JANESVILLE CENTRAL FIRE STATION

CHALLENGE

The former Central Fire Department, built in 1955, lacked a ‘true’ meeting room for EMS and fire crews. Meeting in the hallway or kitchen area downstairs, the lack of proper space threw off day-to-day operations and communication. The Fire Department and City of Janesville approached Hufcor in June of 2015 with the idea to use a local company and product in the design of their new $33-million dollar facility.

SOLUTION

Working in partnership with the City of Janesville, Fire and EMS Departments and the design/build contractor, Gilbank Construction, Hufcor designed a flexible space solution to divide the main training room into 2 smaller classrooms. Featuring Hufcor’s single-pane, acoustically-rated GA-Ultra system, the steel whiteboard writing surfaces and flexible room design ensures our ‘hometown heroes’ can conduct training, planning sessions, and meetings in a distraction-free environment. The space features not only daylighting for increased wellness and health, but also serves as a flagship research and development site for future innovation and Hufcor products.

RESULT

“I do not know of another facility that has this type of product in their training and response facility. The Janesville Fire Department is enjoying the increased flexibility and use we are achieving with the dedicated training space for Fire and EMS crews,” says Deputy Chief James Ponkauskas of Janesville Fire and EMS.

MISSISSIPPI COAST COLISEUM & CONVENTION CENTER

CHALLENGE

Hurricane Katrina is the United State’s most costly hurricane of all time, responsible for over 100 billion dollars in damage throughout the gulf region. The Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center (MCCC) was among those affected, with extensive damage done throughout the building’s interior. As a critical component to the facility’s operations, its operable wall systems were also compromised.

Katrina’s storm surge forced about six feet of water throughout the lower level of the nearly half-million square foot facility. All 650 of the operable partition panels within this section of the building had to be discarded and replaced due to massive water infiltration. The panels were flooded up to the 6-foot level, yet the top portion of the panels was not affected by the storm—meaning two-thirds of the panels were simply tossed into landfills. In replacing the panels, Hufcor wanted to ensure the new operable wall systems would be reinforced and protected from future natural disasters.

SOLUTION

Hufcor designed and installed unique replacement walls at the MCCC. Working closely with the project team, Hufcor’s engineers and designers shared their knowledge and expertise in panel construction to implement additional product precautionary measures that would fight against moisture should another Hurricane hit. Much of the reason standard operable partitions need to be replaced after a water-penetrating event, such as a flood, is due to the moisture that seeps into the gypsum and mineral wool acoustical barriers inside the panel. These substrates become a breeding ground for mold and mildew and must be replaced.

To safeguard the coliseum’s panels from future damage, Hufcor implemented a number of noteworthy features that are now setting standards in facilities constructed in regions affected by hurricanes.

RESULT

Today, Hufcor’s replacement panels function as a benchmark to other facilities in the region. The reconstruction of the MCCC following Hurricane Katrina helped establish new innovations and solutions that provide preventative protection from devastating storms for operable walls.

ICEBOX BAKERY

CHALLENGE

Retailers in airports and shopping centers nationwide have used traditional metal gates to secure their storefronts afterhours for many years. While the gates serve their purpose, they’re often easily damaged—creating issues for store owners and operators when it comes time to open or close their store. Additionally, traditional metal gates are not only eyesores, but their “cage-like” appearance deters potential customers from window-shopping after hours. In airports where travelers are passing through 24 hours a day, having a visually appealing and inviting storefront is a critical component to sales and growth.

SOLUTION

Icebox Bakery at DFW Airport along with several other retailers and concessionaires have realized new ways to shape the shopping experience through the use of Hufcor frameless glass doors. Functioning as a perfect closure for their storefronts, Hufcor sliding glass wall panels provide security and unobstructed views of scrumptious baked goods and merchandise during off-store hours. These systems ensure reliable security and allow travelers within the airport to view merchandise and concessions while busily walking through the terminal.

The Hufcor movable glass wall system for Icebox Bakery has a unique stacking configuration and a custom designed small pocket door incorporated into the countertop wall. When stacked, the custom pocket door can be closed to secure the panels within the pocket. The system’s full ceiling height slot allows the panels to move with ease into the stacked storage area. Icebox staff and bakers can access the stack area within the store bakery and simply push and pull the panels into their closed or open position as needed.

Since the panels are supported overhead, Hufcor glass walls do not require floor tracks. Rather, each panel is secured with a floor pin into a floor receptor and adjoining panels are then secured to each other using a number of additional locking mechanisms.

RESULT

Today, Ice Box Bakery is able to reap the many benefits of Hufcor’s frameless glass walls. The walls not only give their storefront an instant facelift—creating an inviting and appealing presence in the airport terminal—but also provide constant certainty that their business is safe and secure afterhours.

COLORADO SPORTS HALL OF FAME

CHALLENGE

The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, located in Sports Authority Field at Mile High, is a wonderful example of ingenious collaborative design and community involvement. Designed by graduate students at the University of Colorado-Denver School of Architecture, the facility needed a way to easily modify the museum with rotating exhibits.

