A significant focus for our studio lately is the sustainable repositioning and reimagining of existing buildings into high-value assets for owners across the country.
CLE Connection Group is comprised of Gilbane Building, Donley's Next Generation Construction, Independence Excavating, interior design firm Vocon, architectural firm Pickard Chilton, Osborn Engineering, Desman Parking Consultants and construction firm GFT.
The CLE Connection Group is a collaboration among several firms, many with deep Northeast Ohio connections, including Gilbane Building, Donley’s, Next Generation Construction, Independence Excavating, Vocon, Pickard Chilton, Osborn Engineering, DESMAN and GFT.
The Aplin Center mass timber project also features glue-laminated columns and beams, as well as cross laminated timber floor and roof panels. All timber used is sourced from Texas sawmills. The project will require more than 3.5 million board feet of timber. The project, designed by DLR Group and Pickard Chilton, is the largest mass timber project on a university campus in Texas.
Hensley added that health, wellness and a connection to nature were woven into the project.
"We really wanted to create a lot of outdoor spaces," he said. "We have a series of carvings that step up the building and create a series of terraces on all sides of the building that then provide opportunities for tenants to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. The other part that was really important was maximizing views: the Rockies views, to downtown views, to just the general extent beyond the site."
Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III gifted $60 million toward an immersive learning lab and campus gateway that is expected to be complete in 2028. The project, designed by DLR Group and Pickard Chilton, is the largest mass timber project on a university campus in Texas.