Celebrating 50 Years of American Structurepoint

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the American Structurepoint 50^th year anniversary celebration on September 15.

Our event under a huge tent on our parking lot at our corporate headquarters at 7260 Shadeland Station in Indianapolis was a tremendous success that celebrated employees, clients, colleagues and friends. How wonderful it was to mark 50 years of growth thanks to the hundreds of clients who have entrusted us to design and build literally thousands of projects.

We were thrilled that so many of you took the time to drop by and enjoy the festivities. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Fifth District U.S. Congresswoman Susan Brooks, and many other dignitaries attended to wish us well. Mayor Hogsett even proclaimed September 15, 2016, as American Structurepoint Day in the City of Indianapolis.

While our golden anniversary gave us a wonderful opportunity to recall our beginnings and celebrate where we are today, American Structurepoint’s work is far from complete. We are as excited about our future as we are proud of our past. We fully intend to continue moving the needle forward just as we have done for five decades to become one of the largest engineering and architecture firms in the Midwest with locations in seven states.

If you were unable to join us or missed the video we shared during the event, please click below to view and enjoy a look back at our past 50 years.

Also, in case you missed it, check out our newly launched website to learn more about our recent projects.

The entire American Structurepoint team looks forward to many more years, dare I say decades, of delivering excellence in defining the built environment. Here’s to another 50 years!

Designing a Police Department Facility to Better Serve the Community

This week marks a big milestone in Michigan City Community – the opening of the new Michigan City Police Department. And American Structurepoint is so thankful and honored to be a part of it.

On Aug. 1, police department staff reported for duty at their new 42,000-sft, state-of-the-art facility that American Structurepoint designed. A dozen members of our Architecture + Interiors design team worked hand-in-hand with Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer and Police Chief Mark Swistek to design a facility that provides a high level of safety and security while also enhancing public interaction.

Our team designed the police department as an inviting place for the surrounding Eastport neighborhood. It features a park, basketball courts, and two police-themed playgrounds for children. We designed the department’s training room and fitness center to face toward the adjacent Cleveland Park, which lends a protective gaze to the area where families and their children will gather to play and socialize.

The American Structurepoint design team poses with Mayor Ron Meer and Police Chief Mark Swistek at the MCPD dedication. From left to right: Mike Hoopingarner, Joseph Fragomeni, Dan McCloskey, Rick Conner, Mayor Meer, Chief Swistek, Brandon Hoopingarner, and Kyle St. Peter

The new building offers increased work space for almost every facet of the department. The roll call and evidence rooms are more than double the size of its previous space while the garage is about three times bigger.

The design also offers sustainability. More than 140 solar panels on the roof help generate power.  Other energy-efficient elements include using LED lighting wherever possible and providing many opportunities for daylighting to enter the new building. We included indigenous, water-efficient landscaping. Our design team also laid out the site to protect almost 90 percent of the mature trees.

Not only that, the entire project came in under budget and ahead of schedule. Projects just don’t get any better than that. Congratulations to the entire Michigan City community for a job well done!

Celebrating a BlueSky Future

American Structurepoint is honored and thankful to be joining with BlueSky Technology Partners and the City of Noblesville to bring new growth and vitality to the Federal Hill District.

We proudly participated in the June 29 groundbreaking at Westfield Road and John Street for BlueSky’s 42,000 square foot international headquarters. Other participants included Meyer Najem, the project’s building contractor, and Stock Yards Bank & Trust, which is providing project financing.

The BlueSky project represents some major milestones for growth in Noblesville. The new headquarters is the first major development since the Federal Hill Commons project took flight. Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear said the project is the first non-medical office building constructed in Noblesville in nearly 30 years. BlueSky, an eCommerce consulting company, is also growing, with plans to recruit 10 to 15 high-tech millennials to new jobs with salaries that will average more than $90,000 a year.

