Commercial Drywall, Inc.
Commercial Craftsman
Volume 1, No. 7
May 1980
Tofal capabilitys pay off
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CDI’s complete interior capabilities over the years have allowed us to meet a variety of client needs. However, at no time have they been more graphically illustrated than during the recent tenant construction at Northwind Plaza. In fact, Northwind Plaza may become a classic case history for CDI. Under the general contracting of Miner-Dederick, the job originally called for conventional drywall system throughout. The building’s owners, however, decided just prior to the tenant work, to go with a demountable wall system in order to benefit from its depreciation and cash flow advantages. At this point, CDI was asked to make an evaluation and determine the cost for such a change. Budgeting and estimating shifted from our sales group to Commercial Interiors Systems which handles our demountable systems. In late February, the decision for the demountables was made. This meant that more than 10,000 sheets of rock, already stocked in the building, had to be removed to be replaced with prefabricated, vinyl, and fabric-covered wall panels. Actual construction began during the first week in March on two floors—1 and 5. In just over two weeks, the leased space was virtually complete, faster than could have been done with fixed wall Systems, and just in time for the real bombshell. Floors 6 and 7 had to be readied for tenant move-in by April 5—two weeks away. Activity for CDI picked up feverishly. Selection of wall coverings had to be made by the tenants. And, ' they wanted a curved staircase connecting the two floors. Coordination between the office and the field became critical. Carlos
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Ramsey heading up the Interiors Group was on one end, while job supervisor Ken Hyatt held the other. The 26,000 square feet of lease space calling for dozens of offices, seven different wall coverings, a curved stairwell, approximately 90 doors, their hardware and door frames, mill work, and trim items had to be completed in two short weeks. At the jobsite, Ken increased his crew from 14 to 32 carpenters. The prefabricated wall panels were coming in and installed with top and bottom track put in place by CDI carpenters. The panels were already wrapped with their particular coverings except in the case of one fabric whose shipment to CDI had been delayed. On walls using this fabric, bare panels would be installed and application of the covering would come later. Besides the tight schedule, the difficult stairway had to be handled. Another subcontractor, using jackhammers, had created the opening for the stairs, and it was dropped in place. Now it was up to CDI to frame it, hang it, and apply the fabric and trim. In this time frame, a plasterer had to come in and plaster top of the hand rail. By the end of the final week, CDI crafts were working overtime. Some stayed until midnight on Thursday the 3rd. And, these long hours continued through Saturday the 5th—the movein date. Tenant occupancy came as expected. After their arrival, some work had to be completed—bare panels were covered and trim put up—but the vast majority of the work had been finished, and right on schedule. Despite the rigid deadline, there was no sacrifice of quality. All areas of work were done with CDI
The curved stairway between floors 6 and 7 at Northwind Plaza was a late inclusion in the project, and was framed hung, finished, and covered by CDI craftsmen.
craftsmanship. And every worker on the job should feel proud of their accomplishment at Northwind. In just over a month’s time, they had taken leased space in four floors to completion. In the process, they did everything from take-offs and estimating to ordering material, fabrication, and installation. Some of the key figures in the job included Ken and carpenters Juan Aguilar and Jesse Gunn. The carpenters on the intricate stairway were Ronnie Tolbert and Dean Crawford. The painters under Ben Boatright and Don Harrison did a superb job of applying the coverings to the bare walls and the stairway, while Greenway Plaza’s cabinet shop (See CDI, page 10)