IWR North America

Valley Park Fire Protection District Welcomes New Facility

Published on

By KERRY SMITH, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

Construction is scheduled to complete in April on the Valley Park Fire Protection District Building 2 in Valley Park.

Located adjacent to the district’s existing firehouse overlooking Missouri Route 141 off Crescent Avenue, the new 12,000-square-foot building, built by Keeley Construction Group and designed by JEMA, features a 151-foot-long, continuous-length, standing seam roof installed by project partner IWR North America.

Sage Lehr, operations manager of sheet metal fabrication for IWR, says the beam weighs more than 7,000 pounds. The IWR team utilized specialized rigging to adjust the fabricated beam according to the slope of the roof to allow the metal roof panels to be precisely positioned. A 275-ton crane lifted the massive beam into place.

Andrew Moses, project manager for Keeley Construction Group, said construction of the new firehouse began in Spring 2021. “There’s no typical elevation on this building,” said Moses. “No side of the building is the same. That created challenges as to how we wrapped the building, but it also resulted in a beautiful and long-lasting structure that will serve the Valley Park community for years to come.”

Stone, metal panel siding and tinted glass comprise the building’s façade.

The two-story, $6 million facility features four vehicle bays, a mezzanine with weights and exercise space and living quarters for firefighters.

Valley Park Fire Protection District is located approximately 20 miles southwest of St. Louis, encompasses 10 square miles and protects 17,000 individuals.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Announces Expansion into the Southwest

Published on
/

St. Louis-based specialty contractor to open new Southwest Division office in Garland, Texas in June 

IWR North America, headquartered in St. Louis and one of the longest-standing building enclosure contractors in the United States, expands into the Southwest, announcing the opening of its new office in Garland, Texas, located at 3520 West Miller Road, Suite 100, Garland, TX 75042.

Keith Myers is the general manager of IWR North America, Southwest Division and will oversee the new office. Prior to his current role, Myers was the executive vice president of IWR’s holding company, MHS Legacy Group, since 2014 and general manager of IWR from 2003-2014. During his tenure, he expanded IWR into new sectors and geo-markets.

“As we looked to better serve our existing clients and for the opportunity to build new relationships, we saw great potential in this region,” said Myers. “To date, we have completed more than $17 million of business in the area and have nearly $10 million of secured backlog.”

Bob Sculthorpe is the operations manager of IWR North America, Southwest Division. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Sculthorpe is responsible for managing the division’s labor, productivity, quality control, safety measures and processes. Sculthorpe will provide leadership on strategic company growth and personnel development.

“We have multiple, successful projects under our belt in the Dallas market, including Liberty Mutual’s Texas Regional Hub and Epic Deep Ellum, and look forward to beginning work on the Domain 10 tower in Austin,” said Sculthorpe. “As we continue to grow our brand as a value-added trade partner in the Texas area, we see great potential to provide rewarding life opportunities for our people.”

The Southwest Division will focus primarily on large-scale custom metal panels, screening systems, louvers and decorative metals. For more information, contact Myers at (972) 528-9894, kmyers@iwrna.com or Sculthorpe at (314) 610-7644, bsculthorpe@iwrna.com.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., IWR North America is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the nation, providing turnkey building enclosure and custom specialty metal design services coast-to-coast since the 1940s. For more information, please visit www.iwr-na.com or call 314-633-4958.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Completes Joint Effort Project for EPIC Deep Ellum in Dallas

Published on
/

St. Louis-based building enclosure contractor installs parking garage cladding on contemporary office tower

IWR North America, one of the longest-standing building enclosure contractors in the United States, completes its portion of a Dallas project resulting in a three-building high-rise business campus in the Deep Ellum district.

“It was a pleasure to be involved in the design and construction of this new development in Dallas,” said Michael Smalley, director of business development at IWR North America. “The neighborhood is a vibrant and growing area, and this project is a great example of what a collaborative team can accomplish with a common goal in mind.”

Developed by KDC and designed by Perkins + Will, the EPIC is a $250 million mixed-use complex featuring three buildings including a contemporary office space, signature hotel, high-rise living and carefully crafted retail offerings. General contractor Balfour Beatty Construction awarded IWR North America the office tower parking garage cladding, major soffit conditions and roof screen.

The 251,000-square-foot office tower boasts meticulous joint alignment that is observed vertically from the first level to the top of the screen wall above the roof. This precise positioning, only achievable with a very detailed approach to the project from start to finish, offers crisp sightlines as part of an atypical façade in addition to becoming a feat of engineering and complex geometry. The contemporary building stands 16 stories with the bottom seven floors making up the parking garage. Completed in the six-month timeline, IWR was responsible for installing a 37,000 square foot fully custom garage cladding system with a custom expanded aluminum mesh finished with two-tone colors.