Kyle St. Peter, Kaitlyn Barrett, Rob Bray, Randy Robison, and Brandon Hoopingarner of American Structurepoint break ground on the new BlueSky headquarters in Noblesville

The building’s design follow through on our commitment to improving the built environment one project, one community at a time. Our design resulted from an extensive visioning session that helped BlueSky define its company, culture, and brand. The result is a contemporary, mixed-used office building that delivers vibrancy and western “Colorado” style in the Federal district. The exterior design looked to create a warm palette within the use of natural stone veneers and wood grain finish accent features along the roof line. Large glazing expanses are located for natural lighting in the open office plans as well as for future tenants in the lower levels.

The top three levels are for collaborative office use while the main level is intended for restaurant tenant space and outdoor dining. An outdoor terrace off a common breakroom area on the fourth floor provides BlueSky employees with scenic views of downtown Noblesville and the new Federal Hills Commons area.

Here’s hoping that the BlueSky headquarters is only the beginning for continued economic development in the Federal Hills District.

Saluting a Community, Healthcare Leader

Today I am sending good wishes to Pat Fox. On May 31, she will retire as Riverview Health CEO and president in Noblesville, Indiana, and begin a new chapter in her life after an outstanding 45-year career in healthcare.

Pat is a true one-of-a-kind individual who brings passion, drive, and purpose to everything she does. Her leadership and vision has sparked a tremendous amount of growth at Riverview Health in her 12 years as CEO. Since Pat joined Riverview in 2000 as chief operating officer, Riverview built a Women’s Pavilion, opened a new emergency room and renovated nearly every department in the hospital, including med-surg, radiology, and cardiology, and now offers 55 facilities in Hamilton and Tipton counties. She leaves the organization in a strong position of growth as it embarks on a new $36 million outpatient care center in Westfield and a $44 million expansion at the flagship hospital in Noblesville.

Yet, Pat says she’s most proud of the community partnerships Riverview formed with Noblesville and Westfield schools during her tenure to offer school nurses, sports medicine for athletic teams, and on-site clinics for school employees.

In retirement, she will remain focused on bettering the Hamilton County community, continuing to serve on various boards. She also plans to maintain her passion for running in marathons. All of us at American Structurepoint salute her many professional accomplishments and her contributions to community-based medicine.

A Partnership Begins

Our company is so proud to thank Indianapolis for our 50 years of successful growth by investing $250,000 to increase STEM education at Indianapolis Public Schools. In March, we announced a partnership with IPS and Project Lead The Way that will make it possible for every IPS elementary school, middle school, and high school to offer PLTW programs to their students beginning with the 2016-2017 school year.

The gift is a cornerstone of our 50th anniversary celebration in 2016. I firmly believe there is no better way for us to say thank you to the city of Indianapolis for our prosperity than to invest in the youth in our community that we serve.

Project Lead the Way, headquartered in Indianapolis just like American Structurepoint, provides highly transformative learning experiences for K-12 students, enabling them to develop in-demand skills in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Its programs are currently utilized in over 8,000 schools throughout the US. We feel it is only fitting that every IPS student experience the same opportunity that thousands of students nationwide already enjoy.

Even more fulfilling than the initial investment is the dividends these programs will pay forward in the years to come. We believe this next step in providing STEM opportunities to IPS students will lead to increased graduation rates; inspire more students to pursue a STEM curriculum in higher education; and ultimately, result in rewarding careers in science, technology and engineering—hopefully right here in Indiana.

I invite you to watch the recently posted video from the PLTW Summit where Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced our partnership. All of us at American Structurepoint look forward to being involved in how this partnership blooms and grows.

 

Support Dwayne Allen, DREAM Alive in Social Media Charity Challenge Contest

Here’s how you can help Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen win $20,000 for his favorite charity, DREAM Alive, Inc., and it won’t cost you thing. All you have to do is use the hashtag #AllenWPMOYChallenge on all your social media accounts between now and Dec. 31. Read on for the details.

