Nor-Son Inc. received two Excellence in Construction awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Minnesota.
Nor-Son representatives accepted the awards at ABC's Excellence in Construction banquet held at the Metropolitan Ballroom Jan. 26. In recognition of outstanding achievement and quality workmanship, Eagle Awards, the association's highest honor, were received in both residential and healthcare categories.
ABC's award program is designed to recognize publicly the quality and innovation of Merit Shop construction and to honor all the members of the construction team, including the contractor, the owner and the design team responsible for the project. The winning projects were selected from entries submitted from across the state and were judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and budget.
The first award received within the category of residential construction was Deerfield Retreat located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Nor-Son translated the client's vision into a one-of-a-kind home with rustic elegance and plenty of space to host their extended family. The lake home was inspired by the "mom and pop" resort called Deerfield that originally inhabited the property. Many elements from the main lodge, restaurant and cabins were salvaged to incorporate into the new home.
Architect Amy Dirkes and Project Manager Pat Schumacher of Nor-Son were the project team who accepted the eagle award. Building a home two states away, eight hours from the Nor-Son office, and in a different time zone was challenging for the team. Teaming with qualified subcontractors, maintaining quality control in the design and finishes, and sourcing materials were just three of the successful factors noted by the judges.
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The second award, in the health care category, was for the expansion of the operating room suite at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. Landlocked by further expansion, HDR and Nor-Son opted to expand the OR suite to a 13,000 square foot unfinished administrative area, slated in a previous addition. Located in the lower level or basement of the hospital, the clearance to structural steel was 9 foot-8 inch high. Mechanical and duct systems in operating rooms require 12 foot-6 inches of height. The entire 13,000 square foot concrete floor had to be lowered with a fully operational maternity and birthing unit above.
Working below a fully functional hospital required careful scheduling, continual monitoring, and quality management for disruption avoidance and infection control. And 2,500 pounds of pressure was required to stabilize the building at the perimeter. With the birthing unit above, it was critical that the building did not move. Benchmark elevations were established before work began and checked by third party inspectors on a weekly basis. Throughout the four weeks the hospital was supported while the floor was removed and lowered, it moved 1/200th of an inch.
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association representing nearly 21,000 Merit Shop construction and construction-related firms in 70 chapters across the United States.
