings are connected by a thoroughfare called Portwalk Place, which is aligned with the Vaughan Mall walkway and creates a large pedestrian loop that connects Congress Street with Deer Street.   The master planner of Portwalk was Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston and the consulting architect was DeStefano Architects of Portsmouth.

Using Oaktree Development’s unique, patented GreenStaxx System, Tocci strategically built the apartment complex by using 80 pre-fabricated modulars. The pre-designed and pre-engineered multi-level “stacks” of residential units were then fitted together like Lego blocks and, once stacked together, finishing touches were applied to the project. Prior to Chelsea Place, Tocci successfully completed the modular construction of Park87, an apartment building in Cambridge, MA comprised of 54 factory-built rental units.

Commenting on Tocci’s use of modular design, Chief Enabling Officer John Tocci emphasized the benefits of the construction approach. “This project is truly notable not only for its high quality construction and sustainable features, but for the incredible speed at which this project went from conception to completion with so few complications,” Tocci said. The completed project broke ground in November 2012 and steel began going up in January 2013. In comparison to a traditional project schedule, a modular project schedule enables residences to be ready for occupancy 30% to 50% sooner and reduces the project timeframe by approximately five to six months.

“Because site preparation and module fabrication processes occurred simultaneously, the project has reached completion and is ready for occupancy within less than a year from its start date,” commented Project Manager Victor Guller. Another recognized benefit of modular construction is that the units are constructed in a climate-controlled facility, allowing for improved quality control over conventional job site construction and reduced length of building time. Additionally, the minimization of construction time, material purchases and waste ultimately decreases project costs by about 10% to 20%.

The apartment complex contains one, two, and two-plus bedroom units that range from 700-1,000 square feet.  Additionally, each unit features an open concept kitchen equipped with high-end stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and custom cabinets, and walk-in closets in each bedroom. The complex also features ground parking and over 2,100 square feet of community space, including a welcoming lobby, community room, bicycle storage area, fitness center, and an outdoor patio gathering area.

Originally constructed in the 1960s and early 1970s, the buildings located within the new Riverview Technology Park will offer tenants 100,000 – 500,000 square feet of facilities for creative offices, research and development, and light manufacturing. Integrated Builders’ work on the project is aiding in the transformation the buildings to create a modern space that suits the needs of growing companies. Within the past year, the Integrated Builders team has built a 400-car parking lot and a new lobby entrance and façade for the 495 Woburn Street building. The second phase of construction will include interior demolition, addition of 90 new windows and saw-tooth skylights, electrical upgrades, and a new façade.  Moving forward, improvements will continue once the building begins to lease.

Integrated Builders was selected as general contractor for this project due to the firm’s extensive background in developing spaces for office, manufacturing, and biotech clients. William Manley, Founder and CEO of Calare Properties, expressed his confidence in the abilities of theIntegrated Builders team.

“We are proud that we’ve been able to collaborate with Calare Properties and Hackman Capital on such top-tier projects,” commented Jay Dacey, President of Integrated Builders. “Most recently, our work together at 112 Barnum Road in Devens led to the project receiving the Boston Business Journal’s Deal of the Year Award, and Riverview Tech Park is on target to be as equally an impressive project.”

The term Echo Boomers, also referred to as Generation Y or Millennials, describes the generation of young adults with birth dates ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. Within a rapidly developing technological age, Echo Boomers have altered their styles of work and communication. Marketers have adapted to this change by focusing a greater amount of time and energy not only into social media campaigns and mobile technology, but also into having a physical office layout that suits the new work trends.

Featured speakers at the event will discuss the impact of Echo Boomers on the workforce, specifically offering tactics for understanding the latest trends and styles of communication. The panel will include Haril Pandya, Principal of CBT Architects; Eric Sheffels, President and Partner of Leggat McCall Properties; Roy Hirshland, President of T3 Advisors; and Michelle Darby, Co-Founder and CEO of Roomzilla. These experts will each offer personal insight on how the changing trends are impacting real estate design, development, leasing and management.

Pandya commented on the influence Echo Boomers have had on the design of new workplaces and urban offices. “The increasing demand for more open, connected and communal spaces signals how the typical office layout is shifting,” said Pandya.  “As the new workforce demographic continues to grow, workplace needs will evolve accordingly.  These changes are already having a paramount impact on the real estate and architectural industries in terms of design and construction.”

Sheffels also notes how influential the Echo Boomers’ new work style has been on Leggat McCall’s urban development projects. “The Echo Boomer demographic is a driving force behind a multitude of decisions being made around the redevelopment of the Cambridge Courthouse,” Sheffels said, “as we are currently considering and designing the major components that will shape the upcoming East Cambridge Class A tower.”

The Echo Boomer discussion will kick off a new monthly event series hosted by High Profile. The series seeks to educate the real estate industry in a manner that is both interactive yet casual, enabling attendees to have increased interaction and accessibility to the panelists during a cocktail and networking hour. The next event in the series is entitled “Low Profile Developers | High Profile Projects” and will be hosted on November 18, 2013.

“High Profile works hard to provide real estate professionals with breaking news and current trends in both our online and paper publications,” said Anastasia Barnes, Business Development Manager at High Profile. “Staying on top of new developments in the industry is essential for all real estate professionals and the A/E/C community in New England, so we are thrilled to launch our new event series – always with the goal of educating our industry in an innovative and engaging manner.”

Universal Window and DoorTopaz Engineering Supply, and J. Calnan & Associates  will sponsor the series’ first event.

For more information on the event or for information on sponsorship opportunities, visit the Changing Workspace Event Page or contact Abby Nielsen at abby.nielsen@nickersonpr.com  or 617. 848.4225.

Rownd has 28 years of experience leading project development and design for healthcare and life science clients. Prior to joining SMMA, Rownd held leadership roles with HDR Architecture, DLR Group and Setter Leach and Lindstrom. He returns to SMMA, where he managed health, technology and science projects in the firm’s former Minneapolis office.

“Josh is a strategist and problem solver, and is recognized and celebrated for his understanding of both the technical and business needs of clients,” said Ara Krafian, SMMA’s CEO and President. “We welcome Josh back to SMMA, and look forward to supporting him and growing the firm’s Health + Science practice studio.”

“I couldn’t be happier to re-join SMMA here in Cambridge, and to have the pleasure of working with my co-director John Scott in the Health and Science Studio,” Rownd said. “My approach is simple: create relationships that last a lifetime and design solutions that make our world a better place to work, live and serve those around us.”

Rownd is a graduate of North Dakota State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a B.S. in Architectural Studies. His range of science and health expertise spans successful projects and capital planning initiatives for academic, corporate and institutional clients with project types ranging from research, manufacturing, clean rooms and patient care environments.