Masonry Magazine May 1979 Page. 15
Architect for "The Woods"
Architect for "The Woods" was Donald Lee Erickson, AIA, a principal of Progressive Associates, Inc., Southfield, Mich.
Robert T. Vandervennet, president of the mason contracting firm, is enthusiastic about the project. "As the major contractor, we control the pace of the job," he said. "We man it pretty much the same as a commercial project. On some of the buildings, we ran the brick and block up together. On the others, we did the block work first. This proved to be the best way to go because it permitted earlier enclosure of the first floor and allowed other trades to work while we finished the first floor and started the second." (Previous phases were done by another Detroit MCA member firm. Shell Structures of Southfield.)
Block work for the second story was done overhand off the floor deck. All the brick work was done from the face. The project was designed by Progressive Associates, Inc. of Southfield. The exterior walls are composite: 4-inch earth tone brick and 8-inch concrete masonry units, with wall ties every second course. On the inside, the block walls are finished with rigid insulation and drywall. Interior partitions are 8-inch concrete masonry. These fire walls extend 12 inches above the roof line. The roofing is wood truss. As mentioned earlier, floors are precast concrete. On the underside, they are sprayed with a textured paint, providing an attractive ceiling for the first-floor units.
Precast slabs also are used to provide balconies for all second-floor units. "The balconies give us interesting shadows and offsets in what is otherwise a pretty straightforward design," said Donald Lee Erickson, AIA, a principal of Progressive Associates. Most of the units in The Woods have carports; some have garages. In the new Laurel Woods project, all will have garages. Two of the new buildings will be dramatic, three-story hillside developments, with units expandable to three or four bedrooms.
Thus far, there has been no advertising for the new project. Not a shovel of earth has been turned. Yet 50 of the projected 100 units are as good as sold. "As soon as it was reported in the local newspaper that the city had approved the new development, we couldn't keep the people away," Hauser said. Just south of Laurel Woods, another builder is getting ready to start a rental development. This one, too, will be low-rise-and all masonry.
Builders of traditional "stick type" low-rise apartments would do well to take a look at what's happening in Livonia. Even where codes don't require it (and hopefully all will one day), the quality, fire safety, soundproofing and maintenance-free qualities of masonry design make good sense to today's educated renters and home buyers.
Developer Robert L. Hauser (left) reviews plans for "The Woods" with his mason contractor, Robert T. Vandervennet of Livonia, Mich.
MASONRY/MAY, 1979 15