“From the onset of the project, the client and design team were both very open to collaboration and design input to arrive on a very functional system that maintained the mainstays of the design intent,” continued Smalley. “IWR’s field operators and installers did an outstanding job of executing the very detail-oriented project.” 

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., IWR North America is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the nation, providing turnkey building enclosure and custom specialty metal design services coast-to-coast since the 1940s. For more information, please visit www.iwr-na.com or call 314-633-4958.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Completes Work on the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch Visitor Center

Published on
/

Local specialty contractor installs decorative metal package for historic landmark

IWR North America, one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner, recently completed work on the $380 million renovation of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch Visitor Center. IWR started work on the project in March 2017 and completed their work in June 2018.

“We were honored to be awarded the contract for this historical and highly recognizable man-made landmark,” said Todd Staley, general manager of IWR North America. “The Gateway Arch is an amazing monument and testament to our country’s rich past. Being awarded the Decorative Metals package for this project makes us feel like we’re taking part in that history.”

For the renovation, IWR installed several systems which had tight tolerances and were all custom fabricated products, including stainless steel tri-wire screen wall cladding, custom wire and cable security screen, monumental stairs from the entry level to the main level of the museum, radius lovers and radius green screens, stainless steel guardrails, stainless steel and glass handrails, and stainless steel entrance grilles and grates. Following a diligent shop drawing process for each feature of the project to successfully install the systems to the concrete structure, IWR strategically prepared, measured and coordinated aligning the two. IWR installed radius and splayed fabricated products with long lead-times for procurements and fabrication. The design concept of the project was an “inwardly facing cone” creating a constantly changing radius for many of the parts of the project making fabrication and installation tolerances virtually non-existent to achieve the correct alignments between systems.

“The museum now has a dramatic new entrance and entry plaza offering improved connection to downtown St. Louis and better access to the Arch itself,” continued Staley.

 

For this project, the construction manager had multiple superintendents on site managing different scopes for each area of the renovation and addition. The coordination of multiple vendors was a challenge due to each custom designed piece requiring completely different installation processes. IWR’s general foreman and project manager continuously coordinated with the on-site project team to ensure the alignment with other trades regarding both finished product and installation sequence which led to a successful project completion.

The project’s general contractor was St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and designed by the architect Cooper Robertson, James Carpenter Design Associates, and Trivers Associates. IWR worked alongside local vendors TROCO Custom Fabricators and Modern Metals. With 45,000 square feet of new museum area, including exhibition galleries, public education facilities, and visitor services, the expansion reinforces a more modern telling of American history with a more inclusive viewpoint.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., IWR North America is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the nation, providing turnkey building enclosure services and custom specialty metal design services coast-to-coast since the 1940s. For more information and to view photos, please contact Preconstruction Manager Mike Smalley at msmalley@iwrna.com or call 314-633-4919.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Is Awarded Four Major Projects Across The Country

Published on
/

IWR North America, one of the longest-standing building enclosure contractors in the United States, has recently been awarded several projects, including the JLL Microsoft Technology Center, Minnesota Vikings’ STEM Building, GC America’s corporate headquarters, and Washington University’s campus enhancements.

“It is an exciting time at IWR, and we’re happy to announce some major projects we are starting in the next year,” said Mike Smalley, pre-construction manager of IWR North America.

IWR’s scope of work on Jones Lang Lasalle’s Microsoft Technology Center in St. Louis is nearing completion and on schedule to meet turn-over deadlines. As part of a complete interior fit-out, IWR’s scope includes fabricating and installing interior glass and glazing, including glass doors, storefront, partitions, and glazed openings.

In June 2019, IWR is set to complete their work on the Minnesota Vikings’ STEM/Tech Incubator Building, which includes installing insulated metal wall panels and insulated composite backup panel systems. This project will mark IWR’s third major project awarded and executed as part of the Vikings’ phased development project in Eagan, Minn.

For the GC America Headquarters, located in the Chicago suburb of Alsip, IWR has been awarded a Design-Assist Contract for the total exterior enclosure, which includes custom-fabricated curtainwall, window wall, custom-designed and unitized sunshades and fins, insulated metal wall-panels, aluminum composite wall panels, aluminum storefronts and doors, and glass handrails. IWR’s scope is expected to be completed by Q2 2019. This marks the first awarded project for IWR’s newly opened Chicago office.

