Warming the Icehouse

Color continues and lobby starts to take shape

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:37:21 -0500

This week the massive frame for the reception desk was installed. After weeks of being filled with materials and supplies the main lobby is starting to catch up with the rest of the building. Painting continued in the staff office areas. The photo below shows the new colorful walls in the program department area on the first floor, just off Grandville Avenue. While much of the building's brick has been covered by drywall to increase energy efficiency, the wall pictured below in the boardroom will remain true to its original character.

A Pleasing Palette

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:29:39 -0500

Here is a first look at the accent wall colors that were just added to the second floor offices. Each office features a different warm and cozy color. The windows shown here were popped out of the boardroom walls last week allowing light to pour in off Oakes Street. You can also see the final part of the roof being sawed off making way for the second connecting bridge, which will go through the main lobby.

Rollers ready, painting starts today!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53:29 -0500

With the drywall in place and the sanding near complete on the second floor, the first strokes of paint are going up today. This is just a base coat of white primer, but it certainly adds a little something to the space. Paint fumes will continue to replace the subtle smell of hay and horses that linger in the building when it is damp. On the east side of the building, what used to be a chunk of open rooftop space, has been replaced with a fully enclosed and drywalled bridge. It is incredible to see and fun to walk across for the first time. The major transformation of the lobby is yet to come. Currently, the lobby looks like the heart of the construction with arteries of electricity and other tubing winding every which way. Please check out these new pictures of the future home of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. If you have some time, please also listen to or download the newest podcast in which Foundation President Diana Sieger answers some of the frequently asked question about the building. Access the podcast by clicking here.

What a difference a week makes!

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:08:02 -0500

The offices are mostly drywalled, the roof is being torn up for a catwalk/bridge and you can finally walk on a bridge from the second floor office to the old hayloft area. This new area (which was formerly only accessible by a ladder) is now large work area, and a quiet place/kids room for when we need to bring our children to work. We are also excited to be working with the UICA ArtWorks program and artists Michael Pfleghaar and Israel Davis on some very wonderful artwork for our new home. We also have finalized designs for a very cool donor recognition stabile that will be in our upper lobby. Xibitz is doing the work for us.

Up on the Roof

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:07:51 -0500

We are excited to show readers these shots (by Brian Kelly) of the roof of the new Community Foundation offices. The structure you see in the right quadrant is a covered bridge that connects two parts of the building. The icehouse is really several structures within one building and there are multiple levels of non-connected space to manage. While one option would be to ramp from place to place, the designers thought it would be more interesting and a better use of space to build bridges to connect areas. Brian took these pictures from the roof of the building across the street at 100 Grandville Avenue.

Not easy being green...

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:39:12 -0500

We had to take this opportunity to borrow a line from Kermit the Frog. As you can see from the images, the walls of the Community Foundation building are being covered with green insulation. We know what you're thinking...What? You are covering up all that exposed brick? Yes, it is true. In order for the building to meet LEED certification, the inside exterior brick walls need to be insulated. As much as we personally love the exposed brick, we have to create an energy efficient building. So in goes the insulation and up goes the dry wall. Luckily, we have plenty of exposed brick on interior walls so that feel of the building will remain.

A Sneak Peek at What's to Come

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:36:56 -0500

A few interested parties have contacted us regarding the plans for the new building. We are happy to share the most recent drawings with you. Please click here for your sneak peek. Note that it may take just a moment to open this PDF. Like what you see? Have a question regarding the space? Please feel free to leave a question or comment on this blog.

Blowing Out Walls and Raising New Ones

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:59:11 -0500

The progress being made at the building each week is quite remarkable. Offices and conference areas are really taking shape. The final portions of the walls on the second floor have been knocked out to make way for the construction of the bridges. We will be sure to post more photos of that process. Here's a glimpse of the project now:

Making Progress

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:28:41 -0500

The Icehouse is heating up, despite the cool Michigan spring. We are pleased to see that ductwork is being constructed for the HVAC and things are pretty dusty now with the removal of a thick, brick wall that leads to the new conference rooms. The offices are well-defined and the second floor loft has a huge hole in the wall where the bridge will connect two sections of the four part building. Check it out!

The Building Has Bones!

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:08:32 -0500

No, there haven't been any frightening discoveries in the basement... Rather the beams and studs that will redefine the new Grand Rapids Community Foundation building are now in place. Since receiving the building permit in mid-April, the Fryling Construction team has been busy installing the "new bones" that are shaping up the future office spaces of the old Icehouse. Progress is being made at 185 Oakes Street and we are so excited to share images with you. Check out the most recent photos of the progress below. Again, scroll over "Notes" for a small description of each image.

New Life for a Grand Rapids Historic Building

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:45:02 -0500

In late 2007, the Community Foundation purchased the historic "Icehouse" building located at the corner of Oakes Street and Grandville Avenue. Work is underway to transform this vacant space into the Foundation's new home by fall 2008. The former Anheuser Busch Icehouse is being renovated now. Fryling Construction and Design Plus are working to reuse and preserve many of the building's historical features in the design. Once complete, this 19,000 square foot building will feature conference space, a state-of-the-art board room, staff offices, a library and a comfortable reception area.

Take a tour of 185 Oakes St SW

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:43:15 -0500

Scroll through the photos below to see the building at its starting point. Scroll over "Notes" on the photo browser to get a description of the image.