Lamar Construction Company

Floating above the West Michigan landscape, this cantilever building expresses the identity of its owner, a premier general contractor specializing in steel erection, formed concrete and pre-engineered buildings.

The design solution speaks to who they are and what they do in a powerful fashion, creating a noteworthy structure that is visible from the nearby interstate.

The 5,200 SF hovering box of glass and steel also celebrates and showcases the construction company?s commitment to long-term, high quality construction efforts, no matter the degree of difficulty.

While the cantilever utilizes raw space to create a powerful, essential building component, the headquarters project is simply one building with two volumes separated by a 16-foot gap.

The solid, textured concrete tower literally grabs the glass box and gives it solid footing. The lower box, serves as a plinth with its primarily solid form and corporate hue completing this unique and bold expression of the floating box.

The lobby fortifies the concrete, glass and steel building experience, offering a glass-walled meeting room and access to the stair tower and the lower level, home to the company?s tool room, carpentry shop and truck garage. The simple rectangle also reveals the company?s metal building expertise.

A double cantilever, the upper office is defined by two, 16-foot-deep trusses which frame each workspace while creating interior room for the coffee bar and conference areas. The initial cantilever extends 100 feet from the concrete wall while the second extends 16 feet from the trusses to the outer walls.

The massive trusses dominate the construction office, reflecting and reinforcing the company?s main purpose while adding a feeling of strength that is validated by the raw concrete walls and minimal furnishings. The uncompromised view of the surrounding countryside is a bonus.

Seemingly defying gravity, the Corporate Headquarters emerges from the lake mist to create an iconic building that redefines the status quo of the construction landscape.

Architect Michael C. Corby, AIA, LEED AP, is Design Principal of Integrated Architecture a firm he helped found in his home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

One of Michigan?s first LEED Accredited Professionals, Mike is helping to mainstream sustainable design by featuring what he terms the affordable new luxuries for the 21st Century: natural light, fresh air and space. His portfolio of sustainable architecture includes three Gold LEED projects: The national award-winning Herman Miller MarketPlace, and two Steelcase / Workstage design-build projects: Michigan Alternative Renewable Energy Center for Grand Valley State University and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line?s new Springfield, OR office. Other LEED projects include the nation?s first LEED certified worship center, the nation?s first LEED YMCA, the nation?s first Silver LEED K-12 fine arts center, as well as numerous other LEED and sustainable buildings on the boards and in construction.

Design Principal and lead design architect for IA, Mike?s approach features simple, sustainable materials within an environmentally sensitive envelope. He balances aesthetics, costs and environmental impact, striving to ensure that the abundant resources enjoyed today will be available for future generations. A recipient of the prestigious State of Michigan Young Architect of the Year Award, Mike?s designs positively impact the way people live and work.

Mike?s design honors include an AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Building Award, Sustainable Buildings Industry Council Exemplary Sustainable Building Award and an Honorable Mention; Business Week Good Design is Good Business, Honorable Mention; Athletic Business Facility of Merit, Recreation Management Magazine Innovative Architecture and Design Award, Environmental Design + Construction Excellence in Design Award, American School & University Architectural Portfolio Citation, a National Metal Architecture Design Award, and numerous state and local AIA Honor Awards including the first local and state AIA Sustainable Honor Awards and the first building to be honored, in the same year, with both sustainable design and building design honor awards. Integrated Architecture was AIA Michigan?s 2006 Firm of the Year.

Mike received his Masters of Architecture from the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1984. He and his wife, Debbie, reside in East Grand Rapids with their two children.


professional registration

Registered Architect states of: Michigan (1986), Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, N. Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, S. Carolina, S. Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, Wisconsin and National Council of Architectural Registration Board

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