(HOLLAND, MI) - G.O. Construction, a local joint venture team composed of GDK Construction of Holland, and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (O-A-K) of Grand Rapids, is pleased to announce they have completed two major construction projects for Hope College; the new Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts and the new Kruizenga Art Museum.
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts This 64,000 square-foot new construction project features a structure made of 65-foot tall precast concrete panels. Each panel weighs over 80,000 pounds, making the total weight of the concrete structure over ten million pounds. The structure was designed and built to isolate the transmission of sound and vibration from both the musical activities within the building, and from the adjacent rail tracks.
Other specialized components include a glass-enclosed two-story lobby area, an acoustically superior main performance hall with 800 seats (550 main floor and 250 balcony), an intimate recital hall with flexible seating for up to 125, new instrumental and choral rehearsal rooms, multiple faculty studios and practice rooms, and a dedicated organ studio.
Unique scheduling considerations were taken for the installation and tuning of the Casavant Opus 3903 organ. The organ was installed over a four-week span in June 2015. The facility opened to students in August 2015, while the main performance hall was in the final stages of completion. After the project was substantially complete, ahead of schedule in October 2015, five weeks were reserved to thoroughly and accurately tune the instrument.
The total project cost for Jack H. Miller Center was $35 million, which includes construction and an endowment for maintenance.
Kruizenga Art Museum The new Kruizenga Art Museum provides exhibition space for Hope College’s permanent art collection, a gallery for visiting exhibitions, and a central multi-purpose space for educational use and events. The building shell consists of 27 granite slabs, each soaring 22 feet high, with LED lights illuminating the space between each panel.
Other unique features include: A building footprint in the shape of an artist’ pallet; a Building Automation System (BAS) to monitor and control the heat, ventilation, and air conditioning system; full height entrance window with low-E coating; low-VOC paint in all interior spaces; steel beams in the ceiling to support potential hanging installations; and polished concrete floors.
The total project cost for Kruizenga Art Museum was $7.8 million, including construction and an endowment for ongoing building maintenance.
History of joint venture team The partnership between GDK and O-A-K initially formed in 2010, when they were hired by Holland Public Schools to manage $40 million worth of construction for three district facilities: Holland High School, West K-7 School and Jefferson K-7 School. In 2011, G.O. Construction was hired by a privately-held corporation along the lakeshore, to manage several additional projects. The joint venture team is currently working with Holland Township, West Ottawa Public Schools, and Zeeland Public Schools on several additional projects.
“If there is one thing our projects have in common it is that they are deeply intertwined with our West Michigan community. We are fortunate to have found a great niche in the community-driven market as we partner with our friends at GDK,” said O-A-K President and CEO, Frank Stanek. “We come to work every day and have fun.”
“The relationship between GDK and O-A-K is grounded in shared values. We are like-minded organizations, and we enjoy the challenges and successes of every project we complete together,” adds GDK President, Chuck Geenen.
Both Hope College facilities are open and operational for the 2016 winter semester. Architectural partners included HGA of Minneapolis (Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts), and C Concept Design of The Netherlands (Kruizenga Art Museum).
