October 2013

news - ribbon cuttings
It has been a busy quarter for Schmidt Associates. Below are a couple of highlights that we wanted to share.

Schmidt Associates, Inc., 415 Massachusetts Avenue - Ribbon cutting

On July 8 Schmidt Associates held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new Massachusetts Avenue entrance. Mayor Gregory A. Ballard participated in the event welcoming the firm to its new address. Guests enjoyed the catered offerings of local Mass Ave businesses as they toured the newly renovated office.   
Building History
Schmidt Associates has occupied the Wil-Fra-Mar building (320 E. Vermont St.) since 1986. During the 90's they expanded into the neighboring 415 building which has held a variety of functions (e.g. a car dealership & a wallpaper store). Now that Mass Ave has been revitalized it was felt that the entry to the building should be turned around.
New Entrance and Main Lobby:

• The main lobby has been relocated to the Massachusetts Avenue side of the building.
• The leaded glass entrance archway is the only piece of the original storefront remaining in the building.
• Lights have been added to the archway to make it glow and focus attention on the entrance once again.

Meeting Spaces and New Technology:

With the renovation of the first floor, additional conference rooms have been constructed. These conference rooms and other break-out areas demonstrate new design trends in technology-enhanced flexible meeting spaces.

Energy Efficient Improvements

The renovations make the building more energy efficient and sustainable.

• Glass for the Massachusetts Avenue entrance was changed from single pane to double pane, low-E glass to cut down on the loss of heating and cooling. The storefront was changed to match the original storefront of the building
• All new light fixtures use LED bulbs to reduce electricity usage.
• A new mechanical system that balances heating and cooling to eliminate hot spots and cool zones.  The system is called a Variable Refrigerant Volume System; as the building’s older mechanical systems are replaced, they will also be replaced with this same kind of system.
• Disposable water bottles were gone a long time ago. A water bottle “filling station” was installed to make refilling employees’ personal water bottles more convenient. 

Schmidt Associates has modernized, preserved and made buildings more energy efficient for many clients.  Now they have created this same type of building space for themselves to serve as an example for others!

Photo of 415 building in early 1900s

Marian University - Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences ribbon cutting

Marian University celebrated the opening of their new Health Sciences building on August 6. The building houses their School of Nursing and Indiana's first college of osteopathic medicine (as well as the first college of osteopathic medicine associated with a Catholic university).

The 3-story, 140,000 square-foot building features general classrooms, large lecture halls that hold 200+ students, 16 seminar rooms, 10 exam rooms, anatomy and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM)  labs, and multiple “accidental interaction spaces”, including a commons area and roof garden that can be used for events. 

It is the simulation rooms that attract the most attention. High tech interactive mannequins can be programmed to simulate medical conditions ranging from normal labor and delivery, to surgery, complex conditions, and cardiac events.  Working with these interactive models gives medical students practical experience in diagnosing symptoms and making decisions about treatment.

The state-of-the-art building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification later this year. The building is sure to be a landmark for the campus and the city.