This was a unique project that involved masonry restoration and renovations to the former 68,000 SF Michigan School for the Deaf building along with a new 90,000 SF addition to create the new Luke M. Powers Catholic High School.

This award winning 9-story load bearing masonry project is located in the heart of University of Michigan’s Central Campus. This project was originally designed as a steel structure building with a brick/stone veneer. When the project came in over budget Davenport Masonry suggested that the owner, design team, and construction manager consider a load-bearing masonry option. The load-bearing option was more cost effective and shortened the overall completion schedule.

This award winning 370,000 SF complex occupies an entire city block on the University of Michigan campus. The North Quad Complex encompasses an 180,000 SF 10-story residential tower along with an 190,000 SF 7-story academic structure with a series of ornate colonnades and arches at the various patio levels. The focal point of the complex is a 12-story tower that features elaborate arches and stone work at the top.

This project was a 450,000 SF 11-story addition to Sparrow Hospital.  We encountered logistical issues as the hospital needed to remain operational, the site was on a busy street, pedestrian and vehicle traffic could not be impeded by scaffolding, and there was no site.  To resolve these issues Davenport Masonry engineered a cantilevered scaffolding system that allowed the scaffolding towers to be placed up off the ground so that pedestrian and vehicle traffic could flow normally. 

At the time of construction, this award-winning project was the largest high school (352,000 SF) in the state of Michigan.  Challenging site conditions delayed the start of the project by five months. Davenport Masonry kicked off the job in August of 2002 with the goal of allowing the school to open in the fall of 2003. A typical time line would have allowed six more months, but excellent cooperation between the Architect and Construction Manager helped Davenport Masonry meet this challenging goal.

A 14-story building on a postage stamp site in busy downtown Ann Arbor presented a logistical challenge.  Through careful planning and communication, we rose to the challenge.  Material had to be estimated, ordered and delivered daily from a rented shuttle yard because there was no area on site for material storage.  This project was a showcase of cooperation between the Construction Manager and all contractors involved.