Peer Review

SHARP FOCUS

Nagel takes design to heart

In the spring of 1998, Greg Nagel put his profession in perspective.

He was studying abroad in Paris, on the cusp of earning his bachelor's degree in architectural sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, when he saw firsthand the impact of construction and architecture.

"One thing that's different is the reality of the way they have constructed things for centuries," said Nagel, who is now a project architect with Hartland-based S.L. Maher Architectural Group, which opened its doors for business in 2003. "You could be standing in front of a 500-year-old building, and you don't bat an eyelash because down the street is a 2,000-year-old building."

It wasn't the first time Nagel had stopped to think about construction, but building, to him, used to mean trowels, hammers and nails as he worked carpentry, masonry and concrete for a variety of different contractors as he grew up on a hobby farm in Hartland. Construction, in a way, also meant family, with one brother working for a masonry contractor, another the owner of his own construction firm and a sister who studied structural engineering.

But in 1998, Nagel was gaining a perspective of design. He was learning what it took to take the vision of a client and transform that into a building.

"As a young designer in school, I wanted to design something intriguing and innovative," he said. "But a professor said that not every building wants to be the focus. Some are just a part of the composition. It's better to have subtle complexities that bring it to life."

Mastering the complexities of building design, managing projects and brainstorming with clients weren't always part of Nagel's plan. In fact, he said he never really considered architecture before stumbling across a pamphlet for UWM's School of Architecture in 1994.

That discovery took place shortly after he left the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, where he had jumped out of planes for four years in Panama and North Carolina as a paratrooper, another profession of which he quickly gained perspective.

"It was cool, but it's hard on your body," Nagel said. " I learned that I wanted to use my head more than my back if I could."

That lesson eventually led Nagel to a master's degree in architecture and a job as an architectural project designer with Continuum Architects and Planners in Milwaukee in 2001. He moved on in 2003 to S.L. Maher, where he's combining his traditional architectural experience with the design/build philosophies of the company.

"I'm trying to bring my experience to foster the company and get it moving in a good direction," he said. "Some days are a challenge, but the hardest days here are still easier than a lot of the days I spent as a paratrooper."

And whether it was leaping from planes, studying the ancient structures of Paris or lending his experience to a new firm, Nagel has kept his perspective.

"I feel fortunate to be here," he said. "The act of creating, giving my knowledge of the architectural and construction fields, being able to visualize and put together something that will hopefully enhance someone's life — that's what keeps me going each day."

- Chris Thompson

Your Honor

David Kraemer, president and CEO of Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., Plain, joined David Kahler of Kahler Slater Architects Inc., Milwaukee, Gil Gerdman of MSA Professional Services, Baraboo, and Ashok K. Chopra of General Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. and Hooper Corp., both of Madison, as winners of the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Madison Construction Club for their professional excellence and interest in student development. … R.A. Smith & Associates Inc., Brookfield, was named the Business Partner of the Year by ESRI, a leading geographic-information-systems software provider, for the firm's partnership with ESRI in the Minneapolis region. … Toshiba America honored Unitel Inc., Appleton, for its innovative work upgrading the telecommunications systems at Pomp's Tire Services in Green Bay. … Dan Moser, a first-year sheet metal apprentice for the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 18 in Milwaukee and an employee of Sage Co. Inc., New Berlin, won first place at the Regional Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Contest in St. Paul, Minn., and will compete in the Sheet Metal Workers National Apprenticeship Contest in Las Vegas. … Gary Jorgensen, chairman of Voss Jorgensen Schueler Co. Inc., Waukesha, won the leadership award from the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee for his years of service, leadership and dedication to AGC. … The commitment to safety shown by Wondra Excavating Inc., Iron Ridge, won the company a top award in the Heavy and Industrial Construction Category at the Associated Builders and Contractors national convention. … CG Schmidt Construction Inc., Milwaukee, won the 2004 Family Business Excellence Award in the Sustained Growth Category from Marquette University's Center for Family Business for the company's contributions to the community, treatment of its employees and continued success over the years. CG Schmidt's total revenue has increased 168 percent since 1996. … RMT Inc., Madison, won a National Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies for the company's work on a landfill-gas-to-energy project for the Antioch Community High School in Illinois. … A team of six undergraduate students at the Milwaukee School of Engineering took first place in the Associated General Contractors of America's National Construction Management Student Competition. Michael Jahner of Waukesha, Jennifer Scheiding of Oak Creek, Matt Mehring of Oconomowoc, Andrew Slater of West Allis, Kevin Kaczynski of Bartlett, Ill., Ryan Lent of Watertown and team coach Mike Emmer prepared a construction estimate, construction schedule, construction plan, formal written proposal and oral presentation for a proposed $15 million medical center renovation and addition. An MSOE design/build team took third place in a separate competition. … Mead & Hunt Inc., Green Bay, won a State Finalist Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin for the firm's storm-water design work on the Royal St. Patrick's Golf Course in Wrightstown. … The Wisconsin Council of Safety selected Tweet-Garot Mechanical Inc., Green Bay, Kraemer Brothers LLC, Plain, J.F. Ahern Co., Fond du Lac, Great Lakes Roofing Corp., Germantown, and Butternut Veneers Inc., Butternut, as winners of the Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award for their commitment to workplace safety. … The Milwaukee Construction Industry Safety Council honored The Bentley Company, Milwaukee, for posting the lowest accident/injury rate among firms logging more than 100,000 hours of job-site operations in 2003. … The American Institute of Architects Wisconsin has selected Robert Cooper, a design principal with Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc., Milwaukee, as the recipient of the 2004 Golden Award for his leadership, service and advancement of the architectural profession. … Bartelt Filo Design Build, Menomonee Falls, won the 2004 Contractor of the Year Award in the Residential Addition Under 100K Category from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for the firm's work remodeling a home on Milwaukee's east side. … J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Janesville, won the Safety Excellence Award from The Wausau Insurance Co. for the construction firm's safety record on the Camp Randall Stadium addition and renovation project in Madison. … Ruekert/Mielke, Waukesha, Earth Tech, Milwaukee, and Concrete Structures Inc., Janesville, all won the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's District 2 Outstanding Highway Construction Award for their work on the County Trunk Highway K Bridge replacement project in Merton. … M.M. Schranz Roofing Inc., Milwaukee, won Firestone Building Co.'s 2004 Master Contractor Award, Inner Circle of Quality Award and President's Club Award for the firm's excellent inspection ratings in 2003 and commitment to quality roofing system installations. Specialty Associates Inc., West Allis, won Firestone's 2004 Master Contractor Award and Inner Circle Quality Award for the company's workmanship on roofing projects in 2003. … The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee won the American Planning Association's National Social Advocacy Award for the agency's work on the Lapham Park Venture in Milwaukee.

