The Christman Co.

Architect:

Kramer Design Group

Scope Of Work

Built in the late 1800s, the Malcomson Building at 1215 Griswold is a six-story building in Detroit’s Capitol Park neighborhood, originally designed by Detroit architectural firm Malcomson & Higginbotham. After it sat vacant for years, Christman and joint venture partner MiG Construction transformed the building into a mix of retail and residential spaces, with retail on the ground level and 25 residential units above.

Due to the building sitting idle for years, structural components were damaged from weather cycles that had allowed freezing and thawing. The project team developed a systematic and economical approach to replace rotted wood structural members and the entire exterior wall of the west facade. Extensive tuckpointing of the interior and exterior masonry was also completed. One of the largest challenges was the replacement of the building’s main elevator. The team expertly deepened the elevator pit and reconstructed the elevator shaft while keeping the main stair and landings, which wrapped around the entire elevator, completely intact.

With the project budget as a main concern, the team released early bid packages that provided the design team more opportunities to study the structure and develop design solutions. Trade contractor partners were also brought in early in order to assist in coordinating mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as major equipment selection.