Farmington, CT – Two of KBE Building Corporation’s largest projects of 2015 recently received recognition from the industry.
Jordan’s Furniture, in the Major Renovation category, received the Award of Merit in the 2016 Project Team Awards competition from The Connecticut Building Congress, and the Charles E. Shain Library at Connecticut College received the Outstanding Historic Renovation Project from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Library Association (ALA).
Shain Library
Shain Library before renovation
KBE served as construction manager at risk for the $17 million Jordan’s Furniture renovation, which opened its doors in December 2015. Located at 40 Sargent Drive in New Haven, Jordan’s Furniture features unique structural aspects including the “World’s Largest Ropes Course” and a Las Vegas-style fountain equipped with lasers and a light show.
In addition to the unique entertainment features of this structure, Jordan’s Furniture was a challenging project for the construction team. Team members had to navigate around a 60-ft.-wide, five-story-high printing press support structure that was placed in the middle of the building. Coordination and team work was essential on this assignment and KBE excelled at the challenge.
Jordan’s Furniture, New Haven, Project Highlights
The 193,000sf project, designed by architect BL Companies, encompasses the following scope:
- Renovation of existing building (two stories and mezzanines), formerly the home of the New Haven Register.
- New entrance feature, signage feature, and canopy.
- New exterior doors and interior partitions.
- New single-story detached pump house totaling approximately 514sf.
- Roof patching.
- Exterior site work including demolition of pavement, sidewalks and tree removal, utility coordination, new paving, plantings, concrete and brick paving, storm and sanitary drainage including infiltration system, and off-site water line.
Charles E. Shain Library at Connecticut College in New London received the Outstanding Historic Renovation Project award for excellence in library interior design.
Opened in 1976, the original Shain Library was fortress-like in appearance, aloof and somewhat forbidding, with heavy façades of corduroy textured concrete, narrow slit windows, and an entry bridge that passed over a sunken, waterless moat.
KBE Building Corp.’s preservation project transformed Shain Library into a fully functioning, modern, academic library while maintaining its integrity and history as a landmark at Connecticut College.
The awards ceremony will be held at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla. on June 26.
Charles E. Shain Library at Connecticut College, Project Highlights
- $9 million renovation and addition.
- 41,000sf of renovations to the existing three-story library.
- 4,600sf of additions, including a new three-story entrance with clerestory, enlarged windows, and mechanical and electrical upgrades.
- Repurpose of several areas while adding collaboration rooms, seminar rooms, office spaces, and a 24-hour café and outdoor gathering area.
The project was designed by Schwartz/Silver Architects of Boston.