On the Horizon

The Kubala Washatko Architects Inc., Cedarburg, is working with general contractor CG Schmidt Inc., Milwaukee, and the Historic Third Ward Association Inc., Milwaukee, on plans for an estimated $10 million, year-round produce and fish market in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. … Albert Kahn Associates Inc., Detroit, and Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, are working through the approval process for an estimated $85 million medical center at the Pabst Farms development in Summit. … Strand Associates Inc., Madison, has signed on with the city of Madison to develop plans for the reconstruction of the Olin Avenue Waste Transfer Station. … Central Wisconsin Engineers & Architects Inc., Weston, is designing an estimated $1 million transit center for the Wausau Area Transit System. … Potter Lawson Inc., Madison, is working with the city of Madison to design the new East District Police Station on Cottage Grove Road. … Riverbend Development LLC, Milwaukee, has proposed a $47 million condominium project at the site of the old West Bend Co. in West Bend. … Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc., Milwaukee, and Boulder Venture Inc., Milwaukee, have earned approval to construct a retail and condominium project at the corner of East Silver Spring and North Lake drives in Whitefish Bay. … Vierbicher Associates Inc., Reedsburg, is working with the city of Whitewater on a downtown revitalization plan. … HSR Associates Inc., Madison, is moving forward with plans to replace the Walworth Memorial Library with an estimated $2.4 million, 15,000-square-foot library at Ridge Road and Devils Lane in Walworth. … Plunkett Raysich Architects, Milwaukee, is developing plans to either renovate the Lakeland Nursing Home in Elkhorn or replace it with a new facility. … National Survey & Engineering Inc., a division of R.A. Smith & Associates Inc., Brookfield, is working with Wisconsin Harley-Davidson on plans for a 26,000-square-foot Harley dealership on Summit Avenue in the Pabst Farms development in Oconomowoc.