Washington University’s Danforth Campus will undergo East End Enhancements with the help of IWR. With IWR’s scope scheduled for completion in Q3 2019, IWR was selected as a Design-Assist partner working on design and budget development for multiple building enclosures including the parking garage, Jubel Hall, HUB Pavilion, Welcome Center Pavilion, Weil Hall, and Kemper Hall. On the various exteriors, IWR will install curtain wall systems, skylights, glass soffits, sloped glazing systems, custom metal plate wall panel and more. IWR has also been awarded the Interior Glass scope of work on Jubel Hall.

IWR North America, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner. Working coast to coast since the 1940s, the ABAA-certified contractor utilizes an integrated project delivery model to install various wall cladding systems ranging from the simplest to the most complex designs in virtually every industry.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Receives Two Project Excellence Awards from CENTRIA Dealers

Published on
/

St. Louis-based specialty contractor recognized for success on Minnesota Vikings project

IWR North America, one of the longest-standing building enclosure contractors in the United States, was presented with two 2016-2017 Dealer Project Excellence Awards by CENTRIA, a leading manufacturer of architectural metal wall and roof systems. IWR accepted the First Place Award under the Arena and Sports Facilities category and the People’s Choice Award as the Project of the Year, both for their work on the Minnesota Vikings Indoor Practice Facility and Headquarters.

“We’re very proud to receive these great honors as they were based on excellence in design, craftsmanship and construction,” said Todd Staley, general manager of IWR North America. “Our nationally recognized team is very grateful for the opportunity to showcase our talents on this project as the People’s Choice Award was voted on by all dealers in attendance, and is the highest honor given.”

All parties involved on the winning project successfully collaborated on the building’s complex geometry with a great deal of accuracy and technical detailing on the custom architectural overlay process, while working on very tight timelines. This allowed the design to move swiftly through the preconstruction process and directly into field installation. IWR installed 135,000 square feet (SF) of CENTRIA Dimension Series Panels with 17,000 SF of flat and striated overlays, 28,000 SF of IW-10A panels, and 1,300 SF of Metalwrap. IWR completed its scope in December 2017.

“Large spans, extreme temperatures, heavy design loads, as well as building heights were several of the challenges for selecting the desired enclosure cladding,” said Brian Finnegan, regional manager at CENTRIA. “Thanks to IWR’s expert install, the new Minnesota Vikings Training Center is a state-of-the-art training, rehab and medical facility.”

The awards ceremony took place during CENTRIA’s 2018 National Dealer Conference on April 28.

IWR North America, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner. Working coast to coast since the 1940s, IWR installs products ranging from the simplest to the most complex designs in virtually every industry. For more information, please contact IWR General Manager Todd Staley at tstaley@iwrna.com or call 314-633-4947.

You might be interested in

IWR North America and RSS Roofing Services & Solutions Receive Awards for St. Louis Projects

Published on
/

Two subsidiaries of MHS Legacy Group recognized for specialty contractor work by BEC of St. Louis

Both building enclosure specialty contractor IWR North America and commercial roofing contractor RSS Roofing Services & Services were presented with multiple 2017 Project Awards for outstanding building enclosure projects in the St. Louis area. IWR accepted the Exterior Cladding Award for its work on SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital West, and the Overall Project of the Year Award for its work on a confidential corporate technology building. RSS accepted the Roofing Award for its work on the BJC North Tower.

IWR North America was the enclosure subcontractor on the SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital West

project, a vertical expansion of an existing, occupied hospital. The project consisted of approximately 37,000 square feet of unitized stud panels with AVB applied in a shop environment, 23,000 square feet of custom united curtain wall, and 37,000 square feet of multiple rainscreen cladding system.

The IWR team also received recognition in the Overall Project of the Year category as an Enclosure Specialty Contractor for their involvement on a confidential corporate technology building. The enclosure of this facility included multiple exterior wall-types installed by IWR, of which were thoroughly coordinated to tie into the façade system containing a ventilated cavity wall to prevent air and water infiltration. Maintaining the continuity of the exterior wall assemblies required the opaque wall systems to seamlessly tie into the glazed openings.

“We’re very proud to receive these great honors as they were based on project size and complexity, design challenges, installation challenges, schedule and quality,” said Todd Staley, general manager of IWR North America. “Our fellow MHS subsidiary company RSS also received recognition for their exemplary work at BJC.”

The BJC North Tower is one of three buildings involved in BJC’s decade-long campus renewal project. The roof is 78,800 square feet and contains 23 roof levels. Sections of the roof applications include standard TPO roof installations accented with garden roof areas that contain 458 yards of growth media.

“Our nationally recognized team is humbled to accept this award as they take great pride in their work,” said Joe Lauberth, general manager of RSS St. Louis.

Both IWR and RSS were awarded this recognition at the BEC of St. Louis’ annual holiday party held earlier this month. For more information on the Building Enclosure Council of St. Louis’ 2017 Project Awards, visit www.bec-stl.org/events. 

