Hunter Douglas Architectural announced that the Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA) has recognized two projects, the Nassau Memorial Coliseum and Little Caesars Arena, with 2018 Construction Excellence Gold Awards. Ron Rice, general manager of Hunter Douglas Architectural Ceilings, was also presented with the President’s Award by President Paul Gallagher of CJ Coakley. The President’s Award is chosen by the president each year and given to a member he/she believes has contributed to their success as president and been an asset to the association overall.
“It’s an honor for our entire team to receive recognition of our hard work and the custom solutions we are able to provide our customers on an ongoing basis,” says Ron Rice, general manager of Hunter Douglas Architectural Ceilings. “We’d like to congratulate the contracting and design partners who invited us to help them make these projects successful.”
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.
Gold Award: East/Civic/Under 50,000-square-feet
The $165-million-dollar renovation of the Nassau Coliseum, a historic multipurpose indoor entertainment venue in Uniondale, N.Y., needed to maintain existing structures while broadening the space. Hunter Douglas Architectural supplied nearly 6,000 linear feet of High Profile Series Frameworks, a custom-engineered extruded aluminum ceiling system, as single beams mitered into custom-angled peaks.
“We were invited to work with architects and designers from Gensler, contractors at Hunt Construction Group, and Cord Contracting Inc. to create a wave of beam rafter elements in the concourse,” says Rice. To further improve the fan experience through aesthetics and continuity, Hunter Douglas Architectural also engineered and fabricated a matching screen wall and shelf of High Profile Series Straight Baffles above a lounge area near the main entrance.
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Gold Award: Central/Civic/Under 50,000-square-feet
The $863-million-dollar Little Caesars Arena, home to both the NHL Red Wings and the NBA Pistons, integrates into a downtown mixed-use district. Hunter Douglas Architectural worked with architects from HOK, a joint venture by contractors at Pontiac Ceilings & Partitions and Turner Brooks, architectural specialties manufacturer Gordon Inc., and their installation contractors from A.C. Dellovade.
“The Little Caesars Arena project is an example of how collaboration among design, construction, and manufacturing partners can yield results,” says Rice.
Hunter Douglas Architectural produced 3,150 v-notched panels to eliminate uncertainty from field-cutting, a customer-specific application of standard wood-look Box 6 Linear ceilings. The linear ceiling spans more than 10,000-square-feet of the concourse and concession areas in the arena. The project also included 10,000-square-feet of Hunter Douglas Architectural Torsion Spring elements, which were installed at a 75-degree slope above the concourse retail areas.
The CISCA awards are judged by an industry panel of experts to highlight construction projects in the office, healthcare, civic, education, retail, and boutique sectors across the U.S. and internationally.