Case Studies Region: Midwest

History and architecture have always been inextricably linked. From ancient ruins to the most gravity-defying postmodern structures, our buildings tell stories, and like any world-changing book or glass-encased document, it’s our duty to preserve them. If the structure happens to be in or near St. Louis, Missouri, there’s a decent chance James G. Staat Tuckpointing […]

As you walk inside, the first thing you see is the palatial collection of wine bottles, whites and reds, set within shelves that nearly reach the 16-foot ceiling. Adjacent display stands showcase decanters, aerators, stoppers and other wine accoutrements. At the Napa-style tasting table, a friendly server offers up a gamut-spanning menu of pours. Hearing […]

As you exit the elevator, the first thing you notice is the giant wall of living moss, so green and inviting you can’t help but picture napping in a forest. Walk onto the main floor and you’re suddenly awash in natural light reflecting off the office’s glass doors. Along the windows, employees at light maple […]

Adam Cimaroli thinks about cement so his customers and partners don’t have to—where it needs to go, safely, effectively and at the lowest cost. “We want to have cement available when customers need it, where they need it, how much and what type they need,” says Cimaroli, senior manager of terminal projects for LafargeHolcim. It’s […]

If you’ve ever had a window seat when landing at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, there’s a good chance you’ve seen it: A massive complex of buildings, numbering in the dozens, out beyond the furthest runway. Despite their proximity, the two facilities could hardly be more different: One is designed to get you to Memphis; the […]

It’s March 29, Opening Day at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark (GABP), and the world feels right again. The weather, though chilly for shorts and shades, is mercifully spring-like. Players glide across the field like pent-up collies loosed to pasture, while throughout the stands fans of every age relish the sounds and smells swirling in the […]

It’s a fact of construction life that the bosses have been bemoaning for years. Though the trades are teeming with opportunities, there’s not a rush of young men and women to be electricians, mechanics, pipefitters, masons, painters, plumbers, carpenters and all the other vocational roles so necessary in bringing a blueprint’s intent to fruition. As […]

When the Hyatt chain opened one of its newest resorts near the Caribbean paradise of Cancun on Mexico’s eastern shore, Carl Kernodle, vice president of planning and design, practiced his own method of quality assessment. “I walk the property and talk to the people, asking them where they’re from, how they’re enjoying their vacation and […]

According to a 2015 Iowa State University study, 56 percent of all Iowa farmland is owned by those 65 and older. Though the numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, the implications are significant: With upwards of 85 percent of our foodstuffs sourced from within the United States, how—and by whom—will our future farms be […]

Many construction companies may call themselves custom home builders, but in Chris Edwards’ experience, oftentimes they are only offering customers a choice among pre-selected homes. “It’s what I call a ‘modified tract home,’ and they basically show you their product line of maybe a handful of floor plans and a few designs, and that’s it,” […]