Dwayne is the Colts’ nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given annually to a player for excellence on the field and for charitable work in the community. The nominees, one from each NFL team, represent the best of the league’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact. Since 2013, Dwayne has served as the player executive for Dream Alive, Inc., an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that equips urban youth to become leaders by providing mentoring relationships, character development and experiential learning. Dwayne has helped raise nearly $200,000 for DREAM Alive while mentoring many DREAM Alive scholars.

To celebrate all 32 award nominees, Nationwide, the award’s presenting sponsor, has launched the inaugural Charity Challenge. The player generating the most social media mentions using a unique hashtag will win a $20,000 donation to their charity of choice, courtesy of Nationwide.

Again, Dwayne’s hashtag is #AllenWPMOYChallenge, and the contest counts hashtag posts to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+

You can use the hashtag as many times as you want throughout the charity challenge, which ends at 11:59 PM EST Dec. 31. Dwayne’s charity is DREAM Alive. What a special holiday season it would be for Dwayne and DREAM Alive to win the challenge. So start using that hashtag today

Highways Need a Funding Fix

An important deadline affecting the continued funding of maintaining our nation’s roadways looms just around the corner. The US House of Representatives faces an October 29, 2015, deadline to pass a multi-year bill to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) or the program will shut down. The Highway Trust Fund was set up in 1956 to pay for building and maintaining the nation’s roads, bridges, and transit systems. Today, the fund acts as a national bank account, reimbursing states for improvement projects upon completion. That bank account is running on empty and has been for years, as our political leaders struggle to find a long-term funding solution.

Current state: Currently, an 18.4 cent-a-gallon gasoline tax and a 24.4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax funds the Highway Trust Fund. This tax has not increased since 1993, and its revenues have not kept pace with our infrastructure needs. While the price of household goods, such as bread, milk, or a new car, have nearly doubled in price, we continue to use a 22-year-old tax to fund road repairs. That tax has lost its buying power, and even worse, less of it is being collected because more fuel-efficient cars are on the road using less gasoline to be taxed.

We see the effects of crumbling road and bridges on our daily commutes and in the national headlines. The “2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), contained some unsettling facts. Among them:

• Forty-two percent of America’s urban highways are congested, resulting in a report card grade of “D.”
• One in nine of the nation’s bridges are “structurally deficient.” This means they are restricted to light vehicle traffic, closed to traffic, or require rehabilitation.
• Forty-eight percent of American households lack access to transit.

An even more alarming statistic comes from the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report (214-2015). It ranks the quality of US road infrastructure as 16^th in the world.

What’s ahead: In July, the US Senate passed the DRIVE Act, a bill providing six years of funding certainty to maintain and improve our roads and bridges. The US House of Representatives is now on the clock for a funding solution by the October 29 deadline. Chances are, a long-term solution will remain elusive. Congress has passed 34 short-term extensions to fund HTF since 2009. Perhaps this year will be different as more and more road failures gain public attention. Please consider writing your members of Congress urging them to pass a multi-year transportation bill by the October 29 deadline. We can’t afford another short-term solution to address a long-term need.

For your consideration: American Structurepoint Vice President Steve Davidson, PE, has written a white paper proposing using interstate tolls to fund much-needed road repairs. I invite you to read “Built to Last: Funding “Our Nation’s Highways.” His solution presents an alternative and fair way for all users to pay for maintaining the transportation network that drives the American economy.

Bringing Vision to Life at Purdue Aerospace District

Our architects and engineers are thrilled to be a part of the recently announced new 50,000-sft facility that will house a research and development team for Rolls-Royce at the Purdue University Research Park Aerospace District in West Lafayette, Indiana.

American Structurepoint, in design collaboration with the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF), is providing architectural, structural, and interior design services for the first new facility in the aerospace district. The building also will feature incubator space for other companies interested in aerospace and aviation development. Purdue Research Foundation will own the building and lease a majority of the space to Rolls-Royce, which plans to develop and test jet engine components there and collaborate with Purdue researchers through corporate partnerships.