IWR North America, formerly IWR Building Systems, is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. IWR is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner. For more information and to view projects, please contact Preconstruction Manager Mike Smalley at msmalley@iwrna.com or call 314-633-4919.

RSS Roofing Services & Solutions is a nationally recognized, design-bid-build roofing contractor covering projects of all sizes for the commercial, industrial and institutional markets.  For more information, visit www.roofingsands.com.

You might be interested in

IWR North America Nationally Recognized for Job Site Safety

Published on

St. Louis-based specialty contractor receives TAUC Thomas J. Reynolds Safety Award

IWR North America, one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner, was presented  The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) 2016 Thomas J. Reynolds Safety Award for achieving a Zero DART Rate.

“We’re very proud to receive this great honor as it recognizes our continued commitment to worksite safety and health,” said Todd Staley, general manager of IWR North America. “Our safety philosophy is not only a proactive approach, but a culture and responsibility that exist from our top leaders to our newest team members.”

Created in 1983, the TAUC awards recognize and commend the exceptional efforts made by its members to prevent the occurrence of serious injury on the jobsite. Winners are recognized for achieving a zero DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred) rate in one of four categories. IWR North America won in category three, working 100,000-499,999 hours without a DART case. The average DART Rate of these TAUC members was .314 for 2016, well under the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Average of 2.0.

“The Association of Union Constructors is proud to have contractor members like IWR North America who make safety a top priority,” said R. Jake Locklear, president of The Association of Union Constructors. “We wish the entire IWR team every bit of success for the remainder of 2017.”

For a complete list of the 34th annual Thomas J. Reynolds Safety Award winners, please visit TAUC online: http://www.tauc.org/press/association-news/index.cfm?fa=article&id=2246

IWR North America, formerly IWR Building Systems, is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. IWR is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the United States that focuses on being a true building enclosure partner. 

You might be interested in

IWR Honored with Two Craftsmanship Awards for Shriners Hospital for Children Project

Published on
/

St. Louis-based building enclosure contractor recognized by CSI and AIA

St. Louis-based building enclosure contractor IWR North America, formerly IWR Building Systems, recently won the 2016 North Central Region Craftsmanship Award presented by the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) and The American Institute of Architects (AIA) St. Louis 2016 Design Award in the craftsmanship category for its work on the Shriners Hospital for Children.

The CSI award is presented to organizations for superior craftsmanship in the construction industry within the region in the person’s trade profession. Many organizations in the region recognize outstanding design, but very few emphasize craftsmanship.

The AIA Awards Program celebrates the best architectural designs in five categories:  unbuilt, interiors, architecture, drawings and craftsmanship. The winning project represented the finest standards in craftsmanship in the community.

“We are honored to have received such prestigious awards in today’s competitive and challenging construction environment,” said Todd Staley, general manager of IWR. “The on-the-ground labor force and team of Local 36 sheet metal workers, led by IWR Superintendent Mike Sheriff, are truly the ones who deserve these craftsmanship awards for installing the highly complex building envelope.”

The building exterior consists of 3,600 rotated square ACM metal panels that required precise craftsmanship due to the intricate geometric details of the building surface. The panel system has been engineered with a pressure-equalized rain screen design allowing for a drainage cavity behind the panels. To reassure the building owner that the enclosure would function properly, IWR became the only exterior contractor in St. Louis to be certified by the ABAA (Air Barrier Association of America) as a requirement to having a weather-resistant barrier installed.

“The detailed integration of all the exterior systems allowed this complicated curved and coplanar design to result in a high-performing façade,” said Matt Ford of Universe Corporation. “IWR’s precise installation resulted in a uniform, streamlined appearance of the building located directly off the interstate.”

IWR North America, formerly IWR Building Systems, is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. IWR is one of the longest standing specialty contractors in the United States focusing on total building envelope solutions.

You might be interested in

Edward Jones Parking Garage Project Update

Published on

IWR North America, formerly IWR Building Systems, partnered with Troco Custom Fabricators  to design and install unique, high-end louvers on the new Edwards Jones parking garage in Maryland Heights.

The stationary louvers, or “cassettes,” provide a flowing, kinetic look due to the slightly different angles and bronze colors of each slat. Each panel changes in transparency as you move along the screen, appearing to visually move while remaining in a fixed position. These types of cassettes can be adapted to most any parking garage providing a new and more artistic look to a normally drab parking garage structure.

Prefabrication in Troco’s shop allowed IWR to install numerous cassettes in a very short time. When design works hand-in-hand with installation, maximum cost efficiency is recognized, resulting in reduced labor costs to benefit the contractor and the client.

You might be interested in