Each year, Colorado’s finest athletes, coaches and sports industry leaders are inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. From world-famous to little-known athletes in sports ranging from football to track and field or fencing, these individuals have demonstrated outstanding achievements in athletics. With new inductees added each year, the museum’s exhibits are constantly evolving to incorporate new honorees into the space.

SOLUTION

The museum incorporated a customized Hufcor operable partitioning system that is used for exhibit displays. In the museum’s “Hall of Legends”, an overhead tracking system has a grid design, so individual Hufcor operable partitions can be rearranged to create new exhibits. Additionally, a long transfer track that runs parallel to the permanent wall, allows new panels and exhibits to be moved into place without disturbing other setups.

The Hufcor operable partitions have medium density fiberboard faces that museum staff can simply attach new exhibit artwork to. The bottom of each partition panel has a retractable seal that helps to stabilize the panels once in place without the need for floor bolts. This design modification eliminates the common tripping hazards associated with floor tracks and floor pin receptors.

In addition to the moveable partitions, the design team installed two movable glass walls to enclose a sports court display area. The folding glass doors stack easily and neatly away into a stacking area allowing museum staff to have full access to the enclosed space when updating the display.

RESULT

The use of Hufcor’s individual operable wall panels on an overhead track allows the museum to effectively create flexible exhibits and control traffic flow. The system makes it possible for the museum to both set up different configurations of the same material and apply new materials onto the panels to create ever-changing, fresh content for visitors of the facility.

GRANITE CITY BREWERY

CHALLENGE

As Granite City’s first location, their St. Cloud, Minnesota restaurant opened in 1999 and today is a popular dining destination in the local community. In recent years, the restaurant began to see an increase in demand for their private event and catering services but lacked the space to accommodate multiple parties and groups of varying size.

Not wanting to relocate the restaurant or complete a serious renovation which could stall business, Granite City sought a solution that would enable them to maximize opportunities using their existing space. Granite City needed a flexible space partner who could not only retrofit operable partitions into a space that was not originally built to support heavy panels, but also offer a wide range of custom finishes and design options so the new panels would tie seamlessly into the sun-washed and wood decor of their space.

SOLUTION

Working closely with Granite City and the design/build contractor, Boser Construction, Hufcor creatively designed an operable partition that could divide the indoor patio seating area for Granite City Brewery. Featuring Hufcor’s 600 Series operable partitions, the panels were designed with faux wood RG Designer Series facing and custom window inserts. The panels’ rotogravure faux wood painted surface provided a durable, washable finish ensured the beauty of the walls could be maintained easily for years to come.

With the new panels designed, concerns about losing natural light in the main atrium when the panels were closed for an event were also raised. Boser installed a glass storefront plenum to allow the light from above the partitions to still flow into the atrium. With new panels and a window system planned for the space, the need for added structural support became critical. Using Hufcor’s patented Unispan® overhead support system, both solutions were made possible. Hufcor’s engineers worked with Boser to ensure the Unispan® support system was designed to hold the weight of not only the new operable panels but also their windowing system as well.

RESULT

Since installing the system, Hufcor’s creative solution has helped the restaurant attract more small gatherings to the restaurant and grow their private party and on-site catering business. Through the custom design capabilities and innovative support options offered by Hufcor, Granite City has been able to realize new opportunities and reshape the way they serve customers in their space.

BANKING HEADQUARTERS

CHALLENGE

In planning the design of their new corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California, a prestigious bank was looking to maximize the flexibility of their conference room space. Aligned in a single row along an exterior wall lined with windows to provide optimal daylighting, the meeting rooms needed to function independently for smaller meetings, yet be able to be opened up to accommodate larger meetings around a single full-length conference table.

The rooms’ positioning in the office—along an exterior wall on one side and a main hallway on the other—as well as its long and narrow configuration created additional challenges for Hufcor related to design, space and storage.

SOLUTION

Based on project complexity, ease of installation, overall costs, and lead-time delivery, Hufcor recommended their Summit® Vertical Lift system to the project’s contractor, Hathaway Dinwiddie.

The Summit® Vertical Lift partitions stack above the ceiling through a narrow slot—eliminating the need for a large ceiling stack bay required for the traditional vertical accordion folding style of lift systems that expose the partition within the ceiling when stacked. Additionally, the system’s guideposts create an acoustical barrier and provide a patented lifting and safety system that meets the stringent seismic requirements of San Francisco without any special bracing.

In considering this solution, the building’s owner raised the concern of the walls accidently being closed upon a full-length table if someone had forgotten to remove the table portion underneath the partition system. They wanted the assurance that the partition could automatically reverse and not harm the table. To resolve, Hufcor installed their auto-reverse lead edge system programmed to automatically retract the panels if a table or other object was sensed in its path.

Working closely with Brereton Architects and Hathaway Dinwiddie, Hufcor worked with the project team to design a simple buildout that allows the system’s guides to be recessed and integrate into the overall room design. From order to installation, Hufcor’s northern California distributor, BT Mancini, was able to finish the project in less than 8 weeks.

RESULT

Since installing the system and moving into their new corporate offices, the bank has been able to better utilize their space. The Summit® Vertical Lift system enables the banks employees and leadership to get more out of their conference rooms by adapting and the space to suit their varying meeting needs.