Our building design sets out to merge the ideals of two worlds into one dramatic statement – the university academic setting and the high-tech nature of research and design. Through the use of brick, metal panels, and glass, an aesthetic merging these two ideas is born. A curved glass wall with a wing-shaped roof that joins these two worlds harmoniously reveals a two-story lobby/atrium that will display graphics and jet engines for Rolls-Royce.

We also wanted to create a space that promotes collaboration and innovation among all who will work and research there. Our design vision also strives to position the facility as an inviting gateway to the research park and create a high standard for future economic development in the area. We join with the PRF in bringing this vision to life, and we foresee this as only the beginning for great things to come to the aerospace district and for the entire State Street Redevelopment project in West Lafayette.

Serving Communities through DREAM Alive

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DREAM Alive, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization that serves over 780 students by offering mentoring and experiential learning opportunities, needs support from many local business to sustain a successful program. Improving the quality of life for surrounding communities, specifically focused on the youth who are the community’s future, is a shared philosophy for American Structurepoint, along with many other local organizations, and DREAM Alive.

Earlier this year, we held a career day for DREAM Alive students in our Indianapolis office. We taught them the fundamentals of the architecture and engineering industry through employee speakers as well as via a fun, hands-on activity where the students worked together to build a structure using only raw spaghetti, marshmallows, tape, and thread. Every year, American Structurepoint employees look forward to meeting new and returning DREAM Alive students to help inspire and encourage them to chase after their goals. We are extremely honored to partner with DREAM Alive to develop servant leaders for our community.

DREAM Alive hosted its annual Wishing on Stars benefit on Monday, September 14, at Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis. This year, the event was hosted by Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen with appearances by fellow Colts players, Indiana Pacers, Indy 500 drivers, and other local celebrities.

The evening included a cocktail reception, celebrity introductions, dinner, and a silent and live auction for 150-200 guests. To learn more about DREAM Alive and this event, go here.

Improving the Quality of Life

American Structurepoint prides itself in actively participating in the community. We feel it is important to give back to communities that have helped us be successful over the years. Throughout the year, our staff consistently volunteers their time. We understand the importance of giving year round as there is a continuous need for help.

 “We do great engineering and architectural and scientific work, and we do great humanitarian work as well.” – Michele Collins, American Structurepoint

We are actively involved with Janus Development Center (http://www.janus-inc.org), a company that provides local individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate and contribute to their community. This center has had a growing demand for more space, and American Structurepoint wanted to help. Our architects donated time and resources to develop a new master plan for the non-profit organization to efficiently utilize their space. With our help, Janus Development Center can accommodate more clients and activities.

“The more people that we can ally onto our team to help all of us move forward, the better off we’ll all be for it.” – Brandon Hoopingarner, American Structurepoint

American Structurepoint employees also donated their time to work with Elder Heart and Mission 22. These two groups collaborated on a memorial for the 22 military suicides that occur each day. Mission 22 is designed to raise awareness and support for the veterans around the nation. We worked with Elder Heart by providing renderings of a memorial that could be implemented throughout the US. Currently, one statue has been produced.

“One of the things that has always excited me about American Structurepoint was not only the competence level of the people, but their involvement in the community and wanting to give something back.” – Ted Willer, Raymond James & Associates

Not only do we help Elder Heart and Janus Development, but we serve other organizations including Gleaners Food Bank, Fuller Center, Meals on Wheels, Dream Alive, and many more. Recently, Seth Maxwell with The Thirst Project visited our office to brief us over the nonprofit organization providing fresh water wells in impoverished countries.We have already sponsored three wells in Africa. With the help of The Thirst Project, we are able to help hundreds of people receive access to clean water.

To learn more about our community service efforts, click here.