Did you happen to catch the article about the Library Addition at Concordia Theological Seminary in Sunday’s Journal Gazette?via Faith in books The Journal Gazette Fort Wayne, IN.A great building – how many architects have an opportunity to work off Saarinen design drawings?  A great team of people – Concordia, Hagerman, Shambaugh and MSKTD – all working hard to deliver the quality building that this beautiful campus deserves.

MSKTD Vice President and Architect George Bachnivsky was a round table panelist in the Indiana Construction Association’s  ”Strategies for Cooperation between Designers and Constructors,” sponsored by the Leadership Development Committee and hosted by Baker & Daniels on January 13, 2011.  ICA member firms that attended the presentation included Hagerman Group, Weigand Construction, Shambaugh & Son, E&B Paving, Fox Contractors, Brooks Construction, and Rosema.  The presentation centered on Strategies for Improved Collaboration between Designers and Contractors, or “Things Contractors and Architects Can Do to Help a Project Run Smoothly.”George reports that the forum was a great opportunity for both designers and constructors to meet face-to-face, share their expertise, and ask/answer questions.  To keep the dialogue going, from time-to-time George will address some of the questions he received on our Facebook page.?

Those heading west on US30 past Warsaw may have noticed that construction has begun on the new Ivy Tech Warsaw campus and classroom building.  Located at US30 and Silveus Crossing, the new Warsaw campus is designed to fit into its prairie-like setting.  Plans call for a 43,000 s.f. building with classrooms, labs, library, bookstore, student lounge, and offices.  LEED Silver certification is being pursued, with construction to be complete August of 2011.Once the snow stops and the sun comes out again (and only the groundhogs know for sure when that will be), we will post construction progress photos.

Thanks to Matt for posting the new Waterfront Lodge construction progress photos from Epworth Forest at Lake Webster, Indiana.  With all the brick, mortar, steel and concrete buildings MSKTD designs, it’s great to see the craftsmanship involved with timber construction.The new Waterfront Lodge at Epworth Forest is the first built project of the Master Plan MSKTD completed in 2007.  The master plan calls for a new Conference Center with auditorium, dining and meeting spaces; new campus entrance, year-round waterfront lodges; new upgraded and relocated outdoor recreation areas, and environmental upgrades.The Epworth Forest campus has been the site for camping and ministry retreats for decades.  MSKTD is honored they chose us to help them realize their vision for the future of their camping and retreat ministry, and we are truly excited to have construction underway.For those interested in additional construction photos, future plans for the campus and how you can help Epworth realize their vision, visit Impact 2818 – a Ministry of the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Belated public congratulations to Jackie on celebrating her 25th year with MSKTD in June 2010.  For “fostering a working environment and work ethic of the highest caliber for over twenty-five years of service,” Jackie received a proclamation from MSKTD’s Board of Directors which included a week in her honor, a “mandated” day of vacation, and a special vacation gift.Well deserved Jackie – as all our staff and clients know, she gives 110% to make sure our documents are accurate and timely and our projects run smoothly.  Even more outstanding considering she started when she was five…..

An urgent request from the American Red Cross brought the bloodmobile to MSKTD Fort Wayne on December 23^rd.  A last minute cancellation left the Red Cross short of their goal before the holidays and MSKTD was asked if we could help.  MSKTD has been hosting biannual visits from the bloodmobile for several years – proud recipient of a gallon donor pin myself.Thanks to our MSKTD staff & extended family for stepping up and donating!

Not only will we feature new projects, projects in design/under construction, and links to interesting articles about our work, but we will also be making use of our best asset – our creative, smart and talented staff of Architects, Engineers and Interior Designers.  They will share their experiences with issues they encounter with the design and construction of Academic, Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, Corporate and Community facilities.Watch for our Facebook page going live in January.  Look for the link on our web page and check us out.  Thanks to Heather for being our moderator!In addition, I’ll be sharing some info about MSKTD people and “goings on” – so everyone knows why MSKTD is such a great place to work.  Call us and ask to be put on hold – could anything be better?!Exciting times are ahead and we can’t wait to share some BIG news with you.  Stay tuned…

Check out the latest construction photos from the beautiful new Ogle Hall on the Ivy Tech Sellersburg campus!  This new 78,500 SF  building with 26 classrooms, 2 two-way distance learning classrooms, Auditorium and Community Center will be opening to students next month.Work is also continuing on the renovations to the existing campus building, which is due to be complete in the spring.Read more about this project here