SMBH

A creative culture of passionate people engaged in innovative structural design.

Recreational

Flying Horse Farms

Flying Horse Farms Rendering Ohio Historical

Flying Horse Farms

Location:
Mount Gilead, Ohio

Architect:
Glavan Feher

Construction Cost:
$12 million

Project Size:
167-acre site

SMBH, Inc. provided in-kind structural services for a Hole in the Wall Gang Camp created by Paul Newman for children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and life threatening diseases. The project included a dining hall, medical building, recreational building, staff housing, bunk house, arts and crafts building, facility manager’s house, maintenance building, amphitheater and sixteen cabins. Activities take place at the horse stables and riding arena, boat house, rope climbing course and archery shelter allowing children to achieve success no matter what their disease or disability. These buildings are situated on a 167 acre site of gently rolling hills, lakes, woods, trails, meadows and wetlands in Mt. Gilead, Ohio.

Westgate Recreation Center Addition

Westgate Rec Center-1

Westgate Recreation Center

Location:
Columbus, Ohio

Architect:
Braun & Steidl Architects

Construction Cost:
$5.1 million

Project Size:
25,000 SF

Westgate Recreation Center is located in Westgate Park on the City of Columbus’ west side.  The center offers a variety of classes for all ages as well as sport and recreation activities.  The center was built in the 1960’s.  Since then, the needs of the center have changed. More space was needed to serve the growing community and an update to the center was needed.

This project completely renovated the existing recreation center to update and refresh the interior spaces. The project included general improvements and renovations including window and door replacement, mechanical system replacement and the addition of air conditioning, interior finish improvements and improved ADA accessibility.  An addition was constructed on the south side of the existing building.  The addition extends the basement, first floor and second floor spaces.  The addition added an exercise room in the basement and a multipurpose room on the first floor.  To improve ADA accessibility, an elevator serving the basement, first floor and second floor, was included in the addition, as the original building did not have an elevator.  The addition was designed to allow southern daylight into the new spaces.  Large windows were built into the south wall of the multipurpose room and a clerestory was built over the elevator lobby and corridor space leading into the multipurpose room.

The structure of the existing building had to be modified to accommodate the new addition.  Large openings were cut into the existing basement and first floor walls to allow for the spaces to flow uninterrupted from the existing building to the new addition.  The elevator was located directly adjacent to the existing building, requiring the existing foundation to be underpinned for the elevator pit.  The large windows on the south side of the multipurpose room required a creative solution to provide lateral support to the masonry bearing walls below the windows.  The structure also responds to the aesthetic of the new interior spaces.  Detailing of the structure was carefully coordinated with the architect to ensure that the space is pleasing and inviting.

West Virginia State D Stephen and Diane H Walker Convocation Center Renovation & Addition

WVU Flemming Hall - D Stephen and Diane H Walker Convocation Center Reno & Add

West Virginia State – D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center Renovation and Addition

Location:
Institute, West Virginia

Architect:
Silling Associates

Construction Cost:
$17 million

Project Size:
70,000 SF

This renovation and addition to Fleming Hall doubles the current space to 70,000 square feet. The project includes the addition of a 36,000 square foot multi-purpose arena with seating for 2,500 people which can be used for convocations, athletic events and other activities. The addition includes locker rooms, training rooms and coaches offices for multiple sports. The project also includes a renovation of 34,000 square feet of existing space and converts the existing 1,200-seat basketball gym into a competition space for volleyball and other sports. In addition, the facility is outfitted with state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.

The southern third of the addition is constructed above a fly ash spoil fill area and the entire site rests above weak soils. The foundations are augur cast piles. The basketball floor and all foundations to the south are 18” diameter, 75-ton augur cast bearing on rock. The foundations and piles north of the arena floor are 18” diameter, 45-ton friction piles.

The arena space is approximately 118 feet by 143 feet with a column-free roof structure. Twenty inch deep steel joists span approximately 30 feet to 120 inch deep joist girders spanning 118 feet. The four edges of the space are supported by story-deep steel trusses.

Grange Insurance Audubon Center

Audubon CTR-0077

Grange Insurance Audubon Center

Location: 
Columbus, Ohio

Architect:
DesignGroup

Construction Cost:
$6 million

Project Size:
18,000 SF

LEED Certification:
LEED Gold

The Grange Insurance Audubon Center was the first new building at the Whittier Metro Park. The 18,000 square foot building is designed to provide views to the surrounding landscape and river. A bird viewing area on the north side of the building allows visitors to enjoy the bird habitat.

The Architect stated, “This urban ecology center represents a catalyst for change connecting urban youth with their natural environment.  The acre parcel is viewed as “the center,” with some activity indoors and some outdoors.  Every aspect of this LEED Gold facility provides a learning opportunity in the environmental awareness, habitat restoration, conservation practices, and sustainable strategies.  Building massing, orientation, materials, and mechanical systems work in concert to create an interactive workshop environment celebrating the 5 R’s - reduce, reuse, recycle, restore, and revitalize.”

Awards:

  • 2008 Sustainability Award – Un-built Category
  • 2009 ABC Excellence in Construction–Eagle Award
  • 2010 Dayton Builders Exchange Green Building Award Winner
  • Finalist – 2009 James B. Recchie Design Award