Dotted Line

Beyer Construction, New Berlin, has started work on a 15,520-square-foot addition to the Waukesha Family YMCA in Waukesha. … Advance Construction Inc., Green Bay, won a $1.5 million contract to construct Riverview Drive sanitary-sewer and water-main improvements in Kewaskum. … Bukacek Construction Inc., Racine, has started work on a 20,000-square-foot interior remodel of ACMI's production facility in Racine. … Quasius Construction Co. Inc., Sheboygan, landed a $1.1 million contract to construct improvements to a wastewater-treatment facility in Gibbsville. … Miron Construction Co. Inc., Neenah, will travel to Dubuque, Iowa, to construct a new middle school after winning a $25 million contract for the job. Miron also secured a $5.8 million contract to construct the new Columbia County Highway and Transportation Facility in Wyocena. … The Selmer Co. Inc., Green Bay, won a $2.9 million general construction contract to handle infrastructure and facility improvements at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution in Fox Lake. … American Sewer Services Inc., Hartford, landed a $1 million contract to construct sanitary, sewer, storm-sewer and water-main relay repairs and extensions in Wauwatosa. … Pember Companies Inc., Menomonie, will construct the Phoenix Park and Riverfront Terrace project in Eau Claire after winning a $4.1 million contract for the job. … Capitol Pavers Inc., New Berlin, won a $1.2 million contract to handle drainage improvements at Buena Park in New Berlin. … McNeil-West Construction, Antigo, brought home a $1.3 million contract to build a new education building at the Blackwell Civilian Conservation Center in Laona. … Sun Prairie Sand & Gravel, Sun Prairie, won a $1.3 million contract to handle the Columbus Street reconstruction in Sun Prairie. … Underground Pipeline Inc., New Berlin, landed a $1.9 million contract to construct the 2004 utility and paving project in Ocono-mowoc. … Platt LLC, Franklin, won a $5.3 million contract to expand and renovate Henry W. Longfellow School in Milwaukee. Platt also won a $2 million contract for similar improvements planned for Richard Kluge School and Robert LaFollette School in Milwaukee. … Mainline Sewer & Water Inc., Wauwatosa, secured a $1.5 million contract to handle the first phase of construction of Iceport Way and Lakeport Avenue in Cudahy. … Vinton Construction Co., Manitowoc, won a $1.3 million contract to construct the 2004 concrete street-paving project for Kaukauna. … A.W. Oakes & Son Inc., Racine, landed a $1.1 million contract to handle the 2004 water-main replacements for the Racine Water Utility.

Bielinski's Prairie Docs team features (clockwise from upper left) Stacy Kappers, Paulina Czapiewski, Holli Wadzinski, Jack Broughton, Brian Carney, Stephanie Halter and Scott Harper.

Off the Clock

Serving up a cure

April 19 was a day of mixed emotions in the Waukesha offices of Bielinski Homes.

As people limped through the hallways and groaned as they sat at their desks, they had to know that the pain they were feeling was worth it. Just two days earlier, many of those people wearing pained expressions had spiked, digged and served their way to raising $2,953 for the 2004 Waukesha Memorial Hospital RiverWalk for Breast Cancer.

On April 17, 10 Bielinski volleyball teams and 10 teams made up of Bielinski's trade partners took over five donated courts at Waukesha South High School for the first Serving to Save Lives Volleyball Tournament. The tournament was one of many fund-raising drives put on by various departments at Bielinski to help beef up the company's annual corporate pledge to the RiverWalk.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly team, assembled by Bielinski's Production Department, puts up a good fight in the Serving to Save Lives Volleyball Tournament.

The company put on brat cookouts, raffles, cookie bakes and crossword competitions. And the Purchasing and Estimating Department, led by manager Ron Issleb, chose volleyball.

"It was absolutely outstanding," he said. "The facility was beautiful, and we didn't have any expenses. In lieu of trophies, we had certificates that said the trophies were donated to the cause. We didn't want to waste money on trophies."

The issue of first-place trophy, like a variety of body parts, emerged as a tender issue in the days following the tournament. Issleb's Estimators fell to Properties on the last point of the last game in the championship match.

"Properties, being not as important as Purchasing and Estimating, I guess we'll give them this," Issleb said. "I believe we let them win."

Not so, said Dave Boivin, an area manager and member of Silt Fence who had the dubious distinction of being the only player of the day to need a first-aid kit for what Issleb termed a "skinned knee."

"(Issleb) brought in his bunch of ringers," Boivin said. "So, he rigged his own tournament and still didn't win."

As for the skinned knee and general soreness following the tournament, Boivin couldn't disagree.

"I wasn't fully prepared and wearing my kneepads, and there were too many times going down to dig them out," he said. "Other than that, it's just an old body. But three days with the heating pad does wonders, and I gave blood for the cause."

- Chris Thompson

Milestones

The Milwaukee office of construction manager and general contractor M.A. Mortenson Co. has surpassed three years without any worker being off due to injury. That safety record equates to more than 1.3 million hours without a lost-time injury. … The Jansen Group Inc., Milwaukee, is celebrating 75 years in the construction industry. Joseph Jansen started the firm in 1930 as a carpenter contractor.

Best of the Web

Jim Brozek's Web site at www.jimbrozek.com gives an in-depth look at what it really took to build the Milwaukee Art Museum expansion. It features photos taken between 1998 and 2002 of the construction project designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. Brozek, a local photographer who freelances for many publications, took all of the photos.